Skip to main content

Full text of "Semi-centennial history of the city of Rochester : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers"

See other formats


DUf^ 


/^JOHNM^X 
I  OLIN  2 
\S  LIBRARY  .<^/ 


CORNELL  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


924  074  296  561 


DATE   DUE 


PRINTED  IN  U.S.A 


GAYLORD 


¥2 


^^ 


Cornell  University 
Library 


The  original  of  this  book  is  in 
the  Cornell  University  Library. 

There  are  no  known  copyright  restrictions  in 
the  United  States  on  the  use  of  the  text. 


http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924074296561 


(QJy^.'zz:;zz^ 


.'lr,,im.t/:;-/ri:  ■■/'■/   D'/M/hs  iliMm  ,■//',.,//.»',/  ,n,/ ll,\tl,;n    \;-iry,.i/i . 


SEMl-CHNTHNNIAL  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


CITY  OF  ROCHESTER 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF 
SOME  OF  ITS  PROMINENT  MEN  AND  PIONEERS 


]JY 
WILLIAM    F.    PECK 


SYRACUSK,  N.  Y. 
D.   MASON  &  CO.,  PUBLISH liRS 

1 884 


J'-' 


i  \ ,} 


D.    MASON    &    CO., 

ENGRAVERS,     PRINTERS    AND    BINDERS, 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
1  884. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE, 

CriAI'TER  1.  —  Ahorii^inal  Occuftation  of  I  he  Lower  Genesee  Country —  Aiitiiiuity  of 
Man — •  AiUediluviaii  Relics  —  Tlie  Ancient  Ueach  of  Lake  Ontario  Inhabited  by 
Man,  -         II 

CHAPTER  II.  —  Surface  Geology — The  Great  Sea — Origin  of  the  Genesee  River  — 

Great  Age  of  the  Lake  Ridge  —  Man's  Antiquity  in  the  Genesee  Country,  i6 

CHAPTER  \\\.— Ancient  Races— IX^t  Mound-builders  — The  White  Woinan  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. —  The  Red  Men  —  Their  Traditional  Origin  and  Occupation  of  New 
York  —  Dispersion  of  the  Tribes  —  League  of  the  Iroquois  —  Vale  of  the  Senecas 

—  Ancient  Nations  of  the  Genesee  Country,  28 
CHAPTER  V. —  Water  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  —  Tsonnonlouan  —  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  —  Execu- 
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. —  Totiahton  —  lis  Ancient  and  Modern  History — DeNonville's  Return 

Route  to  the  Sand-bar,  57 

CHAPTER  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 


Contents. 


I'AGE. 

CHAPTER  XI. —  The  Senecas'  Castles  on  the  Genesee  —  Treaty  of  Peace  with  the  Eng- 
lish—  Decline  of  Iroquois  Power  —  Sullivan's  Campaign  against  the  Senecas  — 
Fate  of  Lieutenant  Boyd  —  Sullivan's  Troops  on  the  Site  of  Rochester,  69 

CHAPTER  XII. —  The  White  Man's  Occupancy  of  the  Genesee  Cotmtry  —  The  Native 

Title  Extinguished  —  Indian  Reservations —  Present  Indian  Population,  73 

CHAPTER  XIII.—  The  Genesee  Fall's  Mill  Zo/— The  Triangle  — Ebenezer  Allan's 
One-Hundred-Acre  Tract  —  The  Stone  Ridge— Peter  Sheffer— Allan's  Mills  — 
The  Mill  Stones — Jenuhshio,  or  "Indian  '  Allan  — The  First  White  Settler- 
First  Grist  Mill  in  the  Genesee  Valley — Allan's  Deed  to  Benjamin  Barton  —  Close 
of  Allan's  Career — His  Son  Claims  the  One-Hundred-Acre  Tract,  75 

CHAPTER  yi\S!.  — Early  Settlers  — Z\\x\Aa\)\\tx  Dugan  —  Colonel  Fish^The  First 
Dwelling-House  — Maude's  Visit  to  Genesee  Falls  in  1800  — Destruction  of  the 
Allan  Mills  — The  Old  Mill  Stones  — Rochester,  Fitzhugh  and  Carroll  Purchase 
the  One-Hundred-Acre  Tract—  Early  Towns  and  Pioneers,  85 

CHAPTER  XV.  —  The  Rochester  Post-Office,  9° 

CHAPTER  XVI.—  The  Birth  of  Rochester —K^^sons  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  Intimidation  at  Charlotte  —  The  Projected  Invasion  Abandoned  — 
Erection  of  the  Red  Mill,  the  Cotton  Factory,  etc.  —  Census  of  181 5  —  The  First 
Newspaper,  97 

CHAPTER  XVII.  —  Rochester  as  a  village  —  lis  Incorporation  in  1817  —  The  First 
Village  Election  —  The  First  Church  Built  —  The  Commerce  with  Canada — Set- 
tlement of  Carthage  —  The  Great  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  (2uincy  Adams,  108 

CHAPTER  XVIU.— The  Growth  of  the  Village —  The.  First  Bank  in  Rochester  — 
The  First  Presbyterian  Church  —  La  Fayette's  Visit  to  Rochester  —  The  Abduc- 
tion of  William  Morgan  —  The  Excitement  in  Rochester  and  Elsewhere  —  Trial, 
Confession  and  Punishment  of  the  Original  Abductors  —  Other  Trials  in  Different 
Counties  —  Anti-Masonic  Party  Formed  —  Bitterness  of  Feeling  Engendered  — 
The-Body  Found  at  Oak  Orchard  —  Morgan  or  Monroe,  Which  ?  —  Perhaps  Neither 

—  The  First  Village  Directory  —  The  Fate  of  Catlin  —  The  Leap  of  Sam  Patch  — 
The  Mormon  Bible  —  The  First  Cholera  Year  —  St.  Patrick's  Day  in  1833,  118 

CHAPTER  XIX.  —  Rochester  as  a  City — Its  Incorporation  in  1834  —  Organisation  of 
the  Government  and  Inauguration  of  Mayor  Child  —  He  Conscientiously  Resigns 
the  Office  — The  River  Steamboat  —  The  Flood  of  1835  — The  Navy  Island  Raid 

—  The  First  Murder  in  the  County  —  The  First  Foundry  —  Anti-Slavery  Move- 
ments —  Bringing  the  Bones  of  Patriot  Soldiers  to  Mount  Hope  —  The  Printer's 
Festival  —  Mexican  War  Volunteers  —  Woman's  Rights  Convention,  128 

CHAPTER  XX. —  The  City's  Progress  to  the  War  Time  —  Visit  of  Fillmore  and  His 
Cabinet,  and  of  Daniel  Webster — Singing  of  Jenny  Lind  —  Civic  Festival  in  1851 
;— Building  the  New  Court-House  —  The  Meridian  of  Rochester  —  The  Mock 
Funeral  of  Henry  Clay — The  Cholera  in  1852  — The  Ira  Stout  Murder — The 
"Irrepressible  Conflict"  —  De  Lave's  Rope-Walking — Death  of  ex-Mayors  Allen 
and  Child,  -  -  -  -  -       140 

CHAPTER  XXI.  —  The  War  Time  and  Beyond—  Breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  — 
The  Call  for  Volunteers  —  Enthusiastic  Response  from  Monroe  County  — Forma- 
tion of  the  Old  Thirteenth  and  Other  Regiments  —  Support  of  the  Government 


Contents. 


PAGE. 

during  the  War,  and  Rejoicing  over  the  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,  -  -  149 

CHAPTER  Y.yA\.— -To  the  Fiftieth  Birthday  — T\\^  Howard  Riot  —  The  Small-Pox 
and  Other  Diseases  —  The  New  City  Hall  —  Mount  Hope  Records  Found  in  Can- 
ada—John Clark's  Murder  of  Trevor  — The  Centennial  Celebration  of  1876  — 
The  Railroad  Strike  of  1877  — The  Mock  Funeral  of  President  Garfield  — The 
Cunningham  Strike  —  The  Telegrapher's  Strike  —  Principal  Improvements  in  the 
City  in  1883,  with  their  Cost  — Other  Statistics,  -  -  -       158 

CHAPTER  XXIII. —  The  Great  Celebration  —  Preparations  for  the  Event — Services  in 
the  Churches  on  Sunday  —  Opening  Salute  on  Monday  —  The  Literary  Exercises 

—  The  Pyrotechnic  Display — Reception  of  Guests  —  The  Great  Parade  — The 
Banquet  —  The  Toasts — The  Close,        -  -  -  -       174 

CHAPTER  XXIV. —  The  City  Government — The  Present  Officers  —  The  Common 
Council  —  The  Board  of  Education  —  The  City  Debt  —  The  Tax  Levy  for  the 
Present  Year  —  The  Municipal  Court  —  The  Police  Board  — The  Executive  Board 

—  The  County  Officers  —  The  United  States  Officials,     -  -  -  179 
CHAPTER  XXV.— 77^^   Civil  Zw^  — The   Village   Trustees  —  The   Mayors  — The 

Boards  of  Aldermen  —  The  City  Treasurers  —  The  Police  Justices —  The  City  Su- 
pervisors—  The  Sheriffs  —  The  County  Clerks  —  The  County  Treasurers  —  The 
State  Senators  —  The  Members  of  As.sembly  —  The  Members  of  Congress,  184 

CHAPTER  XXVI.—  The  Fire  Department  —  Its  History  from  the  Beginning —The 
Apparatus  in  Early  Times  —  The  First  Fire  Company  —  The  Old  Volunteer  De- 
partment—  Its  Glories  and  its  Misdeeds  —  The  Protectives,  Alerts  and  Actives  — 
The  Firemen's  Benevolent  Association  —  Dedication  of  the  Monument  —  List  of 
Chiefs  and  Assistants  —  The  Fire  Record,  .  .  -  201 

CHAPTER  yjC^W.  — Libraries  and  Literature  — Thi^  First  Public  Library  — The 
Franklin  Institute  —  The  Athenaeum — The  Central  Library  —  The  Law  Library  — 
The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  —  The  Literary  Union  —  "The  Club"  — 
The  Fortnightly  —  The  Shakespeare  Club,  -  -  216 

CHAPTER  XXVIU.— Associations  — Scie^itific,  Social,  Political,  etc.— T\\c  Aca.A&' 
my  of  Science  —  The  Rochester  Club  —  The  Rochester  Whist  Club  —  The  Eureka 
Club  — The  Abelard  Club  — The  Mutual  Club  — The  Celtic  Club  — The  Com- 
mercial Traveler's  Club  —  The  Irish  National  League  — ■  The  Civil  Service  Reform 
Association  —  The  Lincoln  Club  —  The  Riverside  Rowing  Club  —  The  Canoe 
Club,  -  -  222 

CHAPTER  XXIX.—  The  Erie  Canal— Its  Origin  — Vague  Ideas  of  Gouverneur  Mor- 
ris—  Definite  Conception  of  Jesse  Hawley  —  Legislative  Action  in  1808  —  De  Witt 
Clinton  Appears  —  Canal  Commissioners  Appointed  in  1816 — Myron  Holley  and 
His  Great  Services  —  Important  Meeting  at  Canandaigua  —  Opposition  at  Albany 

—  Work  Begun  July  4th,  1817  —  The  Canal  Completed  October  24th,  1825  —  The 
Grand  Celebration  —  Enlargement  of  the  Canal  —  Great  Convention  in  this  City  — 
Canal  Statistics  —  The  Genesee  Valley  Canal,  -.  -  -      228 

CHAPTER  XXX.—  The  Forces  of  Nature  — The.  Electric  Telegraph  —  Construction 
of  the  O'Rielly  Lines  —  Transformation  into  the  Western  Union  —  Other  Tele- 
graph Companies  Here  —  The  Telephone  —  Gas  and  Electric  Light — -Coal  — 
Its  Introduction  as  Fuel  in  Rochester — Insurance  Companies  Here,  Past  and 
Present,  -       238 


Contents. 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. —  The  Churches  of  Rochester  —  Earliest  Organisation  of  Religious 
Societies  in  the  Settlement  —  The  Presbyterian  Churches  —  The  Episcopal  Churches 

—  The  Friends,  or  Quakers  —  The  Baptist  Churches  —  The  Methodist  —  The  Ro- 
man Catholic — The  Unitarian  —  The  German  Lutheran,  Evangelical  and  Re- 
formed—  The  Congregational  —  The  Jewish  —  The  Universalist  —  The  Second 
Advent  —  Other  Churches,  -  243 

CHAPTER  XXXn.—  The  Early  Schools  of  Jioches/er  —  HnWah  M.  Strong's  School 
in  1813  —  Limited  Educational  Resources  —  Meagerness  of  State  Appropriation  — 
Old  District  Number  i,  and  First  Male  Teacher  —  Mill  Street  a  Fashionable  Quar- 
ter of  Rochester  —  Maria  AUyn's  School  in  1820— jFairchild  and  Filer's  Latin  and 
English  School  —  Lyman  Cobb's  School,  Spelling-Bobk  and  Dictionary  —  The 
Manual  Labor  School  —  The  Rochester  High  School  —  The  Schools  of  Misses 
Black  and  Miss  Seward,  West  Side  of  the  River  —  Rochester  Female  Academy  — 
Seward  Female  Seminary  —  Other  Institutions  of  Learning,         -  296 

CHAPTER  XXXUl.—  The  Ptiblic  Schools  — The  First  Board  of  Education  —  The 
School  Census  in  1841  — The  Modern  High  School  —  Free  Schools  Established  in 
1849  —  Opposition  to  the  System  —  The  Difficulties  Surmounted  —  The  Common 
Schools  of  the  City  — A  Sketch  of  Each  One,  317 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.—  The  Medical  Profession  —  nea.\th  of  Rochester  in  the  Early 
Days  —  Longevity  of  the  Pioneers  —  Efficient  Sewerage  of  the  Village  —  Dr.  Jonah 
Brown,  the  First  Practitioner —  High  Tone  of  the  Profession  at  that  Time  —  Form- 
ation of  the  Monroe  County  Medical  Society — Its  Officers  and  its  Members  — 
Stringent  Provisions  of  its  Constitution  —  Biographical  Sketches  of  Deceased 
Physicians,  -  -  "331 

CHAPTER  XXXV.  —  Homoeopathy  and  Dentistry  —  Early  Homoeopathic  Physicians  — 

Their  Advent  and  Influence  —  The  Practice  of  Dentistry  —  Advance  of  the  Art,       340 

CHAPTER  XXXVI.—-  The  Press  of  ^oc/^^/^r  —  Early  Journalism  —  The  Gazette  — 
The  Telegraph — The  Advertiser,  with  its  Various  Absorptions  —  Sketch  of  the 
Union  and  Advertiser  —  Notices  of  its  Representative  Men  —  The  Anti-Masonic 
Inquirer  ^nA  Thurlow  Weed  —  The  Democrat  —  The  American  —  The  Chron- 
icle—  Continued  History  of  the  Democrat  and  Chronicle  —  Sketches  of  those 
Prominently  Associated  with  It  —  Various  Dead  Newspapers,  from  1828  to  1884  — 
The  Express  and  Post-Express  —  The  Morning  If erald— Sunday  Journalism  in 
Rochester — German  Journalism  —  Agricultural-  Publications  —  Religious  Papers 

—  Papers  Connected  with  Institutions  —  The  Labor  Reformers  —  Concluding  Ob- 
servations, -  343 

CHAPTER  XXXVII.  —  Rochester  Judges  and  Lawyers —  HsirXy ^V)a.ys  —  The.  First 
Lawyer  — Erection  of  the  County  —  Building  of  the  First  Court-House  —  Earliest 
Sessions  of  Court  —  Circuit-Riding  —  The  Circuit  Court  —  The  Vice-Chancellor's 
Court  —  The  Court  of  Appeals  —  The  Supreme  Court  and  its  Justices  —  The 
County  Courts  and  Judges  —  Special  County  Judges  —  The  Surrogate's  Court  — 
Mayor's  Court  —  District  -  Attorneys  —  The  Rochester  Bar — A  List  of  its  Mem- 
bers, -  -  -       366 

CHAPTER  XXXVin.—  The  Secret  Societies  of  Rochester —  YK&m?isonry  \n  the  Vil- 
lage—  Institution  of  Wells  Lodge  in  1817  —  Growth  of  the  Order — Histoiy  of  the 
Lodges,  Chapters,  Councils,  etc.  —  Monroe  Commandery — Its  Drill  Corps  —  Cy- 
rene  Commandery  —  The  Scottish  Rite  —  Lodges  of  Perfection  —  Masonic  Relief 
Association — The  Odd  Fellows  —  History  of  the  Lodges  of  this  City  —  The  Good 
Work  of  the  Order  — The  Knights  of  Pythias  —  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men —  The  Foresters  —  The  Elks  —  Other  Secret  Societies,        -  38 1 


Contents.  .  ,  s 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX.  —  C/^arz'O/  and  Benevolenc6 —  The  City  Hospital  — St.  Mary's 
Hospital  —  The  Female  Charitable  Society  —  The  Monroe  County  Bible  Society  — 
The  Rochester  Orphan  Asylum  —  The  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum  —  The  Jewish 
Orphan  Asylum — The  Home  for  the  Friendless  —  The  Industrial  School  —  The 
Church  Home  —  The  Home  of  Industry  —  The  Deaf  Mute  Institution — The  Hu- 
mane Society —  The  Alms  House  —  The  Insane  Asylum,  ■  403 

CHAPTER  XL.—  The  Home  Guard  — K  Glance  at  the  Rochester  Militia,  from  the 
Earliest  Days  Down  to  the  Present  Times  —  The  First  Rifle  Company  and  Regi- 
ment—  The  Irish  Volunteers  —  The  Pioneer  Rifles  and  the  Battle  of  "Tod-Wad- 
dle"—  The  Grays  and  Cadets,  and  the  Battle  of  Lyell  Bridge  —  Other  Organisa- 
tions and  Bloodless  Encounters  —  The  Militia  During  the  War  —  The  Disbandment 
in  1881,  -  -  -      429 

CHAPTER  XLI.  —  The  Cemeteries  of  Rochester —  Iht  Early  Cemeteries  of  the  Village 
and  the  City  —  The  Burial-Places  on  the  East  and  West  Sides  —  Negotiations  for 
a  New  Ground — Abandonment  of  the  Old  Places,  and  Transfer  to  Mount  Hope 

—  Description  of  the  Cemetery — ^The  Old  Catholic  Burial-Ground  —  Necessity  for 
a  New  Place  of  Interment  —  Purchase  of  the  Land  and  Consecration  of  the  Ground 

—  Description  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  Cemetery,  -  -  -  -  438 
CHAPTER  XLII.  —  Amtisements  in  Rochester — The  Entertainments  of  Early  Days  — 

The  First  Circus  —  Its  Change  into  a  Play-House  —  The  First  Theater  —  Mr. 
Whittlesey's  Prize  Address  —  Edmund  Kean's  Appearance  and  his  Speech  — 
Dean's  Theater  —  The  Rochester  Museum  —  Concert  and  Other  Halls  —  Corinth- 
ian Hall  and  Academy  of  Music  —  The  Grand  Opera  House  —  The  Driving-Park 

—  The  Exploits  of  the  Track  —  State  Fairs  and  Shoots,  .  -      450 
CHAPTER  XLIIL— r//^    Underground  Railroad —Tht   Flying  Bondmen  — Their 

Miseries  in  Servitude,  their  Privations  while  Escaping  —  Their  Arrival  in  Roches- 
ter and  their  Transit  to  Canada  —  The  First  Rendition  of  a  Fugitive  —  Her  Res- 
cue, her  Recapture,  and  her  Liberation  by  Suicide  —  No  other  Slave  ever  Returned 
from  Rochester  —  Scenes  and  Incidents  of  the  Harboring  of  Negroes—  General 
Reflections,  .  -.  -  458 

CHAPTER  XLIV. —  The  Banks  of  Rochester  —  Banking  Facilities  in  Early  Days  — 
Establishment  of  the  Bank  of  Rochester — The  Bank  of  Monroe  —  The  Rochester 
City  Bank  —  The  Bank  of  Western  New  York  —  The  Commercial  Bank  —  The 
Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank  —  The  Rochester  Bank  —  The  Union  Bank  —  The 
Eagle  Bank  —  The  Manufacturers'  Bank  —  The  Traders'  Bank — The  Flour  City 
Bank  ■ —  The  Monroe  County  Bank  —  The  Perrin  Bank  —  The  Bank  of  Monroe  — 
The  Bank  of  Rochester  and  the  German  American  Bank — The  Commercial 
National  Bank  —  The  Merchants'  Bank  —  The  Private  Banks  —  The  Savings 
Banks,  -  463 

CHAPTER  XLV. —  The  Railroads  of  Rochester  —  The  Beginning  of  Railroads  — 
The  First  One  Laid  in  America  —  The  Rochester  and  Carthage  Railroad  —  The 
Tonawanda  Railroad  —  The  Auburn  and  Rochester  Road  —  The  Niagara  Falls 
Road  —  The  Rochester  and  Syracuse  Road^ — Consolidation  into  the  New  York 
Central  —  The  Elevated  Tracks  —  The  Genesee  Valley  Road  —  The  Rochester  and 
Pittsburg  Road  —  The  Bay  Railroad  — The  Belt  Railroad  — The  Valley  Canal 
Railroad  —  The  Street  Railroad,  -  -      472 

CHAPTER  XLVI.  —  Rochester's  German  Element— Tht  First  German  Immigration 
to  the  Genesee  Valley — Indentured  Colonists  Followed  by  Voluntary  Immigrants 

—  The  Settler's  Career  of  Industry  —  His  Social  and  Religious  Life  —  He  Becomes 

a  Citizen  and  a  Soldier,  -  _  .  ■         .  481 


Contents.  —  Biographical  Sketches. 


PACE, 

CHAPTER  XLVn.  —  Reformatory  and  Correctional —  The  Western  House  of  Refuge 

—  Full  Description  of  tiie  Institution  —  Its  History  from  tlie  Beginning — The 
Monroe  County  Penitentiary  —  The  County  Jail,  -  -  497 

CHAPTER  XLVIII.  —  The  Rochester  Rappings  —  Sounds  Heard  at  Hydesville  — The 
Fox  Family — Doings  on  March  31st,  1848  —  First  Supposed  Intelligent  Response 

—  Mrs.  Leah  Fish  and  Her  Investigations  —  The  Fox  Girls  Separated  —  Rappings 
on  the  Boat — Investigation  in  Rochester  and  Use  of  the  Alphabet  —  Public  In- 
vestigation Urged  —  Committee  Selected  —  Corinthian  Hall  Investigation  —  Re- 
ports of  Committees,  etc.,  ...  -  -  508 

CHAPTER  XLIX.—  The  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester —  'S,)f^X.cVt?.  of  the  Early  Painters  of 
Rochester  —  Art  Exhibitions  here  in  Former  Days  —  The  Sculptors  and  the  Arch- 
itects—  Engravingoh  Wood,  Copper  and  Stone — Photography  —  Music  and  the 
Musicians  —  The  Art  Club  and  the  Art  Exchange,  -       518 

CHAPTER  L. —  The  University  and  the  Theological  Seminary — Madison  University 

—  Plans  for  its  Removal  —  A  New  University  Established  at  Rochester — Its 
Founders  and  Trustees  —  Its  Influence  on  the  City  —  Its  Course  of  Study — Its 
Lectures,  its  Library  and  its  Museums — Its  Benefactors  and  its  Buildings  —  The 
Theological  Seminary  —  Full  Description  of  the  Institution,  531 

CHAPTER  \A.—  The  War  Record— WhaX  Rochester  Did  to  Save  the  Nation  — The 
Regiments  and  Other  Organisations  Raised  in  the  City  and  Sent  to  the  Field  —  A 
Brief  Account  of  their  Service  —  Their  Achievements  and  their  Losses  —  The  Gen- 
eral Officers  from  the  City  —  The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  555 

CHAPTER  LII.—  The  Rochester  Water  Worhs  —  The  Necessity  of  a  Water  Supply 
for  the  City —  Early  Plans  for  Furnishing  it  —  The  Company  of  1852  —  Its  Failure 
and  the  Report  of  the  Expert  —  Works  Finally  Constructed  by  the  City  —  Full  Ac- 
count of  their  Operation  —  Tests  Made  in  1874  —  A  Remarkable  Exhibition  — 
Sources  of  a  Water  Supply — The  Lakes  and  the  Reservoirs  —  The  Holly  Works, 
the  Pump  House  and  the  Machinery  —  The  Telephone  to  Hemlock  Lake  —  Total 
Cost  of  the  Work  —  Analysis  of  the  Water,     -  577 

CHAPTER  LIII.  —  Rochester  Manufactures — ^^  Diver.sified  Nature  of  Her  Industries  — 
Early  Prophecies  Fulfilled,  with  some  Variation  —  Her  Water  Power  and  Flouring 
Mills  of  Minor  Consideration  in  the  List  of  Enterprises  —  Clothing,  Shoes,  Iron 
Work,  Machinery,  Wood  Work,  Flour,  Beer,  and  a  Wide  Range  of  Miscellaneous 
Articles  in  the  List,  598 

CHAPTER  LI  v.  — Biographical,  647 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


I'AOK. 

Anderson,  Martin  B.,  LL.  D., .__   676 

Bronson,  Amon, - -ji^ 

Child,  Jonathan, 686 

Clarke,  Freeman, , 647 


Biographical  Sketches.  —  Illustrations. 


PAGE. 

Cox,  Patrick, 649 

Dewey,  Chester,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., : 650 

EUwanger,  George, _ :.. 700 

Erickson,  Aaron, 698 

Gardiner,  Hon.  Addison, ..: 653 

Gorsline,  William  Henry, , 687 

Greenleaf,  Hon.  Halbert  Stevens, _ 705 

Hatch,  Jesse  W., 656 

Hill,  Charles  J., 659 

Moore,  Dr.  E.  M., 715 

Morgan,  Hon.  Lewis  Henry,  LL.  D., 723 

Moses,  Schuyler, 661 

Mumford,  George  H., .  6g8 

Mumford,  William  W., _  697 

Northrop,  Nehemiah  B., - _ : 663 

Pancost,  Edwin, ■ 685 

Parsons,  Hon.  Cornelius  R., yig 

Peck,  Everard, (S64. 

Raines,  George, yi8 

Reynolds,  Abelard, 600 

Reynolds,  Mortimer  F., _ 604 

Reynolds,  William  Abelard, 602 

Riley,  Ashbel  Wells, _  55  e 

Rochester,  Nathaniel, _ 56g 

Selden,  Henry  Rogers, _  ygq 

Seward,  Jason  W., _ 6-2 

Smith,  Hon.  Erasmus  Darwin,  LL.  D., gyg 

Sibley,  Hon.  Hiram, -Qg 

Warner,  Hulbert  Harrington, _ ggj 

Whitney,  George  J., 6y^ 

Wood  worth,  Chauncey  B., g- . 

Yates,  Arthur  G., _  gg- 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 


Anderson,  Martin  B.,  LL.  D.,  portrait, facing  538 

Bronson,  Amon,  portrait, facing  713 

Child,  Jonathan,  portrait, facing  130 

Clarke,  Freeman,  portrait, facing  468 


8  Illustrations, 


TAGE. 

Cox,  Patrick,  portrait, facing  649 

Deed  given  by  Ebenezer  Allan,  fac  simile  of, 82,  83 

Dewey,  Chester,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  portrait,. _. facing  310 

Ellwanger,  George,  portrait,  - - - - '.facing  486 

Erickson,  Aaron,  portrait, - .  .facing  422 

Gardiner,  Hon.  Addison,  portrait, - facing  370 

Gorsline,  William  H.,  portrait, facing  688 

Greenleaf,  Hon.  Halbert  Stevens,  portrait, facing  705 

Hatch,  Jesse  W.,  portrait, facing  246 

Hill,  Charles  J.,  portrait,. . - .  -  ..facing  202 

Indian  Pipes,.. , 24,  25 

Indian  Skull, . 25 

Lower  Falls,  1768,.: ., facing     64 

Moore,  Dr.  E.  M.,  portrait, facing  334 

Morgan,  Hon.  Lewis  Henry,  LL.  D.,  portrait, facing  168 

Moses,  Schuyler,  portrait, facing  186 

Mumford,  George  H.,  portrait, . . facing  404 

Mumford,  William  W.,  portrait, facing  464 

Northrop,  Nehemiah  B.,  portrait, . . . facing  663 

Pancost,  Edwin,  portrait, facing  685 

Parsons,  Hon.  Cornelius  R.,  portrait, facing  716 

Peck,  Everard,  portrait, facing  uo 

Post-office,  The  First  in  Rochester, 96 

Raines,  George,  portrait, facing  718 

Reynolds,  Abelard,  portrait, .facing    92 

Reynolds,  Mrs.  Abelard,  portrait, .facing  176 

Reynolds,  Mortimer  F.,  portrait, facing  218 

Reynolds,  William  Abelard,  portrait, facing  160 

Riley,  Ashbel  Wells,  portrait, .facing  430 

Rochester,  map  ofini8i4, facing     97 

Rochester,  map  of  in  1827, facing  124 

Rochester,  map  of  in  1838, between  132,  133 

Rochester,  Nathaniel,  portrait, frontis  piece 

Seward,  Jason  W.,  portrait,. facing  306 

Sibley,  Hon.  Hiram,  portrait, facing  238 

Totiakton  and  Vicinity,  map  of, _ 58 

Upper  Falls,  1768, facing     64 

Warner,  Hulbert  Harrington,  portrait, facing  681 

Whitbeck,  Dr.  J.  W.,  portrait, _  .facing  406 

Whitney,  George  J.,  portrait, ^ .facing  675 

Woodworth,  Chauncey  B.,  portrait, facing  264 

Yates,  Arthur  G.,  portrait, facing  695 


PREFACE. 


To  the  Citizens  of  Rochester: — 

This  book  tells  its  own  story,  but  a  few  words  with  regard  to 
its  compilation  are  deemed  appropriate.  Its  editor  or  author — for 
while  he  is  less  than  the  latter  he  is  certainly  more  than  the  former — 
has  given  full  credit  in  the  running  pages  to  all  those  who  assisted 
him  by  the  preparation  of  complete  chapters  or  of  portions  of  chap- 
ters to  any  appreciable  degree.  To  those  who  have  aided  by  giving 
information  when  it  was  sought,  by  confirming  previous  impressions 
or  by  correcting  erroneous  conclusions,  no  reference  by  name  is 
necessary ;  they  will  find  their  satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that 
their  help  has  been  utilised  and  that  they  have  contributed  to  the 
preservation,  in  this  form,  of  facts  that  would  otherwise  grow  con- 
stantly more  difficult  to  obtain.  With  the  hope  that  the  volume 
will  stand  as  an  enduring  record  of  Rochester,  from  the  earliest 
times  in  which  can  be  found  a  trace  of  human  life  in  this  locality  to 
the  fiftieth  birthday  of  the  city,  the  compiler  presents  this  work  to 
the  consideration  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  September  23//,  1884. 


HISTORY 


OF   THE 


CITY  OF  ROCHESTER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ABORIGINAL  OCCUPATION  OF  THE  LOWER  GENESEE  COUNTRY.' 
Antiquity  of  Man  — Antediluvian  Relics  —  The  Ancient  Beach  of  Lake  Ontario  Inhabited  by  Man. 

THE  aboriginal  occupation  of  America  is  a  subject  of  exhaustless  research. 
Among  the  many  divisions  of  this  subject  none  present  so  broad  a  field 
of  observation  to  the  thoughtful  investigator  as  the  antique  remains  of  the  con- 
tinent. The  inquiry  regarding  their  origin,  and  its  direct  bearing  on  the  ques- 
tion of  man's  early  history,  opens  the  door  of  discussion  to  subjects  diverse,  in 
character,  comprehending  nearly  every  line  of  thought  and  course  of  study. 
The  prominence  given  to  these  antiquities  has  engaged  the  attention  of  men 
of  every  nationality  and  station  in  life,  resulting  in  many  ably-fought  battles 
between  earnest  advocates  of  dissimilar  views. 

The  interest  in  such  remains  is  not  alone  confined  to  those  found  in  America. 
The  Old  world  has  celebrated  in  prose  and  verse  the  antiquities  of  ancient  ern- 
pires  and  the  relics  of  nations  and  tribes  of  primitive  people  to  whom  it  is  not 
difficult  to  trace  an  historical  connection ;  while  men  of  the  highest  scientific 
attainments  engage  in  the  collection  and  collation  of  evidences  of  the  antiquity 
of  the  human  race.  The  New  world  possesses  no  record  of  historic  reference 
whereby  the  truth  respecting  her  primitive  peoples  can  be  established.  The 
fragmentary  knowledge  possessed  by  historians  is  derived  from  evidences  fur- 
nished by  time-worn  remains,  mythology  and  analogous  reasoning,  and  Foster 
tells  us,  in  his  admirable  work,  The  Pre-historic  Races  of  the  United  States, 
that  but  recently  a  deep  feeling  of  distrust  pervaded  the  public  mind  of  this 

'  The  first  fifteen  chapters  of  this  work  were  prepared  by  Mr.  George  H.  Harris. 

2 


12  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

country  in  reference  to  every  discovery  which  is  supposed  to  carry  back  the 
origin  of  man  to  a  period  antecedent  to  the  historical  era;  "and  yet,"  contin- 
ues the  same  author,  "reasoning  from  palaeontological  analogies,  we  ought  to 
expect  to  find  evidences  of  the  hiiman  occupancy  of  this  continent,  reaching 
back  to  an  antiquity  as  remote  as  on  the  European  continent." 

Happily,  modern  thought  is  progressive.  The  rapidity  with  which  scientific 
discoveries  and  inventions  of  a  marvelous,  though  practical  nature  are  success- 
ively brought  before  the  public  view  is  exerting  an  appreciable  influence  in 
the  preparation  of  the  human  mind  for  a  favorable  reception  of  vital,  though 
recently^  admitted,  truths;  "and,"  remarks  Sir  John  Lubbock,  "the  new  views 
in  regard  to  the  antiquity  of  man,  though  still  looked  upon  with  distrust  and 
apprehension,  will,  I  doubt  not,  in  a  few  years  be  regarded  with  as  little  disqui- 
etude as  are  now  those  discoveries  in  astronomy  and  geology  which  at  one 
time  excited  even  greater  opposition."  ' 

"Within  the  present  generation,"  says  Foster,  "has  been  opened  a  sphere 
of  investigation  which  has  enlisted  an  able  body  of  observers,  whose  labors 
have  thrown  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  question  relating  to  our  common  hu- 
manity. Ethnography  has  been  raised  to  the  rank  of  the  noblest  of  sciences. 
However  strange  these  new  views  with  regard  to  the  origin  and  history  of  our 
race  may  appear,  they  cannot  be  disregarded.  We  must  weigh  the  value  of 
observations,  and  press  them  to  their  legitimate  conclusions."  The  develop- 
ment of  those  kindred  sciences,  geology  and  palaeontology,  united  with  the  re- 
sults of  ethnological  research,  during  the  past  half-century,  are  truly  amazing 
in  their  possibilities"  and  effect.  The  revelations  of  science  are  not  only  revolu- 
tionising the  world  of  thought,  but  actually  overturning  the  foundations  of  an- 
cient history.  The  New  world  of  historians  is  the  Old  world  of  geologists," 
who  inform  us  that  America  was  "first  born  among  the  continents,  and  already 
stretched  an  unbroken  line  of  land  from  Nova  Scotia  to  the  far  West,  while 
Europe  was  represented  by  islands  rising  here  and  there  above  the  sea;"'  that 
the  Laurentian  mountains  in  Canada,  and  portions  of  the  Adirondacks  in  New 
York  —  the  classical  grounds  of  American  geologists  —  are  the  oldest  forma- 
tions in  the  world,  and  along  their  surf- beaten  coasts  were  developed  the  ear- 
liest forms  of  organic  life.  Dawson  describes  the  Eozoon  Canadense,  or  "dawn- 
animal,"  a  microscopic  organism  of  the  Laurentian  foundations,  and  suggests 
the  possibilities  of  life  existent  in  the  waters  of  the  ocean  long  before  the  ap- 
pearance of  land  above  the  surface;''  while  the  character  of  recent  discoveries 
tends  to  strengthen  the  belief  that  the  origin  of  man,  even,  may  be  assigned  to 

'  Preface  of  Pre-historic  Times,  by  Sir  John  Lubbock. 

^  The  early  rise  of  the  American  continent  was  asserted,  for  the  first  time,  by  Foster,  in  his  report 
on  the  mineral  lands  of  Lake  Superior.  The  fact  is  too  well  established  to  require  special  quotation  of 
authorities,  as  nearly  all  works  on  American  geology,  issued  subsequent  to  1853,  affirm  the  statement. 

'  Agassiz,  Geological  Sketches. 

*  The  Earth  and  Man,  by  J.  W.  Dawson,  p.  23. 


The  First  Human  Occupancy.  13 

tin's,  the  most  ancient  of  continents.  Revelations  of  so  startling  a  nature  are 
the  result  of  patient  investigations  pursued  by  learne.d  men,  who  find  the  chro- 
nology of  the  Hebrew  Pentateuch,  which  would  bring  everything  relating  to 
human  history  within  the  short  compass  of  four  thousand  and  four  years  ante- 
cedent to  the  Christian  era,'  insufficient  to  account  for  the  mutations  the  earth 
has  undergone,'  and  the  development  of  man  from  the  low  stage  of  wildest 
savagery,  which  all  evidences  prove  his  primitive  condition  to  have  been,  to 
the  modern  plane  of  intellectual  power  and  refinement. 

We  speak  of  the  race  of  men  found  in  possession  of  this  continent  at  the 
time  of  its  discovery  by  Europeans  in  the  fifteenth  century  as  the  Aborigines 
of  America,  and  long  usage  has  rendered  the  term,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  is 
applied  to  the  Indians,  peculiarly  fitting,  though  incorrect.  They  were  natives 
of  America,  but  not  its  original  inhabitants.  There  are  proofs  of  the  presence 
here  of  people  who  lived  at  so  early  a  period  of  time  that  no  authoritative  ref- 
erence to  them  has  ever  been  found  in  written  history.  We  know  of  their  ex- 
istence, and  occupation  of  the  land,  only  through  discovery  of  remains  of  a 
character  suggestive  of  the  term  "Mound-builders,"  which  has  become  their 
historical  designation.  For  the  history  of  time  and  events  back  of  the  red 
man  and  the  Mound-builder,  we  must  penetrate  the  earth  itself,  and,  from  the 
evidentiary  material  discovered,  trace  or  reason  out  a  parallelism  with  existing 
forms  and  conditions,  basing  our  conclusions  entirely  upon  the  principle  that 
from  the  beginning  of  time  nature  has  worked  upon  the  same  plan,  with  like 
forces  and  results  as  at  present. 

Abstruse  as  the  question  of  man's  antiquity  may  appear,  it  is,  nevertheless, 
pertinent  to  our  subject  —  the  early  human  occupancy  of  this  immediate  local- 
ity. We  are  confident  that  the  St.  Lawrence  basin  and  the  near-lying  moun- 
tain districts  of  New  York  and  Canada  will  yet  furnish  material  aid  to  science 
in  the  final  solution  of  this  great  problem,  but,  if  we  attempt  to  trace  the  rec- 
ord of  man's  remote  occupation  of  our  home  territory  by  a  chain  of  successive 
events,  we  find  many  of  the  links  of  connection  broken  or  entirely  wanting ; 
still  there  would  seem  to  be  some  grounds  for  the  confidence  expressed,  in  the 
discovery  of  a  certain  class  of  ancient  relics  that  has  attracted  little  attention  in 
the  world  of  science. 

In  a  communication  to  the  American  Antiquarian  society  prior  to  1830  the 
late  Dr.  Samuel  L.  Mitchell,  professor  of  natural  history,  and  father  of  geology 
in  the  state  of  New  York,  mentioned  this  class  of  antiquities  as  distinguished 

'  The  .Samaritan  Pentateuch  places  the  creation  of  the  world  B.C.  4700;  the  Septuagint,  5872;  Jo- 
sephus,  4658;  the  Talmudists,  S344;  Scaliger,  3950;  Petavius,  3984;  Playfair,  4007.  Dr.  Hales 
places  it  at  541 1,  and  enumerates  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  various  opinions  on  the  subject,  the  dif- 
ference between  the  latest  and  remotest  dates  being  no  less  than  3268  years.  Good  Uishop  Usher, 
whose  chronological  table  is  used  in  the  English  Bible,  follows  the  Hebrew  account,  and  places  the 
creation  B.C.  4004. 

'  Sir  William  Thomson  thinks  the  time  which  has  elapsed  from  the  first  foundation  of  a  solid  crust 
on  the  earth  to  the  modern  period  may  have  been  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  millions  of  years. 


14  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

entirely  from  those  which  gre  usually  ascribed  to  the  Indians  and  Mound- 
builders,  as  follows : — 

"  In  the  section  of  country  about  Fredonia,  New  York,  on  the  south  side  of  Lake 
Erie,  are  discovered  objects  deservedly  worthy  of  particular  and  inquisitive  research. 

This  kind  of  antiquities  present  themselves  on  digging  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet 

below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  occur  in  the  form  of  fire-brands,  split  wood, 
ashes,  coals  and  occasionally  tools  and  utensils,  buried  to  those  depths." 

Dr.  Mitchell  also  expressed  an  earnest  wish  that  the  members  of  the  soci- 
ety should  exert  thernselves  with  all  possible  diligence  to  ascertain  and  collect 
facts  of  this  description  for  the  benefit  of  the  geologist  and  historian ;  in  the 
expectation  that,  "if  collected  and  methodised,  conclusions  could  be  drawn  of 
a  nature  that  would  shed  light  on  the  ancient  and  traditionary  history  of  the 
world."  Priest  tells  us  the  relics  mentioned  by  Dr.  Mitchell  were  found  be- 
neath the  ridge  which  borders  the  east  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  and  refers  to  their 
origin  as  "antediluvian."'  A  superficial  deposit,  known  as  the  "lake  ridge," 
similar  to  the  one  on  Lake.  Erie,  extends  from  Sodus,  New  York,  westward 
around  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario  into  Canada,  at  a  distance  varying  from 
three  to  eight  miles  from  the  present  beach  of  the  lake.  Throughout  its  whole 
extent  in  this  state  this  ridge  is  well  defined,  bearing  all  the  indications  of  hav- 
ing once  been  the  boundary  of  a  large  body  of  water,  and  of  having  been  pro- 
duced in  the  same  manner  as  the  elevated  beaches  of  the  ocean  and  larger 
lakes.  In  height  it  varies  from  a  gentle  swell  to  sharply  defined  elevations 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  occasionally  descending 
toward  the  lake  for  fifty  or  one  hundred  feet  in  an  easy  slope.  Its  seaward 
side  is  usually  covered  with  coarse  gravel  and  often  with  large  pebbles.  Pro- 
fessor Hall,  our  state  geologist,  says : — -"^ 

"  If  anything  were  wanting  in  the  external  appearance  of  this  ridge  to  convince  the 
observer  of  the  mode  of  its  formation,  every  excavation  made  into  it  proves  conclusively 
its  origin.  The  lowest  deposit,  or  foundation,  is  a  coarse  sand  or  gravel,  and  upon  this 
a  regular  deposit  of  silt.  The  layer  of  vegetable  matter  is  evenly  spread,  as  if  deposited 
from  water,  and  afterward  covered  with  fine  sand,  and  to  this  succeeds  coarse  sand  and 
gravel.  Fragments  of  wood  nearly  fossilised,  shells,  etc.,  are  found  in  digging  wells  and 
cutting  channels  through  the  ridge;  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  formadon  by  the 
waters  of  Lake  Ontario,  which  once  stood  at  that  level."^ 

The  grand  Indian  trail  from  the  Genesee  falls  to  the  Niagara  river  passed 
along  the  summit  of  this  ridge,  and  for  over  seventy  years  the  white  man  has 
used  it  as  a  road-bed  (for  one  of  the  most  extensively  traveled  highways  in 
New  York)  between  Rochester  and  Lewiston.  The  farm  of  David  Tomlinson 
is  situated  on  the  Ridge  road,  half  a  mile  west  of  the  village  of  Gaines,  Orleans 
county.  When  first  occupied  in  1814  the  ground  was  covered  by  forest  trees 
of  large  growth,  many  being  three  and  four  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  stumps 
of  two,  specially  noted  as  standing  over  a  mile  north  of  the  ridge,  measured 


'  Antiquities  of  America,  by  Josiah  Priest. 
^  Geology  of  New  York.     Part  IV.,  p.   349. 


Ancient  Remains.  15 


each,  nearly  eight  feet  across  the  top.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  in  either 
direction  the  ridge  in  this  vicinity  then  declined  toward  the  lake  in  a  smooth, 
unbroken  grade,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  north  of  its  center  the 
clear  waters  of  a  spring  bubbled  forth  and  darted  away  lakeward  in  a  tiny  riv- 
ulet. From, the  main  Indian  trail  on  the  ridge  a  path  led  down  to  the  spring, 
which  was  well  known  to  the  Indians,  who  often  camped  in  the  neighborhood. 

In  1824  the  spring-basin  was  cleaned  out  and  stoned  up  in  the  form  of  a 
well.  In  1853  the  water  failed  and  the  well  was  deepened.  In  1864  the  well 
bottom  was  lowered  to  a  total  depth  of  twenty  feet.  About  eighteen  feet  be- 
low the  original  surface  the  digger  came  upon  a  quantity  of  brush  overlying 
an  ancient  fireplace,  consisting  of  three  round  stones,  each  about  one  foot  in 
diameter,  placed  in  the  form  of  a  triangle.  A  mass  of  charcoal  and  ashes  sur- 
rounded the  stones  which  were  burned  and  blackened  by  fire  and  smoke. 
Several  sticks  were  found  thrust  between  the  stones,  the  inner  ends  burned 
and  charred  as  left  by  the  expiring  flames.  A  careful  inspection  of  these 
sticks  by  a  gentleman'  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  nature  and  grain  of  va- 
rious woods  proved  them  to  be  hemlock  and  ash.  Some  were  denuded  of 
bark  ;\nd  had  the  smooth  surface  usually  presented  by  water-washed  wood 
found  on  any  beach.  Several  slicks  were  split,  and  surrounding  one  was  a  de- 
pressed ring,  or  indentation,  as  though  some  dull  instrument  had  been  em- 
ployed in  an  effort  to  weaken  or  break  the  wood.  The  ashes  were  indurated 
to  a  degree  requiring  the  use  of  a  pick  in  their  removal,  and  rested  upon  a 
stratum  of  sand,  which  was  also  in  a  hardened  condition,  being  taken  out  in 
large  pieces  that  proved  to  be  very  fine  grained,  with  a  smooth  surface  slightly 
creased  in  places,  possibly  ripple  marks.  When  first  discovered  the  brush  was 
closely  packed  over  the  fireplace  and  had  every  appearance  of  having  been 
forced  into  position  by  the  action  of  water.  The  fireplace  and  all-  the  details 
of  its  narrow'^  surroundings,  which  were  carefully  noted,  clearly  indicated  that 
it  had  been  made  upon  a  sand-beach,  and  was  subjected  to  an  inundation  that 
washed  the  mass  of  brush,  possibly  gathered  for  fuel,  over  the  stones  and  ashes, 
which  were  afterward  covered  many  feet  deep  by  successive  strata  of  the  same 
gravelly  soil  of  which  the  ridge  is  composed,  and  was  thus  preserved  fpr  ages 
unknown. 

In  a  survey  of  the  grounds  and  after  thorough  consideration  of  the  circum- 
stances the  writer  became  assured  of  the  following  conclusions :  The  fireplace 
was  constructed  by  .persons  having  the  use  of  rude  implements  and  possessed 
of  some  knowledge  of  cookery,  at  a  period  just  previous  to  the  formation  of 
the  ridge.     In  its  formation  this  ridge  was  extended  along  the  base  of  an  ele- 

'  John  J^utt,  of  Rochester,  to  whose  excellent  knowledge  of  the  early  history  of  this  locality  the 
writer  is  indebted  for  many  fact.s. 

"  In  1880  these  facts,  as  presented,  were  brojght  to  the  notice  of  Lewis  H.  Morgan,  of  Rochester, 
who  assured  the  writer  that  the  discovery  was  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  one  within  his  knowl- 
edge, respecting  the  ridge,  and  he  earnestly  advised  its  publication. 


1 6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

vation  connected  with  the  mountain-ridge,  and  constituted  a  solid  dam,  from 
one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  across  the  mouth  of  a  little 
valley  and  inward  curvature  of  the  hillside.  The  accumulation  of  water,  shed 
by  the  surrounding  slopes,  originally  transformed  the  basins  thus  created  into 
ponds,  and  subsequently,  when  drained,  converted  them  into  marshes.  The 
valley  waters,  aided  by  the  current  of  an  inflowing  stream,  forced  a  channel 
through  the  ridge,  but  the  waters  of  the  small  pond  were  gradually  released 
by  soaking  through  the  mud  bottom  and  following  the  course  of  a  vein  under- 
neath the  ridge  to  its  northern  side,  where  they»rose  to  the  surface  in  the  form 
of  a  spring.  The  failure  of  the  spring  was  caused  by  the  clearing  and  cultiva- 
tion of  its  marsh  source.  It  is  evident  that  the  spring  came  into  operation  long 
after  the  ridge  was  formed,  and.  the  rise  of  the  water  directly  above  the  fire- 
place was  incidental,  there  being  no  connection  whatever  between  the  two 
events. 

If  these  conclusions  are  justified  by  the  conditions  related,  it  would  appear 
that  man  was  a  habitant  of  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  before  the  ridge 
existed,  and,  if  the  age  of  the  ridge  can  be  even  approximately  determined, 
some  idea  can  be  had  of  the  length  of  time  he  has  occupied  our  home  terri- 
tory. The  results  of  a  special  study  regarding  the  peculiar  topographical  feat- 
ures of  Western  New  York  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ridge  is  of  very  an- 
cient origin  —  in  fact,  that  it  antedates  the  present  rock-cut  channel  of  the 
Genesee  —  and,  though  our  range  of  inquiry  is  necessarily  limited,  a  brief  ex- 
position of  reasons  influencing  this  conclusion  may  prove  of  interest. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Surface  Geology  —  The  Great  Sea  —  Origin  of  the  Genesee  River  —  Great  Age  of  the  Lake  Ridge 
—  Man's  Antiquity  in  the  Genesee  Country. 

IN  every  direction  about  Rochester  we  behold  the  effects  of  aqueous'action. 
The  hills,  domes  and  pillars  of  sand  and  gravel,  the  rolling  plains  and  allu- 
vial ridges,  the  great  valleys  and  deep  channels  of  watei'courses,  the  polished 
rocks  of  limestone  beneath  the  soil,  and  huge  boulders  scattered  over  the  sur- 
face, all  combine  in  an  appeal  to  our  reason,  arouse  an  interest  and  create  a 
desire  to  learn  the  primary  cause  of  these  singular  forms  of  nature.  The  sci- 
ence of  geology  teaches  that  the  earth  first  appeared  above  the  waters  of  the 
ocean  in  the  form  of  azoic  rock,  and  those  grand  scientists,  Agassiz  and  Dana, 
tell  us  that  certain  portions  of  the  territory  of  the  Empire  state  were  among 
the  very  first  kissed  by  the  warm  sunlight  of  heaven. 


Peculiar  Formation  of  the  Genesee  River.  17 

Passing  over  the  changes  occurring  during  many  succeeding  geological 
ages,  we  reach  a  period  when  the  rising  continent  had  divided  the  waters  of 
the  ocean  by  the  elevation  of  mountain  barriers,  and  converted  all  this  part 
of  America  into  an  inland  sea.  The  physical  contour  of  much  of  the  state  of 
New  York  is  directly  due  to  the  active  agency  of  the  waters  of  this  sea,  which 
left  its  impress  upon  so  large  an  area  of  our  natural  surroundings;  and  its  his- 
tory, as  revealed  by  geological  developments,  has  a  local  application  which 
may  worthily  excite  an  interest  not  usual  in  matters  of  this  character.  Even 
the  noble  river,  quietly  carrying  its  daily  tribute  of  mountain  waters  from  the 
AUeghanies  through  the  heart  of  Rochester  to  Lake  Ontario,  has  its  place  in 
the  history  of  the  great  sea,  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  results  of  scientific 
research  show  the  history  of  the  Genesee  as  differing  from  that  of  other  rivers 
in  the  processes  of  its  formation.  The  tinge  of  romance,  lending  attractiveness 
to  all  narrations  of  man's  early  acquaintance  with  the  Genesee,  deepens  to  a 
flush  in  the  recital  of  the  ancient  river's  history.  The  spring  gushing  from  a 
hill-side,  its  sparkling  waters  finding  their  way  to  some  natural  depression, 
forms  a  purling  brook,  by  small  degrees  and  successive  additions  enlarging  to 
the  size  of  a  creek,  increasing  in  volume  and  magnitude  to  the  full  development 
of  a  river  flowing  in  silent  majesty,  with  great  sweeps  and  curves,  along  its  well- 
defined  channel,  crushing  with  irresistible  force  through  some  rock-bound 
mountain  gorge,  plunging  with  mighty  thunderings  over  a  great  precipice 
into  the  deep  basin  below,  and  thence  passing  onward  to  lose  their  identity 
forever  in  the  commingled  floods  of  lake  and  ocean  —  such  is  the  natural 
history  of  rivers. 

No  record  like  this  bears  the  Genesee.  The  growth  of  its  formation  was 
one  of  recession.  Not  at  the  bubbling  fountain  of  distant  plain  or  hill-slope 
began  the  inceptive  movement  of  its  birth,  but  near  its  very  entrance  into  the 
great  fresh  water  sea  of  its  deposit.  Springing  into  life  with  the  full  force  born 
of  bursting  lake  barriers,  its  first  current  must  have  been  a  mighty  stream  of 
great  width  and  power,  capable  of  rending  asunder  the  rock  foundations  of  the 
earth;  and  the  course  now  pursued  from  its  modern  headwater  sources  on  the 
mountain  plains  of  Pennsylvania  is  the  result  of  a  deicreasing  volume,  narrow- 
ing its  bounds  from  the  broad  expanse  of  its  mother-lakes  to  the  contracted 
space  of  the  latest  channel  in  the  valley  bottom.  This,  and  many  'other  facts 
of  special  interest,  we  learn  in  the  history  of  the  great  sea  whose  boundaries, 
at  the  period  of  its  first  separation  from  the  ocean,  are  not  clearly  defined;  but 
an  idea  of  their  general  course  at  a  later  date,  when  the  configuration  of  the 
earth  was  nearly  complete,  can  be  formed  by  a  brief  study  of  the  topography 
of  North  America,  which  discloses  an  immense  basin,  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  range  of  mountains  extending  through  Canada  to  the  far  West;  on  the 
east  by  the  New  England  range,  extending  southwesterly  by  the  Highlands  of 
New  York,  and  the  AUeghanies  of  Pennsylvania,  thence  west  and  south  toward 
the  Mississippi  river. 


1 8  ,  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  elevation  of  the  interior  of  the  continent  produced  its  natural  effect  in 
a  subsidence  of  the  sea-waters  into  the  depressions  of  the  earth  then  existing, 
their  divisions  into  lesser  seas,  and  in  time  by  successive  drainage  at  outlets  of 
different  elevation,  the  formation  of  lakes.  The  immense  basin  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  which  extends  from  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  headwaters  of 
the  Mississippi  —  a  distance  of  two  thousand  miles  —  formed  the  first  reser- 
voir. This,  in  time,  was  divided  by  natural  barriers  into  three  sub-basins. 
The  first  of  these  has  an  area  of  about  90,000  square  miles,  more  than  one- 
fourth  of  which  is  occupied  by  the  waters  of  Lake  Superior.  The  next,  or 
middle,  basin  has  an  area  of  at  least  160,000  square  miles  and  contains  Lakes 
Huron,  Michigan  and  Erie  in  its  lowest  depressions.  The  surface  of  the  lower 
basin  has  an  area  of  about  260,000  square  miles  and  is  covered  in  part  by  the 
waters  of  Lake  Ontario  and  the  St.  Lawrence  river.  The  upper,  basin  prob- 
ably had  its  outlet  into  the  middle  basin,  which,  previous  to  the  destruction 
of  the  original  coast- ridge  at  the  northeastern  end  of  Lake  Erie  and  conse- 
quent birth  of  Niagara  river,  had  its  drainage  to  the  south  through  the  valleys 
of  the  Des  Plains,  Kankakee,  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers,  into  the  gulf  of 
Mexico.  1 

The  period  in  which  the  actual  division  of  the  middle  and  lower  basins 
took  place  cannot  be  fixed,  but  the  occurrence  marked  an  era  from  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  boundary  line  of  the  city,  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 

'^Niagara  Falls  and  Other  Famous  Cataracts,  by  George  W.  Holley.     This  book  contains  a  very 
interesting  history  of  the  middle  basin  and  the  probable  origin  of  the  Niagara  river  and  falls. 

2  Through  the  kindness  of  R.  J.  Smith,  A.  J.  Grant  and  E.  U.  Whitmore,  civil  engineers,  the  ele- 
vation of  various  points  between  the  upper  Genesee  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.  At  the  crossing  of  the  Ontario  Belt  railroad,  about 
.  1,000  feet  east  of  the  river,  the  ridge  is  182.45  1^^'  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 


Antiquity  of  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  away,  or  removal, 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  barrier  reduced  the  lake  to  its  present  level. 

Following  this  event,  the  Genesee  valley  lake  burst  through  the  hills  east 
of  the- Pinnacle,  formed  a  great  river,  now  the  Genesee,  and  excavated  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  tlie  Rapids  in 
South  Rochester,  pursuing  a  direct  northern  course  to  the  present  Genesee 
falls  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  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  Latce  Ontario  is  mainly  the  result  of  erosion, 
having  been  effected  by  running  water  aided  by  frost,  and  it  is  evident  that 
this  work  has  been  accomplished  since  Lake  Ontario  retired  from  the  ridge. 
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  who 
occupied  our  home  territory  at  a  period  so  remote  that  it  is  not  possible  to  fix 
its  limit.  It  may  be  stated,  however,  that,  from  deductions  covering  the  age 
of  supposed  contemporaneous  events,  it  has  been  crudely  estimated  as  exceed- 
ing fourteen  thousand  years. 

the  Erie  canal  aqueduct  in  Rochester,  and  submerge  half  the  city;  573.58  feet  with  Lake  Erie;  58S 
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.  I'innacle  hill,  in  the  sliape  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,  Geological  Survey  of  the  Fourth  District. 

^  See  //lustrations  of  Surface  Geology  and  /irosions  of  the  Earth's  Surface,  by  Edward  Ililch- 
cock,  JX. U. ;  Smithsonian  Contributions  to  Knowledge,  Vol.  IX.;  Geology  of  New  York,  by  James 
Hall,  and  other  standard  works. 


20  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER  III 

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  liay 
—  The  Ridge  Mounds  and    Relics  —  Ancient  Landings  on  the  Genesee  —  A  Race  of  I^rge  Men. 

THAT  a  race,  or  -races,  of  men  preceded  the  Indians  in  the  occupation 
of  this  country  is  too  well  understood  to  require  special  iteration.  We 
may  never  learn  the  origin  of  those  ancient  people,  or  gather  more  than  scat- 
tering lines  of  their  history,  but  tangible,  imperishable  proofs  of  their  former 
presence  on  a  large  area  of  the  American  continent  still  remain  in  the  form  of 
earthworks  which  extend  from  New  York  westwardly  along  the  southern 
shore  of  Lake  Erie,  and  through  Michigan  and  the  intermediate  states  and 
territories  to  the  Pacific.  They  have  been  fpund  on  thfe  shores  of  Lake  Pepin, 
and  on  the  Missouri  river  over  one  thousand  miles  above  its  junction  with  the 
Mississippi,  and  extend  down  the  valley  of  the  latter  to  the  gulf  of  Mexico. 
They  line  the  shores  of  the  gulf  from  Texas  to  Florida,  continue  in  diminished 
numbers  into  South  Carolina,'  and  stand  as  eternal  sentinels  on  the  Rio  Grande 
del  Norte. 

The  age  in  which  the  Mound-builder  lived  and  flourished  is  at  present 
undetermined;  it  may  yet  be  decided  as  contemporaneous  with  that  of  ancient 
nations  known  to  civilised  man,  or  at  some  definite  period  beyond  the  present 
measurements  of  written  history.  The  theory  generally  accepted  places  the 
Mound-builders  in  possession  of  this  country  at  the  advent  of  the  Indians, 
who  dispossessed  and  nearly  exterminated  the  original  owners  of  the  soil. 
The  survivors  of  the  conquered  people  fled  down  the  Mississippi  valley,  and 
are  supposed  to  have  mingled  with  tribes  of  red  men  that  followed  them.  In 
his  new  work,  the  Iroquois  Book  of  Rites,  page  ii,  Mr.  Hale  says  he  has 
found  traces  in  the  Cherokee  tongue  of  a  foreign  language,  which  he  supposes 
to  have  been  derived  from  the  Mound-builders  of  the  Ohio  valley,  whom  he 
identifies  as  the  AUegewi,  or  Tallegewi.  According  to  the  legends  of  the  Iro- 
quois and  Algonkins,  those  two  races  of  red  ntien  united  in  a  war  against,  and 
overpowered,  the  AUegewi,  who,  says  Mr.  Hale,  "  left  their  name  to  the  Alle- 
ghany river  and  mountains,  and  whose  vast  earthworks  are  still,  after  half  a 
century  of  study,  the  perplexity  of  archaeologists." 

While  these  monuments  are  not  generally  supposed  to  exist  beyond  the 
tributary  sources  of  the  Alleghany,  in  Western  New  York,  there  would  appear 
to  be  reasonable  grounds  for  a  belief  that  the  Mound-builders,  or  other  an- 
cient people,  extended  their  settlements  into  the  interior  of  the  state,  and 
dwelt  here  in  considerable  numbers.  During  the  old  French  war,  in  1755, 
a  party  of  French  and  Indians  attacked  a  frontier  settlement  in  Pennsylvania, 
murdered  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  and  carried  away  several  women  and 

'  Antiquities  of  New   York  and  the  West,  by  E.  G.  Squier,  p.  294. 


Tllli  MOUND-UUILDERS.  21 


children  as  captives.  Among  the  latter  was  a  little  girl,  who  was  adopted  by 
a  Seneca  family,  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  (Geneseo)  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  l<^own  as  Gardeau  flats. 
In  Seaver's  Life  of  Mary  Jemison,  page  1 34,  we  find  the  following  state- 
ments, received  from  her  own  lips  :• — 

"About  riiree  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  people  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  1  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  species,  and  that  they  (the  Senecas)  went  into  pos- 
session of  the  improvements  left." 

Near  the  top  of  a  high  ridge  of  sand  hills,  in  the  town  of  Pittsford,  south 
of  the  Irondequoit  valley,  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. 


22  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

"On  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  on  a  high  bluff  near  Irondequoit  bay,  in 
1796,"  says  Oliver  Culver,  "the  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  of  the  outlying  range  of  sand  hills  or 
knolls,  then  existent  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  in  that  locality,  and  long 
years  ago  succumbed  to  the  never-ceasing  encroachment  of  the  lake  waters.  ■ 
Its  location  was  immediately  west  of  the  angl^  formed  by  the  present  west 
line  of  Irondequoit  bay  and  Lake  Ontario ;  as  late  as  1830  human  bones  of  an 
unusually  large  size  were  occasionally  seen  projecting  from  the  face  of  the 
bluff,  or  lying  on  the  beach  where  the  undermined  soil  had  fallen.  The  tribe 
of  Seneca  Indians  living  in  Irondequoit  in  1796  could  give  no  information 
concerning  these  bones,  stating  their  belief  that  they  were  the  remains  of  a 
people  who  dwelt  about  the  bay  before  the  Indians  came  there. 

The  town  of  Irondequoit  north  of  the  ridge  was  known  as  the  "pine  bar- 
rens "  to  the  early  settlers  who  cleared  it  of  a  heavy  growth  of  pine  trees,  many 
of  which  stood  upon  the  top  of  the  bluff,  and  over  the  ancient  cemetery,  sixty 
years  ago.  The  French  historians  of  DeNonville's  invasion  of  the  Indian 
towns  in  this  vicinity,  in  1687,  describe  the  country  east  of  Irondequoit  bay 
at  that  date,  as  covered  with  tall  woods  sufficiently  open  to  allow  the  army  to 
march  in  three  columns.  These  facts  clearly  show  that  if  the  land  about  Iron- 
dequoit bay  was  once  cleared  and  cultivated,  as  some  infer,  it  was  at  quite  an 
early  period,  and  by  people  known  only  through  tradition  to  the  latter-day 
Indians. 

During  his  investigation  of  the  aboriginal  monuments  of  New  York,  in 
1848,  Mr.  Squier  visited  several  located  within  the  bounds  of  Monroe  county, 
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  discovery  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- 

'  Phelps  and  Gorham  Purchase,  p.  428. 
'  Antiquities  of  Neio  York,  p.  58. 


Evidences  of  the  Mound-builders  Near  Rochester.  23 

dred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,'  broken  at  intervals  by  the  deeply  worn  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  havp  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  by  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  1845,  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.  From  its  commanding 
situation  overlooking  the  river  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  and  parallel  with  the  present  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  level  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  imtneeliate  vicinity  of  Rochester  must  ever  present  attractions  unsurpassed  by 
lliosc  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  laboratory,  the  deep, 
rook-cut  channel  of  the  Genesee  river.  This  fact  was  well  understood  at  an  early  day,  and  sketches 
illustrating  the  escarpment  of  the  lower  Genesee  adorn  many  standard  works  on  geology.  Dana^s 
Manual,  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  chronological  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. 


24  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sand,  intermixed  with  clay,  covered  the  original  surface  of  the  ground  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot.  Fragments  of  chipped  flint,  arrow-heads  and  stone  knives 
were  picked  up  in  considerable  number  near  the  mounds,  and,  on  digging  one 
or  two  feet  into  the  ground,  bits  of  charcoal,  several  rude  points  and  a  broken 
spear  head  of  stone  were  unearthed. 

In  1880  a  sand  bank  was  opened  in  the  side  of  the  ridge,  and  that  part 
covered  by  the  mounds  has  since  been  entirely  removed.  During  the  course 
of  excavation  a  laborer  came  upon  human -remains.  Parts  of  eight  skeletons 
were  exhumed,  each  surrounded  by  fine  black  soil.  These  were  concealed  and 
all  evidence  of  the  find  destroyed  ;  but  the  discovery  of  a  bone  of  unusual 
size,  together  with  a  curious  pipe,  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  Mr.  Brewer. 
The  laborer  could  remember  few  details  of  the  position  in  which  the  remains 
were  found,  and  the  opportunity  for  careful  investigation  was  lost. 

The  Mound-builders  were  inveterate  smokers,  and  great  numbers  of  pipes 
have  been  found  in  their  mounds.  The  skill  of  the  makers  seems  to  have  been 
exhausted  in  their  construction,  and  no  specimens  of  Indian  art  can  equal  those 
of  the  lost  race.  Many  pipes  of  a  shape  similar  to  those  discovered  in  the 
mounds  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  valleys  have  been  found  in  various  parts 
of  the  country.     Figure  l  is  a  greatly  reduced  representation  of  an  article  of 


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  generally  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  point  of  symmetry  or  finish  they 
are  in  no  way  comparable  to  those  of  the  mounds. "  *  The  pipe  taken  from  the 
ridge  mound  in  Rochester  is  of  the  distinctively  characteristic,  or  primitive 
form''  peculiar  to  the  Mound-builders,  and  is  represented  in  figure  2.  It 
is,  or  was  originally,  five  and  one-half  inches  long,  one  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, 

*  Antiquities  of  New  York,  p.  Ii8. 

2  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  p.  227. 


Arch/Eological  Remains. 


25 


rich  brown,  with  blending  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,  though 
other  relics  may  have  been  unnoticed.     Close  questioning  elicited  the  fact  that 


nearly  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  body  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  only  remaining  part  of  the  body  to  which  it  belonged,  while  several 
portions  of  skeletons  from  the  other  graves  were,  though  very  much  decayed, 
quite  firm   in  comparison;  one  skull  (figure  3)  being  preserved  entire.      Mr. 


FIG.  3. 

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  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

remains  of  a  human  being,  and,  with  true  Hibernian  method,  broke  the  skele- 
ton into  fragments  to  prove  the  case. 

As  previously  stated,  the  only  landing  on  the  east  side  of  the  lower  Gen- 
esee is  at  the  base  of  the  bluff  upon  which  the  ridge  mounds  were  situated, 
and  is  now  known  as  Brewer's  landing.  In  their  journey  from  the  lower  to 
the  upper  Genesee,  the  Indians  usually  made  a  portage  around  the  falls  of 
Rochester,  carrying  their  canoes  from  this  landing  to  near  the  mouth  of  Red 
creek,  above  the  rapids  in  South  Rochester,  where  the  light  crafts  were  again 
launched  upon  the  river  and  found  a  clear  passage  up  the  unobstructed  chan- 
nel to  Mount  Morris.  That  was  the  established  "Voute  one  hundred  years  ago, 
but  good  and  valid  reasons  induee  a  belief  that  the  more  ancient  landing  was 
at  Hanford's,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Genesee,  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  be- 
low, or  north  of  Brewer's  landing;  and  that  the  two  places  were  connecting 
points  in  a  general  highway  extending  east  and  west  along  the  ridge.  Evi- 
dence is  not  wanting  to  prove  that  another  grand  road  once  extended  westward 
from  Hanford's  landing,  with  diverging  branches  running  to  distant  points. 
This  road  was  not  in  use  some  miles  west  of  the  river  one  hundred  years  ago, 
and  that  portion  of  it  has  probably  been  abandoned  for  two  or  three  centu- 
ries ;  but,  possessing  a  general  knowledge  of  Indian  methods  of  trailing,  the 
topography  of  the  country,  and  the  probable  objective  points,  the  writer  is 
slowly  tracing  the  course  of  this  older  highway  from  the  Genesee  at  Rochester 
to  the  Alleghany  and  Ohio  rivers  and  Lake  Erie. 

Discoveries  have  been  made,  at  various  places  along  this  supposed  route,  of 
mounds  and  burial  grounds  containing  human  skeletons  considerably  larger 
than  men  of  the  present  day,  copper  ornaments,  etc.,  and  one  or  two  instances 
will  be  given.  In  excavating  for  sand  on  the  farm  of  Samuel  Truesdale,  in  the 
town  of  Greece,  in  1878,  several  skeletons  were  disinterred,  one  from  its  im- 
mense size  attracting  particular  attention.  Nearly  the  entire  frame  was  secured 
and  removed  to  a  level  spot  between  two  trees,  where  Warren  Truesdale  placed 
each  bone  in  its  natural  position.  The  skeleton  thus  reformed  measured  over 
eight  feet  in  length.  A  piece  of  mica  and  a  rude  arrow  point  were  found  in 
the  grave  above  the  bones,  which  were  about  three  feet  below  the  general  sur- 
face, and  entirely  separate  from  the  other  skeletons.  A  small  mound,  perhaps 
a  foot  in  height,  marked  the, spot. 

Half  a  mile  west  of  Mr.  Truesdale's  farm  the  Erie  canal  turns  abruptly  to 
the  west  along  the  brow  of  the  mountain-ridge,  and  constitutes  the  northern 
boundary  of  George  H.  Lee's  farm.  The  ridge  at  this  place  rises  in  a  gentle 
swell  above  the  surrounding  surface,  and,  at  its  highest  part,  is  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  feet  above  the  canal  bottom.  The  ground  was  cleared  in  i8r8,  by 
David  Oviatt,  of  a  dense  forest  of  beech  and  maple,  many  of  the  trees  being 
full  thirty  inches  in  diameter.  Not  the  slightest  trace  of  former  settlement  or 
human  occupation  of  the  ground  existed.     In  1820  or    1822  the  Erie   canal 


Skeleton  Remains  of  the  Mound-builders.  27 

was  constructed  through  the  northern  slope  of  this  ridge.  During  the  work 
some  twenty  skeletons  were  exhumed  from  the  ground  directly  beneath  the 
stumps  of  the  forest  trees.  The  soil  is  composed  of  from  six  to  twelve 
inches  of  black  mould  overlying  a  bed  of  clay,  very  compact  when  m  situ,  but 
loose-grained  and  easily  crumbled  when  exposed  to  the  atmosphere.  So  tena- 
cious is  the  character  of  this  clay  bed,  excluding  to  a  great  degree  both  air  and 
water,  that  all  larger  bones  of  the  skeletons  were  preserved  in  perfect  form, 
from  skull  to  instep  inclusive ;  some  of  them  being  carefully  uncovered  and 
the  bones  laid  in  their  natural  order  on  the  ground,  measured  from  $cvcn  feet 
upward.'  No  article  of  any  description  was  found  in  the  graves.  In  1879  a 
beautiful  rling-stone  ax  was  plowed  up  in  a  field  near  the  ancient  burial  ground. 
It  is  very  hard,  gives  forth  a  clear  metallic  sound  when  struck,  and  the  edge  is 
as  finely  beveled  as  a  steel  ax  of  modern  make.  It  is  a  splendid  specimen  of 
polished  stone  workmanship,  ten  and  a  half  inches  long,  two  and  a  half  wide 
and  one  and  a  half  inches  thick. 

Dependent  as  certain  of  these  statements  are  upon  the  results  of  future 
research  for  a  correct  understanding  of  their  relative  worth  and  bearing,  the 
advance  of  specific  conclusions  regarding  the  subject  in  question  might  appear 
unwise ;  but,  while  the  discovery  of  lately  existing  monuments  and  traces  of  a 
people  superior  to  the  red  men  in  physical  structure,  the  mythology  of  the 
latter  and  other  evidence  of  a  similar  nature  serve  to  strengthen  a  personal 
belief  in  the  pre-Indian  occupation  of  our  home  territory,  the  facts  presented, 
and  many  matters  not  here  shown,  are  but  niinor  paragraphs  of  a  volume  of 
cumulative  evidence  that  might  be  compiled.  Such  facts  have  exercised  an 
influence  upon  reflective  minds  leading  to  firm  conviction,  and  able  writers 
have  repeatedly  affirmed  the  conclusion.  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton,  an  early 
historian  of  the  locality  of  Rochester,  was  particularly  impressed  with  this  idea, 
and  Orsamus  Turner,  author  of  the  History  of  the  Holland  Purchase,  reiterates 
it  in  numerous  passages  of  his  works.     He  says  :  — 

"  Our  advent  here  is  but  one  of  the  changes  of  time.  We  are  consulting  dumb  signs, 
inanimate  and  unintelligible  witnesses,  gleaning  but  unsatisfactory  knowledge  of  races 
that  have  preceded  us We  are  surrounded  by  evidences  that  a  race  pre- 
ceded them  (the  red  men),  further  advanced  in  arts,  and  far  more  numerous.  The  up- 
rooted trees  of  the  forest,  that  are  the  growth  of  centuries,  expose  their  mouldering 

remains,  uncovered  mounds  reveal  masses  of  their  skeletons In  our  valleys, 

upon  our  hillsides,  the  plow  and  the  spade  discover  their  rude  implements,  adapted  to 
war,  the  chase  and  domestic  use.  All  these  are  dumb,  yet  eloquent  chronicles  of  by- 
gone ages We  are  prone  to  speak  of  ourselves  as  inhabitants  of  a  New  world, 

and  yet  we  are  confronted  with  these  evidences  of  antiquity.  We  clear  away  the  forests 
and  speak  familiarly  of  subduing  a  virgin  soil;  yet  our  plows  upturn  the  skulls  of  those 
whose  history  is  lost." 

'  Junior  Pioneer  Historical  Collections,  by  Jarvis  M.  Hatch,  p.  29.     This  statement  was  confirmed 
by  the  late  Wilson  D.  Oviatt,  Daniel  E.  Harris  and  others. 


28  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The   Red  Men  —  Their  Traditional  Origin  and  Occupation   of  New  York  —  Dispersion  of   the 
Trilies  —  League  of  the  Iroquois  —  Vale  of  the  Senecas  —  Ancient  Nations  of  the  Genesee  Country. 

PUZZLING  as  the  remains  of  the  Mound-builders  prove  to  the  archaeolo- 
gist, the  early  history  of  their  Indian  successors  is  no  less  a  problem  to 
the  historian.  Nearly  four  centuries  have  elapsed  since  Eiiropeans  came  into 
personal  intercourse  with  the  latter,  and  half  a  million  of  the  race  still  exist 
upon  American  soil,  yet  their  origin  is  buried  in  the  depths  of  a  gloom  so 
profound  that  no  man  has  ever  traced  it  to  its  source. 

The  length  of  time  our  Indian  predecessors  have,  occupied  this  continent 
has  never  been  ascertained,  though  it  is  unquestionably  a  fact  that  they  were 
not  indigenous.  The  weight  of  evidence  thus  far  favors  the  theory  of  Asiatic 
descent,  but  in  "the  absence  of  written,  pictorial,  or  sculptural  history  it  is 
impossible  to  trace  clearly  the  connection  between  wandering  savages  and 
their  remote  ancestry."''  Centuries  of  nomadic  and  climatic  changes  have 
effectually  obliterated  direct  proof  of  such  connections,  and  Indian  mythology 
asserts  the  origin  of  many  tribes  as  local  to  their  habitation. 

The  Senecas  ascribe  their  origin  to  a  great  hill  at  the  head  of  Canandaigua 
lake,  but  Morgan  explains  that  "by  this  legendary  invention  they  designed  to 
convey  an  impression  of  the  remoteness  of  the  period  of  their  first  occupation 
of  New  York,"^  and  presents  other  traditionary  evidences  showing  the  lower 
St.  Lawrence^  to  have  been  the  earliest  known  abode  of  the  original  families 
from  which  the  Six  Nations  were  descended.  These  ancient  people  were  of 
the  Huron-Iroquois  stock.  They  were  expelled  from  the  lower  St.  Lawrence 
by  the  Algonkins,  to  whom  they  had  been  subject,  and  migrated  westward  up 
that  river.  Entering  Lake  Ontario  they  coasted  the  south  shore  in  search  of 
a  suitable  place  to  locate.  Historical  accounts  of  this  migration  vary.  Macau- 
ley  states  that  the  Iroquois  then  consisted  of  only  two  tribes,  the  Mohawks 
and  Senecas,  that  they  entered  the  Oswego  and  Genesee  rivers,  conquered  the 
Mohawk  and  Genesee  countries  first,  and  the  intermediate  space  subsequently.  ^ 
President  Dwight  believed  the  original  settlements  of  the  Six  Nations  in  New 
York  to  have  been  identical  with  those  in  which  they  were  found  by  Euro- 
peans, while  Colden  and  Smith  thought  the  Iroquois  originated  and  remained 
upon  the  grounds  of  their  latter-time  occupation.  Morgan  says  that  at  the 
migration  from  the  St.  Lawrence  the  Iroquois  entered  the  central  parts  of 
New  York  through  the  channel  of  the  Oswego  river.     Their  first  settlements 

'  How  the  World  was  Peopled,  by  Edward  Fontaine. 
'  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  7. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  5;  see  also  Colden,  History  of  the  Five  Nations,  p.  23;  Cusic,  Ancient  History  of  the 
Six  Nations,  p.  16. 

*  Macauley's  History  of  New   York,  vol.  2,  p.  184. 

3 


Traditional  Origin  ok  the  Indians.  29 


were  located  upon  the  Seneca  river,  where  for  a  time  they  dwelt  together.  At 
a  subsequent  day  they  divided  into  bands,  and  spread  to  found  new  villages. ' 
In  his  interesting  work,  Legends,  Customs  and  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  whert;  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.  .  Upon  their  libera- 
tion by  the  "Holder  of  the  Heavens,"  they  went  around  a  mountain  and 
followed  the  Mohawk  and  Hudson  rivers  to  the  ocean.  '  Some  of  the  people 
continued  southward,  but  the  main  company,  under  the  guidance  of  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  Seuecas, 
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  Iroqiwis,  p.  6. 

2  Hale  says  the  Huron  speech  became  the  Iroquois  tongue,  in  the  form  in  which  it  is  spoken  by  the 
Mohawks.  In  Iroquois  tradition,  and  in  the  constitution  of  their  league,  the  Mohawk  nation  ranks  as 
tlie  eldest  lirother  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  the 
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  historical  designation — Mohawk). 


30  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

wandering  settled  near  the  mouth  of  the  Neuse  river.  They  were  named 
Kau-to-nah,  and  are  now  known  as  Tuscaroras. ' 

The  speech  of  all  the  nations  thus  formed  was  altered,  but  not  to  an  extent 
preventing  them  from  an  understanding  of  one  another's  language.  The 
people  left  upon  the  near  side  of  the  river  were  dispersed,  and  each  family 
sought  residences  according  to  their  convenience.*  The  various  accounts  of 
this  dispersion  are  meager,  but  it  is  believed  that  all  nations  and  tribes  of  red 
men  who  occupied  the  country  between  Canandaigua  lake  and  Lake  Erie,  the 
Alleghany  mountains  and  Lake  Ontario,  were  ofTshoots  of  the  Senecas;  that 
the  dispersed  families  in  time  grew  into  tribal' communities  and  were  known 
by  various  names.  Those  who  settled  about  the  mountains  to  the  south  were 
called  Andastes,  Canestogas,  etc.  Those  who  dwelt  along  the  shore  of  the 
lake  were  known  as  the  Eries,  and  northeast  of  them  were  the  Attiwan- 
daronks.  Philologists  assert  that  the  languages  of  all  these  people,  so  far  as 
can  be  ascertained,  differed  but  little  from  the  Seneca  tongue;  but  it  is  certain 
that  long  anterior  to  the  white  man's  intrusion  on  the  soil  of  Western  New 
York  they  had  become  nations  distinct  from  the  Seneca.  Cusic  and  Sanborn 
agree  in  the  statement  that  the  famous  league  of  the  Five  Nations  was  formed 
at  a  period  not  long  subsequent  to  the  dispersion,  but  in  the  loose  chronology 
of  the  Indians'  verbal  history  no  definite  idea  of  dates  can  be  obtained.  It  is 
only  by  comparison  with  some  contemporary  event  recorded  in  the  annals  of 
civilisation,  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  founder  of  the  league  was  an  Onondaga  chieftain  named  Hiawatha, 
who  succeeded  in  uniting  the  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugas  and 
Senecas  in  one  great  family,  whose  bond  of  common  interest  was  strengthened 
by  ties  of  blood.  To  the  English  they  were  known  as  the  Five  Nations.  By 
the  French  they  were  called  Iroquois,  and  that  name  was  applied  to  all  the 
members  of  the  league.  The  native  name  of  the  confederacy  is  given  differ- 
ently by  historians,  but  all  agree  upon  its  signification.  According  to  Cusic  it 
was  Ggo-nea-seab-neh.  Macauley  and  Hale,  both  of  whom  derived  their  in- 
formation directly  from  the  Mohawks,  render  it  respectively  Aganuschioni  and 
Kanonsionni.  Morgan,  whose  knowledge  of  the  Six  Nations  was  acquired 
from  the  Senecas,  states  that  after  the  formation  of  the  league,  the  Iroquois 
called  themselves  the  Ho-de-no-sau-nee,  which  signifies  "the  people  of  the 
long  house.  "     It  grew  out  of  the  circumstance  that  they  likened  their  confcd- 

1  In  the  Seneca  dialect  the  name  of  the  Tuscaroras  was  Dus-ga-o-weh,  "the  shirt-wearing  people;" 
the  Cayugas  were  Gue-u-gweh-o-no,  "the  people  at  the  mucky  land;  "  the  Onondagas  were  Onun-da- 
ga-o-no,  "the  people  on  the  hills;"  the  Oneidas  were  O-na-yote-ha,  "the  granite  people;"  the 
Mohawks,  Ga-ne-a-ga-o-no;  the  Senecas,  Nun-da-wa-o-no. — Morgan,  pp.  51  and  52. 

2  Cusic's  Ancient  History  of  the  Six  Nations, 

3  Systems  of  Consanguinity  and  Ajffiiiity  of  the  Human  Family,  p.  151. 


The  Neutral  Nation.  31 


eracy  to  a  long  house,  having  partitions  and  separate  fires,  after  their  ancient 
method  of  building  houses,  within  which  the  several  nations  were  sheltered 
under  one  roof  The  eastern  door  was  on  the  Hudson  river,  the  western  door 
at  the  Genesee.  The  confederation  was  simply  for  common  defense,  and  each 
nation  or  canton  was  a  sovereign  republic,  composed  of  clans,  governed  by  its 
•  own  chiefs  and  sachems.  No  enterprise  of  importance  was  ever  undertaken, 
either  by  the  league,  or  by  individual  nations,  without  first  considering  the 
matter  in  council.  The  great  councils  of  the  league  were  held  at  Onondaga, 
but  each  nation  and  tribe  had  a  particular  location  for  its  council  fire,  which 
was  always  lighted  before  deliberations  began.  The  primeval  council  fire  of 
the  Senecas  was  at  Genundawah,  near  the  head  of  Canandaigua  lake,  and  in 
the  light  of  its  steady  flame  were  formed  the  first  war  parties  of  the  nation 
From  Genundawah  the  Senecas  went  forth  upon  their  first  expeditions  against 
tribes  to  the  west,  and  there  the  victorious  warriors  were  welcomed  home  from 
battle  with  all  the  pomp  of  barbaric  fashion. 

Before  the  Senecas  crossed  the  Genesee  in  conquest,  several  nations  of  red 
men  occupied  the  land  to  the  west.  Those  who  owned  the  country  bordering 
the  lower  Genesee  were  called  Kak-kwas  by  the  Senecas,  and  were  known  to 
the  French  as  the  Attiwandaronk,  or  Neutral  Nation.  Brebeuf,  the  Jesuit,  says 
the  name  Attiwandaronk  was  applied  to  them  by  the  Hurons,  and  signifies 
"people  of  a  language  a  little  different.  "  The  French  termed  them  Neutral, 
from  the  fact  that  they  took  no  part  in  the  war  between  the  Hurons,  Algonkins 
and  Iroquois.  Members  of  those  antagonistic  nations  met  upon  neutral  ground 
in  the  territory  of  the  Attiwandaronks,  and  the  towns  of  the  latter  afforded 
safe  refuge  to  fleeing  parties  of  all  the  surrounding  tribes. 

The  country  of  the  Neutral  Nation  was  south  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  ex- 
tended from  the  Genesee  westward  nearly  to  the  shore  of  Huron,  including  the 
Niagara  river  and  a  portion  of  the  north  coast  of  Lake  Erie.  The  Relations 
of  the  Jesuits  describe  them  as  living  in  twenty-eight  villages,  under  the  rule 
of  a  noted  war-chief  named  Souharissen.  Their  council  fires  were  along  the 
Niagara,  and  their  town  nearest  the  Genesee  but  one  day's  journey  from  the 
Senecas.  They  were  superior  to  the  Hurons  in  stature  and  strength,  and  the 
men  frequently  went  entirely  naked.  The  early  French  missionaries  who  pen- 
etrated their  country  found  the  Attiwandaronks  exceedingly  suspicious  of  all 
intruders,  but  succeeded  in  visiting  eighteen  of  their  towns. 

The  neutrality  so  long  maintained  by  these  people  was  forcibly  broken  by 
the  Senecas  in  1647.  For  some  reason  not  well  understood,  the  latter  sud- 
denly attacked  the  Attiwandaronks,  and  as  early  as  165 1  had  subdued  the 
entire  nation.  All  old  and  feeble  men  and  children  were  put  to  death  and  the 
surviving  warriors  and  women  adopted  by  the  conquerors.  In  time  tribal  dis- 
tinctions were  forgotten,  and  the  descendants  of  the  captive  Attiwandaronks 


*  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  51. 


32  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

became  Senecas  in  heart  and  name.  The  destruction  of  the  Neutral  Nation, 
and  the  overthrow  of  the  Eries  in  1655,  gave  the  conquerors  control  of  all  the 
country  bordering  the  Genesee  river,  between  the  Alleghany  mountains  and 
Lake  Ontario ;  and  in  after  days  the  great  valley  of  the  Genesee  was  known  as 
the  "Vale  of  the  Senecas. "  Within  the  historical  period  the  council  fire  of  the 
nation  kindled  at  Genundawah  has  illumined  the  gloomy  forest  at  Ga-o-sa-eh- 
ga-aah  near  Victor,  gleamed  brightly  in  the  pleasant  valley  of  the  Genesee,  and 
cast  its  expiring  light  over  the  shattered  remnants  of  this  once  mighty  people 
at  Lake  Erie ;  yet  for  nearly  three  centuries  after  Columbus  kissed  the  ocean- 
laved  sands  of  San  Salvador,  the  Senecas  held  possession  and  control  of  the 
land  originally  occupied  by  them  in  the  Genesee  country,  erected  their  rude 
cabins  on  its  watercourses,  roamed  its  hills  and  dales,  hunted  through  its  forest 
glades,  lived,  fought  and  died  brave,  lordly  masters  of  the  soil  inherited  from 
their  fathers,  whose  crumbling  bones  the  plow  of  the  pale  face  still  upturns  as 
the  seasons  of  harvest  recur. 


CHAPTER   V. 

Water  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  Prac- 
tically at  Irondequoit  Bay  —  Early  Maps  —  Teoronto  Bay  —  Mississauge  Indians  the  Last  at  Ironde- 
quoit. . 

ALL  tradition  of  ancient  migrations  of  the  red  men  refer  to  some  navigable 
waiter  as  the  route  over  which  they  came,  or  went.  The  canoe  was  the 
earliest  known  conveyance .  of  primitive  man,  and  water  was  his  favorite  high- 
way. Says  Bancroft:  "Emigration  by  water  suits  the  genius  of  savage  life  ;  a 
gulf,  a  strait,  the  sea  intervening  between  islands,  divides  less  than  the  matted 
forest.  To  the  uncivilised  man  no  path  is  free  but  the  sea,  the  lake  and  the 
river."' 

The  Iroquois  entered  New  York  from  Lake  Ontario.  Their  first  journey 
was  down  the  Mohawk  and  Hudson  to  the  ocean,  and  their  return  up  those 
rivers  was  accomplished  in  canoes.''  In  the  near  vicinity  of  the  numerous  lakes 
and  streams  of  the  interior  were  founded  their  earliest  and  largest  settlements. 
The  Genesee  has  ever  been  the  principal  natural  water  highway  of  Western 
New  York,  and  for  unnumbered  Centuries  the  light  crafts  of  the  natives  have 
glided  over  this  limpid  trail  on  missions  of  peace  and  war.     Constituting,  as  it 

'  History  of  the  United  States,  vol.  III.,  p.  317. 

i  Legends  of  the  Senecas,  by  J.  W.  Sanborn,  p.  11.  In  his  narration  of  this  migration,  the  great 

historian  of  the  Senecas  informed  Rev.    Mr.   Sanborn  that  the  people  carried  their  canoes  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,  Gen- 
is-hau,  Gen-nis-hc-yo,  Gcn-ish-a-u,  Jen-nis-sec-ho,  Gen-ne-se-o,  Gen-nc-see, 
The  apparent  discrepancy  in  the  orthography  of  the  word  is  easily  explained 
when  it  is  understood  that  every  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  conformity 
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  signifying  the  same  thing  substantially  —  to-wi't, 
Gcn-ish-a-u,  "shining-clear-opening;"  Chen-ne-se-co,  "pleasant-clear-open- 
ing;" Gcn-ne-sec,  "clear-valley  "  or  "pleasant-open-valley  ;"  Gen-nis-he-yo, 
"beautiful  valley."  This  term  was  local  and  originally  applied  only  to  that- 
portion  of  tlie  river  near  Cuylerville  then  occupied  by  the  Chen-nus-se-o  In- 
dians, but  owing  to  the  large  size  of  the  town,  and  its  important  location,  the 
name  Genesee  gradually  displaced  all  others  and  became  the  general  designa- 
tion of  the  entire  river.  Ga-hun-da  is  a  common  noun  signifying  a  "river"  or 
"creek."  The  Iroquois  usually  afifixed  it  to  the  proper  name  of  a  sti'eam,  as 
Gen-is-he-yo  Ga-hun-da  or  Genesee  river. 

The  native  name  of  the  lower  Genesee  first  mentioned  by  early  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  river  is  "at  the  fall,"  Gascons-age.  It  is  derived 
from  Gasco,  "something  alive  in  the  kettle;"  as  if  the  waters  were  agitated 
by  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  N.   Y.  Col.  Mss.,  IX.,  1092. 

2  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  394. 


34  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

In  the  Jesuit  Relations  for  1662-3,  Father  Lallemant  says  that  in  the 
month  of  April  (1663)  eight  hundred  Iroquois  warriors  proceeded  from  the 
western  end  of  Lake  Ontario  to  a  fine  river  resembling  the  St.  Lawrence,  but 
free  from  falls  and  rapids,  which  they  descended  one  hundred  leagues  to  the 
principal  Andastogue  village,  which  was  found  to  be  strongly  fortified,  and  the 
aggressors  were  repulsed.  In  a  note,  embodying  the  above  statement,  on 
page  37  of  Early  Chapters  of  Cayuga  History,  by  Charles  Hawley,  D.  D., 
General  John  S.  Clark  says:  "This  route  appears  to  have  been  through  the 
Genesee  river,  to  Canaseraga  creek,  thence  up  that  stream  and  by  a  short 
portage  to  Canisteo  river,  and  thence  down  the  Canisteo,  Chemung  and  Sus- 
quehanna rivers  to  the  fort.  This  route  is  indicated  on  the  earlier  maps,  .as 
one  continuous  river,  flowing  from  Lake  Ontario." 

In  the  map  prepared  by  General  Clark,  for  Rev.  Dr.  Hawley's  work,  the 
■  route  pursued  by  the  expedition  is  represented  as  extending  from  the  head  of 
Irondequoit  bay  southwesterly  to  the  Genesee  river,  and  doubtless  had  refer- 
ence to  the  portage  trail  (described  in  chapter  VI.)  between  Irondequoit  landing 
and  Red  creek  ford.  Though  the  route  by  the  lower  Genesee  and  around  the 
falls,  on  the  present  site  of  Rochester,  was  several  miles  less  than  by  the  Iron- 
dequoit portage,  the  Iroquois  appear  to  have  preferred  the  latter  course  as  the 
better  known  and  established  road.  On  Guy  Johnson's  map  of  the  country 
of  the  Six  Nations,  in  1771,  this  trail  is  plainly  indicated  as  the  "Indian  path 
to  the  lake,"  and  many  circumstances  within  the  knowledge  of  the  present 
writer  induce  a  belief  that  in  Indian  times  Irondequoit  bay  was  considered  the 
the  practical  mouth  of  the  Genesee  river.  In  certain  old  records  the  names 
Casconchagon  and  Irondequoit  are  occasionally  applied  equally  to  river  and 
bay,  as  though  having  reference  to  one  locality,  but  the  former  appears  to 
have  been  least  known,  and  it  is  quite  certain  that,  to  all  the  vast  country 
of  the  Senecas,  Irondequoit  bay  was  the  northern  outlet.  Its  geographical 
position  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  midway  between  Chouaguen 
(Oswego)  and  Niagara,  rendered  it  the  most  convenient  and  important  place, 
in  a  military  yiew,  in  the  Genesee  country.  It  was  the  objective  point  of  all 
expeditions,  peaceful  or  warlike,  to  and  from  the  Senecas,  and  from  its  head- 
waters trails  ran  to  every  part  of  the  Iroquois  territory,  connecting  with  others 
to  all  parts  of  the  continent. 

From  the  shadow  of  grim  old  woods  near  its  shores  and  dense  thickets  of 
matted  vines  concealing  its  numerous  dells,  the  glittering  eyes  of  savage  sen- 
tinels kept  watch,  o'er  the  blue  expanse  of  Ontario  for  expected  friends  and 
foes.  Under  its  pine-mantled  cliffs  the  Indian  chieftains  rendezvoused  their 
navies  of  birchen  bark,  and  reckoned  their  numbers  on  belts  of  wampum. 
Around  its  borders  echoed  the  "shrill  yell  of  barbarian  hordes,"  and  the  deep 
thunder  of  the  pale^faces'  cannon.  Palisaded  fortifications  of  red  and  white 
men  have  guarded  the  narrow  passages  at  either  extremity  of  the  bay,  and 


Irondequoit  Bay.  35 


fleets  of  both  races  battled  on  the  lake  within  shot  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  over  its  tabled  elevations.  Every  point  and  nook  about  the  grand 
old  bay  has  its  thrilling  history;  yet  few  among  the  thousands  who  daily  roam 
the  shady  groves  of  Irondequoit  in  summer,  gaining  health  and  strength  in 
every  draught  of  the  pure  lake  breeze,  know  aught  of  the  stirring  events  of 
by-gone  days  enacted  on  these  very  grounds. 

The  first  mention  of  Irondequoit  bay,  found  in  the  Documents  Relating  to 
the  Colonial  History  of  New  York,  is  that  of  Rev.  Jean  de  Lamberviile,  a 
Jesuit  missionary  to  the  Five  Nations,  in  a  letter  written  at  or  near  Onondaga, 
July  13th,  1684,  to  M.  de  la  Harre,  governor  of  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  Lamberviile,  is  from  the  Iroquois,  or 
Mohawk,  dialect,  and  signifies,  literally,  "an  opening  into,  or  from,  a  lake;"  an 
inlet  or  bay,  from  Kaniatarc,  "a  lake,"  and  hontontogonan,  "to  open."'  Mar- 
shall says  the  Seneca  name  is  0-nyiu-da-on-da-gwat,  "it  turns  out  or  goes 
aside."^  Like  all  Indian  names  of  places,  it  is  descriptive,  and  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  with  several  large  bays  which 
must  have  been  equally  well  known  to  the  natives  indicates  the  superior 
importance  of  Irondequoit  in  their  estimation,  as  the  bay  of  all.  Evidence  of 
this  is  found  in  early  maps  of  the  Lake  Ontario  region. 

The  earliest  known  map  of  this  part  of  the  country  was  published  in  1632, 
by  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'  map,  published  in  1664,  represents  Irondequoit  bay  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  1688,  by  order  of  the  governor  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  Lamberviile  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  by  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  many  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  N.  V.  Col.  Mss.,  IX.,  261. 

2  DeNonville's  Expedition,  by  O.    H.    Marshall,    in    Collections  of  New  York  Historical  Society, 
part  second,  p.  176. 


36  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

da-quat,  Tjer-on-da-quat,  The-ne-on-de-quat,  Tie-run-de-quat,  The-ron-de- 
quot,  Tie-ron-de-quat,  Tie-ron-te-quet,  Tis-o-ron-de-quat,  Ty-ron-de-quot, 
Tie-rond-quit,  0-ron-do-kott,  Run-di-cutt,  Ge-run-de-gutt,  Je-ron-do-kat, 
Je-ron-de-quet,  Je-ron-de-quate,  Jeron-de-kat,  Jar-ron-di-gat,  Qron-do-quat, 
Iron-de-gatt,  Iron-de-katt,  Iron-de-quat,  Iron-de-quot,  Iron-de-quoit. 

In  Spafford's  Gazetteer  of  New  York,  published  in  1824,  that  author  says 
the  Indians  called  it  Teoronto  (bay),  a  sonorous  and  purely  Indian  name,  too 
good  to  be  supplanted  by  such  vulgarisms  as  Gerundegut,  or  Irondequoit. 
The  Indians  pronounce  the  name  Tche-o-ron-tok,  its  signification  being  "where 
the  waves  breathe  and  die,"  or  "gasp  and  die."  Spafford  was  the  first  author 
to  make  this  assertion.  No  mention  of  the  name  Teoronto,  in  connection 
with  Irondequoit  bay,  can  be  found  elsewhere  than  in  his  work  previous  to  its 
issue  in  1824.  His  information  was  derived  from  a  correspondent  in  Roches- 
ter, whose  only  knowledge  of  the  matter  was  obtained  by  questioning  Indians 
then  living  on  the  Ridge  —  or  Oswego  —  trail,  about  one  mile  east  of  the  bay, 
in  the  town  of  Webster.'  They  were  not  Senecas  —  the  last  of  that  nation 
having  removed  to  reservations  about  1798-9  —  but  Mississauges.  The  tribe 
is  now  settled  on  Rice  lake,  in  Canada,  and  as  late  as  1853—4  parties  crossed 
Lake  Ontario  in  canoes  to  fish  and  hunt  at  Irondequoit  bay.  Doctor  Peter 
Crow  and  other  native  Mississauges  still  visit  thejr  white  friends  at  Ironde- 
quoit. The  name  Teoronto  was  accepted  by  English  writers,  and  is  occasion- 
ally revived  in  foreign  guide  books.  Marshall  tells  us  that  the  word  is  not 
Seneca  but  Mohawk,  and  its  true  signification  "a  place  where  there  is  a  jam 
of  floodwood."* 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Local  Trails  of  the  Genesee  —  Indian  Fords,  Towns  and  Fortifications  —  Hutler's  Rangers  —  hi- 
dian  Spring  —  Sacrifice  of  the  White  Dog  —  Flint  Quarry  —  Sgoh-sa-is-thah  —  I'orlage  'I'rails  — 
Irondequoit  Landing  —  The  Tories'  Retreat  —  Indian  Hall  Springs  —  Ancient  Mounds. 


"^ 


THILE  the  march  of  civilisation  had  advanced  beyond  the  Genesee  to  the 
north  and  west,  the  hunting-grounds  of  the  Senecas  were  still  in  their 
primitive  state,  and  the  cycle  of  a  century  is  not  yet  complete  since  the  white 
man  came  into  actual  possession  of  the  land  and  became  acquainted  with  its 
topographical  features.  To  the  pale-faced  adventurer  of  the  seventeenth  cent- 
ury to  whom  all  this  vast  territory  was  an  unexplored  blank,  viewing  the  land 

1  Old  settlers  on  Irondequoit  bay,  Amos  Knapp,  Isaac  Drake  and  others,  inform  me  that  they 
knew  the  Webster  Indians  well,  and  the  latter  possessed  neither  knowledge  nor  tradition  respecting 
the  ancient  name  and  history  of  the  bay. 

a  O.  II.  Marshall,  in  Collections  of  N .  Y.  Hist.  Society,  part  second,  p.  176. 


Local  Trails  of  the  Genesee.  37 

from  his  birchen  canoe  on  Laite  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  every  direction.  These  dark 
wood  lanes  unknown  to  civilised  man,  their  soil  heretofore  pressed  only  by  the 
feet  of  Indians  and  wild  beasts,  will  ev^r  be  known  in  history  as  the  "  trails  of 
the  Genesee."  They  were  the  highways  and  by-waj's  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  varying  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  traverse  the  continent  in  a  fruitless  search,  for,  like  the  broader  roads  of 
the  present  white  population,  many  of  which  follow  the  old  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  by  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  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ent  state  of  New  York.  Along  its  silent  course  the  swiftest  runners  of  the  Irp- 
quois  bore  their  messages  of  peace  or  war  with  a  speed  and  physical  endurance 
incredible.     Morgan  says :  — 

"Whenever  the  sachems  of  a  nation  desired  to  convene  the  grand  council  of  the 
Iroquois  league,  they  sent  out  runners,  to  the  nation  nearest,  with  a  belt  of  wampum. 
This  belt  announced  that  on  a  certain  day  thereafter,  at  such  a  place,  and  for  such  and 
such  purposes  (mentioning  them),  a  council  of  the  league  would  assemble.  If  the  mes- 
sage originated  with  the  Senecas  it  reached  the  Cayugas  first,  as  the  nation  located 
nearest  upon  the  line'  of  trail.  The  Cayugas  then  notified  the  Onondagas,  they  the 
Oneidas,  and  these  the  Mohawks  ;  the  reverse  being  the  order  when  the  message  origi- 
nated in  the  east.  Each  nation  within  its  own  confines  spread  the  information  far  and 
wide;  and  thus,  in  a  space  of  time  astonishingly  brief,  intelligence  of  the  council  was 
heralded  from. one  extremity  of  their  country  to  the  other.  If  the  subject  was  calculat- 
ed to  arouse  a  deep  feeling  of  interest,  one  common  impulse  from  the  Hudson  to  the 
Niagara,  and  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Susquehanna,  drew  the  people  toward  the 
council  fire;  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors,  women,  and  even  children,  deserted  their  hunt 
ing  grounds  and  woodland  seclusions,  and  literally  flocked  to  the  place  of  council. " ' 

Their  wandering,  hunter,  life  and  habit  of  intent  observation  rendered  the 
Iroquois  familiar  with  every  foot  of  land  in  their  territory,  enabling  them  to 
select  the  choicest  locations  for  abode.  Towns  were  frequently  moved  from 
place  to  place,  new  trails  worn  and  old  ones  abandoned  to  stray  hunters  and 
wild  animals.  Trails  leading  to  or  along  the  edge  of  water  were  usually  per- 
manent. Hardly  a  stream  but  bore  its  border  line  of  trail  upon  either  bank. 
From  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Genesee,  trails  fol- 
lowed every  curve  of  the  river  as  closely  as  natural  obstacles  would  permit,  and 
branches  led  up  the  sides  of  tributary  creeks. 

Trails  converged  on  the  Genesee  in  the  vicinity  of  Rochester  at  two  places, 
the  ridge  north  of  the  lower  falls,  and  the  rapids  some  eighty  rods  below  the 
mouth  of  Red  creek.  The  passage  of  the  river  north  of  the  lower  falls  was 
effected  in  canoes  or  on  rafts ;  in  the  absence  of  either  or  both,  the  aboriginal 
traveler  plunged  into  the  water  and  stemmed  the  strong  current  with  his 
brawny  arms.  Before  the  white  man  obstructed  its  channel  with  dams  the 
Genesee  was  one  continuous  rapid  from  Red  creek  to  the  south  line  of  the 
present  Erie  canal  aqueduct.  An  Indian  ford  existed  at  a  shallow  place  near 
the  immediate  line  of  the  present  race-dam,  between  the  jail  and  weigh-lock, 
but  was  never  in  such  general  use  as  the  upper  ford  below  Red  creek,  where 
the  river  could  be  more  easily  and  safely  crossed  by  footmen. 

The  great  trail  coming  west  from  Canandaigua  on  the  present  route  of  the 
Pittsford  road  divided  a  few  rods  east  of  Allen's  creek.  The  main  trail  turned 
to  the  north  over  a  lovv  ridge,  across  the  present  farm  of  the  venerable  Charles 
M.  Barnes'  and  down  a  gully  to  Allen's  creek.     The  ford  was  exactly  at  the 

1  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.    1 10. 

2  No  resident  of  Monroe  county  is  more  thoroughly  interested  in  its  aboriginal  history  than  Charles 
M.    Barnes.     His  admirable  knowledge  of  colonial  and  pioneer  history,  and  remarkable  memory  of 


Local  Trails  of  the  Genesee.  39 

arch  through  which  the  waters  now  pass  under  the  great  embankment  of  the 
New  York  Central  railroad.  Following  the  west  bank  to  a  point  where  the 
creek  turned  directly  to  the  right,  the  trail  left  the  stream  and  curving  gradu- 
ally to  the  west  along  the  base  of  a  high  bluff  ran  up  a  narrow  gully  to  the 
table-land.  Taking  a  northwest  course  from  this  point  it  passed  the  brick  resi- 
dence of  D.  McCarthy,  crossed  a  trail  running  to  the  fishing  resort  on  Ironde- 
quoit  creek  and  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  rods  again  curved  to  the  west 
along  a  short  slope,  striking  the  line  of  the  present  road  on  the  farm  of  Judge 
Edmund  Kelley.  In  the  side  of  this  slope  were  numerous  springs  near  which 
the  Indians  frequently  camped.  When  the  ground  was  first  plowed  many 
Indian  relics  were  found,  and  also  evidences  of  a  former  occupation  by  some 
large  body  of  white  men.  At  least  two  bushels  of  bullets  were  discovered  in 
one  spot,  and  numerous  other  indications  of  the  presence  of  an  army. 

From  these  springs  a  trail  ran  directly  north  half  a  mile  and  turned  east 
down  the  hillside  to  the  famous  Indian  landing  on  Irbndequoit  creek.  Along 
this  road  between  the  springs  and  landing  was  located  the  famed  Tryon's  Town, 
of  Gerundegut,  founded  by  Judge  John  Tryon  about  1798.  From  Tryon's 
Town  the  main  trail  continued  its  northwest  course  to  the  Thomas  road,  some 
rods  north  of  University  avenue.  Fro.m  that  point  the  present  (old  Thomas) 
road  leading  to  the  cobble-stone  school-house  on  Culver  street,  and  thence  to 
Norton  street,  runs  on  the  old  trail.  Leaving  Norton  street  a  short, distance  east 
of  Goodman,  the  path  crossed  a  swamp  to  Hooker's  cemetery.  The  ground 
in  front  of  Mr.  Hooker's  residence  is  said  to  have  been  the  site  of  a  very  an- 
cient fortification.  Following  the  north  edge  of  the  elevation  the  trail  crossed 
North  avenue  to  the  Culver  farm  opposite,  and  can  still  be  traced  through  the 
grove  of  forest  trees  to  the  former  location  of  a  large  Indian  settlement  on  the 
sand  knolls,'  half  a  mile  west.  From  this  town  the  course  was  due  west  down 
the  side  .of  Spring  brook  to  the  Ridge  mounds  and  Brewer's  landing  on  the 
Genesee  river. 

East  avenue  is  located  upon  the  general  route  of  the  second  trail  from 
Allen's  creek  westward.  It  divided  near  Union  street,  the  principal  path  turn- 
ing slightly  to  the  south  and  ending  at  the  ford  near  the  weighlock.  The  branch 
crossed  Main  street  near  the  liberty  pole  and  struck  the  river  trail  in  the  vicinity 
of  Franklin  and  North  St.  Paiil  streets.  Indian  huts  were  scattered  about  the 
bluff  in  that  vicinity  until  18 19. 

A  trail  came  from  Caledonia  springs  east  by  way  of  Mumford,  Scottsville, 
Chili  and  Gates  to  Red  creek  ford  in  South  Rochester.  This  was  the  general 
thoroughfare   from  the    Indian   towns  near  the   Canaseraga  creek  to  the   lower 

early  events  in  the  vicinity  of  Rochester,  have  proved  invaluable  aids  in  the  collection  of  many  facts 
herein  pre.sented. 

1  In  a  conversation  held  v/hh  David  Forest  on  this  very  ground,  in  1854,  Oliver  Culver  stated  that 
in  1 796  he  arrived  at  Irondetjuoit  landing  in  a  canoe,  and  came  over  the  trail  described  to  this  town, 
where  he  traded  with  the  Indians.  It  was  from  them  that  he  received  his  information  regarding  the 
large  skeletons  discovered  at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  bay. 


40  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Genesee  and  Lake  Ontario.  It  was  down  this  trail  that  Butler's  rangers  fled, 
after  the  massacre  of  Boyd  and  Parker  at  Little  Beard's  Town  in  1779,  on 
their  way  to  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

'  A  path  seldom  used  during  the  later  Seneca  occupation  ran  north  from  Red 
creek  ford  in  the  general  direction  of  Genesee  street,  to  the  head  of  Deep  hol- 
low, around  which  it  curved  to  the  Lake  avenue  trail.  From  this  path  a  sec- 
ond came  north  from  the  rapids  over  the  course  of  Plymouth  avenue  to  a  spot 
called  Indian  spring  (near  the  corner  of  Spring  street  and  Spring  alley  in  rear 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church),  and  followed  the  little  spring  creek  north- 
east to  the  vicinity  of  Central  avenue  and  Mill  street.  This  trail  branched  near 
Atkinson  street,  the  branch  running  eastward  to  the  ford  near  the  present  jail. 
From  this  ford  a  path  ran  directly  to  Indian  spring,  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
the  wigwams  of , the  natives  were  occasionally  set  up.  It  was  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  ridge  lying  west  of  this  spring  that  the  Senecas  made  their 
last  sacrifice  of  the  white  dog.  Lewis  H.  Morgan  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment that  this  ceremony  was  performed  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  W.  S. 
Kimball's  residence  on  the  south  side  of  Troup  street,  between  Eagle  street 
and  Caledonia  avenue.  A  third  trail  turned  north  from  the  jail  ford  and  con- 
nected with  the  Plymouth  avenue  trail  near  Central  avenue,  continuing  north 
to  Deep  hollow,  where  it  was  joined  by  the  Genesee  street  trail.  At  the  pres- 
ent Ridge  road  on  the  boulevard  the  trail  separated ;  the  main  path  running 
west  on  the  ridge  to  Lewiston,  and  the  other  to  the  lake  shore.  The  summit 
of  the  hill  over  which  Lake  avenue  passes,  near  the  present  residence  of  Charles 
J.  Burke,  was  once  the  site  of  a  large  Indian  town,  and  all  the  slope  and  low 
ground  east  of  that  place  to  the  river  and  north  to  Hanford's  landing,  was 
used  for  camping  purposes.  There  were  numerous  springs  along  this  hillside, 
and  the  Indians  obtained  flint  from  a  quarry  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff"'  near  the 
river  end  of  Frauenberger  avenue.  -  Numerous  little  heaps  of  flint  chips,  half- 
finished  and  broken  arrow-heads,  and  other  weapons  of  stone  were  found  in  the 
woods  of  that  locality  by  the  early  settlers.  Upon  these  grounds  the  late  Dr. 
Chester  Dewey  gathered  many  valuable  relics  of  the  stone  age  now  in  the 
Smithsonian  institution. 

The  waters  of  the  springs  mentioned  once  formed  a  short  creek,  the  chan- 
nel of  which  was  parallel  with  and  some  rods  west  of  the  edge  of  the  bluff". 
This  channel  is  yet  quite  distinct  and  so  straight  as  to  suggest  the  idea  of  arti- 
ficial origin.  It  emptied  over  the  edge  of  the  cliff"  into  the  great  dell  at  Han- 
ford's landing.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  dell  the'  waters  of  a  larger  stream, 
which  has  its  source  some  miles  westward,  still  dash  recklessly  over  the  cliff" 
and  hurry  through  the  rocky  passage  below  to  join  the  river.  Between  these 
creeks,  on  land  now  owned  by  R.  J.  Smith,  the  ground  takes  the  form  of  a  low 
ridge,  extending  some  distance  southward  from  the  cliff".     The  situation  is  grand 


"^Pioneer  Historical  Collections. 


Romantic  Legend.  41 


and  the  view  down  the  river  and  over  the  water,  some  two  hundred  feet  below, 
very  pleasing.  A  great  fortification  once  stood  on  this  ridge,  but  when  or  by 
whom  constructed  history  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  intervals.'  Every  part  of  the  embankment  was 
obliterated  long  years  ago,  but  its  lines  have  been  inferred  by  the  quantities  of 
relics  found  within  certain  sharply  defined  limits.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  no 
cemetery  has  been  discovered  in  the  vicinity  of  this  place,  the  nearest  burial- 
ground  of  the  aborigines  west  of  the  Genesee,  known  to  the  writer,  being 
some  two   miles  distant. 

There  is  a  legend  connected  with  some  cliff  near  the  lower  falls  of  the  Gen- 
esee river,  and  this  may,  possibly,  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  river  one 
summer's  day,  long  years  ago.  He  came  alone  directly  to  an  Indian  camp  on 
the  river  side,  and  remained  with  the  tribe.  In  time  his  native  country  and 
his  people  were  forgotten  in  the  happiness  of  loving,  and  being  loved  by,  a 
beautiful  forest  maiden.  They  were  married  in  the  Indian  fashion,  and  the 
days  passed  away  like  moments  in  their  lodge  "near  the  singing  cataract." 
One  day  a  strange  canoe,  filled  with  white  men,  came  up  the, Genesee  in  search 
of  the  pale-faced  wanderer,  who  proved  to  be  an  exiled  chieftain  (nobleman) 
of  France.  His  friends  came  to  carry  him  back  to  honor  and  fortune,  but  his 
heart  was  in  the  wildwoods  and  he  refused  to  go.  Then  they  sought  to  com- 
pel him,  but,  clasping  his  Indian  wife  in  his  arms,  the  exile  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  crushed  and  mangled  on  the  rocks 
below.  Tradition  has  failed  to  preserve  the  names  of  the  white  brave  and  his 
dusky  bride,  or  identify  the  place  of  their'  death.  The  brief  description  of 
locality  answers  equally  well  to  the  bluff  opposite  the  Glen  House,  or  this  dell 
at  Hanford's  landing.    • 

From  the  top  of  the  cliff  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. 
At  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  yicinity 
of  the  flint  quarry,  and  natives  crossing  the  river  often  climbed  this  steep  path 
in  preference  to  the  longer  route  by  the  lower  landing.  The  first  white  settlers 
in  this  vicinity  (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 
Eli  Granger  laid  the  keel  of  the  Jemima,  a  schooner  of  forty  tons  and  the  first 


'  Aboriginal  Monuments  of  New   York,  p.  58. 


42  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

American  vessel  built  on  the  Genesee  (some  say  the  first  built  near  Lake  On- 
tario), at  the  foot  of  this  road  ;  the  landing,  then  callied  King's,  now  Hanford's, 
became  the  lake  port,  and  there  the  steamer  Ontario  first  touched  the  river 
bank  when  she  commenced  her  trips  in  1817.  From  the  landing  a  second  path 
curved  up  the  little  promontory  on  the  north  side  of  the  dell,  and  extended 
around  the  edge  of  the  cliff  to  the  old  fort.  From  that  place  it  ran  up  the 
creek  to  the-  main  or' Ridge  trail,  which  it  crossed  some  distance  west  of  the 
present  boulevard.  Continuing,  along  the  north  bank  of  the  creek  to  the  farm 
of  Samuel  Truesdale,  where  the  giant  skeleton  was  exhumed  in  1878,  it  turned 
west  along  the  mountain  ridge,  running  straight  to  a  spring  on  the  present  farm, 
of  George  H.  Lee.  Indians  came  upon  this  creek  and  camped  in  Mr.  Trues- 
dale's  chestnut  grove  until  1853. 

At  the  rapids  in  South  Rochester  the  river  passes  over  a  ledge  of  lime- 
stone, and  before  the  dam  was  constructed  the  channel  was  very  shallow  some 
sixty  rods  above  and  belciw.  Ort  the  east  bank  a  flat  extended  from  Red  creek 
north  around  the  base  of  Oak  hill.  It  was  eaten  away  by  the  current  long 
years  ago,  but.it  originally  constituted  the  the  east-side  Janding  of  the  ford. 
The  west  end  of  Elmwood  avenue  strikes  the  river  just  south  of  the  upper  edge 
of  the  old  ford.  In  early  pioneer  days  there  were  two  or  three  good  springs 
in  the  bank  of  a  small  creek  which  entered  the  river  at  that  point.  A  pre- 
historic town,  covering  all  the  surface  of  Oak  hill,  once  existed  tHere.  Stohe 
relics  were  found  on  every  foot  of  the  ground  from  the  feeder  dam  to  Red  creek, 
by  the'  early  settlers.  In  their  anxiety  to  distance  Sullivan's  soldiers,  Butler's 
men  rid  themselves  of  everything  possible  at  this  ford.  Ammunition  and  arms 
were' buried  in  the.  ground  near  the  springs  and  concealed  in  hollow  trees  in 
the  vicinity.  In  1816  Mr.  Boughton  found  ninety-six  pounds  of  bullets  in 
the  bottom  of  a  rotten  stump,  and  several  other  discoveries  of  bullets,  bars  of 
lead,  etc.,  have  been  made  by  various  parties. 

From  the  springs  at  the  ford  the  trail  ran  northeast  to  the  corner  of  Indian 
Trail  and  First  avenues  in  Mount  Hope  cemetery.  At  that  point  it  divided, 
one  branch  turning  sharply  to  the  left,  directly  up  the  slope  and  north  over 
the  top  of  section  G  to  the  present  Indian  Trail  avenue,  which  it  entered  and 
thence  followed  the  ridge  sttaight  to  a  spot  in  front  of  George  Ellwanger's  res- 
idence, continuing  down  Mount  Hope  avenue.  South  and  North  St.  Paul  streets 
to  Brewer's  landing.  From  the  latter  place  it  ran  near  the  edge  of  the  high 
bank  to  Lake  Ontario.  On  the  farm  of  Daniel  Leake  traces  of  an  Indian  town 
and  burial  ground  have  been  discovered  and  the  old  path  can  yet  be  followed 
in  places  through  the  woods  north  of  the  "rifle  range."  An  ancient  fortifica- 
tion stood  near  the  ford  of  a  brook  which  rises  in  the  littlevale  southeast  of 
Rattlesnake  point.  It  was  the  ruins  of  this  fort  for  which  Mr.  Squier  searched 
in  vain  about  1848.  The  Seneca  ferrying-place  across  the  river  was  at  the 
terminus  of  the  trail  at  about  the  same  location  as  the  present  upper  ferry  at 


Portage  Trail.  43 


Charlotte.  In  the  brush  and  woods  on  the  east  bank  at  this  point  Butler's 
rangers  sought  refuge  while  waiting  for  the  tory  Walker  to  return  from  Fort 
Niagara  with  boats  for  their  removal.  The  log  house  afterv^ard  occupied  by 
Walker  stood,  a  few  feet  southeast  of  the  angle  in  the  present  road  where  it 
turns  west  across  the  swamp  at  the  ferry.  Stone  pestles,  arrow-heads,  bullets, 
etc.,  have  been  found  in  the  vicinity  in  considerable  numbers  by  Jerome  Man- 
ning and  other  old  settlers. 

From  the  corner  of  Indian -Trail  and  First  avenues  in  Mount  Hope  ceme- 
tery the  south  branch  of  the  trail,  coming  from  Red  creek  ford,  passed  a  few 
rods  east  to  a  beautiful  spring  in  the  side  of  the  present  artificial  pond.  Curv- 
ing slightly  northward  it  divided,  one  path  following  the  general  course  of  Stan- 
ley street  and  Highland  avenue  along  the  southern  base  of  the  hills  to  the  cor- 
ners north  of  Cobb's  brick-yard  on  Monroe  avenue;  the  other  branch  running 
directly  to  the  summit  of  the  hills  near  the  water-works  reservoir,  and  east 
over  the  top  of  Pinnacle  hill,  joining  the  first  path  near  the  corners.  From 
that  place  the  course  was  directly  east  to  the  riffle  on  Irondequoit  creek  some 
distance  above  the  dug- way  mills.  This  riffle  was  a  noted  resort  of  the  In- 
dians who  went  there  from  the  upper  Genesee  to  fish.  It  was  known  to  the 
Senecas  as  Sgoh-sa-is-thah.  The  meaning  of  the  word  is  "the  swell  dashes 
against  the  precipice,"  referring  to  the  fact  that  a  heavy  swell  sometimes  beats 
against  the  ledge  over  which  the  fall  pours.  Springs  still  exist  in, the  bank 
near  the  riffle  where  the  Indians  camped.  From  this  fishing  ground  alarge 
open  path  ran  directly  south  over  the  hills  to  the  Pittsford  roa,d,  and  thence  to' 
Honeoye.  At  its  crossing  of  the  New  York  Central  railroad  at  the  "sand-cut" 
east  of  the  Allen's  creek  embankment,  an  Indian  burial  ground  was  located. 
During  the  excavation  of  a  part  of  this  hill,  about  1876,  human  remains  were 
exhumed,  among  which  were  several  skeletons  of  unusual  size,  One  exceeding 
seven  feet  in  length.  Numberless  relics  of  stone,  rusty  knives  and  fragments 
of  firearms  were  picked  up  by  the  workmen,  Dennis  Callahan  securing  a  small 
flat-iron  bearing  the  figure  of  a  spread  eagle.  East  of  this  trail,  between  the 
cemetery  and  the  Pittsford  road,  quantities  of  stone  relics  have  been  found,  in- 
dicating the  site  of  a  pre-historic  town.  West  of  this  site  is  located  the  great 
cairn  of  limestones,  supposed  to  have  been  heaped  up  by  people  preceding  the 
Indians. 

There  were  two  Indian  roads  known  as  the  portage  trails.  The  first  has 
been  described  as  the  Mount  Hope  avenue  and  St.  Paul  street  route,  over 
which  canoes  and  baggage  were  transported  between  Red  creek  and  Brewer's 
landing.  This  route  was  followed  by  the  Indians  long  after  Rochester  was  set- 
tled by  the  whites,  and  Phederus  Carter,  James  Stone  ^nd  other  pioneer  boys 
often  assisted  their  Indian  friends  to  carry  canoes  over  this  path. 

The  grand  portage  trail  diverged  from  the  Mount  Hope  avenue  path  near 
Clarissa  street,  ran  along  the  ridge  south  of  and  parallel  with  Gregory  street  to 

'    4 


44  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

South  avenue,  thence  straight  to  Oliver  Culver's  old  homestead,  corner  of  Cul- 
ver street  and  East  avenue.  Passing  a  few  rods  eaist  of  the  house  the  trail- 
route  was  down  the  north  road  east  to  the  landing  on  Iroridequoit  creek.  '  This 
was  the  general  highway  between  the  upper  Genesee  and  Irondequoit  bay,  to 
which  reference  has  been  made  in  chapter  V.  Some  3'ears  ago  an  aged  Seneca 
was  asked  to  describe  the  route  of  this  trail  between  the  Genesee  river  and 
Irondequoit  landing.  Raising  his  hand  anS  cleaving  the  air  with  a  direct  for- 
ward blow  the  Indian  replied:  "Straight  as  the  arrow  flies,  runs  the  carrying- 
path."  A  verification  of  this  assertion  may  be/ound  on  any  map  of  Monroe 
county  showing  the  following  points  :  Mount  Hope  avenue  and  Clarissa  street, 
South  avenue  and  Grand  street.  East  avenue  and  the  Culver  road  and  the  land- 
ing on  Irondequoit  creek.  A  line  extending  from  the  first  to  the  last  would 
pass  in  as  nearly  a  direct  course  through  the  intermediate  points  as  the  original 
form  of  the  ground  would  admit.  From  South  avenue  to  East  avenue  the 
trail  ran  over  a  section  of  low  ground  which  extended  southward  to  the  base 
of  the  Pinnacle  range  of  hills,  and  was  known  as  the  "bear  swamp." 

A  huge  dome-shaped  hill  fills  the  Irondequoit  valley  directly  opposite  the 
old  Indian  landing-place  so  often  mentioned.  The  creek  hugs  the  west  bank 
at  the  landing  and  sweeps  around  to  the  southeast  in  a  great  semi-circle  called 
"the  ox-bow,"  leaving  a  crescent-shaped  flat  at  the  southern  base  of  this  island 
hill.  When  the  surrounding  slopes  were  covered  with  forest  trees  this  flat 
formed  a  pleasant  and  secluded  retreat,  which  could  only  be  reached  over  the 
landing  trail  or  by  crossing  the  creek,  which  is  very  deep  in  that  vicinity. 
After  leaving  Red  creek  ford  Butler's  rangers  separated  on  Mount  Hope,  one 
party  proceeding  down  the  Mount  Hope  avenue  trail  to  the  mouth  of  the  Gen- 
esee, the  other  going  east  to  Irondequoit  landing  and  the  0X7 bow  flat,  which 
appears  to  have  been  a  well  known  and  favorite  resort  of  the  tories.  From 
this  hiding-place  they  made  their  way  over  the  town  of  Irondequoit  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Genesee  river,  where  they  remained  in  the  brush  and  the  woods 
several  days,  not  daring  to  build  a  fire  or  make  the  least  noise,  lest  Sullivan's 
avenging  forces  should  discover  and  annihilate  them.  Walker  had  been  sent 
from  Caledonia  springs  to  Niagara  for  boats,  and  when  he  finally  arrived  in  the 
Genesee  the  rangers  were  nearly  famished.  After  one  ravenous  meal  they 
embarked  for  Niagara  and  Oswego,  and  the  lower  Genesee  was  rid  of  all  the 
murderous  gang  save  Walker,  who,  remaining  as  a  British  spy,  built  a  cabin 
near  the  ferrying- place. 

The  west  side  of  the  island  hill,  facing  Irondequoit  landing,  has  yielded  to 
nature's  erosive  forces,  and  a  charming  inclined  valley  extends  from  the  landing 
to  the  very  eastern  limit  of  the  hilltop,  which  was  once  connected  with  the 
high  land  east  by  a  narrow  ridge.  From  the  landing  the  old  trail  course  was 
up  this  valley  to  the  elevated  table  land  opposite.  Running  some  distance  east 
to  avoid  the  tremendous  gulfs  reaching  back  from  the  bay,  it  turned  north, 


The  Trail  to  the  Salt  Spring.         '  45 

ending  on  the  sand-bar  at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  bay.  From  the  landing 
to  Lake  Ontario  every  rod  of  ground  is  historical.  When  the  farms  of  Henry 
Smith  and  Edson  Welcher,  just  north  of  the  float-bridge  road,  were  settled, 
an  Indian  cemetery  was  discovered.  There  were  two  hundred  grave-mounds 
arranged  in  rows,  over  which  grew  oak  trees  fully  eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 
In  the  woods  near  at  hand  great  corn-hills  were  plainly  to  be  seen,  and  the 
Indians  had  a  landing-place  on  Plum  Orchard  point,  immediately  below. 

A  second  trail  turned  east  to  the  ridge,  along  which  it  continued  to  Sodus 
and  Oswego.  It  was  known  to  the  Senecas  as  Ne-aga  Wa-a-gwen,  or  Ontario 
foot-path.  The  village  last  occupied  by  Seneca  Indians  in  Webster  was  located 
on  the  ridge  near  this  path,  about  one  mile  east  of  the  bay,  and  the  latter-day 
Mississauges  camped  on  the  same  ground.  Their  landing  was  on  the  bay,  at 
the  foot  of  the  ridge.  In  a  hollow  north  of  the  landing  H.  M.  Hames  discov- 
ered twelve  skeletons  lying  in  a  circle,  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel,  with  their 
feet  to  the  center,  where  were  deposited  a  number  of  rude  stone  weapons, 
probably  arms  of  the  buried  warriors.  One  of  these  relics,  an  immense  spear- 
head of  flint,  is  in  possession  of  the  writer.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  while 
iron  weapons,  beads  and  other  evidences  of  association  with  the  whites  are 
occasionally  found  in  graves  of  the  natives  on  the  high  land  about  Rochester, 
'  burial-places  in  hollows  or  ravines  usually  contain  relics  of  the  stone  age  only. 
A  mound  which  was  very  prominently  located  on  the  bluff"  north  of  Dunbar 
hollow  was  opened  by  the  early  residents,  who  obtained  a  great  number  of 
stone  weapons,  mostly  tomahawks  and  skull- crackers. 

A  large  fort  once  occupied  the  ground  just  north  of  the  ridge  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  sand-bar  trail.  This  work  is  mentioned  by  Macauley,  but  Squier 
failed  to  locate  it  in  1848. '  DeNonville  does  not  appear  to  have  observed  it 
in  1687,  and  it  was  undoubtedly  very  ancient.  Stone  arrow-heads  di.scovered 
there  are  quite  large  and  broad.  Arrow-heads  of  the  same  description  are 
found  in  a  dcU  on  the  Victor  tra,il.  From  the  old  fort  a  trail  ran  northeast  to 
a  salt-spring  located  about  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  bay.  The  Indians 
came  from  Gardeau,  Mount  Morris,  Moscow,  Geneseo,  Lima,  Avon  and  Canna- 
waugus  to  make  salt  at  this  spring,  camping  in  the  woods  between  it  and  Iron- 
dequoit bay.  The  tory  Walker  and  an  old  Seneca  chief  from  Moscow  were  the 
last  to  use  it,  and  in  1788-9  they  covered  the  spring  over.  They  disclosed  its 
location  in  confidence  to  three  or  four  white  friends,  Asa  Dunbar  being  of  the 
number.  He  revealed  it  to  Wm.  H.  Fenfield,  and  the  latter  to  Jarvis  M.  Hatch, 
from  whom  the  present  writer  obtained  the  following  quaint  directions  to  effect 
its  re-discovery  :  "  In  a  large  gorge  half  a  mile  from  the  lake  shore  take  a  run- 
way to  a  point  one-fourth  of  a  mile  southwest  of  the  gorge.  The  spring  is 
near  some  trees  in  a  cultivated  field,  entirely  covered  over  and  effectually  con- 
cealed.    I  have  been  to  it  in  i860."     There  was  another  spring  in  Dunbar  hol- 

^.  Aboriginal  MtmHtnents,  p.  58. 


46  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

low,  which  is  so  called  from  the  fact  that  Asa  Dunbar,  an  early  settler  of  gigan- 
tic strength,  frequented  the  place  to  manufacture  salt.  The  process  was  very- 
simple,  the  brine  being  boiled  in  a  "three-pail  kettle." 

Two  mounds  once  occupied  the  hilltop  south  of  the  Sea  Breeze  hotel  on 
the  west  side  of  Irondequoit  bay.  Their  former  location  was  pointed  out  to 
the  writer  in  1880  by  Charles  M.  Barnes  and  Amos  Knapp.  The  mounds 
were  from  twenty  to  thirty-five  feet  east  of  north  of  the  present  wooden  "  ob- 
servatory." Squier  says  they  were  small,  the  largest  not  exceeding  five  feet 
in  height.  Upon  excavation  he  found  they  had  been  previously  disturbed, 
and  his  examination  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  a  few  fragments  of  bone,  char- 
coal, pottery  and  arrow-heads.'  Old  settlers  inform  me  that  Wm.  H.  Penfield 
opened  these  mounds  about  1817.  He  obtained  many  curious  things,  in- 
cluding sword  scabbard-bands  of  silver,  belt  buckles,  belt  and  hat  ornaments 
and  other  articles  of  military  dress.  Directly  east  of  these  mounds  is  a  deep 
gully,  now  crossed  by  two  rustic  bridges.  The  Indian  canoe  landing  was  at 
the  mouth  of  this  gully,  where  a  fine  spring  furnished  good  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  trail  united  with  the  other, 
ran  southwest  to  the  ridge  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Forest  House,  and  due  south 
to  the  west  end  of  the  float-bridge  road,  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  Pittsford  road.  This  was  the  main 
trail,  west  of  the  bay,  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Irondequoit  landing,  Victor  and 
Honeoye  creek,  and  DeNonville  marched  down  this  path  from  Allen's  creek 
on  his  return  to  the  lake. 

The  small  island  on  the  west  side  of  Irondequoit  bay,  upon  which  the 
Schneider  House  stands,  is  of  artificial  origin.  It  was  originally  of  ellipsoidal 
form,  ninety  feet  long,  thirty-two  wide  and  seventeen  high.  In  his  prepara- 
tions to  build,  Mr.  Schneider  lowered  the  whole  island  to  within  two  feet  of 
the  surface  of  the  water,  first  removing  a  dead  oak  tree  about  fifteen  inches 
through,  which  stood  on  the  very  top  of  the  elevation.  The  mound  was  com- 
posed of  alternate  layers  of  sand  and  clay  so  distinctly  marked  as  to  attract 
attention.  In  the  bottom  of  the  exact  center,  fifteen  feet  below  the  surface, 
Mr.  Schneider  unearthed  about  one  bushel  of  hand-worked  stones  consisting 
of  arrow  and  spearheads,  knives,  tomahawks  of  various  shapes,  skull -crackers, 
war-club  heads,  fish-net  weights,  skin-dressers,  finishers,  etc.  Some  of  these 
articles  were  beautiful  specimens  of  polished- stone  work  and  nearly  all  above 
the  average  size  usually  found  in  this  vicinity.  The  construction  of  this  mound 
cost  a  vast  amount  of  labor,  and  the  object  is  conjectural.  It  marked  the  en- 
trance to  a  small  bay  which  undoubtedly  constituted  a  fine  harbor  extending 

1  Aboriginal  Monuments,    p.  57. 


Early  French  Missions.  47 

back  into  a  great  valley.  It  is  a  secluded  locality,  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  Irondequoit  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. 

Karly  French    Missions  —  Tsonnontouan  —  The    Jesuit's  Escape  —  La  Salle   at    Irondequoit  — 
Struggle  between  the  French  and  English  for  Possession  of  the  Lower  Genesee  Country. 

THOUGH  the  Franciscan  Le  Caron  is  supposed  to  have  passed  through  the 
Iroquois  (Mohawk)  country  about  i6i6,  coureurs  des  bois  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,  Chaumorit  preached  the  faith  in  the  towns  of  the  Sen- 
ecas,  but  in  two  short  years  war  between  the  French  and  Iroquois  again  drove 


48  History  of  the  City  ov  Rochester. 

the  missionaries  to  the  northern  shore  of  Ontario.  In  1661  Le  Moyne  returned 
to  Onondaga,  and  several  missions  were  re-established.  In  the  fall  of  1668  a 
deputation  of  Seneca  chiefs  visited  Montreal  and  requested  the  Jesuits  to  estab- 
lish missions  in  their  country,  that  the  people  might  share  all  the  advantages  of 
religion  enjoyed  by  Iroquois  nations  to  the  east.  In  compliance  with  this 
request  Father  Fremin  was  sent  to  Tsonnontouan,  as  the  Genesee  country  was 
then  called  by  the  French.  The  good  priest  arrived  at  his  post  of  duty  No- 
vember 1st,  and,  taking  up  his  abode  at  the  same  town  wherein  Chaumdnt  had 
preached,  founded  the  mission  of  St.  James.  At  that  date  the  Senecas  had 
four  large  villages  east  of  the  Genesee  river.  Tlwough  the  researches  of  O.  H. 
Marshall  the  location  of  these  towns  has  been  definitely  fixed.  The  principal 
village,  at  which  Fremin  resided,  was  situated  on  what  is  now  termed  Bough- 
ton  hill,  near  Victor.  The  exact  site  is  south  of  the  railroad,  on  a  farm  owned 
by  R.  B.  Moore.  Wentworth  Greenhalp,  who  visited  the  town  in  1677,  de- 
scribes its  location  and  appearance  under  the  name  of  Canagorah.  Ten  years 
later  DeNonville,  who  destroyed  the  place,  mentions  it  in  his  official  report  by 
its  Mohawk  designation  of  Ganangorah.  In  this  effort  to  re-discover  the  site  of 
this  town  Marshall  learned  its  correct  Seneca  name  —  Ga-o-sa-eh-ga-aah. ' 

Father  Gamier,  who  had  been  stationed  at  Onondaga,  joined  Fremin  in  his 
labors  and  established  the  mission  of  St.  Michael  at  Gan-don-ga-rae,  a  small 
village  located  on  Mud  creek,  between  three  and  four  miles  southeast  of  Victor, 
where  he  remained  several  years.  Bruyas,  Pierron  and  other  priests  visited 
these  towns  during  the  life  of  the  missions,  and  the  general  route  to  and  from 
the  Seneca  villages  appears  to  have  been  through  Irondequoit  bay.  In  1683 
Garnier  was  secretly  informed  of  ttie  intention  of  the  French  to  make  war 
upon  the  Iroquois,  and,  hastening  to  Irondequoit  landing,  he  was  concealed  and 
escaped  in  a  little  barque  belonging  to  the  French  government,  which  lay  at 
anchor  there,  trading  with  the  natives. 

August  lOth,  1669,  La  Salle,  the  afterward  noted  French  explorer,  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  with  seven  canoes  and  twenty-four  men,  including 
Dollier  de  Casson  and  Galinee,  two  priests  of  the  seminary  of  St.  Sulpice, 
Montreal.  They  were  accompanied  by  two  other  canoes  bearing  a  party  of 
Senecas,  who  had  wintered  on  the  St.  Lawrence  and  were  now  acting  as  guides. 
La  Salle's  object  in  this  visit  was  to  obtain  a  guide  to  the  Ohio  river,  that  of 
the  priests  the  conversion  of  the  natives.  The  party  landed  on  the  sand- 
bar  and  were   escorted   to    "Sonnontouan"    or    Gannagora    by   crowds   of 

1  The  etymology  of  this  name  was  explained  to  Mr.  Marshall  in  1847  by  Blacksmith,  the  principal 
chief  of  the  Senecas.  He  said  the  whole  village  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,  which,  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  Ga-o-sa-eh-ga-aah,  or  "the  basswood  bark  lies  there."  —  O. 
H.  Marshall,  in  DeNonvilWs  Expedition,  p.  159. 


La  Salle  at  Irondequoit.  49 

savages.  They  remained  with  the  Senecas  one  month,  and  failing  to  accom- 
plish their  purpose  departed  westward  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario.  Dur- 
ing the  following  two  years  La  Salle  was  upon  the  soil  of  Western  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  bay  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  sagacity  of  the  red  men  in  their 
selection  of  Irondequoit  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  French  on  the  north,  and  the  English  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  country  became  the 
center  of  conflicting  interests,  and,  simultaneously  with  the  supremacy  of  the 
linglish  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  journey 
thither  was  long  and  perilous,  and  Indian  goods  could  be  purchased  in  Albany 
and  transported  to  Montreal  at  a  less  rate  than  they  could  be  imported  direct 
to  that  place  from  France,'  while  the  trails  of  the  Iroquois,  which  could  be 
traveled  from  Albany  to  Irondequoit  on  horseback,  and  the  watercourses,  of 
the  interior  of  New  York  presented  shorter,  safer  and  more  profitable  routes 
for  unrestricted  traffic  ;  hence  the  desire  of  the  English  to  open  the  way  to  the 
west,  and  the  endeavors  of  the  French  to  obtain  possession  of  Oswego,  Iron- 
dequoit and  Niagara,  close  them  to  the  Engli.sh  and  secure  the  Indian  trade  to  , 
the  French  colony  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Added  to  this  was  the  natural  en- 
mity existing  between  the  two  nations  and  the  jealous  rivalry  and  inordinate 
greed  for  territorial  possessions  in  the  New  world.  Each  nation  claimed  the 
Iroquois  country,  France  by  right  of  first  discovery  and  occupation,  England 
by  virtue  of  conquest  from  the  Dutch  and  treaty  stipulations,  and  both  enacted 
the  monarchical  role  of  paternal  proprietorship,  endeavoring  to  awe  and  con- 
trol the  various  tribes  by  alternate  threatenings  and  persuasion. 

From  the  attack  of  Champlain  on  the  Mohawks  at  Ticonderoga  point  in 
1609,  the  Iroquois  as  a  nation  had  maintained  a  relentless  enmity  toward  the 
French,  though  a  shadow  of  peace  had  occasionally  been  made  and  some  hun- 
dreds of  Indians  enticed  to  Canada  through  the  religious  influence  of  French 
priests;   on  the  other  hand  the  Iroquois  had  steadily  inclined  to  the  English, 

I  TV.  y.   Col.  Mss.,  V.  728-230. 


so  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

who  were  their  acknowledged  friends  and  allies.  Despairing  of  ultimate  suc- 
cess by  other  means  than  force,  the  governors  of  Canada  invaded  the  country  of 
the  Five  Nations  on  several  occasions  with  armies  of  colonists  and  Indian  allies, 
but  neither  honors  nor  lasting  benefits  accrued  to  the  French  from  these  expe- 
ditions. In  1685  De  la  Barre  was  recalled  to  France  and  the  marquis  De- 
Nonville  succeeded  him  as  governor- general  of  Canada.  Despite  the  influence 
of  French  missionaries  in  their  midst,  the  Iroquois  still  barred  the  way  to  a 
free  navigation  of  water  highways  leading  to  the  west,  insolently  repudiated 
the  authority  of  the  French  government,  and  openly  avowed  their  friendship 
for  the  English,  who  were  permitted  to  set  up  the  British  arms  in  several  Iro- 
quois villages. 


CHAPTER  VIII.' 

DeNonville's  Expedition  -  Treachery  of  the  French  Governor-General  —  Magnanimity  of  the 
Troquoi.s  —  French  Army  at  Irondequoit  —  Execution  of  Marion  —  The  Fort  on  the  Sand- Bar  —  The 
March  on  Gannagaro  —  The  Defiles,  Ambuscade  and  Battle  —  Horrors  of  Indian  Warfare  —  Canni- 
balism —  Destruction  of  the  Seneca  Towns. 

UPON  assuming  the  reins  of  colonial  government,  DeNonville  determined 
"  to  break  the  power  of  the  Iroquois  and  subdue  their  pride  by  an  invasion 
of  the  Seneca  settlements.  To  conceal  his  intentions  the  wily  governor  made 
overtures  to  the  savages  through  the  Jesuits  stationed  in  their  villages,  and  the 
summer  of  1686  was  spent  in  negotiations  which  terminated  by  the  adoption 
of  a  resolution  that  both  parties  —  French  and  Iroquois  —  should  meet  at  Cata- 
racouy, '^  to  take  measures  for  the  conclusion  of  a  general  peace.  Neither  party 
placed  confidence  in  the  proposed  peaceful  measures,  and  the  French  had  no 
intention  of  obtaining  peace  through  treaty.  During  the  entire  summer  De- 
Nonville was  very  anxious  to  lay  up  a  store  of  provisions  and  munitions  at 
Cataracouy  in  preparation  for  the  next  season's  campaign,  but  was  restrained 
from  so  doing  through  fear  of  alarming  the  Iroquois.  Active  preparations  were 
instituted  during  the  winter  and  spring  of  1686-7.  Fort  Cataracouy  —  then 
a  small  redoubt  —  was  placed  in  defensible  condition,  stocked  with  the  neces- 
sary supplies,  and  the  three  small  vessels  on  Lake  Ontario  secured  for  service. 
June  1 2th,  1687,  the  French  governor  left  Montreal  for  Cataracouy  with 
an  army  consisting  of  eight  hundred  and  thirtyrtwo  regular  troops ;  nine  hun- 

1  The  material  for  this  chapter  is  collated  from  the  Colonial  and  Documentary  Histories  of  New 
York ;  the  Expedition  of  the  Marquis  DeNonville  against  the  Senecas,  in  1687,  by  O.  H.  Marshall ; 
Discmery  of  the  Great  West,  by  Francis  Parkman  ;  Historical  sketches  in  the  Victor  Herald,  by  J.  W. 
Van  Denburgh,  and  the  writer's  private  journal. 

2  Kingston. 


DeNonville's  Expedition.  51 

died  and  thirty  militia,  over  one  hundred  colonial  scouts  and  four  hundred  In- 
dians. Of  this  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  Valterye,  Grandville  and  Longueil  Le  Moynes. 
In  the  order  of  march  a  battalion  of  regulars  succeded  one  of  militia,  alter- 
nately. Six  bateaux  were  assigned  to  each  company,  each  boat  carrying  eight 
men,  baggage  and  provisions,  each  captain  having  charge  of  twenty-four  ba- 
teaux. The  Indians  served  as  guides  and  scouts  and  marched  without  order. 
The  army  arrived  at  Cataracouy  July  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  Irqndequoit  bay  on  a  certain  date. 

Notwithstanding  the  warlike  preparations  of  the  French,  which  drew  an 
official  remonstrance  from  Governor  Dongan  of  New  York  and  excited  the 
alarm  of  the  Five  Nations,  DeNonville  stoutly  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  his  most  Chris- 
tian Majesty,  the  king,  these  proud  warriors  were  shipped  to  France  as  slaves 
for  the  royUl  galleys.  When  news  of  DeNonville's  infamous  act  reached  the 
Onondagas,  "among  whom  Father  Lamberville  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  effects  of  the 
rage  which  he  saw  depicted  in  every  countenance,  one  of  the  old  men  unex- 
pectedly addres.scd  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  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

innocent,  which  you  undoubtedly  detest  as  much  as  we  do,  and  for  having  been  the  in- 
strument of  which  we  are  satisfied  you  are  now  deeply  grieved. .  It  is  not  proper,  how- 
ever, that  you  should  remain  here.  AH  will  not,  perhaps,  render  you  the  justice  which 
we  accord,  and  when  once  our  young  men  shall  have  sung  their  war  song,  they  will  look 
upon  you  only  as  a  traitor,  who  has  delivered  over  our  chiefs  to  a  cruel  and  ignoble 
slavery.  They- will  listen  only  to  their  own  rage,  from  which  we  will  then  be  unable  to 
save  you."  Having  said  this,  they  obliged  him  to  leave  immediately,  and  furnished 
guides  to  conduct  him  by  a  safe  route,  who  did  not  leave  him  until  he  was  out  of  danger. 

July  4th  the  army  embarked  at  daybreak,  and  crossing  the  lower  end  of 
Lake  Ontario  coasted  the  south  shore  westward..  So  admirably  were  the  plans 
of  DeNonville  arranged  and  executed  that,  though  aware  of  the  impending 
blow,  the  Iroquois  knew  not  in  what  quarter  it  would  strike,  and  hence  could 
adopt  no  general  measure  of  defense.  The  little  barque  that  had  been  dispatched 
to  Niagara  met  the  army  near  Sodus  bay  July  9th  with  ne'ws  of  the  reinforce- 
ments, and  then  returning  westward  hovered  about  the  mouth  of  Irondc- 
quoit  bay.  Iroquois  scouts  stationed  there  immediately  reported  the  presence 
of  the  vessel,  and  the  Seneca  sachems  sent  warriors  to  the  lake.  Posting  them- 
selves in  the  woods  at  the  west  end  of  the  sand-bar,  near  the  present  location 
of  the  Sea  Breeze,  they  were  surprised  and  nearly  cut  off  by  Indians  of  De- 
Nonville's  Niagara  party  who  came  down  the  lake  shore  on  foot,  the  main  body 
being  in  canoes.  This  party  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  French 
coureurs  des  bois,  and  three  hundred  western  Indians  of  all  nations,  enemies 
of  the  Iroquois.  They  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  July  loth,  at  the 
same  moment  with  the  army  under  DeNonville,  "by  reason  of  which,"  re- 
marked Baron  La  Hontan,  "our  savage  allies,  who  draw  predictions  from  the 
merest  trifles,  foretold,  with  their  usual  superstition,  that  so  punctual  a  meeting 
infallibly  indicated  the  total  destruction  of  the  Iroquois."  "The  first  thing 
with  which  I  occupied  myself  on  my  arrival,"  writes  the  French  governor, 
.  "  was  to  select  a  post  easy  to  be  fortified  for  securing  our  bateaux,  to  the  num- 
ber of  two  hundred,  and  as  many  canoes.  July  i  ith  was  spent  in  construct- 
ing palisades,  fascines  and  pickets,  for  securing  the  dike  that  separates  the  lake 
from  the  marsh,  in  which  we  had  placed  our  bateaux." 

On  their  voyage  to  Niagara  Durantaye's  forces  had  captured  and  pillaged 
two  parties  of  English  traders,  bound  to  the  west  under  the  guidance  of  a 
young  Canadian  named  La  Fontaine  Marion.  Baron  La  Hontan  mentions  him 
as  an  unfortunate  young  man  who  became  acquainted  with  the  country  and 
savages  of  Canada  by  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  petty 
traffic,  but  could  never  obtain  it.  As  peace  existed  between  the  two  crowns, 
he  determined  to  go  to  New  England,  where  he  was  well  received  on  account 
of  his  enterprise  and  knowledge  of  Indian  languages.  He  was  engaged  to 
pilot  two  companies  of  English  through  the  lakes  to  the  west,  and  it  was  those 


DkNonville's  Expedition.  53 

peaceful  traders  upon  whom  Durantaye  had  laid  violent  hands  and  brought 
them  captive  to  Irondequoit.  DeNonville  had  previously  sought  and  received 
the  sanction  of  the  king  to  treat  all  Frenchmen  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  overturned  boats 
and  canoes;  on  the  elevatcd'part  of  the  sand-bar  stood  the  half-finished  fort' 
of  pickets  surrounded  by  the  army  tents  and  equipage.  "Never,"  says  an 
eye-witness,  "had  Canada  seen,  and  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  finally  a  crowd  of  all  the  barbarous  nations, 
naked,  tattooed,  and  painted  over  the  body  with  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  wretch 
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  12th.  For  its  defense  and  the  protec- 
tion of  the  boats  and  stores,  DeNonville  detached  four  hundred  and  forty  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  courcurs  des  bois,  one  hundred 
Ottawas,  three  hundred  Sioux,  one  hundred  Illinois  and  fifty  Hurons.     Then 

1  This  palisade  fortification  was  built  on  tlie  sand-bar,  at  tlie  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 
liccn  neither  Spanish,  Dutch  nor  French.  During  the  construction  of  the  Rome,  Watertown  &  Og- 
dcnsburg  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  distant?  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  bay,  and  finally  to  its  present  location  in  the  center  of  the  bar. 


54  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

followed  the  regulara  and  militia,  with  the  rear  guard  of  savages  and  wood- 
rangers.  Ascending  the  bluff  at  the  end  of  the  sand-bar  and  following  a 
well-beaten  trail,  the  army  returned  to  the  south  among  lofty  trees  sufficiently 
open  to  allow  the  troops  to  march  in  three  columns.  The  objective  point  was 
Gannagcira,  and  the  army  made  three  leagues  (nine  miles)  that  afternoon.  "We 
left  on  the  next  morning,"  continues  DeNonville  in  his  official  report,  "with  the 
design  of  approaching  the  village  as  near  as  we  could,  to  deprive  the  enemy 
of  the  opportunity  of  rallying  and  seizing  on  two  very  dangerous  defiles  at  two 
rivers^  which  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  pass  and  where  we  should  undoubtedly 
meet  them.  These  two  defiles  being  passed  in  safety,  there  still  remained  a 
third  at  the  entrance  of  said  village,  at  which  it  was  our  intention  to  halt.  .  . 
.  .  .  About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  M.  de  Callieres,  who  was  at  the 
head  of  the  three  companies  commanded  by  Tonty,  De  la  Durantaye  and  Du- 
Lhu,  and  all  our  savages  fell  into  an  ambuscade  of  Sonnontouans  posted  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  defile." 

DeNonville  gives  two  accounts  of  this  battle,  differing  widely,  and  others  are 
confusing.     That  of  the  Abbe  de  Belmont  is  the  best :  — 

"  The  march  was  a  little  hurried.  The  weary  troops  were  dying  with  thirst.  The 
two  bodies  found  themselves  at  too  great  distance  from  each  other.  The  scouts  were 
deceived ;  for  having  come  to  the  barrens,  or  plains,  they  found  five  or  six  women  who 
were  going  around  in  the  fields.  This  was  a  lure  of  the  Senecas  to  make  them  believe 
that  they  were  all  in  the  village.  The  territory  of  Ganesara  is  very  hilly ;  the  village 
is  upon  a  high  hill  which  is  surrounded  by  three  little  hills  or  terraces,  at  the  foot  of  a 
valley,  and  opposite  some  other  hills,  between  which  passes  a  large  brook  which  in  a 
little  valley  makes  a  little  marsh,  covered  with  alders.  This  is  the  place  which  they 
selected  for  their  ambuscade.  They  divided  themselves,  posted  three  hundred  men  along 
the  falling  brook  between  two  hills  in  a  great  thicket  of  beech  trees,  and  five  hundred 
at  the  bottom  of  these  hills  in  a  marsh  among  the  alders ;  with  the  idea  that  the  first 
ambuscade  of  three  hundred  men  should  let  the  army  pass  and  then  attack  them  in  the 
rear,  which  would  force  it  to  fall  into  the  second  ambuscade,  which  was  concealed  at 
the  bottom  of  the  hills  in  the  marsh.  They  deceived  themselves  nevertheless,  for  as 
the  advance  guard,  which  M.  de  Callieres  commanded,  was  very  distant  from  the  body 
under  the  command  of  the  marquis,  they  believed  it  was  the  entire  array.  Accordingly 
as  the  advance  guard  passed  near  the  thicket  of  beeches,  after  making  a  terrible  whoop 
(sakaqua !)  they  fired  a  volley.  The  Ottawas  and  the  heathen  Indians  all  fled.  The 
Christian  Indians  of  the  mountain  and  the  Sault,  and  the  Abenaquis  held  fast  and  gave 
two  volleys.  The  marquis  DeNonville  advanced  with  the  main  body,  composed  of  the 
royal  troops,  to  occupy  the  height  of  the  hill,  where  there  was  a  little  fort  of  pickets; 
but  the  terror  and  disorder  of  the  surprise  were  such  that  there  was  only  M.  de  Cal- 
zenne,  who  distinguished  himself  there,  and  M.  Dugue,  who  bringing  up  the  rear  guard 
rallied  the  battahon  of  Berthier,  which  was  in  flight,  and,  being  at  the  head  of  that  of 
Montreal,  fired  two  hundred  shots.  The  marquis,  en  chemise,  sword  in  hand,  drew  up 
the  main  body  in  battle  order,  and  beat  the  drum  at  a  time  when  scarcely  anyone  was 
to  be  seen.     This  frightened  the  three  hundred  Tsonnontouans  of  the  ambuscade,  who 

2  Allen  and  Irondequoit  creeks. 


DeNonville's  Expedition.  55 

fled  from  above  towards  the  five  hundred  that  were  ambushed  below.  The  fear  that 
all  the  world  was  upon  them  made  them  fly  with  so  much  precipitation  that  they  left 
their  blankets  in  a  heap,  and  nothing  more  was  seen  of  them." 

In  his  description  of  the  battle  Baron  La  Hontan  admits  a  serious  defeat 
of  the  French  :  — 

"When  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  they  lay  in  ambush,  distant  about 
a  quarter  of  a  league  from  the  village,  they  began  to  utter  their  ordinary  cries,  followed 
with  a  discharge  of  musketry.  If  you  had  seen,  sir,  the  disorder  into  which  our  militia 
and  regulars  were  thrown  among  the  dense  woods,  you  would  agree  with  me  that  it 
would  require  many  thousand  Europeans  to  make  head  against  these  barbarians.  Our 
battalions  were  immediately  separated  into  platoons,  which  ran  without  order,  pell  mell 
to  the  right  and  left,  without  knowing  whither  they  went.  Instead  of  firing  upon  the 
Irocjuois,  we  fired  upon  each  other.  It  was  in  vain  to  call  for  help  from  the  soldiers  of 
such  a  battalion,  for  we  could  see  scarcely  thirty  paces.  In  short  we  were  so  disordered 
that  the  enemy  were  about  to  fall  upon  us  club  in  hand,  when  our  savages,  having  ral- 
lied, repulsed  and  pursued  them  so  closely,  even  to  their  villages,  that  they  killed  more 
than  eighty,  the  heads  of  which  they  brought  away,  not  counting  the  wounded  who 
esca])ed.  We  lost  on  this  occasion  ten  savages  and  a  hundred  Frenchmen  ;  we  had 
twenty  or  twenty-two  wounded,  among  whom  was  the  good  Father  Angelran." 

Although  the  savage  allies  were  greatly  offended  at  the  refusal  of  DeNon- 
ville  to  leave  his  wounded  and  pursue  the  fleeing  Senecas,  the  French  com- 
mander ordered  a  bivouac  on  the  field.  "We  witnessed  the  painful  sight  of 
■  the  usual  cruelties  of  the  savages,"  writes  the  marquis  to  M.  de  Seignelay, 
"who  cut  the  dead  into  quarters,  as  is  done  in  slaughter-houses,  in  order  to  put 
them  into  the  kettle ;  the  greater  number  were  opened  while  still  warm,  that 
their  blood  might  be  drank.  Our  rascally  Ottawas  distinguished  themselves 
particularly  by  these  barbarities  and  by  their  poltroonery,  for  they  withdrew 
from  the  battle.  The  Hurons  of  Michilimaquina  did  very  well,  but  our  Chris- 
tian Indians  surpassed  all  and  performed  deeds  of  valor,  especially  our  Iroquois, 
on  whom  we  dared  not  rely  having  to  fight  against  their  own  relatives.     The 

Illinois  did  their  duty  well We  learned  from  some  prisoners  who 

had  deserted  from  the  Senecas  that  this  action  cost  them  forty-five  men  killed 
on  the  field,  twenty- five  of  whom  we  had  seen  at  the  shambles,  the  others  were 
seen  buried  by  this  deserter ;  and  over  sixty  very  severely  wounded. 
The  Abbe  de  Belmont  thus  continues  the  narrative :  — 

"We  marched  in  battle  order,  waiting  for  an  attack.  We  descended  the  hill  by  a 
little  sloping  valley,  or  gorge,  through  which  ran  a  brook  bordered  with  thick  bushes 
and  which  discharges  itself  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  in  a  rnarsh  full  of  deep  mud,  but  planted 
with  alders  so  thick  that  one  could  scarcely  see.  There  it  was  that  they  had  stationed 
their  two  ambuscades,  and  where  perhaps  we  would  have  been  defeated,  if  they  had  not 
mistaken  our  advance  guards  for  the  whole  army  and  been  so  hasty  in  firing.  The  mar- 
quis acted  very  prudently  in  not  pursuing  them,  for  it  was  a  trick  of  the  Iroquois,  to 
draw  us  into  a  greater  ambuscade.  The  marsh,  which  is  about  twenty  acres,  being 
passed,  we  found  about  three  hundred  wretched  blankets,  several  miserable  guns,  and 
began  to  perceive  the  famous  Babylon  of  the  Tsonnontouans  ;  a  city  or  village  of  bark. 


S6  HiSTOKY  OF  THE  CiTY  OF  ROCHESTER. 

situated  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  of  earth,  to  which  one  rises  by  three  terraces  or 
hills.  It  appeared  to  us  from  a  distance  to  be  crowned  with  round  towers,  but  these 
were  only  large  chests  (drums)  of  bark  about  four  feet  in  length,  set  the  one  in  the  other 
about  five  feet  in  diameter,  in  which  they  keep  their  Indian  corn.  The  village  had  been 
burnt  by  themselves ;  it  was  now  eight  days  since.  We  found  nothing  in  the  town  ex- 
ce{)t  the  cemetery  and  graves.  It  was  filled  with  snakes  and  animals  ;  there  was  a  great 
mask  with  teeth  and  eyes  of  brass,  and  a  great  bear  skin  with  which  they  disguise  in 
their  cabins.  There  were  in  the  four  corners'  great  boxes  of  grain,  which  they  had  not 
burned.  They  had  outside  this  post  their  Indian  corn  in  a  piquet  fort  at  the  top  of  a 
little  mountain.  Steps  were  cut  down  on  all  sides,  where  it  was  knee-high  throughout 
the  fort." 

On  the  15th  several  old  men  and  women  were  captured  or  surrendered, 
one  of  the  old  men  being  father  or  uncle  of  the  chief  of  the  Senecas.  "After 
we  had  obtained  from  the  old  man  all  the  information  he  could  impart,"  con- 
tiriues  DeNonville  "he  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  reverend  Father  Bruyas, 
who,  finding  that  he  had  some  traces  of  the  Christian  religion  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  reverend  Jesuit  fathers,  missionaries  for  twenty  years  in 
that  village,  he  set  about  preparing  him  for  baptism,  before  turning  him  over 
to  the  Indians  who  had  taken  him  prisoner.  He  was  baptised,  and  a  little 
while  after  they  contented  themselves  at  our  solicitation,  with  knocking  him  on 
the  head  with  a  hatchet  instead  of  burning  him  according  t6  their  custom.  Our 
first  achievement  this  day  was  to  set  fire  to  the  fort  of  which  we  had  spoken. 
It  was  eight  hundred  paces  in  circumference,  well  enough  flanked  for  saveges,  ■ 
with  a  retrenchment  advanced  for  the  purpose  of  communicating  with  a  spring 
which  is  half  way  down  the  hill,  it  being  the  only  place  where  they  could  ob- 
tain water."  During  the  three  days  following,  the  French  were  engaged  in 
the  destruction  of  corn,  beans  and  other  produce,  multitudes  of  horses,  hogs 
^nd  various  kinds  of  property  belonging  to  the  Senecas ;  the  grain  of  the  small 
village  of  St.  Michael,  or  Gannogarae,  distant  a  short  league  from  the  large 
town,  being  destroyed  on  the  17th.  The  Indian  allies  were  busy  scouring  the 
country  and  reported  the  enemy  dispersed  through  the  woods  on  their  retreat 
to  the  Cayugas.  From  this  point  DeNonville's  narration  may  be  quoted 
directly :  — 

"On  the  19th  of  July  moved  our  camp  in  the  morning  from  near  the  village  of  St. 
James  or  Gannagaro,  and  encamped  before  Totiakton,^  surnamed  'the  great  village,'  or 
the  village  of  the  Conception,  distant  four  leagues  from  the  former.  We  found  there  a 
still  greater  number  of  planted  fields,  and  wherewithal  to  occupy  ourselves  for  many 

days On  the  21st  went  to  the  small  village  of  Gannounata,'  distant 

two  leagues  from  the  larger,  where  all  the  old  and  new  corn  was  destroyed  the  same 
day,  though  the  quantity  was  as  large  as  in  the  other  villages.     It  was  at  the  gate  of 

1  Boughton  hill. 

2  It  was  at  this  village  that  the  prods  verbal  (act  of  taking  formal  possession  of  the  country)  was  read. 

3  This  place  the  fourth  Seneca  village,  is  supposed  to  have  been  about  two  miles  southeast  of  East 
Avon,  at  the  source  of  a  small  stream  which  empties  into  the  Conesus,  near  Avon  springs.  It  was 
called  Dyu-do-o-sot,  by  the  Senecas,  from  its  location  "at  the  spring." 


ToTiAKTON — Its  Ancient  and  Modern  History.  $7 

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  question  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  Tonty  had  brought  to  us.  About  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  the  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  Modern  History  —  DeNonville's  Return  Route  to  the  Sand-Bar. 

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- 
tery" 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  July  14th.  In  his  Observations  (Co/.  Mss., 
III.,  p.  252)  Mr.  Greenhalgh  says:  — 

"Tiotehatton  lyes  on  the  brinke  or  edge  of  a  hill,  has  not  much  cleared  ground,  is 
ncare  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  Rochester. 


all  ye  houses  wee  saw,  ye  ordinary  being  about  fifty  or  sixty  feet  and  some  one  hundred 
and  thirty  or  one  hundred  and  forty  foott  long,  with  thirteen  or  fourteen  fires  in  one 
house,  they  have  a  good  store  of  corne  growing  about  a  mile  to  ye  northward  of  the 
towne.  Being  att  this  place  the  17th  of  June,  there  came  fifty  prisoners  from  the  south- 
west-ward, they  were  of  two  nations  some  whereof  have  few  gunns,  ye  other  none  at 
all ;  one  nation  is  about  ten  days  journey  from  any  Christians  and  trade  only  with  one 
greatt  house  nott  farre  from  ye  sea,  and  ye  other  trade  only,  as  they  say,  with  a  black 
people ;  this  day  of  them  was  burnt  two  women  and  a  man,  and  a  child  killed  with  a 
stone,  att  night  we  heard  a  greatt  noyse,  as  if  ye  houses  had  all  fallen,  butt  itt  was  only  ye 


I  Totiakton.     i,  a,  2  Ccmeleries. 
Sheldon.     8  J.  Russell.     9 


_   J,  3  Bhifls.      4  Palisaded  Fort.      5  Spring.      6,  6,  6  Honeoye  Gullet.      7  J.  T. 
Sheldon's  Plain.     10  Sibleyvtlle.     1 1  Honeoye  Falls.     12  Line  between  Mindon  and  iuist  Kush. 

MAI'  OF  TOTIAKTON  AND  VICINITY. 


inabitants  driving  away  ye  ghosts  of  ye  murthered.  The  i8th,  goeing  to  Canagorah. 
wee  overtook  ye  prisoners;  when  ye  soldiers  saw  us  they  stopped  each  his  prisoner  and 
made  him  sing,  and  cutt  off  their  fingers,  and  slasht  their  bodys  with  a  knife,  and  when 
they  had  sung  each  man  confessed  how  many  men  in  his  time  he  had  killed." 


Location  of  Totiakton.  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  writer  has  searched  out  the  old  town  site  and  prepared  the  foregoing 
map  of  the  locality  from  personal  survey. 

It  is  in  the  town  of  Mendon,  Monroe  county,  on  the  northeasternmost  bend 
of  Honeoye  outlet,  two  miles  north  of  Honeoye  Falls,  and  exactly  twelve  and 
one-half  miles  in  an  air  line  due  south  of  the  center  of  Rochester.  In  this 
vicinity  the  Honeoye  flows  in  a  beautiful  valley  varying  from  one-fourth  to 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  width,  and  the  channel  twists  and  turns  in  all  direc- 
tions through  the  fertile  bottom.  The  ancient  town  was  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  Abncr  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  with  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  years,  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  for  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  by  Green- 
halgh  were  in  the  oak  openings  on  this  plain,  and  the  rich  flats  in  the  valley 
bottom  were  undoubtedly  cultivated  to  some  extent. 

DeNonville  states  that  the  French  left  Totiakton  in  the  afternoon  of  July 
23d,  and  advanced  two  leagues  (six  miles).  On  the  following  day  they  reached 
their  bateaux  at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  bay,  after  marching  six  leagues  or 
eighteen  miles.  It  is  evident  that  the  expedition  did  not  return  to  Irondequoit 
over  the  same  route  by  which  it  reached  Totiakton,  and  the  course  pursued  by 
the  army  on  its  return  to  the  sand-bar  has  never,  within  the  knowledge  of  the 
present  writer,  been  described  or  suggested  in  print.  As  early  as  1682  the 
French  had  become  accustomed  to  all  the  woods  and  acquainted  with  all  the 
roads  through  them  {^Col.  Mss.,  IX.,  195),  and  the  Jesuits,  several  of  whom  ac- 
companied the  expedition,  had  occupied  missions  in  all  the  Seneca  towns  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years,  and  doubtless  understood  every  mile  of  Indian  path 
east  of  the  Genesee.  So  well  known  and  public  a  thoroughfare  as  the  portage 
trail  between  Red  creek  ford  and  Irondequoit  landing  could  not  have  escaped 
their  knowledge,  Personal  researches  have  satisfied  the  writer  that  the  Indians 
once  had  a  road  from  the  Honeoye  outlet  to  Red  creek  ford.  This  trail  crossed 
the  Honeoye  north  of  old  Totiakton,  ran  nearly  west  to  an  Indian  village  at 
the  present  East  Rush  cemetery,  and  thence  northwest  to  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Marvin  Williams  half  a  mile  south  of  West  Henrietta  corners,-  where  evi- 
dences of  early  Indian  occupation  have  been  frequently  found.  A  second  trail 
left  the  Honeoye  above  Rush  junction,  ran  north  via  Hart's  Corners  and  crossed 
the  farm  of  David  Ely  in  its  course  straight  to  the  town  on  the  Williams  farm, 
which  is  about  six  miles  from  old  Totiakton.  This  place  would  have  been  De- 
Nonville's  camping  ground  on  the  night  of  July  23d  if  he  had  followed  this 
trail.  At  the  east  base  of  the  hill  upon  which  the  town  was  located  is  a  large 
pond  said  to  have  been  the  original  source  of  Red  creek.  The  distance  from 
the  camp  down  the  Red  creek  trail  to  the  ford,  and  via  the  portage  trail  and 
Irondequoit  landing  to  the  sand-bar,  is  about  twenty-two  miles.  If  the  French 
army  pursued  this  route  it  passed  over  the  present  site  of  Rochester ;  but  it 
would  appear  that  this  road  is  much  too  long. 

The  writer  has  traced  a  trail  from  the  Irondequoit  landing-path  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Charles  M.  Barnes  in  Brighton,  across  the  Pittsford  road  to  an  old 
town  site  on  Allen's  creek  in  the  town  of  Pittsford,  which  ran  up  the  east  side 
of  the  creek  directly  south.     If  this  trail  continued  on  the  same  general  course 


Numerical  Strength  of  the  Iroquois.  6i 

it  would  strike  Totiakton.  On  this  line,  a  short  distance  north  of  Mendon  Cen- 
ter, are  several  large  ponds  fed  by  springs,  where  the  Senecas  went  to  fish,  and 
numerous  indications  of  Indian  camps  have  been  found  the  entire  length  of  the 
Allen's  creek  valley.  The  distance  from  the  old  Indian  settlement,  by  the  pres- 
ent road,  to  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  bay  is  about  twenty-two  miles,  and  this 
agrees  more  perfectly  with  DeNonville's  estimate  of  eight  leagues,  or  twenty- 
four  miles.  That  an  Indian  path  once  extended  over  this  line  from  Irondequoit 
to  Mendon  can  hardly  be  doubted,  though  its  exact  course  is  not  known,  and 
it  is  very  probable  that  the  French  army  returned  to  the  sand-bar  on  this  trail. 


CHAPTER  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 
Discovers  the  Ruins  of  the  Trading-House  —  Senecas  Sell  the  Lower  Genesee  Country  to  the  King  of 
England — British  Armies  at  Irondequoit. 

THE  early  French  ignored  the  native  names  of  people  and  places  in  many 
instances,  and  applied  such  designations  as  pleased  themselves.  Occa- 
sionally Indian  names  were  used,  but  not  as  a  rule.  The  Mohawk  canton  was 
called  Anniegue,  the  Oneida  Onneiout,  the  Onondaga  Onnontague,  Cayuga 
Oioguen,  and  the  Seneca  Sonnontouan.  In  1665  the  Jesuits  estimated  the  num- 
ber of  warriors  at  2,340.  In  1667  Colonel  Courcey,  agent  for  Virginia,  stated 
that  the  Five  Nations  had  2,150  warriors.  Wentworth  Greenhalgh  in  1677 
placed  the  number  of  fighting  men  at  2,150.  In  1685  DeNonville  gave  the 
numerical  strength  of  the  Iroquois  as  follows:  Mohawks  250,  Oneidas  150, 
Onondagas  300,  Cayugas  200,  Senecas  1,200,  or  2,100  men  all  told,  capable 
of  bearing  arms.  Marshall  estimates  the  entire  population  about  that  date  as 
7,000,  but  Bancroft  says  that  in  1660  the  whole  number  could  not  have  varied 
much  from  ten  thousand ;  and  their  warriors  strolled  as  conquerors  from  Hud- 
son's bay  to  Carolina,  and  from  the  Kennebec  to  the  Tennessee.  The  Seneca 
was  the  most  powerful  nation  of  the  league,  and  had  all  its  braves  been  a 
home  when  the  French  arrived  at  Irondequoit,  the  history  of  DeNonville's 
expedition  would  doubtless  record  a  disastrous  repulse  of  the  invaders,  who 
claimed  that  they  routed  and  put  to  flight  eight  hundred  Senecas.  The  latter 
stated  that  the  greater  part  of  their  warriors  were  absent,  fighting  distant  foes, 
and  their  entire  force  in  the  engagement,  with  the  French  consisted  of  only  four 
hundred  and  fifty  men.  The  Seneca  loss  probably  did  not  greatly  exceed  one 
hundred,  and  many  of  these  were  old  men  and  boys  not  reckoned  active  war- 
riors, hence  their  military  strength  was  but  sHghtly  diminished.     They  retreated 


62  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

to  Canandaigiia,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  collected  a  force  of 
one  thousand  men,  who  took  the  trail  for  Niagara.  Upon  the  completion  of 
the  fort  at  that  place  by  the  French,  a  detachment  under  La  Hontan  was  or- 
dered west  to  relieve  the  garrison  of  Fort  St.  Joseph  at  Detroit.  That  officer 
portaged  the  falls  of  Niagara  and  embarked  his  troops  at  Schlosser.  The  party 
had  barely  left  the  land  when  the  thousand  Iroquois  appeared  on  the  shore  in 
close  pursuit.  The  French  succeeded  in  reaching  Lake  Erie  in  safety,  and, 
distancing  the  heavy  canoes  of  the  Indians,  escaped  to  the  north  shore. 

In  1688  DeNonville  induced  the  Five  Nations  to  send  a  delegation  to  Mon- 
treal for  the  purpose  of  agreeing  upon  terms  of  peace.  The  Iroquois  dispatched 
seventeen  hundred  men  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  five  hundred  visiting  Montreal  as 
a  peace  delegation,  and  twelve  hundred  awaiting  the  result  near  at  hand.  A 
treaty  was  concluded,  but  one  Kondiaronk,  a  Huron  chief,  determined  to  frus- 
trate it.  When  a  party  of  the  Iroquois  peace  envoys  were  returning  up  the 
St.  Lawrence,  Kondiaronk  attacked  them,  killed  several  and  captured  the  rest. 
He  represented  that  he  was  acting  upon  an  understanding  with  the  French,  and, 
when  informed  that  he  had  destroyed  a,  peace  delegation,  affected  great  indig- 
nation, released  his  prisoners  and  advised  them  to  avenge  their  fallen  friends. 
During  the  summer  twelve  hundred  Iroquois  landed  on  the  south  side  of  Mon- 
treal, and  destroyed  the  place,  slaughtering  men,  women  and  children  without 
mercy.  Smith  says  that  "a  thousand  French  were  slain  in  the  invasion,  and 
twenty-six  carried  into  captivity  and  burned  alive.  Many  more  were  made 
prisoners  in  another  attack  in  October,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  Island  of  Mon- 
treal wholly  destroyed." 

War  between  France  and  England  occurred  soon  after,  lasting  until  1697. 
With  few  exceptions  the  Iroquois  remained  implacable  enemies  of  the  French, 
and  the  latter  made  several  invasions  of  the  Iroquois  country.  In  1689  La 
Hontan  entered  New  York  from  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie  with  an  army  of 
western  Indians,  and  had  several  engagements  with  the  Iroquois,  but  his  battle 
grounds  have  never  been  identified.  In  February,  1692,  an  army  of  French 
and  Huron  allies  attacked  the  hunting  parties  of  the  Senecas  in  Upper  Canada. 
In  1693  the  Mohawk  country  was  devastated.  The  last  French  expedition 
against  the  Five  Nations  of  which  we  have  any  record  occurred  in  1696,  when 
Count  de  Frontenac  landed  an  army  at  Oswego  and  destroyed  the  crops  of  the 
Onondagas  and  Oneidas.  That  expeditions  were  made  to  the  Seneca  country, 
and  battles  fought  here  of  which  no  known  record  exists,  is  fully  believed  by 
those  who  have  given  the  subject  of  Indian  antiquities  thought  and  study. 
Did  space  permit,  many  excellent  reasons  influencing  this  belief  might  be  pre- 
sented. The  French  occupancy  of  Western  New  York  has  never  been  fully 
recorded,  and  lasting  memorials  of  unknown  struggles  upon  .our  honie  soil  have, 
for  years,  proved  perplexing  obstacles  to  the  completion  of  a  perfect  history. 
From  1689  to  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  the  French  and  English  may  be 


Fort  des  Sables.  63 


said  to  have  been  continually  at  war  in  all  our  great  lake  region,  and  the  con- 
test for  dominion  and  control  of  the  Indian  trade  ceased  only  upon  the  final 
overthrow  of  French  power  in  Canada.  During  all  this  period  Oswego,  Iron- 
dequoit  and  Niagara  remained  subjects  of  contention. 

In  April,  1700,  Robert  Livingstone,  then  secretary  of  Indian  affairs  for  New 
York,  made  a  journey  to  Onondaga  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  matters  within 
his  jurisdiction.  In  his  report  of  the  trip  to  the  earl  of  Bellomont,  he  says; 
"I  do  humbly  offer  that  it  is  morally  impossible  to  secure  the  Five  Nations  to 
the  English  interest  any  longer,  without  building  forts  and  securing  the  pa.sses 
that  lead  to  their  castles."  Mr.  Livingstone  recommended  the  erection  of  a 
fort  between  Lakes  Erie  and  Huron  at  a  point  744  miles  southwest  of  Albany, 
and  mentions  the  route  to  that  place  as  follows  :  "Albany  to  Terindequat  [Iron- 
dequoit]  at  the  Lake  of  Cadatacqui  [Ontario]  400  miles,  thence  to  Onyagara 
where  the  great  fall  is  eighty  miles,  from  thence  to  the  beginning  of  Swege 
[Erie]  lake  64  miles,  to  Swege  creek  and  from  thence  to  Wawachtonok  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  conveyed  to  the  crown  of  England  a  tract  of  land 
800  miles  long  and  400  broad,  including  all  their  beaver  hunting,  which  tract 
began  at  Jarondigat."  1 

In  1 716,  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  Fort  des  Sables,  and  appears  to  have  been  con- 
sidered quite  an  important  station.  Ata  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  la,st  fall  and  another  this  winter  — 
to  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  Col.  Mss.,  IV.,  888. 

2  For  the  identification  of  this  location  1  am  indebted  to  my  good  friend  B.  Fernow,  keeper  of  his- 
torical documents  of  the  state  library  at  Albany. 


64  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

our  people  are  furnished  with  other  goods  also  at  the  said  French  trading-house,  as 
clothing  and  other  necessaries,  which  stops  a  great  deal  of  peltry  coming  hither;  but  the 
French  are  supplied  with  all  those  goods  from  the  people  here  at  Albany,  which  goes 
first  to  Canada  and  from  thence  up  Mount  Royal  river  and  so  on  to  Terondoquat,  where 
the  French  trading-house  is  built  upon  ground  belonging  to  the  Sennekes.  If  you  will 
stop  that  trade  of  goods  being  carried  from  hence  to  Canada  the  other  trade  will  fall  of 
course." 

In  May,  1720,  Lawrence  Clawsen  was  sent  to  Niagara  to  protest  against 
the  erection  of  forts  on  the  Seneca  lands,  by  the  French,  and  in  his  journal 
says :  "  On  the  7th  I  returned  to  Tjerondequatt,  where  I  mett  a  French  smith 
sent  by  the  governor  of  Canada  to  work  for  the  Sinnekies  gratis." 

It  would  seem  that  Fort  des  Sables  was  not  in  the  ordinary  sense  a  military 
post.  Charlevoix  tells  us  that  the  French  erected  cabins,  surrounded  by  pickets, 
"to  which  they  give  beforehand  the  name  of  Fort,  for  they  say  that  in  time 
it  will  be  changed  into  a  real  fortress."  Rev.  John  Durant,  who  passed  Ironde- 
quoit  in  17 18,  says  the  French  left  only  one  storekeeper  and  two  soldiers  at 
such  posts  during  each  winter.  In  October,  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  ifiKMay,  172 1,  on  his  journey  westward,  and,  writ- 
ing soon  after  from  Niagara,  says :  — 

"I  departed  from  the  river  of  Sables  the  21st,  before  sunrise;  but,  the  wind  con- 
tinuing against  us,  we  were  obliged  at  ten  o'clock  to  enter  the  bay  of  the  Tsonnon- 
thouans  [Braddock's  bay].  Half  way  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  singularity,  and  of  what  I  have  just  now  learned  on  my  arriving 
here.  They  call  this  river  Casconchiagon.  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  a  third,  one  hundred  feet  high,  good  pleasure,  and 
two  hundred  yards  wide.  After  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  up  it  about 
sixty  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  I  learnt  what  I  have 
just  now  mentioned,  assured  me  that  he  had  seen  a  fountain  the  water  of  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.  A  pretty  river  winds 
here  between  two  meadows,  bordered  with   little  hills,  between  which  we  discover 


SOUTHEAST  VIEW  OF  THE  GREAT  CATARACT 

ON  CASCONCHIAGON  OR  LITTLE  SENEGA'S  RIVER,  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

1768. 


SOUTHEAST  VIEW  OF  THE  LOWER  CATARACT 
ON  CASCONCHIAGON  [GENESEE]  OR  LITTLE  SENEGA'S  RIVER,  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

1768. 


Trading  House  at  Irondequoit.  65 

valleys  which  extend  a  great  way,  and  the  whole  fprms  the  finest  prospect  in  the  world, 
bounded  by  a  great  forest  of  high  trees;  but  the  soil  appears  to  be  somewhat  light 
and  sandy." 

The  actual  occupation  of  the  Seneca  country  by  the  French  was  an  incen- 
tive to  the  English  to  adopt  measures  for  protection  of  the  Indian  trade,  and 
in  the  early  summer  of  1721  the  assembly  of  New  York  passed  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  w^ose 
names  are  unknown.  Governor  Burnet's  instructions  to  Captain  Schuyler 
were  as  follows  : — 

"  You  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  tlie  Sinnekes' 
country  to  trade  with  them  or  any  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 
lawful!  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  coureurs  du  bois,  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.  Altho  the  place  where  ypu  settle  be  land  be- 
longing to  the  crown  of  Great  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 
ui)on  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 


66  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

who  will  forward  them  with  all  expedition,  and  if  any  matters  of  great  moment  and  fit 
to  be  kept  very  secret  do  occur,  you  are  to  send  an  account  thereof  to  me  in  a  letter 
sealed,  which  may  be  inclosed  to  the  commissioners  in  order  to  be  forwarded,  and  you 
are  not  obliged  to  mention  such  matters  in  your  letter  to  the  commissioners.  When 
you  come  to  the  Sinnekes'  country  you  are  to  give  them  a  belt  of  wampum  in  token 
that  they  are  to  give  credit  to  you  as  my  agent  to  treat  with  them  of  all  matters  relat- 
ing to  the  public  service  and  the  benefit  of  the  trade,  and  at  your  desire  to  furnish  you 
with  a  number  of  their  people  as  you  shall  want  for  yoyr  assistance  and  safety  on  such 
conditions  as  you  and  they  can  agree  upon.  When  you  have  pitched  upon  a  con- 
venient place  for  a  trading-house,  you  are  to  endeavor  to  purchase  a  tract  of  land  in 
the  king's  name,  and  to  agree  with  the  Sinnekes  for  it  which  shall  be  paid  by  the  publick 
in  order  that  it  may  be  granted  by  patent  to  those  that  shall  be  the  first  settlers  there 
for  their  incouragement.  You  are  not  to  hinder  or  molest  any  other  British  subjects  who 
are  willing  to  trade  there  on  their  own  hazard  and  account  for  any  Indian  goods,  rum 
only  excepted.  You  are  to  communicate  to  the  company  such  articles  of  your  instruc- 
tions as  shall  be  proper  for  their  regulation  from  time  to  time.  If  you  judge  it  neces- 
sary you  may  send  one  or  two  of  your  company  either  among  the  far  Indians,  or  to 
come  to  Albany,  as  the  necessary  service  of  the  company  shall  require,  but  not  above 
two  of  the  said  company,  of  which  yourself  may  be  one,  will  be  permitted  to  be  absent 
at  one  time.  When  you  are  about  to  absent  yourself  from  the  said  settlement  you  are 
to  leave  a  copy  of  such  part  of  instructions  with  the  lieutenant  as  you  judge  necessary 
for  his  regulation.  All  the  goods  and  merchandize  that  you  and  said  company  shall 
take  away  with  you  are  to  be  upon  one  joint  stock  and  account  and  all  your  profitt  and 
losse  to  be  the  same.  Given  under  my  hand  at  the  manor  of  Livingston  the  eleventh 
day  of  September  in  the  eighth  year  of  his  majesty's  reign,  anno  Dom.  1721. 

"Wm:  Burnet." 
Additional  Instructions. 

"Whereas  it  is  thought  of  great  use  to  the  British  interest  to  have  a  settlement  upon 
the  nearest  port  of  the  Lake  Eree  near  the  falls  of  lagara,  you  are  to  endeavor  to 
purchase  in  his  majesty's  name  of  the  Sinnekes  or  other  native  propriators  all  such 
lands  above  the  falls  of  lagara  fifty  miles  to  the  southward  of  the  said  falls  which  they 
can  dispose  off,  you  are  to  have  a  copy  of  my  propositions  to  the  Five  Nations  and  their 
answer,  and  to  use  your  utmost  endeavors  that  they  do  perform  all  that  they  have 
promised  therein,  and  that  none  of  these  instructions  be  shewn  to  any  person  or  persons 
but  what  you  shall  think  necessary  to  communicate  to  the  lieutenant  and  the  rest  of 
the  company." 

Upon  his  arHval  at  Irondequoit  Captain  Schuyler  selected  a  location  for 
his  trading-house  secure  from  French  surveillance,  yet  affording  easy  access 
from  Lake  Ontario,  and  control  of  all  Indian  paths  leading  to  the  water.  The 
actual  site  of  the  building  was  a  little  plateau  overlooking  the  noted  Indian 
landing  on  Irondequoit  creek,  at  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  grand  portage 
trail.  This  spot  may  be  regarded  as  the  most  important  point  in  all  the.  lower 
Genesee  country.  It  was  the  great  Indian  landing-place  from  Lake  Ontario, 
and  general  trading-ground  of  the  early  tribes..  Previous  to  the  building 
of  Fort  des  Sables  the  French  ran  their  little  sailing  vessels  up  the  bay  and 
creek  to  this  landing,  and  it  was  doubtless  at  this  place,  and  not  in  the  Genesee 


Purchase  of  Irondequoit  by  the  English.  6y 

river,  that  the  brigantlne  of  La  Salle  dropped  anchor  in  June,  1670.  There 
the  Senecas  went  to  trade  furs  for  arms,  trinkets  and  brandy;  there  Father 
Hennepin  left  the  bartering  crew  of  French  and  Indians,  and  wandered  deep 
into  the  woods,  built  a  chapel  of  bark  wherein,  secure  from  observation  and  in 
communion  with  nature,  he  performed  his  religious  duties.  ^  The  house  erected 
by  Captain  Schuyler's  company  stood  a  short  distance  from  the  edge  of  the 
bluff,  with  one  side  facing  the  creek.  It  was  an  oblong  structure  of  consider- 
able size.  After  an  occupation  lasting  one  year,  Captain  Schuyler  returned  to 
Albany  in  September,  1772,  with  all  his  company.  While  excavating  the 
earth  for  a  building  upon  the  same  location  about  1798,  Oliver  Culver  dis- 
covered the  foundation  logs  of  a  block-house,  evidently  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
musket  balls,  etc.,  in  large  quantities.  It  has  been  assumed  by  certain  writers 
that  the  ruins  discovered  at  the  Irondequoit  creek  landing  by  Mr.  Culver  were 
the  remains  of  a  battery  or  redoubt  built  by  DeNonville,  and  that  his  army 
actually  landed  at  that  place,  but  this  is  an  error.  As  we  have  already  shown, 
DeNonville's  army  landed  at  the  mouth  of  Irondequoit  bay,  and  the  only 
fortification  erected  by  the  French  at  that  time  was  on  the  sand-bar.  It  is 
supposed,  however,  that  the  "first  defile"  mentioned  by  DeNonville  was  the 
passage  through  the  valley  at  the  Irondequoit  landing.  The  ruins  found  by 
Mr.  Culver  were  undoubtedly  the  lower  logs  of  Captain  Schuyler's  trading- 
house. 

For  many  years  Irondequoit,  as  the  great  pass  to  the  Seneca  country, 
proved  a  bone  of  earnest  contention  between  French  and  English,  each  nation 
proposing  to  build  a  stone  fortress  at  the  entrance  of  the  bay  upon  obtaining 
the  consent  of  its  rightful  owners,  the  Seneca  Indians.  In  August,  1741, 
Lieutenant-Governor  Clarke,  of  New  York,  wrote  the  lords  of  trade  as 
follows : — 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  your  lordships  that  by  the  means  of  some  people 
whom  I  sent  last  year  to  reside  in  the  Senecas'  country  (as  usual)  I  obtained  a  deed 
for  the  lands  at  Tierrondequat  from  the  sachimes,  and  I  have  sent  orders  to  those 
people  to  go  around  the  lands  in  company  with  some  of  the  sachimes  and  to  mark  the 
trees,  that  it  may  be  known  at  all  times  hereafter  how  much  they  have  given  up  to  us.'' 
"Deed  to  His  Majesty  of  the  Lands  Around  Tierondequat. 

"To  all  people  to  whome  these  presents  shall  or  may  come  We,  Tenekokaiwee, 
Tewasajes  and  Staghreche,  Principall  Sachims  of  the  Sinnekes'  country,  native  Indians, 
of  the  province  of  New  York,  send  greeting.  Know  yee  that  for  sundry  good  causes 
and  considerations  us  Moveing  but  More  Especially  for  and  in  consideration  of  the 
value  of  one  hundred  pounds  currant  money  of  the  said  province,  unto  us  in  hand  paid 
and  delivered  at  and  before  the  ensealing  and  delivery  hereof  by  the  receipt  whereof  we 
do  hereby  acknowledge  and  therewith  to  be  fully  paid  and  contented  thereof  and  there- 
from and  of  and  from  every  part  and  parcell  thereof,  do  fully  clearly  and  absolutely 
request  exonerate  and  discharge  them    the  Said  their  Executors  Administrators  and 

1  New  Discovery,  p.  109. 


68  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Assigns  and  every  of  them  forever  by  these  presents  have  therefore  given  granted 
released  and  forever  quit  Claimed  and  by  these  presents  for  us  and  our  defendants  do 
give  grant  release  and  forever  quit  claim  unto  our  most  gracious  Sovereign  Lord 
George  the  second  by  the  grace  of  God  of  Great  Britain  France  and  Ireland  King 
Defender  of  the  faith  etc.,  his  heirs  and  Successors  all  our  Right  title  and  Interest 
Claime  property  profession  and  demand  of  in  and  to  all  that  tract  of  land  Scituate 
lying  and  being  in  the  county  of  Albany  beginning  on  the  bank  of  the  Oswego  lake 
six  miles  easterd  of  Tierondequat  and  runs  from  thence  along  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 
underwoods  trees  mines  mineralls  quarrys  hereditaments  and  appertenances  whatsoever 
and  the  Reversion  and  Reversions  Remainder  and  Remainders  Rents  Issues  and 
Profitts  thereof  to  have-  and  to  hold  all  and  singular  the  above  bargained  premisses  with 
the  appurtenances  unto  our  said  most  gracious  Sovereign  Lord  his  heirs  Successors  and 
Assigns  to  the  sole  and  only  proper  use  benefitt  and  behoof  of  our  said  Sovereign  Lord 
his  heirs  Successors  and.  Assigns  for  ever,  in  Testimony  whereof  we  have  hereinto  sett 
our  marks  and  seals  this  tenth  day  of  January  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  Majesties 
Reign  annoq:   Dom  :   i74f- 

v(V^  Sergrmen. 
Dekoschten  I        ^_ 

alias  Tenehokaiwee       "^^  ^ 

/T  Sergrmen. 


Signed  Sealed  and  Delivered  Twessa 

In  the  presence  of 


l^O 


Hendryck  Wempel  „  "^  ^     Sergrmen, 

--      _  Staichreseh     W  ° 


Jacobus  Van  Eps 
Philip  Ryder 


^O 


"Albany  3d  October  1741  appeared  before  Philip  Livingston  Esquire  one  of  his 
Majesties  Councill  for  the  Province  of  New  York  Hendrik  Wemp  Jacobus  Van  Eps 
and  Philip  Ryder  who  declared  on  the  holy  Evangelists  of  Almighty  God  that  they 
saw  the  within  named  Tenehokaiwe  Tewassajes  and  Staghreche  Sachims  Sign  Scale  and 
deliver  ye  within  deed  as  their  voluntary  act  and  deed  for  the  use  therein  mentioned. 

"  P :  Livingston." 

Governor  Clarke  made  repeated  efforts  to  effect  the  settlement  of  an  English 
colony  at  Irondequoit,  without  success.  Oswego,  being  on  the  main  water 
communication  between  Albany  and  Lake  Ontario,  and  Niagara,  controlling 
the  passage  to  Erie  and  the  western  lakes,  became  the  principal  points  of 
contest,  and  great  forts  were  built  at  those  places  while  Irondequoit  remained 
a  simple  trading  station.  July  1st,  1759,  General  Prideaux,  with  Sir  William 
Johnson  second  in  command,  left  Oswego  with  an  army  of  two  thousand  men 
and  five  hundred  Indians  on  an  expedition  against  Fort  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  Braddock's  bay  —  which  latter  place  was  then 
named  Prideaux  bay,  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  Fort  Niagara  Sir  William  Johnson,  with  nearly  all  his 
army  and  six  hundred  prisoners,  returned  down  the  lake  to  Oswego,  again  camp- 
ing at  Irondequoit.  In  1764  General  Bradstreet  left  Oswego  upon  an  expedi- 
tion against  the  hostile  western  tribes  under  Pontiac.  During  the  passage  up 
Lake  Ontario  his  army,  consisting  of  twelve  hundred  troops,  followed  by  Sir 
William  Johnson  with  six  hundred  Indians,  also  encamped  at  Irondequoit. 
Israel  Putnam,  of  Bunker  Hill  fame,  was  then  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Con- 
necticut battalion  in  the  expedition,  and  several  other  men  who  subsequently 
became  illustrious  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  were  ofificers  of  Bradstreet's  army. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Seneca  Castles  on  the  Genesee  —  Treaty  of  Peace  with  the  English  —  Decline  of  Iroquois 
Power  —  Sullivan's  Campaign  against  the  Senecas  —  Fa,te  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  a?  1715  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  which  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.  For  a  period  of  twenty  years  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- 


70  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

try  of  every  Englishman.  Immediately  succeeding  the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763 
and  consequent  end  of  the  French  war,  the  Iroquois  decided  to  acquiesce  in 
the' general  submission  to  British  rule.  April  3d,  1764,  a  preliminary  treaty 
was.arranged  between  the  Senecas  and  English  at  Johnson  Hall,  and  ratified 
at  Niagara  the  following  summer  under  a  peremptory  threat  of  General  Brad- 
street  to  at  once  destroy  the  Seneca  settlements  if  the  peace  compact  was  not 
promptly  and  fully  confirmed  by  all  the  nation.  This  treaty  was  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  Indian  domination  in  the  Genesee  country.-  Among  other  con- 
cessions wrung  from  the  Senecas  by  the  terms  of^this  peace  was  the  surrender 
of  title  to  lands  along  the  Niagara  river  between  Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie. 
Having  large  niilitary  forces  at  Oswego  and  Niagara,  the  English  were  prepared 
to  follow  up  this  acquisition  of  title  by  actual  occupation  and  control  of  the 
grounds  ceded,  and  the  foothold  thus  obtained  by  the  whites  was  never  relin- 
quished. 

The  diversion  of  the  direct  channel  of  western  tradi  to  and  through  Oswego 
eastward,  upon  the  ascendency  of  the  English,  rendered  Irondequoit  and  the 
lower  Genesee  comparatively  unimportant  stations,  or  ports  of  the  Senecas. 
Individual  traders  and  small  parties  of  whites  often  visited  the  Indian  settle- 
ments and  British  troops  occasionally  passed  through  the  dark  forests,  but  the 
border  line  of  civilisation  was  far  to  the  eastward,  and  the  exciting  events  pre- 
ceding the  struggle  between  the  colonists  and  mother-land  failed  to  disturb  the 
primitive  peace  of  our  home  wilderness.  Through  all  the  dreadful  scenes  of 
the  Revolution  the  occurrences  on  the  lower  Genesee  were  confined  to  the  pas- 
sage of  war  parties  of  British  and  Indians,  but  the  great  "  vale  of  the  Senecas" 
became  a  stronghold  and  secure  retreat  for  predatory  bands  of  tories  and  sav- 
ages, who  made  frequent,  desolating  incursions  and  "hung  like  a  scythe  of 
death"  about  all  the  border  towns  of  the  American  colonists.  In  retahation  Gen- 
eral John  Sullivan  invaded  the  Genesee  country  with  an  army. of  four  thousand 
men  during  the  summer  of,  1779,  and  destroyed  the  Indian  settlements.  On 
his  march  up  the  Tioga  —  or  Chemung,  as  it  is  now  called  —  he  attacked  and 
routed  some  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  British  troops,  tories  and  savages  under 
Butler,  Johnson  and  Brandt,  who  were  intrenched  at  Newtown,  about  four 
miles  below  the  present  city  of  Elniira.  The  retreating  enemy  were  followed 
to  Geneva,  Canandaigua  and  Conesus.  Sullivan  expected  to  find  the  famous 
Genesee  Indian  castle  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canaseraga  creek,  but  in  all  his  army 
there  was  not  a  single  person  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  country  to  guide 
a  party  outside  the  Indian  trails,  and  on  his  arrival  at  Ka-naugh-saws  (head  of 
Conesus  lake)  he  dispatched  Lieutenant  Thomas  Boyd  of  Morgan's  rifle  corps, 
with  twenty-six  men,  to  ascertain  the  location  of  the  town.  Boyd's  little  band 
crossed  the  Conesus'  outlet  and  followed  the  trail  to  a  village  on  the  Canaseraga, 
about  seven  miles  distant,  which  was  found  deserted,  the  fires  still  burning. 

The  party  encamped  near  the  town  and  on  the  following  morning,  Septem- 


Sullivan's  Expedition.  71 

ber  13th,  1779,  started  to  rejoin  the  army.  Just  as  they  were  descending  the 
hill  at  the  base  of  which  the  army  lay,  five  or  six  hundred  warriors  and  loyal- 
ists under  Brandt  and  Butler  rose  up  before  them  and  with  horrid  yells  closed 
in  upon  the  little  band  from  every  side.  In  the  terrific  struggle  that  followed, 
all  the' party  were  killed  except  Murphy,  McDonald,  Putnam  and  a  Canadian, 
who  escaped,  and  Boyd  and  Parker,  who  were  captured.  The  prisoners  were 
conducted  to  Little  Beard's  Town  (now  Cuylerville),  which  was  then  termed  the 
Chinesee  castle,  and  upon  their  refusal  to  impart  information  regarding  Sulli- 
van's army  were  turned  over  to  the  Indians.  Parker  was  simply  beheaded,  but 
Boyd  was  subjected  to  the  most  horrible  tortures  that  savage  ingenuity  could  in- 
flict. Sullivan's  soldiers,  who  had  crossed  the  Genesee  to  attack  Little  Beard's 
Town,  were  so  close  at  the  time  that  the  advance  found  the  remains  of  Boyd 
and  Parker  while  the  blood  was. still  oozing  from  the  headless  trunks.  They 
were  buried  that  evening  with  military  honors,'  under  a  clump  of  wild  plum 
trees,  at  the  junction  of  two  small  streams  which  form  Beard's  creek,  and  a 
large  mound  was  raised  over  the  grave.  ^ 

Previous  to  the  arrival  of  Sullivan's  army  the  Indians  had  sent  all  their 
women  and  children  to  Silver  lake,  and  upon  the  first  appearance  of  the  Amer- 
ican troops  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  the  enemy  fled  precipitately.  Brandt 
with  his  warriors  and  the  British  regulars  took  the  Moscow  trail  for  Buffalo 
creek  and  Niagara,  while  the  tory  rangers  went  to  the  Caledonia  springs.  From 
that  place  Walker,  the  noted  British  spy,  was  sent  to  Fort  Niagara  with  instruc- 
tions to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  boats  to  transport  the  tories  and  meet 
them  at  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee  river.  The  rangers  then  came  down  the  trail 
to  Red  creek  ford  at  the  rapids  in  South  Rochester  (see  chapter  VI.),  where 
they  divided  into  two  parties,  one  going  directly  to  the  lake,  by  the  St.  Paul 
street  route;  the  other  over  the  portage  trail  to  Irondequoit  landing  and  the 
tories'  retreat  in  the  great  ox-bow  curve  of  the  Irondequoit  creek,  thence  across 
the  country  to  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee,  where  the  boats  from  Niagara  found 
the  entire  party  in  a  starving  condition  some  days  later.  Little  Beard's  Town 
is  said  to  have  been  the  extreme  western  point  reached  by  Sullivan,  and  it  has 
long  been  a  question  of  considerable  interest  whether  any  part  of  his  army  de- 
scended the  Genesee  to  the  vicinity  of  Rochester.  Following  the  arrival  of  the 
troops  at  the  Genesee  castle  all  property  of  the  Indians  was  ruthlessly  destroyed, 
including  one  hundred  houses,  some  two  hundred  acres  of  grain,  large  crops  of 
beans  and  potatoes,  and  several  orchards,  one  of  which  contained  fifteen  hun- 
dred trees.  "While  this  work  was  in  progress  at  Little  Beard's  Town,"  says 
Norton,  "General  Sullivan,  according  to  the  undisputed  tradition  of  years,  sent 
Generals  Poor  and  Maxwell  down  the  river  to  Cannawaugus,  which  place  they' 
destroyed,  and  on  this  return  march  likewise  burned  Big  Tree  village.      Gen- 


1  For  an  account  of  the  final  disposition  of  their  bones,  the  reader  is  referred  to  chapter  XIX.  of  this 
history. 


72  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

eral  Sullivan  makes  no  mention  of  this  fact,  nor  is  the  destruction  of  Canna- 
waugus  recorded  in  the  numerous  journals  kept  by  officers  of  Sullivan's  army; 
the  conclusion  is  irresistible  that  no  portion  of  the  army  got  as  far  north  as 
Cannawaugus,  and  that  that  village  escaped  the  general  destruction ;  Big  Tree 
village,  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  had  no  existence  on  the  Genesee  until  after  the 
Revolution."  i 

While  the  return  route  of  Sullivan's  army  is  fully  understood,  it  is  not  prob- 
able that  the  minor  incidents  of  each  scouting  expedition  were  considered  of 
sufficient  importance  to  merit  special  record.  Sullivan's  spies  undoubtedly 
followed  the  retreating  enemy  some  distance,  and  one  or  more  parties  of  scouts 
may  have  trailed  the  tories  to  Irondequoit  and  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The 
rangers  certainly  believed  that  Sullivan's  men  were  in  their  immediate  vicinity, 
as  they  concealed  themselves  in  the  brush  and  dared  not  shoot  a  gun,  build  a 
fire  or  expose  their  precious  carcasses  until  the  appearance  of  Walker  with  the 
boats  for  their  removal.  The  Indians  retreated  to  Fort  Niagara,  and  most  of 
the  Senecas  remained  there  during  the  winter,  which  was  unusually  severe. 
The  food  furnished  by  the  British  being  insufficient  and  of  inferior  quality,  hun- 
dreds of  Indians  died  from  starvation  and  scurvy.  Few  ever  returned  to  their  . 
old  homes  east  of  the  Genesee,  the  main  body  of  Senecas  settling  at  Buffalo 
creek,  Squawkie  hill,  Little  Beard's  Town  and  Cannawaugus.  Some  came  upon 
the  lower  Genesee,  and  as  late  as  1796  the  town  located  on  the  Culver  farm  in 
Irondequoit  (see  chapter  VI.)  numbered  over  three  hundred  inhabitants.  Their 
power  as  a  nation  was  completely  broken,  and  upon  the  conclusion  of  peace 
between  the  United  States  and  England,  the  latter  nation  made  no  provision 
for  her  defeated  Indian  allies,  leaving  them  entirely  to  the  mercy  of  the 
Americans. 

1  Sullivan's  Campaigit,  by  A.  Tiffany  Norton,  p.  i66.  While  this  statement  of  Norton's  would 
appear  to  effectually  dispose  of  the  question,  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  pioneers  of  the  lower  Genesee 
firmly  believed  that  .Sullivan's  army,  or  some  considerable  portion  of  the  troops,  actually  came  within 
the  present  boundaries  of  Rochester.  In  1810  Jacob  Miller  settled  the  Red  creek  ford  farm  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Genesee,  and  found  a  number  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  down  the  river  in  pursuit  of  the  tory  rangers. 

About  1821  Charles  M.  Barnes,  Calvin  and  Russell  Eaton  and  a  fourth  boy  named  Stanley  were  at  . 
play  on  the  bank  of  Allen's  creek  in  Brighton,  near  the  crossing  of  East  avenue.  They  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  spot.  The  place  has  altered  very  much,  but  I 
recollect  that  it  was  under  a  tree  that  stood  close  to  the  creek."  The  boys  pointed  out  a  large  white 
oak  Titump  standing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  stream  some  rods  below,  and  the  stranger  thought  that 
might  have  been  the  exact  spot  where  he  slept,  but  could  not  say  positively,  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  forgotten  years  ago.  The  relation  of  similar  incidents 
was  common  among  our  early  settlers,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  they  were  founded  on  fact. 


First  White  Occupancy.  73 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  White  Man's  Occupancy  of  the  Genesee  Country  —  The  Native  Title  Extinguished  —  Indian 
Reservations  —  Present  Indian  Population. 

THE  soldiers  of  Sullivan's  army  carried  to  their  eastern  homes  wonderful 
tales  of  Western  New  York,  of  its  grand  forests,  natural  meadows,  rich 
soil  and  valuable  watercourses,  and  to  many  the  Genesee  country  became  the 
land  of  promise  and  the  Eden  of  pioneer  hopes.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  all  of  New  York  west  of  German  Flats  was  a  wilderness  inhabited 
by  Indians  only.  At  the  conclusion  of  peace  in  1783  King  George  III.  re- 
linquished his  claim  to  this  territory,  to  the  United  States.  The  state  of  New 
York  asserted  her  right  to  all  lands  extending  westerly  to  Lakes  Erie  and  On- 
tario, founding  her  claim  mainly  as  successor  to  the  Five  Nations  and  on  the 
acquiescence  of  the  British  crown.  Massachusetts  resisted  this  claim  upon  the 
ground  of  prior  title  to  certain  portions  of  the  land  by  virtue  of  a  charter  granted 
to  the  council  of  Plymouth  by  King  James  I.  in  1620.  This  dispute  was  settled 
by  a  treaty  held  at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  December,  1786.  Among  other 
conditions  of  the  settlement,  Massachusetts  relinquished  all  sovereignty  and 
jurisdiction  over  all  that  part  of  the  state  of  New  York  lying  west  of  a  meridian 
drawn  through  Seneca  lake,  and  comprising  what  were  subsequently  known  as 
the  Phelps  &  Gorham  and  Holland  Land  company's  purchases  (see  New  York 
Charter,  by  O.  H.  Marshall),  reserving  the  right  of  preemption  in  the  soil,  or 
in  other  words  the  right  to  purchase  of  the  Indians.  In  April,  1788,  Oliver 
Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham  purchased  of  Massachusetts  the  preemption 
right  of  the  territory  ceded  to  that  state,  comprising  some  six  million  acres, 
for  one  million  dollars.  In  July  of  that  year  these  gentlemen  extinguished 
the  "native  right"  to  a  portion  of  these  lands  by  purchase  of  the  Indians  at  a  ■ 
treaty  held  at  Buffalo,  and  in  1790,  being  unable  to  fulfill  their  agreement  with 
Massachusetts,  prevailed  on  that  commonwealth  to  take  back  four  million 
acres  and  reduce  the  amount  of  ther  purchase  money  to  thirty-one  thousand 
pounds.  After  settling  a  portion  of  their  tract,  in  November,  1790,  Phelps  and 
Gorham  disposed  of  nearly  all  the  residue,  about  1,264,000  acres,  to  Robert 
Morri.s,  who  sold  the  same  to  Charles  Williamson,  who  held  it  in  trust  for  Sir 
William  Pulteney.  The  Pulteney  estate  was  bounded  "on  the  north  by  Lake 
Ontario,  east  by  the  preemption  line,  south  by  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  west 
by  a  transit  meridian  line  due  north  from  latitude  42  to  the  Genesee  riv^at 
its  junction  with  the  Canaseraga  creek,  thence  by  the  Genesee  river  to  the 
south  line  of  Caledonia,  thence  west  twelve  miles,  and  thence  northwesterly  by 
the  east  line  of  the  'triangle,'  twelve  miles  west  of  the  Genesee  river  to  Lake 
Ontario."  It  is  not  our  purpose  at  this  time  to  trace  the  succession  of  title 
to  lands  in  Western  New  York.     It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Massachusetts  sold 


74  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  four  million  acres  given  up  by  Phelps  and  Gorham,  to  Robert  Morris.  In 
1 792-3  Mr.  Morris  sold  nearly  all  of  his  interest  in  lands  west  of  the  Genesee 
river,  to  Herman  Le  Roy,  William  Bayard,  Matthew  Clarkson,  Garrett  Boon 
and  John  Linklaen,  in  trust  for  certain  gentlmen  in  Holland,  and  this  tract  was 
afterward  known  4s  the  "Holland  Purchase."  A  law  permitting  aliens  to  hold 
real  estate  was  passed  soon  after,  enabling  Sir  William  Pulteney  and  the  Hol- 
landers to  assume  the  titles  of  their  respective  estates.  By  the  terms  of  his 
transactions  with  Sir  William  Pulteney  and  the  Holland  company,  Mr.  Morris 
was  bound  to  extinguish  the  whole  native  title  to  all  lands  between  Seneca 
lake  and  the  Niagara  frontier,  and  accordingly  a  treaty  with  the  Senecas  was 
held  at  Geneseo  (Big  Tree)  in  September,  1797.  Of  the  six  million  acres  in 
Western  New  York  owned  by  the  Indians  previous  to  Phelps  and  Gorham 's 
first  purchase  in  1787,  the  terms  of  the  Geneseo  treaty  left  for  their  use  only 
the  following  described  "  reservations:" — 

"  1 .  Cannawaugus,  two  square  miles  lying  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Genesee  river,  west 
of  Avon.  2  and  3.  Big  Tree  and  Little  Beard,  in  all  four  square  miles  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Genesee,  near  Geneseo.  4.  Squawkie  Hill,  two  miles  square,  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Genesee,  north  of  Mount  Morris.  5.  Gardeau,  or  Gardow,  the  "white 
woman's"  reservation,  containing  abovit  twenty-eight  square  miles  (17,927  acres)  on  both 
sides  of  the  Genesee  river,  between  Mount  Morris  and  Portage.  6.  Caneadea,  sixteen 
square  miles,  on  both  sides  of  the  Genesee  above  Portage.  7.  Oil  Spring,  one  square 
mile  on  the  line  between  Alleghany  and  Cattaraugus  counties.  8.  Alleghany,  forty-four 
square  miles,  on  both  sides  of  the  Alleghany  river,  near  Salamanca.  9.  Cattaraugus, 
forty-two  square  miles,  on  both  sides  and  near  the  mouth  of  Cattaraugus  creek,  on 
Lake  Erie,  twenty-six  miles  north  of  Buffalo.  10..  Buffalo,  one  hundred  and  thirty 
square  miles,  on  both  sides  of  Buffalo  creek,  near  Buffalo.  11.  Tonawanda,  seventy 
square  miles,  on  both  sides  of  Tonawanda  creek,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  its  mouth, 
and  sixteen  miles  northeast  of  Buffalo.  12.  Tuscarora,  one  square  mile,  on  the  moun- 
tain ridge,  three  miles  east  of  Lewiston." 

The  Indian  title  to  all  these  reservations,  except  Alleghany,  Cattaraugus, 
Tonawanda  and  Tuscarora,  has  since  been  extinguished.  As  early  as  1820 
the  red  man  had  few  representatives  in  the  Genesee  valley,  and  about  1 830 
they  ceased  to  occupy  their  old  camp  grounds  along  the  lower  Genesee.  In 
1826  John  De  Bay  and  Samuel  Willett,  two  men  who  accompanied  Clark  in 
his  famous  western  expedition  in  1806,  then  residents  of  Rochester,  purchased 
a  quantity  of  goods,  engaged  T.  J.  Jeffords,  ^  a  lad  of  thirteen,  as  assistant, 
and  made  the  tour  of  Indian  towns  in  Western  New  York.  The  first  camp 
visited  by  the  traders  was  located  on  the  ridge,  east  of  Irondequoit  bay,  and 

1  Mr.  Jeffords  is  well  known  to  the  citizens  of  Rochester,  having  held  several  positions  of  honor 
and  trust  in  the  county  of  Monroe.  The  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  his  pleasant  home  in  East  Rush  is 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Rebekah  Price,  the  first  white  child  born  in  Rich- 
field, Otsego  county,  September  2d,  1791.  Mrs.  Price  has  lived  at  Rush  shice  l8o3.  Her  mind  is  as 
clear  and  active  as  that  of  many  people  at  sixty.  From  the  rich  store-house  of  her  memory  and  the 
recollections  of  Mr.  Jeffords,  many  interesting  facts  concerning  Indian  and  pioneer  times  have  been 
obtained. 


The  Genesee  Falls  Mill  Lot.  75 

consisted  largely  of  French  associates  of  the  Indians,  with  whom  they  were 
living.  The  second  town  was  on  or  near  the  present  farm  of  Judge  Edmond 
Kelly,  south  of  Irondequoit  landing.  The  traders  found  about  twenty  Indians 
at  the  Bell  farm  on  the  north  side  of  Honeoye  outlet,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  at  Cannawaugus.  Passing  through  York  "to  Wiscoy  above  Portage,  they 
struck  a  town  of  three  hundred  Senecas.  At  Red  House  station,  above  Sala- 
manca, they  found  four  hundred  and  fifty  Indians.  On  the  bank  of  Silver 
creek,  near  Captain  Camp's  residence,  one  hundred  Senecas  were  engaged  in 
a  council. 

In  his  late  work,  Weird  Legends  and  Traditions  of  the  Seneca  Indians, 
issued  in  May,  1884,  Rev.  J.  W.  Sanborn  presents  the  results  of  his  experience 
as  a  missionary  to  that  nation.  Touching  the  present  population  of  the  In- 
dians, chapter  XXIV.,  he  says  : — 

"In  Western  New  York  the  total  population  of  the  Senecas  is  3,014,  disposed  as 
follows:  On  the  Alleghany  reserve  914,  Cattaraugus  reserve  1,500,  Tonawanda  reserve 
600.  The  Indian  population,  including  all  the  tribes  in  the  state  of  New  York,  is  fully 
6,000." 


CHAPTER  XIII.  1 

The  Genesee  Falls  Mill  Lot  —  The  Triangle  —  Ebenezer  Allan's  One-Hundred-Acre  Tract  —  The 
Stone  Ridge  —  Peter  Sheffer  — Allan's  Mills  —  The  Mill  Stones  —  Jenuhshio  or  "  Indian"  Allan  — 
The  First  White  Settler  —  First  (Jrist  Mill  in  the  Genesee  Valley  — Allan's  Deed  to  lienjamin  liartou 
—  Close  of  Allan's  Career  —  His  Son  Claims  the  One-Hundred-Acre  Tract. 

WHEN  Oliver  Phelps  held  his  treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Buffalo,  in  1788, 
he  was  anxious  to  secure  all  their  lands  within  the  Massachusetts  pre- 
emption claim,  but  the  Indians  declined  to  part  with  any  land  west  of  the 
Genesee  river,  regarding  that  stream  as  a  natural  boundary  set  by  the  Great 
Spirit  between  the  white  and  red  men.  Unable  to  effect  his  object  by  honor- 
able purchase,  Mr.  Phelps  appealed  to  the  generosity  of  the  Indians  and  asked 
them  for  a  piece  of  land  west  of  the  Genesee,  large  enough  for  a  "mill  seat," 
representing  the  great  convenience  a  mill  would  be  to  them,  whereupon  the 
Indians  requested  him  to  state  the  amount  of  land  required  for  such  a  purpose. 
Mr.  Phelps  replied  that  a  piece  about  twelve  miles  wide,  extending  from  Canna- 
waugus (Avon)  on  the  west  side  of  the  Genesee  river  to  Lake  Ontario,  about 
twenty-eight  miles,  would  answer  his  purpose.  The  Indians  were  reluctant  to 
part  with  so  large  a  tract,  but,  upon  Mr.  Phelps's  assurance  that  it  was  all 

1  The  material  for  chapters  XIII.  and  XIV.  is  derived  from  the  journals  of  Charlevoix,  and  Maude, 
the  Life  of  Mary  femison,  Turner's  histories  of  the  Holland  Purchase,  and  Phelps  <V  Gorham  Pur- 
chase, Pioneer  Collections,  and  private  journal  of  the  writer  compiled  from  personal  researches. 

6 


']6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

needed,  granted  his  request.  This  strip  of  land,  thus  acquired  by  Oliver 
Phelps,  contained  about  200,000  acres  and  was  designated  the  "Genesee  Falls 
mill  lot."  The  first  survey  of  the  mill  tract  was  made  by  Colonel  Hugh  Max- 
well, who  started  at  Cannawaugus,  ran  twelve  miles  west  of  the  Genesee  river, 
and  then  due  north. to  Lake  Ontario.  Whether  these  lines  were  run  with  a 
view  of  again  cheating  the  red  men,  or  were  made  through  mistake  is  not  cer- 
tain; but  the  Indians  bitterly  opposed  the  boundaries  thus  created,  and  Augus- 
tus Porter  ran  a  new  line  which  was  as  near  an  average  of  twelve  miles  from 
the  Genesee  as  a  straight '  line  would  permit.  In  after  surveys  west  of  this 
line,  the  tract  struck  out  of  Maxwell's  survey  by  Porter  was  termed  the 
"Triangle." 

Mr.  Phelps  fulfilled  his  agreement  with  the  Indians  by  a  contract  with  one 
Ebenezer  Allan,  who  agreed  to  erect  saw  and  grist  mills  at  the  Genesee  falls, 
the  consideration  being  the  conveyance  to  Allan  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land, 
commencing  at  the  center  of  the  mill  and  extending  an  equal  distance  up  and 
down  the  river,  then  west  far  enough  to  contain  the  hundred  acres  in  a  square 
form.  So  far  as  known  no  writings  ever  passed  between  Phelps  and  Allan,  but 
in  a  deed  for  twenty  thousand  acres  embracing  all  the  present  site  of  Rochester 
west  of  the  Genesee  river,  sold  to  Quartus  Pomeroy,  Justin  Ely,  Ebenezer 
Hunt  and  a  Mr.  Breck  in  1790,  an  exception  and  reservation  was  made  of 
"the  one  hundred  acres  previously  granted  to  Ebenezer  Allan." 

Allan  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  white  settler  in  the  Genesee  valley, 
other,  than  the  tory  Walker  at  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee,  and  first  white 
occupant  of  the  territory  now  covered  by  the  city  of  Rochester.  Whatever 
his  faults .  and,  vices,  this  fact  is.  patent,  and  from  his  first  appearance  as  an 
actual  resident  of  the  Genesee  valley  dates  the  era  of  permanent  settlement. 
No  history  of  Rochester  would  be  complete  that  omitted  mention  of  Ebenezer 
Allan  and  his  many  interests  in  Western  New  York.  From  the  mouth  of  the 
river  at  Lake  Ontario  to  the  lower  falls  at  Gardeau,  Allan-  inaugurated  im- 
provements which  have  found  their  full  development  only  during  the  present 
generation.  Nearly  a  century  has  elapsed  since  the  sounds  of  his  rasping 
mill- saw  first  echoed  across  our  beautiful  river  and  were  hushed  in  the  roar  of 
untamed  waters  dashing  over  their  rocky  bed  in  the  channel  below;  but  the 
memory  of  his  presence  here,  on  the  soil  we  love  so  well,  must  be  cherished 
while  the  Flower  city  has  an  existence. 

In  the  Revolutionary  war  Allan  was  a  tory  and  became  acquainted  with 
the  Senecas  during  their  incursions  against  American  settlements  on  the  Sus- 
quehanna. He  joined  the  Indians  in  their  predatory  battles,  and  excelled  all 
his  savage  associates  in  ferocious^cruelty.  Mary  Jemison,  the  "white  woman," 
says  thatduring  one  of  his  .scouting  expeditions  with  the  Indians  Allan  entered 
a  house  very  early  in  the  morning  where  he  found  a  man,  his  wife  and  one 
child,   in  bed.     The   man   instantly  sprang  on  the   floor  for  the  purpose   of 


Ebenezer  Allan.  ^^ 


defending  himself  and  family;  but  Allan  killed  him  at  one  blow,  cut  off  his 
head  and  threw  it  into  the  bed  with  the  terrified  woman ;  took  the  child  from 
its  mother's  breast  and  dashed  its  head  against  the  jamb,  leaving  the  unhappy- 
widow  and  mother  alone  with  her  murdered  family.  It  has  been  said  by  some 
that  after  killing  the  child  Allan  opened  the  fire  and  buried  it  under  the  coals 
and  ashes,  but  of  that  Mrs.  Jemison  was  uncertain;  though  she  thought 
Allan  repented  these  deeds  in  later  days.  He  accompanied  the  Senecas  to  the 
Genesee,  and  was  with  Walker  at  the  battle  of  Newtown.  When  the  Indians 
returned  to  their  desolated  homes,  after  the  departure  of  Sullivan's  army  in  the 
fall  of  1779,  Mrs.  Jemison  went  to  Gardeau  and  husked  corn  for  two  negroes 
who  lived  there.  In  the  spring  of  1780  she  built  a  house  on  the  flats,  and 
Allan  made  his  appearance  at  that  place  soon  after.  He  was  apparently  with- 
out any  business  to  support  him,  and  remained  at  the  white  woman's  house 
during  the  following  winter.  In  the  spring  Allan  commenced  working  the 
flats  and  continued  to  labor  there  until  the  peace  of  1783,  when  he  went  to 
Philadelphia,  and  in  a  short  time  returned  with  a  horse  loaded  with  dry  goods. 
Locating  on  the  present  site  of  Mount  Morris  he  built  a  house  and  became  a 
trader. 

Dissatisfied  with  the  treaty  of  peace,  the  British  and  Indians  on  the  frontier 
determined  to  continue  their  depredations  on  the  white  settlements  between 
the  Genesee  and  Albany.  The  Senecas  were  about  setting  out  on  an  expedi- 
tion when  Allan,  understanding  their  mode  of  warfare,  procured  a  belt  of 
wampum  and  carried  it  as  a  token  of  peace  either  to  the  commander  of  the 
nearest  American  military  post,  or  to  the  American  commissioner.  The  officer 
sent  word  to  the  Indians  that  the  wampum  was  cordially  accepted  and  a  con- 
tinuance of  peace  was  ardently  desired.  The  Indians  considered  the  wampum 
a  sacred  thing,  and  dared  not  go  against  the  import  of  its  meaning.  They 
immediately  buried  the  hatchet  as  respected  the  Americans,  and  smoked  the 
pipe  of  peace;  but  with  the  aid  of  the  British  resolved  to  punish  Allan  for 
presenting  the  wanipum  without  their  knowledge.  A  party  of  British  soldiers 
was  sent  from  Fort  Niagara  to  apprehend  Allan,  but  he  had  escaped  and  they 
confiscated  his  property  and  returned  to  the  fort.  A  second  attempt  to  capT 
ture  him  failed,  as  he  was  concealed  in  a  cave  about  Gafdeau  and  supplied 
with  food  by  the  white  woman ;  a  third  effort  was  successful  and  Allan  was 
taken  to  Montreal  or  Quebec  for  trial,  where  he  was  honorably  acquitted  of 
the  crime  charged,  that  is,  putting  too  sudden  a  stop  to  the  war.  Proceeding 
to  Philadelphia  he  purchased'on  credit  a  boat  load  of  goods,  which  he  brought 
by  water  to  Conhocton,  and  thence  to  Mount  Morris  on  horses  provided  by 
the  Senecas.  These  goods  were  exchanged  for  ginseng  and  furs,  which  Allan 
sold  at  Niagara.  Harvesting  a  large  crop  of  corn  on  his  own  land,  he  carried 
it  down  the  river  in  canoes  to  the  mouth  of  Allen's  creek,  then  called  Gin-is- 
*  a-ga  by  the  Indians,     There  he  built  a  house  and  cultivated  the  soil.     Butler's 


78  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

rangers  and  the  Indians  would  steal  cattle  from  the  Mohawk  and  the  Susque- 
hanna and  drive  them  to  the  Genesee,  where  Allan  kept  them  on  the  rich  flats 
until  in  prime  condition  and  then  sold  them  at  Fort  Niagara  and  in  Canada. 
Col.  Butler,  British  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  at  Niagara,  supplied  Allan 
with  a  quantity  of  goods  for  the  Indian  trade,  and  the  latter  appropriated  the 
lot  to  his  own  use  and  profit. 

In  July,  1788,  as  previously  stated,  Allan  contracted  with  Mr.  Phelps  to 
erect  saw  and  grist  mills  on  the  one-hundred-acre  lot  at  the  Genesee  falls. 
During  the  following  summer  he  built  the  saw-mill  and  got  out  timber  for  a 
grist  mill.  At  that  period  the  river  bed  was  nearly  level  from  the  location  of 
the  present  aqueduct,  south  to  the  race  dam  at  the  jail,  and  the  Indian 
canoe  landing  was  on  the  present  site  of  W.  S.  Kimball's  tobacco  fac- 
tory. There  was  a  perpendicular  fall  fourteen  feet  high,  where  the  aqueduct  is 
located,  which  was  then  known  as  the  "upper  fall."  The  ledge,  of  Hmestone 
forming  this  fall  curved  northwest  to  the  corner  of  Basin  street,  where  it  again 
turned  west  and,  running  nearly  parallel  with  West  Main  street,  ended  abrupt- 
ly about  one  hundred  feet  west  of  Plymouth  avenue.  This  "stone  ridge"  was 
from  ten  to  fourteen  feet  in  height.  It  has  been  entirely  removed  above  the 
present  surface  of  the  ground,  but  a  portion  of  its  base  now  forms  the  west  side 
of  the  mill  race  under  Aqueduct  street.  All  land  east  of  this  ledge  to  the  pres- 
ent channel  of  the  river,  is  "filled  ground."  The  saw-mill  erected  by  Allan 
stood  upon  the  present  site  of  the  building  owned  by  Nehemiah  Osburn,  east 
of  Aqueduct  street.  The  first  lumber  sawed  was  used  to  roof  the  mill,  the 
second   was  for  the  grist  mill,  and  the  third  was  sold  to  Orange  Stone. 

In  the  fall  of  1789  Peter  Sheffer,  and  his  sons  Peter  and  Jacob,  came  upon  the 
Genesee  and  found  Allan  on  his  farm  near  the  mouth  of  Allen's  creek.  He 
had  a  comfortaJDle  log  house  on  his  land,  three  hundred  acres  of  which  had 
been  given  him  by  the  Indians,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy  purchased  of 
Phelps  and  Gorham.  Some  sixty  acres  of  flats  were  under  cultivation,  and 
twenty  then  in  wheat,  while  the  farm  was  stocked  with  horses,  cattle,  etc. 
Mr.  Sheffer  purchased  this  tract  for  $2.50  an  acre.  Turner  says  that  the  money 
realised  by  the  sale  of  this  farm  enabled  Allan  to  push  forward  his  mill  enter- 
prise, yet  he  also  states  that  the  Sheffers  did  not  reach  the  Genesee  until  De- 
cember. This  is  evidently  a  mistake,  as  the  deed  from  Allan  to  Peter  Sheffer 
is  dated  November  23d,  1789,  was  acknowledged  before  Timothy  Hosmer,  No- 
vember I2th,  1793,  and  recorded  on  page  178  book  2  in  the  county  clerk's 
office  at  Canandaigua,  March  39th,  1794.  Furthermore  William  Hencher 
stated  that  the  frame  of  Allan's  grist  mill  was  raised  November  12th  and 
13th.  That  was  at  an  earlier  date  than  Turner  supposed  Mr.  Sheffer  to  have 
been  in  this  region. 

Allan  sent  out  Indian  runners  to  invite  every  white  man  in  Genesee  valley 
to  the   raising  of  the  grist   mill.     The  party  numbered  just  fourteen,  all  told.  ' 


Erection  of  Allan's  Mill.  79 

The  mill  frame  was  heavy,  hewed  timber,  twenty-six  by  thirty  feet.  It  stood 
north  of  the  saw-mill  previously  erected,  upon  what  was  afterward  known  as 
the  "old  red  mill"  site,  on  "Mill  lot  number  2."  This  exact  spot  is  directly 
in  the  rear  of  numbers  39  and  41  East  Main  street,  half  way  between  Aque- 
duct and  Graves  street.  The  ground  is  now  occupied  by  M.  F.  Reynolds's 
paint  mill,  and  E.  R.  Andrews's  printing  establishment.  Allan  procured  rum 
from  a  trading  boat  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  liquor  was  "free  as  water." 
The  entire  party  camped  on  the  ground  the  first  night.  Lumber  for  the  mill 
floor  had  been  previously  .sawed  and  was  laid  on  the  13th,  all  hands  indulging 
in  a  dance  in  the  evening  and  then  sleeping  on  the  new  floor.  The  iron  for 
both  mills  was  brought  on  horseback  from  Conhocton  to  Allan's  farm,  and 
thence  down  the  river  in  canoes.  In  bringing  the  mill  irons  down,  a  Dutch- 
man named  Andrews,  having  them  in  charge,  went  over  the  upper  fall  and  was 
drowned.  The  iron  was  recovered,  but  Andrews  was  never  seen  again,  and 
Allan  was  credited  with  his  murder. 

In  August,  1800,  John  Maude,  ah  English  traveler,  passed  through  the 
lower  Genesee  country  and  in  his  description  of  the  Allan  grist  mill  says  :  "It 
contains  but  one  pair  of  stones  made  from  the  stone  of  a  neighboring  quarry, 
which  is  found  to  be  very  suitable  for  this  purpose."  This  curious  statement . 
of  Maude's  has  been  repeated  by  every  historian  writing  on  this  subject,  so  far 
.as  we  are  aware,  to  the  present  day.  The  "quarry"  mentioned  has  remained 
undiscovered  thus  far  (1884),  and  Mr.  Maude's  informant  led  him  into  other 
and  more  serious  misstatements,  one  of  which  was  that  said  informant  "remem- 
bered the  two  steps  of  the  lower  falls  (some  twenty  rods  apart)  as  united  in  one 
fall.  A  reference  to  Charlevoix's  description  of  the  Genesee  in  1721  shows 
that  the  lower  falls  were  then  identically  the  same  as  at  present,  as  regards  dis- 
tance. The  run  of  stone  used  in  Allan's  grist  mill  were  made  from  boulders 
on  the  surface  of  the  ground  near  the  mill.  With  the  assistance  of  Indians, 
Allan  himself  cut  and  dressed  both  stones.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  had  a  forge 
near  his  house  at  Allen's  creek,  and  also  one  at  the  grist  mill,  where  he  fitted 
the  mill  irons  with  his  own  hands.  Allan  often  shod  his  own  horses  and  re- 
paired guns  for  himself  and  the  Indians. 

With  all  his  faults,  Ebenezer  Allan  was  riot  lazy.  He  was  imposing  in  ap- 
pearance, and  though  usually  mild  in  manner  had  a  bold,  determined  look  and 
the  faculty  of  controlling  all  about  him.  He  usually  had  from  ten  to  thirty  In- 
dians at  work,  and  in  return  supplied  them  and  their  families  with  everything 
required,  including  whisky.  Wherever  Allan  went,  a  company  of  Indian  satel- 
lites attended  to  do  his  bidding.  During  his  stay  at  the  grist  mill  the  Senecas 
encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Exchange  street,  and  at  the  Indian  spring.  He  was 
an  adopted  member  of  the  Seneca  nation,  and  was  known  to  the  red  men  as 
Jen-uh-shi-o.  From  his  intimate  associations  with  the  natives  he  was  called 
"  Indian  Allan  "by  the  whites,  who  greatly  disliked  him.     About  the  time  of 


8o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

his  first  appearance  on  the  Genesee,  Allan  married  a  Seneca  squaw  named 
Kyen-da-nent.  Her  English  name  was  Sally.  They  had  two  daughters, 
Mary,  born  in  1780,  and  Chloe,  born  March  3d,  1782.  While  at  the  falls  in 
1 789  a  man  named  Chapman  stopped  with  his  family  on  their  way  to  Canada, 
and  Allan  proposed  to  the  daughter  Lucy,  to  whom  he  was  married  by  a 
sham  magistrate.  Chapman  went  on  his  journey  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  death,  and  pushed  an  old  man  into  the 
Genesee,  intending  to  drown  him  and  marry  his  wife.  The  man  got  out  of  the 
river,  but  died  next  day,  and  his  murderer  added*the  widow  to  his  harem.  He 
also  married  the  half-breed  daughter  of  a  negro  named  Captain  Sunfish,  and 
robbed  the  old  man  of  his  money.  On  his  removal  to  Mount  Morris  Allan 
married  one  Millie  McGregor,  daughter  of  an  English  tory,  and  is  said  to  have 
had  half  a  dozen  other  wives  during  his  residence  in  the  Genesee  valley. 
Lucy  Allan  had  one  child,  Millie  six,  and  Sally  two.  Upon  the  completion  of 
the  mill  Allan  moved  into  a  room  in  the  building,  and  so  far  as  known  his  was 
the  first  white  family  that  resided  on  the  site  of  Rochester.  Poor  as  it  was,  the 
grist  mill  proved  a  benefit  to  the  few  settlers  in  the  sparsely  inhabited  region. 
People  came  from  Lima,  Avon,  Victor,  Irondequoit  and  other  towns  to  get  a 
grist  or  procure  a  few  boards  from  the  saw-mill. 

It  has  been  frequently  stated  that  Allan's  was  the  first  grist  mill  in  the  Gen- 
esee valley,  but  this  statement  is  incorrect.  During  the  winter  of  1788-9  John 
and  James  Markham  built  on  a  little  stream  which  enters  the  Genesee  river 
about  two  miles  north  of  Avon.  It  was  a  small  log  building,  and  all  the  lum- 
ber used  in  its  construction  was  hewed  out  by  hand.  The  curbs  were  hewed 
plank,  the  spindle  made  by  straightening  out  a  section  of  a  cart  tire,  and  the 
stones  roughly  cut  from  native  rock.  There  was  no  bolt,  the  substitutes  being 
hand  sieves  made  of  splints.  The  mill  was  a  rude,  primitive  concern,  but  it 
mashed  corn  better  than  the  wooden  mortar  and  pestle  then  used  by  early  set- 
tlers, and  during  the  year  or  two  of  its  existence  was  highly  valued. 

Allan's  residence  here  was  temporary.  In  1790  he  bought  a  stock  of  goods 
in  Philadelphia  and  reopened  his  trading  station  at  Mount  Morris,  leaving  his 
brother-in-law,  Christopher  Dugan,  in  charge  of  the  mills.  Just  when  Allan 
moved  his  family  to  Mount  Morris  is  not  known,  but  it  is  probable  that  they 
left  the  mills  early  in  1792,  soon  after  the  sale  of  the  one-hundred-acre  lot  to 
Mr.  Barton.  The  deed,  or  more  properly,  assignment  of  his  interest,  given  by 
Ebenezer  Allan  to  Benjamin  Barton,  is  the  foundation  of  all  titles  to  real  estate 
within  the  so-called  "one-hundred-acre  tract,"  the  boundaries  of  which  may 
be  crudely  described  as  running  from  the  jail  on  the  bank  of  the  Genesee 
about  four  hundred  feet  south  of  Court  street,  west  to  a  point  near  Caledonia 
avenue  and  Spring  street,  thence  north  to  an  angle  about  one  hundred  feet 
northwest  of  the  corner  of  Frank  and  Center  streets,  and  due  east  to  the  river 


Deed  of  the  One-Hundred- Acre  Tract.  8i 

directly  east  of  Market  street.     A  fac-simile  copy  of  this  venerable  document 
is  shown  on  the  next  page.     Its  subject  matter  is  as  follows :  — 

"Articles  of  agreement  made  this  27th  day  of  March  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety-two,  between  Ebenezer  AUin  and  Benjamin  Bar- 
ton, witnesseth  that  for  and  in  Consideration  of  Five  Hundred  pounds  New  York  Cur- 
rency received  by  the  said  Ebenezer  AUin  of  Benjamin  Barton,  the  said  Ebenezer  AUin 
doth  seU'aU  that  Tract  of  .land  containing  one  hundred  acres  lying  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Genesee  river  in  the  County  of  Ontario  State  of  New  York  Bounded  East  on  the  Genesee 
river  so  as  to  take  in  the  Mills  lately  Built  by  the  said  AUin.  From  thence  to  run  North- 
erly from  said  Mills  Sixty  three  rods  also  southerly  of  said  Mills  Sixty  three  rods  from 
thence  Turning  westerly  so  as  to  make  one  hundred  acres  strict  measure.  And  the  said 
Ebenezer  AUin  doth  hereby  impower  the  said  Benjamin  Barton  to  apply  to  the  Honr'd 
Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham  or  Either  of  them  for  a  good  and  sufficient  deed  of 
conveyance  to  be  by  them  — or  Either  of  them  executed  to  the  said  Benjamin  Barton, 
his  Heirs  or  assigns  for  said  Tract  of  land  and  the  said  Ebenezer  AUin  doth  hereby 
request  and  Impower  the  said  Oliver  Phelps  or  Nathaniel  Gorham  to  scale  and  Deliver 
such  Deed  to  the  said  Benjamin  Barton  his  Heirs  or  assigns,  and  the  said  Ebpnezer 
AUin  doth  hereby  exonerate  and  discharge  the  said  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham 
in  consequence  of  their  executing  the  deed  ass'd,  from  all  and  Every  agreement  or  Instru- 
ment which  might  or  may  have  existed  Respecting  the  conveyance  of  said  Tract  of  land 
from  them  the  said  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham  or  Either  of  them  to  the  said 
Ebenezer  AUin,  in  Witness  whereof  the  said  Ebenezer  AUin  hath  hereunto  set  his  Hand 
and  Seal  the  day  and  year  above  written. 
"  Sealed  and  delivered 

in  the  presense  off  "  E.  Allan  [seal.] 

Gertrude  G  Ogden 

John  Farhn  " 

"  Reed,  of  Benjamin  Barton  a  Deed  for  Aliens  Mills  on  the  Genesee  River,  in 
settling  therefor  I  am  to  settle  the  Bond  for  j£s°°  which  he  gave  Ebenezer  Allen  for 
which  I  was  security.     Dec.  24th  1793.  Saml.  Ogden." 


1) 


a 


«j   1^    §      -ii:-!^ 


(U 

J3 


< 


a       m 


P      0       O^ 


g  '^    S    c         do 

°  S  g  -g  I  8  " 

V    V    nl     5   -S  ■««•    S 


o  3     Ma      '^        .!2  /;  J  ffl  ■„  5  .s 


1  This  indorsement  was  made  by  Mr.  Turner. 


J^ 


U-c/t-f 


>«^     ^^-^     ^^     --   -^ 


;!^iM^  tx^^^  -'^It^  /Xn54    ^<^    ^*t.**V^^*^    o/.if^U^   ^«t^ 
•'^'^—-'^    if-n^    ^^4^*^  ^:i£<-f'J    CCe-t-^-f      •S55Z«^     T^ic^t-^-et-t^        <^i»J  /^i 

•"'^  ^^e-»»,e-^.tu     tiStiiie^     ^^^7^  y(i-^'*■■^y   rU^*-cc-^-^    A-t^*XnA*uy<^ 


"^^ 


84  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

This  deed  has  a  curious  history.  Its  existence  appears  to  have  passed  from 
public  memory  until  Orsamus  Turner  began  the  collection  of  material  for  his 
grand  histories  of  the  Phelps  &  Gorham  and  Holland  purchases.  During  a 
visit  to  the  family  residence  of  Brandt,  the  noted  Mohawk  sachem,  at  Brantford, 
Ontario,  Mr.  Turner  found  the  Allan  deed,  among  other  papers  formerly  be- 
longing to  Brandt,  stored  in  a  barrel  in  the  garret.  No  information  could  be 
obtained  regarding  the  time  or  manner  in  which  Brandt  came  into  possession 
of  the  document,  which  was  readily  given  to  Mr.  Turner.  In  June,  1849,  he 
requested  D.  M.  Dewey  to  present  the  old  deed  to  the  Rochester  Athenaeum 
for  safe  keeping.  It  passed  into  the  possession  of  M.  F.  Reynolds,  with  other 
effects  of  the  Athenaeum,  and  is  now  carefully  treasured  in  the  Reynolds  library. 

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  for  their  support  and  education. ^  He  artfully  framed  the  convey- 
ance so  that  he  could  appropriate  the  land  to  his  own  use,  but,  in  accordance 
with  its  provisions,  sent  his  Indian  girls  to  a  school  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey ; 
also  sending  his  white  son  to  Philadelphia,  to  obtain  an  English  education.  In 
1792  Allan  built  a  saw-mill  on  the  outlet  of  Silver  lake,  at  Smoky  hollow, 
near  the  Genesee  river.  He  sold  the  land  deeded  to  his  girls  to  Robert  Mor- 
ris, and  removed  them  from  school.  In  1797  Allan  disposed  of  all  his  prop- 
erty in  the:  Genesee  valley  and  removed  to  Delawaretown,  in  Upper  Canada, 
leaving  his  Squaw  wife  behind.  He  also  arranged  with  two  men  to  drown  his 
white  wife,  Millie.  The  men  brought  her  down  the  river  in  a  canoe  and  pur- 
posely ran  the  boat  over  the  upper  fall,  but  Millie  escaped  to  the  shore  and 
followed  Allan  to  Canada.  Governor  Simcoe  granted  him  three  thousand  acres 
of  land  upon  condition  of  certain  improvements,  and  Allan  became  rich.  In 
1 806  his  white  neighbors  combined  against  him,  and  he  was  repeatedly  arrested 
upon  charges  of  forgery,  larceny,  etc.,  but  was  invariably  acquitted.  Losses 
of  property  followed,  and  about  18 14  Allan  died  in  greatly  reduced  circum- 
stances, willing  all  his  interest  to  MiUie  and  her  children.  About  1820  a  son 
of  Ebenezer  Allan  came  to  Rochester  and  set  up  a  claim  for  his  mother's  right 
of  dower  in  the  One-hundred-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  property, 
but  our  informant,  the  venerable  Mrs.  Abelard  Reynolds,  has  too  indistinct  a 
remembrance  of  the  affair  to  aid  us  with  particulars. 

1  This  deed  was  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  Ontario  county,  at  Canandaigua,  August  rst, 
1791,  in  book  of  deeds  number  i,  page  134.  It  was  signed  by  eighteen  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  Seneca  nation,  So-go-u-a-ta,  better  known  as  "  Red  Jacket,"  being  of  tlie  number. 


Christopher  Dugan — Josiah  Fish.  85 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Christopher  Dugan  —  Colonel  Fish  —  The  First  Dwelling-House  —  Early  Settlers  —  Maude's  Visit 
to  Genesee  F'alls  in  1800— Destruction  of  Hie  Allan  Mills  — The  Old  Mill  Stones  —  Rochester,  Fitz- 
hugh  and  Carroll  Purchase  the  One-hundred-acre  Tract  —  Early  Towns  and  Pioneers. 

MR.  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 
Pultcncy  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  remove." 

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 
moved  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  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Child's  basin.      It  has  been  assumed  that  he  was  in  error,  but  one  fact  appears 
to  be  overlooked,  or  is  unknown  to  certain  writers;   there  were,  two  "Red" 
mills,  the  second  one  occupying  the  present  (1884)  site  of  the  Arcade  mills  on 
the  east  side  of  Aqueduct  street.     The  ruins  of  a  log  house  remained  there  in 
1812,  and  Turner  had  reference  to  this  spot.     Colonel  Fish  was  the  fourth  res- 
ident of  Rochester,  and  the  house  erected  by  him  was  the  first  building  occu- 
pied exclusively  as  a  dwelling,  within  the  present  bounds  of  the  Flower  city. 
When  Thomas  Morris  escorted  Louis  Philippe,  afterward  king  of  France,  and 
his  brothers,  the  Duke  de  Montpensier  and  Count  Beaujolais,  from  Canandaigua 
to  view  the  Genesee  falls  in  1797,  they  entirely  overlooked  the  humble  dwell- 
ing at  the  mills;  but  in   1800  a  party  bound  up  the  lake,  of  which  William 
Nixon  Loomis  was  one,  were  overtaken  by  a  storm  off  the  mouth  of  the  Gen- 
esee and,  running  into  the  river  for  safety,  came  up  to  view  the  falls.     "Upon 
the  present  site  of  Rochester  they  came  to  a  solitary  log  cabin,  knocked  and 
were  bid  to  come  in.      Upon  entering  they  found  that  in  the  absence  of  the 
family  a  parrot  had  been  the  hospitable  Representative.    The  family  (Col.  Fish's) 
returned  soon,  however,  and   gave-  them  a  supper  of  potatoes  and  milk."      In 
1798-9  Jeremiah  Olmstead  moved  to  the  falls  and  lived  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 
Olmstead  the  sixth,  so  far  as  is  known,  but  future  researches  may  change  the 
order  of  succession.     Turner  says  the  clearing  made  by  Olmstead  "was  the 
first  blow  struck  in  the  way  of  improvement,  other  than  the  Allan  mill,  on  all 
the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Rochester."     In  1800  Oliver  Culver  purchased 
a  farm  on  what  is  now  East  avenue  and  the  Culver  road,  cleared  seven  acres 
and  sowed  it  to  wheat.     Suspecting  that  his  title  was  imperfect,  Mr.  Culver  left 
the  farm  until  1805,  when  he  returned  and  became  a  permanent  settler.     He 
was  the  seventh  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  year,  but  the  terrible  fever  and  ague,  the  enemy  of  all  early 
settlers,  prostrated  his  workmen  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  says  that  on  August  19th  he  arrived 
at  "Genesee  Mills." 

"As  Colonel  Fish,  the  miller,  had  not  those  accommodations  which  I  expected,  not 
even  a  stable,  I  was  obliged  to  proceed  to  Mr.  King's  at  the  Genesee  landing,  where  I 
got  a  good  breakfast  on  wild  pigeons,  etc.  Mr.  King  is  the  only  respectable  settler  in 
this  township  (number  i  short  range)  in  which  there  are  at  present  twelve  families,  four 

of  them  at  the  landing Further  improvements  are  much  checked  in 

consequence  of  the  titles  to  the  lands  here  being  in  dispute.  Mr.  Phelps  sold  three 
thousand  acres  in  this  neighborhood  to  Mr.  Granger  for  ten  thousand  dollars,  secured 
by  mortgage  on  the  land.  Granger  died  soon  after  his  removal  here,  and,  having  sold 
part  of  the  land,  the  residue  would  not  clear  the  mortgage,  which  prevented  his  heirs 
administering  the  estate.     Phelps  foreclosed  the  mortgage,  and  entered  on  possession, 


Early  Mills.  '      87 


even  on  that  part  which  had  been  sold  and  improved.  Some  settlers,  in  consequence, 
quitted   their  farms;  others  repaid  the  purchase  money;  and  others  are  endeavoring 

to  make  some  accommodation  with   Mr.  Phelps The  landing  is  four  miles 

from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  two  log  huts  are  built  at  the  entrance  to  Lake  On- 
tario  At  noon  returned  in  company  with  Colonel  Fish.     Had  a  fine  view 

from  the  top  of  the  bank,  of  the  lower  falls,  of  which  I  took  a  sketch.  The  lower  fall 
is  fifty-four  feet,  the  middle  fall  ninety-six  feet,  and  the  upper  fall  must  be  something 

under  thirty  feet '  .     In  a  few  minutes  I  joined  Colonel  Fish  at  the  Mills.     .  . 

.  .  .  The  grist  mill  is  very  ill- constructed ;  it  is  too  near  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  the 
race  so  improperly  managed  that  it  is  dry  in  summer  and  liable  to  back-water  in  winter. 
This  mill  is  not  at  present  able  to  grind  more  than  ten  bushels  a  day;  were  it  in  good 
order  it  would  grind  sixty.  It  is  now  almost  entirely  neglected,  in  consequence  of  be- 
ing so  much  out  of  repair.     The  saw-mill  is  already  ruined." 

In  1802  Colonel  Fish  returned  to  his  farm  at  Black  creek,  and  after  his  de- 
parture the  Allan  grist  mill  had  no  regular  miller.  It  was  nominally  in  charge 
of  a  Mr.  King,  who  came  from  Hanford's  landing  and  lived  in  a  shanty  just 
west  of  the  middle  falls.  Occasionally  one  or  two  settlers  would  make  neces- 
sary repairs  and  grind  their  own  grists  free  of  cost.  In  1804  Noah  Smith  built 
a  mill  for  Tryon  and  Adams  on  Allen's  creek  in  Brighton.  This  mill  was 
located  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  about  twenty  rods  north  of  the  present 
New  York  Central  railway  embankment.  Oliver  Griswold  of  Irondequoit  land- 
ing purchased  the  old  Allan  mill  stones  and  irons  for  Tryon  and  Adams,  who 
placed  them  in  the  new  mill.  In  1803  the  Allan  saw-mill  was  swept  away  in 
a  freshet  which  broke  over  the  race  gate  and  undermined  the  building,  nearly 
carrying  the  grist  mill  also.  This  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1807.  In  1806  Sol- 
omon Fuller  built  a  small  mill  on  Irondequoit  creek,  and  the  Allan  stones  and 
irons  are  said  to  have  been  transferred  to  that  mill.  They  passed  into  the  pos- 
session of  Lyman  Goff,  who  sold  them  to  Stephen  Chubb.  The  latter  used  them 
in  a  horse-mill  in  Henrietta.  In  1825  Isaac  Barnes  and  Captain  Enos  Blos- 
som built  a  grist  mill  on  the  west  bank  of  Allen's  creek  about  thirty  rods  north 
of  East  avenue.  These  gentlemen  bought  the  Allan  stones  of  Mr.  Chubb, 
and  placed  them  in  their  mill,  with  one  other  run  of  stone.  The  mill  was  re- 
built in  1837,  and  the  old  stones  were  taken  to  Mr.  Barnes's  residence,  where 
they  were  used  as  door  steps  for  many  years.  In  1859  Lorenzo  D.  Ely  and 
Oliver  Culver  reported  to  the  Junior  Pioneer  association  of  Rochester,  that  the 
Allan  mill  stones  were  in  the  possession  of  Isaac  Barnes,  and  his  son  Charles 
Milo  Barnes,  millers  at  Allen's  creek,  and  suggested  the  propriety  of  securing 
these  valuable  historical  relics  of  Rochester's  first  settler.  Oliver  Culver,  Ly- 
man Goff  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Barnes  fully  identified  the  stones  as  the  origi- 
nal run  made  and  used  by  Indian  Allan.  They  consisted  of  the  bed  and  run- 
ning stone,  and  were  too  large  and  heavy  to  place  in  an  ordinary  room.  A 
petition  was  presented  to  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Monroe  county,  in  Decem- 
ber, and  that  body  passed  a  resolution  that  "the  Junior  Pioneer  society  have 
leave  to  place  in  the  rear  of  the  court-house  a  pair  of  mill  stones  said  to  have 


88  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

been  the  first  ever  used  in  this  county."  ^  In  order  to  defray  the  expense  of 
removing  the  stones  to  Rochester,  a  subscription  list  was  circulated  by  Jarvis 
M.  Hatch  between  the  4th  and  1 5th  of  February,'  i860.  It  was  signed  by  S.  W. 
D.  Moore,  Samuel  Richardson,  Charles  J.  Hill,  Thomas  Kempshall,  L.  A. 
Ward,  Joseph  Field,  William  Pitkin,  John  B.  Elwood,  N.  E.  Paine,  Rufus 
Keeler,  Charles  H.  Clark,  John  Williams,  E.  F.  Smith,  Isaac  Hills,  Jonathan 
Child,  sr.,  Hamlin  Stilwell,  Maltby  Strong,  C.  J.  Hayden  and  Jacob  Gould, 
each  of  whom  agreed  to  pay  one  dollar.  The  Messrs.  Barnes  generously  do- 
nated the  mill  stones  to  the  Junior  Pioneer  association,  and  Charles  M.  Barnes 
brought  them  to  the  city.  A  committee  from  the  association  received  and 
placed  the  stones  in  the  rear  of  the  court-house;  At  the  building  of  the  new 
city  hall,  south  of  the  court-house,  the  old  mill  stones  were  used  as  found 
ations  for  two  lamp-posts  at  the  entrance  to  the  city  hall.  It  would  be  a  fit- 
ting and  proper  action  for  our  city  authorities  to  remove  the  valuable  relics  to 
a  permanent  and  secure  place  where  they  will  be  preserved, for  future  gener- 
ations. 

In  1802  Nathaniel  Rochester,  William  Fitzhugh  and  Charles  Carroll  bought 
the  One-hundred-acre  lot  of  Sir  William  Pulteney's  agent,  for  seventeen  and 
one  half  dollars  per  acre.  Having  greater  interests  elsewhere,  the  proprietors 
took  no  steps  to  improve  or  settle  the  tract  until  18 10.  At  the  date  of  purchase 
the  special  interest  of  new  settlers  in  this  vicinity  was  centered  in  Tryon's  Town, 
south  of  Irondequoit  landing,  and  King's  (now  Hanford's)  landing,  near  the 
lower  falls.  It  was  thought  by  shi-ewd  men  that  one  of  those  places  would 
in  time  become  the  great  business,  center  .  of  the  lower  Genesee  country. 
James  Wadsworth  succeeded  to  the  agency  of  the  Pulteney  estate  and,  becom- 
ing part  owner  of  a  tract  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  near  the  Rapids,  made 
strenuous  efforts  to  found  a  city  there.  The  place  was  named  "Castle  Town" 
or  Castleton,  in  honor  of  a  resident.  Colonel  Isaac  Castle.  A  tavern,  store  and 
other  business  was  started,  and  several  people  located  there,  but  the  "city"  was 
a  failure.  The  hundred-acre  tract  was  then  termed  "  Fall  Town,"  and  the  su- 
perior water  privileges  of  this  immediate  vicinity,  combined  with  other  advan- 
tages of  the  location,  eventually  drew  the  strength  of  public  opinion  in  its  favor, 
while  the  indomitable  spirit  and  enterprise  of  its  pioneer  inhabitants  laid  the 
foundation  for  our  present  magnificent  city.  Elijah  Rose  settled  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  in  1806,  and  built  a  log  house  on  Mount  Hope  avenue, 
(the  present  street  number  of  which  is  281),  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
south  of  the  present  residence  of  George  EUwanger.  This  house  was  subse- 
quently occupied  by  several  families — those  of  Jacob  Miller,  Daniel  Harris,  John 
Nutt   and   other  pioneers.     The  writer  has  often  heard  his  aged    grandmother 

1  For  the  verification  of  this  fact,  and  much  valuable  information  regarding  the  period  of  early  set- 
tlement, we  are  indebted  to  Donald  McNaughton,  whose  father,  John  McNaughton,  was  one  of  the 
first  pioneers  west  of  the  Genesee. 


Early  Pioneers.  89 


and  her  sister,  the  late  Mrs.  Lucretia  Lee,  relate  their  experience  in  fighting  a 
lot  of  wolves  away  from  the  blanket  door  of  this  same  log  house,  about  the  time 
of  the  British  invasion  at  Charlotte,  when  the  men  were  all  absent. 

In  1807  Charles  Harford  erected  a  block-house  near  the  great  falls.  It  is 
variously  located  on  State  street  near  Vincent  place,  and  at  the  intersection  of 
Center  and  Mill  streets.  It  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  well-coxistructed 
dwelling  in  the  city  limits  on  the  west  side  of  the  Genesee.  The  next  year 
Mr.  Harford  built  a  saw- mill,  and  completed  a  grist  mill  on  the  present  loca- 
tion of  the  Phoenix  mill.  His  mill-race  was  the  beginning  of  Brown's  race. 
In  1807-8  Lyman  Shumway  put  up  a  shanty  near  the  falls  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river;  and  Samuel  Ware  came  in  about  1 808-9.  I"  1788-9  General 
Hyde,  Prosper  Polly,  Enos  Stone,  Job  Gilbert,  and  Joseph  Chaplin,  of  Lenox, 
Massachusetts,  and  John  Lusk,  of  Berkshire,  bought  a  large  tract  east  of  the 
Genesee,  of  Phelps  and  Gorham.  In  the  summer  of  1789  Mr.  Lusk  settled 
his  land  at  the  head  of  Irondequoit  bay,  and  in  the  spring  of  1790  brought 
out  his  family.  Enos  Stone's  son,  Orange,  Joel  Scudder,  Chauncey  and  Calvin 
Hyde,  and  others  having  families,  followed  soon  after.  Orange  Stone  located 
half  a  mile  east  of  Brighton  village  on  the  Pittsford  road,  near  the  "  big  rock 
and  tree,"  and  opened  a  tavern.  His  brother,  Enos  Stone,  jr.,  with  other 
young  men,  drove  the  stock  of  the  new  settlers  to  Brighton,  but  continued  to 
reside  at  Lenox  for  a  number  of  years.  He  made  several  visits  to  the  Genesee, 
and  became  an  agent  for  the  sale  of  lands.  In  compensation  for  his  services 
he  received  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  opposite 
the  hundred-acre  tract  on  the  west  side.  Enos  Stone,  sr.,  did  not  make  Roch- 
ester his  permanent  home  until  18 16,  but  in  1808  he  erected  a  saw-mill  for  his 
son,  about  one  hundred  feet  north  of  the  east  end  of  the  present  aqueduct.  A 
freshet  afterward  carried  the  mill  away.  Early  in  March,  18 10,  Jacob  Miller 
arrived  at  the  Genesee,  and  was  temporarily  domiciled  in  the  log-house  built 
by  Mr.  Rose.  As  soon  as  his  house  could  be  made  ready,  Mr.  Miller  settled 
on  his  farm  directly  west  of  the  Monroe  county  penitentiary,  and  several  of 
his  children  soon  after  located  in  that  neighborhood.  Enos  Stone,  jr.,  also 
arrived  in  March,  with  his  family  and  effects.  Mr.  Stone  made  his  home  at 
the  house  of  his  brother  Orange,  for  several  jveeks,  and  during  that  period  a 
son,  James  S.  Stone,  was  born  May  4th,  18 10.  The  latter  now  resides  on  his 
farm  in  the  town  of  Greece,  hale  and  hearty  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

While  staying  with  his  brother,  Enos  Stone  erected  a  log-house  east  of  the 
saw-mill,  which  was  rebuilt.  In  October  he  put  up  a  small  frame  building 
sixteen  by  twenty  feet.  The  cutting  of  the  timber,  raising  and  inclosing 
occupied  three  days,  and  Mrs.  Stone,  a  hired  man  and  a  hired  girl  assisted. 
The  site  of  this  building  was  established  by  Schuyler  Moses  and  Edwin  Scran- 
tom  several  years  ago.  It  was  on  the  east  side  of  South  St.  Paul  street, 
directly  east  of  the  terminus  of  the  aqueduct,  and  was  the  first  framed  dwell- 


90  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ing  in  Rochester.  It  was  removed  to  number  53  Elm  street,  where  the 
original  timber  frame  is,  covered  with  modern  boards,  and  the  building  used  as 
a  wood-shed. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


the  ROCHESTER  POST-OFFICE. 


PRIOR  to  1 81 2  the  main  route  from  Canandaigua  to  the  Niagara  frontier 
was  by  the  "Buffalo  road,"  which  ran  through  Bloomfield,  Avon,  Cale- 
donia and  other  towns  westward.  In  all  that  portion  of  New  York  between 
this  road  and .  Lake  Ontario  not  a  single  post-office  or  mail  route  had  been 
established.  In  the  early  season  of  that  year  Dr.  Levi  Ward  received  author- 
ity from  Gideon  Granger,  then  postmaster-general,  to  transport  a  weekly  mail 
from  Caledonia,  via  Riga,  Murray,  Parma  and  Northampton,  to  Charlotte. 
According  to  the  terms  of  the  contract  the  mail  was  to  leave  Caledonia  every 
Monday  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  and  arrive  at  Charlotte,  a  distance  of  about 
thirty- two  miles,  at  four  p.  m.  Tuesday.  The  postmaster- general  agreed  to 
appoint  deputy  postmasters  in  locations  designated  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  twenty  to  twenty-five  cents  per  letter,  according  to  distance,  and  for 
newspapers  one  cent  each.  The  plan  was  at  once  put  in  operation,  and  the 
success  and  satisfaction  resulting  induced  the  postmaster- general  to  enter  into 
a  new  contract  with  Dr.  Ward,  for  the  extension  of  routes  along  the  Ridge 
road  to  Oak  Orchard  creek;  from  Parma  through  Ogden  and  Riga  to  Bergen, 
and  from  Bergen  to  Batavia;  in  fact,  the  arrangement  gave  Dr.  Ward  discre- 
tionary "authority  to  designate  the  location  of  post-offices  wherever  he  would 
agree  to  deliver  rnail  once  a  week,  for  all  the  postage  he  might  collect,  in 
nearly  all  the  country  between  Canandaigua  and  the  Niagara  river,  and  from 
the  Canandaigua  and  Buffalo  road  northward  to  Lake  Ontario."  ^  The  system 
continued  in  operation,  supplying  the  convenience  of  mail  facilities  to  a  wide, 
sparsely  populated  region  until  1815,  and  on  some  of  the  routes  until  1820, 
when  it  was  generally  superseded  by  the  ordinary  contract  system. 

As  early  as  1804  the  business  men  of  Canandaigua  contributed  to  the 
improvement  of  a  road  that  had  been  constructed  many  years  before  from 
Canandaigua  to  the  crossing  of  Allen's  creek  on  East  avenue  and  thence  north 
to  Tryon's  Town  near  Irondequoit  landing,  and  extended  it  northwest  through 

1  Sketches  of  Rochester,  1838,  by  Henry  O'Rielly,  p.  331. 


Early  ^A1L  Facilities.  91 

the  present  town  of  Irondequoit,  passing  in  the  rear  of  Hooker's  cemetery 
(where  the  old  road-bed  still  exists)  and  across  the  country  to  the  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- 
ally carried  by  teamsters.  In  i8i2  the  latter  place  was  looked  upon  as  the 
future  great  lake  port  and  rising  town  of  Western  New  York,  1  but  no  means 
of  regular  communication  existed  between  that  place  and  Rochester  until 
1 8 14,  when  Gideon  Cobb  started  a  semi- weekly  ox-team  line  for  the  convey- 
ance of  freight  and  passengers. 

On  the  establishment  of  Dr.  Ward's  postal  system  F.  Bushnell  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  at  Charlotte,  and  through  the  kindness,  of  individuals  who 
"called  for  mail,"  the  residents  of  Rochester  —  numbering  fifteen  people  all 
told,  July  4th,  i8i2  —  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  events 
is  invaluable)  was  authority  for  the  statement  that  "the  first  rhail  received  in 
Rochester  arrived  in  July,  18 12."  If  the  date  is  correct  the  mail  must  have 
been  carried  by  private  individuals  during  that  summer,  as  no  post-office 
existed  and  the  first  postmaster,  Abelard  Reynolds,  was  not  appointed  until 
October,  and  his  commission  not  issued  until  November  19th,  181 2.  ^  For 
this  appointment  Mr.  Reynolds  was  indebted  to  the  influence  of  Colonel  Roch- 
ester, through  Henry  Clay,  his  intimate  friend,  and  son-in-law  of  Colonel 
Thomas  Hart,  the  business  partner  of  Colonel  Rochester.  It  was  agreed  upon 
during  an  interview  between  Colonel  Rochester  and  Mr.  Reynolds,  held  at 
Dansville  some  time  in  July,  1812;  no  regular  application  for  a  post-office  in 
Rochester  had  been  made  to  the  department  at  that  time. 

While  here  in  July  Mr.  Reynolds  purchased  lots  23  and  24  north  side  of 
Buffalo  street,  built  the  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  family.  In  his  unpublished  memoirs  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  heard  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  Reynolds. 

2  Records  of  Post-Office  Department,  Washington. 


92  History  OF  THE  CiTY^  OF  Rochester. 

Learning  that  the  contractor  had  done  nothing  to  his  house,  Mr.  Reynolds 
engaged  Otis  Wallcer  of  Brighton,  to  carry  himself  and  a  load  of  furniture  to 
Rochester,  where  he  arrived  November  1st.  He  at  once  set  about  the  erection 
of  a  building  on  lot  24  (now  numbered  18,  20,  22,  East  Main  street)  which  was 
completed  January  15th.  Returning  to  Massachusetts  he  engaged  William 
Strong  to  bring  a  load  of  furniture,  and  with  his  own  horse  and  cutter  brought 
to  their  new  home  his  wife,  their  son  William,  and  Mrs.  Reynolds's  sister  liul- 
dah  Strong,  arriving  at  Rochester  early  in  February.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a 
saddler  and  occupied  the  front  room  of  his  house  fgr  business  purposes.  There 
the  citizens  of  Rochester  and  other  early  settlers  of  the  vicinity  came  for  their 
mail. 

Among  the  furniture  brought  from  Pittsfield  was  a  large  desk  of  pine,  three 
and  a  half  feet  in  length,  two  wide  and  four  feet  high.  It  had  a  pigeon-hole 
compartment  in  the  top  and  two  large  drawers  underneath  furnished  with  neat 
brass  ring-pulls ;  it  was  stained  to  resemble  black  walnut,  and  the  sloping  top 
was  covered  with  black  velvet  trimmed  with  brass-headed  tacks.  This  desk 
was  placed  in  the  shop,  where  it  served  a  triple  purpose  as  the  receptacle  of 
tools  and  private  and  public  papers.  All  mail  matter  received  was  put  in  the 
pigeon-holes,  and  practically  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.  Reynolds's  term  of  office,  and  now  occupies  an  honored  position  in  the 
Reynolds  library,  firm  and  substantial  as  when  first  made,  though  plainly  ex- 
hibiting the  marks  of  over  seventy-  two  years  of  service.  A  cut  of  the  desk  sup- 
plements this  chapter. 

The  first  regular  mail  was  brought  to  Rochester  from  Canandaigua  on  horse- 
back. It  was  received  once  a  week,  and  part  of  the  time  a  woman  (whose  name 
history  fails  to  reveal)  performed  the  duty  of  post-rider.  The  letters  were  carried 
in  saddle-bags  which  hung  across  the  horse  in  rear  of  the  saddle,  to  which  they 
were  attached,  and  the  old  mail  saddle-bags  were  usually  well  filled.  The  com- 
pletion of  the  bridge  at  Main  street  in  Rochester  opened  up  a  shorter  route  from 
Canandaigua  to  the  Niagara  river,  and  diverted  considerable  of  the  through 
travel  from  the  Buffalo  road  passing  through  Avon  and  Caledonia.  The  road 
from'  Rochester  to  Buffalo,  via  Batavia,  was  not  then  opened,  and  the  ridge 
road  between  Rochester  and  Lewiston  was  simply  a  wide  trail,  at  times  nearly 
impassable.  In  1813  the  legislature  granted  five  thousand  dollars  for  "cutting 
out  the  path  and  bridging  the  streams,"  and  the  improved  conditions  turned 
the  tide  of  western  travel  through  Rochester,  and  over  the  Ridge  road,  in  a 
steadily  increasing  flow.  During  the  summer  and  fall'  of  1 8 1 3  Mr.  Reynolds  fin- 
ished the  basement  story  and  some  of  the  rooms  of  the  large  house  and  moved 
into  it,  transferring  the  post-office  business  to  his  new  habitation,  where  the 
desk  previously  described  continued  in  service  as  the  regular  depository  of  all 
mail  matter.  In  1815  J.  G.  Bond  and  Captain  Elisha  Ely  determined  to  run 
a  stage  between  Rochester  and  Canandaigua,  and  organised  a  company  for 


-iJiayrJ.    ^U^^^^^^^ 


Early  Mail  Facilities.  93 

that  purpose,  consisting  of  William  Hildreth  of  Pittsford,  and  otiier  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,  1816,  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  i8i6  General  Micah  Brooks  presented  a  res- 
olution to  congress,  inquiring  "as  to  the  expediency  of  establishing  a  post  route 
from  the  village  of  Canandaigua,  by  way  of  the  village  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  Jjut  upon  the  route  in  June,  18 16,  and  within  a  year  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  1815  Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  house  as  a  tavern,  and  in  1817  rented  it 
to  Lebbeus  Elliot  for  two  years.  During  that  time  the  post-office  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  tavern. 
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  18x5,  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  1 820  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  182 1  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  Poty's  History  of  Livingston  County,  p.  597. 


94  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

In  1 824  the  mail  stage  between  Rochester  and  Geneseo  ran  three  times  a 
week  each  way,  leaving  here  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays  at  half-past 
five  in  the  morning.  In  April,  1825,  E.  Fiske  established  a  daily  Hne  of  stages 
from  Geneseo,  "intersecting  the  east  and  west  lines  at  Avon,  thus  giving  daily 
communication  with  Rochester,  Canandaigua  and  Batavia."  Elegant  coaches 
were  placed  on  the  route  in  December,  but  the  regular  mail  was  carried  only 
three  times  a  week.  In  1826  the  citizens  of  Rochester  regularly  received 
through  the  post-office  twenty-six  daily,  two  hundred  and  eighty-four  semi- 
weekly  and  six  hundred  and  ninety  weekly  newspapers,  and  the  receipts  of  the 
last  quarter  of  that  year  were  $1,718.44.  Mails  arrived  and  departed  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Eastern  and  western,  once  a  day  ;  Palmyra,  seven  mails  a  week  in  sum- 
mer and  three  in  winter ;  Penfield,  six  mails  a  week ;  Scottsville,  seven  mails  a 
week  in  summer,  and  three  in  winter ;  Oswego,  one  mail  a  week ;  Batavia, 
three  mails  a  week;  Geneseo,  three  mails  a  week."  Preparatory  to  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Arcade,  in  1828,  the  post-office  effects  were  removed  to  a  building 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Buffalo  and  Hughes  streets,  now  West  Main  and 
North  Fitzhugh.  In  the  spring  Mr.  Reynolds  moved  the  tavern  building  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  north  of  its  original  position,  and  upon  the  erection 
of  the  Arcade  it  was  attached  to  and  constituted  the  rear  part  of  that  struct- 
ure. In  1829  the  post-office  was  re-established  in  the  new  building,  on  the 
old  location. 

To  trace  the  opening  of  new  routes  and  lines  of  postal  communication  be- 
tween Rochester  and  the  outside  world,  to  record  the  successive  changes  in  the 
mode  of  conveyance  from  the  saddle-bagged  post-horse,  picking  his  way 
through  the  dangers  of  a  primitive  wilderness  at  the  rate  of  one  mile  an  hour, 
to  the  finely  appointed  mail  car  of  the  modern  railway,  passing  through  the 
country  over  its  smooth  track  of  steel  at  a  speed  exceeding  sixty  miles  an  hour, 
would  require  the  space  of  volumes.  To  chronicle  the  innovatidns  of  time  and 
postal  reforms  from  the  uncpvered,  wafer-sealed  sheet  requiring  twenty-five 
cents  to  carry  it  a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles,- to  this  era  of  cheap  postage, 
free  delivery  and  instantaneous  postal  telegraphic  connections  around  the  globe, 
is  not  my  purpose. 

The  records  of  seventy- two  years  of  postal  transactions  show  that  political 
preferment  effected  many  changes  in  the  head  of  the  Rochester  post-office. 
Abelard  Reynolds,  the  pioneer  postmaster,  commissioned  November  19th, 
181 2,  held  the  position  seventeen  years,  his  son  William  A.  Reynolds  acting  as 
assistant  and  deputy  during  the  latter  part  of  his  term.  Mr.  Reynolds's  suc- 
cessors, and  the  dates  of  their  appointment,  were  as  follows :  John  B.  Elwood, 
June  29th,  1829  ;  Henry  O'Rielly,  May  24th,  1838  ;  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  Janu- 
ary 1 8th,  1842;  Henry  Campbell,  July  i8th,  1845  ;  Darius  Perrin,  April  12th, 
1849;  Hubbard  S.  Allis,  June  30th,  1853;  Nicholas  E.  Paine,  July  6th,  1858; 
Scott  W.  Updike,   July  26th,  1861,  and  July  12th,  1865;   John   W.    Stebbins, 


Postal  Statistics  of  Rochester.  95 

March  28th,  1867;   Edward  M.  Smith,  January  i6th,    1871  ;   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,  37,  39  Arcade 
gallery  and  11  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  1 8 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   119  and  those  dispatched  379. 

1  No.  4,  present  Arcade  hall. 


96 


History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


The  number  of  pieces  handled  by  carriers  during  1883  was  12,891,375.  The 
number  of  pieces  handled  daily  by  the  entire  office  force  averaged  100,000, 
and  the  aggregate  for  the  year  was  36,000,000.  The  total  transactions  of  the 
money  order  department  were  100,695  amounting  to  $863,751.92.  The 
registry  department  registered  12,754  letters  and  4,034  packages,  and  delivered 
at  the  office  48,870  letters.  The  gross  sum  received  by  the  post-office  in  1883 
was  $259,840.13;  the  total  expense  $57,466.41,  leaving  a  net  profit  to  the 
government  of  $202,373.72. 

The  officials  of  the  office  were:  Postmaster,  Daniel  T.  Hunt;  assistant 
postmaster,  W.  Seward  Whittlesey;  superintendent  of  carriers,  George  F. 
Loder;  assistant  superintendent  of  carriers,  James  T.  Sproat;  chief  clerk, 
Calvin  Wait;  money  order  department,  Willis  G.  Mitchell;  registry  depart- 
ment, Frank  A.  Bryan;  stamp  department,  Jacob  G.  Maurer;  mailing  depart- 
ment, William  C.  Walker;  assisted  by  a  force  of  twenty-five  clerks  and  thirty- 
three  letter  carriers. 

Note. — All  of  the  foregoing  chapters  were  prepared  by  Mr.  George  H.  Harris. — [Kd. 


THK   FIRST   I'OST-OFl'ICE  OF   ROCHESTER 


ROCHESTER 

1814. 


Reasons  for  Rochester's  Tardy  Settlement.  97 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  BIRTH  OF  ROCHESTER. 

Reasons  for  Its  Tardy  Settlement  —  Prevalence  of  Diseases  in  this  Part  of  the  Country  —  Dr. 
I.ucUow  on  Typhoid  Pneumonia  —  The  First  House  on  the  West  Side  of  the  River  —  The  War  of 
1812  —  Attempted  Intimidation  at  Charlotte  —  The  Projected  Invasion  Abandoned  —  Erection  of  the 
Red  Mill,  the  Cotton  Factory,  etc.  —  Census  of  1815  —  The  First  Newspaper. 

IT  is  easy  to  locate  in  time  the  very  day  of  the  discovery  of  an  island,  the 
very  hour  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  building,  the  very  minute  in 
which  the  pick  is  put  into  the  ground  for  the  beginning  of  a  railway;  but  to 
settle  upon  the  time  of  the  initiation  of  a  village  is  a  thing  approaching 
the  impossible,  and  the  historian  who  is  the  most  absolute  in  his  statement  of 
such  an  event  is  the  one  to  be  most  flatly  contradicted  by  succeeding  writers. 
The  range  of  years  in  one  of  which  the  settlement  of  Rochester  (or  Rochester- 
ville)  is  to  be  fixed  is  not  very  great,  but  authorities  are  not  agreed  as  to  what 
constituted  the  inception  of  the  hamlet  or  the  precise  time  in  which  it  took 
place.  Orsamus  Turner,  in  his  History  of  the  Phelps  &  Gorhain  Purchase, 
puts  the  date  at  18  il,  for  the  reason  that  that  was  the  year  in  which  Colonel 
Rochester  first  surveyed  and  sold  lots  on  the  One-hundred-acre  tract.  Others 
place  it  at  181 2,  the  year  which  is  acceptable  to  the  majority,  including  Dr. 
Coventry,  a  resident  of  Geneva  in  early  days  and  more  lately  of  Utlca,  who 
adopts  it  in  an  address  delivered  before  the  Oneida  county  Medical  society  in 
1823,  and  Elisha  Ely  in  the  Rochester  directory  of  1827,  wherein  it  is  spoken 
of  as  the  birth  year  of  the  village. 

Turner  comments  upon  the  reasons  for  the  tardiness  in  effecting  a  settle- 
ment at  this  piace.  After  speaking  of  what  had  been  done  on  the  shore  of 
the  lake  west  of  here,  at  Oak  Orchard  and  other  little  hamlets,  he  says  :  — 

"  l'"ollo\ving  these  ])ioncer  advents,  other  adventurers  were  '  few  and  far  between ;'  tliey 
were  in  a  few  localities  in  Niagara,  along  on  the  Ridge  in  OHeans,  in  Clarkson,  Ogdeii, 
Bergen,  Riga,  Chili,  Greece,  Penfield,  Macedon,  Walworth,  Marion,  and  along  on  the 
road  from  Sod  us  to  Lyons.  When  litde  neighborhoods  had  been  formed  in  all  these 
detached  localities,  disease  came  into  the  openings  of  the  forest  about  as  fast  as  they 
were  made.  Often  families,  and  sometimes  almost  entire  neighborhoods,  were  carried 
into  the  older  and  healthier  localities,  upon  ox-sleds  and  carts,  through  wood-roads,  to 
be  nursed  and  cared  for.  Through  long  years  this  operated  not  unlike  the  carrying 
of  the  dead  and  wounded  from  a  battlefield  into  the  presence  of  those  whose  aid  is 
required  to  renew  and  maintain  the  strife.  It  is  but  litde  less  appalling  and  discouraging. 
The  whole  region  now  immediately  under  consideration  was  sickly  in  all  the  eady  years, 
and  upon  that  account,  and  for  other  reasons,  was  slow  in  setthng.  All  the  region  around 
the  falls  of  the  Genesee,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  at  King's  Landing,  was  regarded  as 
prolific  in  the  seeds  of  disease  —  of  chills  and  fever  —  almost  as  are  the  Poiitine  marshes 
of  the  Old  world  and  the  passes  of  the  Isthmus  on  the  route  to  California.  A  single 
instance  may  be  stated  in  this  connection.     The   causes  that  have  been  cited  are  quite 


98  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sufficient  to  account  for  the  late  start  of  Rochester;  to  explain  to  the  readers  of  the 
present  day  why  valuable  hydraulic  privileges,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  shipping 
ports  of  Lake  Ontario,  were  so  long  principally  shrouded  by  the  primeval  forest,  after 
settlement  had  approached  and  almost  surrounded  the  locality.  To  these  causes  the 
reader  may  add  what  he  has  already  observed  'Of  the  tendency  of  things  toward  tlie 
main  thoroughfare,  the  Buffalo  road,  in  early  years,  and  the  fact  that  quite  u])  to  the 
period  of  the  start  of  Rochester  the  commercial  enterprise  and  expectation  of  a  large 
settled  portion  of  the  Genesee  country  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  headwaters 
of  the  Alleghany  and  Susquehanna  rivers." 

In  this  opening  year  the  bridge  across  the  Genesee  river  was  finished,  and 
long  after  its  completion  it  was  regarded  with  far  more  pride  and  admiration 
than  were  ever  bestowed  on  its  present  successor,  the  substantial  and  invisible 
structure  over  which  Main  street  now  takes  its  way.  It  was,  indeed,  no  mean 
afiTair,  for  it  took  two  years  to  build  it,  and  the  expense,  amounting  to  $I2,000, 
was  borne  by  the  counties  of  Ontario  and  Genesee.  Before  that  time  the  only 
bridge  on  the  river  was  at  Avon,  twenty  miles  south,  where  the  "  Bufifalo  road" 
crossed,  and  the  usual  means  of  passage  at  this  point  was  by  fording  on  the 
level  rocky  bottom  where  Court  street  bridge  now  stands.  Besides  this  there 
was  a  rude  ferry  at  the  rapids  above,  with  a  large  flat-boat  drawn  by  an  end- 
less cable,  for  David  Frink  made  the  transit  in  this  manner  in  the  fall  of  i8i  i, 
with  his  wife  and  six  children,  one  of  whom  afterward  married  Alonzo  Frost, 
and  another  Edward  Frost ;  both  ladies  are  now  living  in  this  city,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  and  eighty  years,  respectively.  The  completion  of  the  bridge 
probably  did  much  to  determine  the  location  of  the  future  city,  for  previous  to 
that  the  strife  had  been  quite  active  between  the  village  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river — named  after  Charlotte,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Troup,  the  agent  of  the 
Pulteney  estate  -^  and  the  little  gathering  of  houses  around  Frederick  Hanford's 
store  at  the  upper  landing,  first  named  King's  Landing,  then  called  Fall  Town, 
and  later  known  as  Hanford's  Landing. 

An  extract  from  Ayi  Essay  on  the  Genesee  Country,  published  by  Dr.  Lud- 
low in  the  New  York  Medical  atid  Physical  Journal  for  1823,  is  of  interest  as 
showing  the  sanitary  condition,  in  this  early  period,  of  this  locality,  through 
which  he  was  then  continually  traveling,  and  from  which  he  had  constant 
reports :  — 

"In  March  of  181 2  there  were  frequent  cases  of  pleuritis  with  great  diversity  of 
symptoms.  In  some  cases  copious  bleeding  was  required,  with  a  strict  antiphlogistic 
regimen,  while  in  others  an  opposite  course  of  treatment  was  indicated.  The  weather 
had  been  variable,  with  southerly  winds.  In  April  and  May  were  noticed  for  the  first 
time  a  few  sporadic  cases  o{  pneumonia  typhoides,  a  disease  until  then  unknown,  and 
which,  during  the  ensuing  winter,  became  the  most  formidable  epidemic  which  had  ever 
appeared  in  this  country.  In  the  first  cases  the  local  affection  was  principally  confined 
to  the  throat,  and  these  were  more  fatal  than  those  which  succeeded  them,  in  which  the 
lungs  and  brain  were  principally  affected.  The  summer  months  were  extremely  warm 
and  dry  J  diarrhoea,  dysentery  and  the  usual  fevers  were  prevalent.  During  the  autumn 
pneutnonia  typhoides  again  prevailed  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  particularly  among 


First  House  on  the  West  Side  of  the  River.  99 

the  soldiers  at  Lewiston,  on  the  Niagara  frontier.  In  January  and  Februar)',  1813,  the 
weather  was  very  variable,  being  alternately  cold  and  humid;  the  epidemic  pneumonia 
now  became  general  and  caused  great  mortality.     There  were  two  forms  of  the  disease, 

sthenic  and  asthenic ;  the  greater  portion,  however,  were  of  the  latter  kind 

The  multiplicity  of  symptoms  occasioned  a  great  variety  of  treatment ;  some  depleted, 
others  stimulated.  On  its  first  apjjearance  large  bleedings  were  employed,  but  with 
temporary  relief,  in  most  cases  the  patient  sinking  oh  the  third  or  fourth  day.  In  other 
sections  of  the  country  this  mode  of  treatment  was  more  successful.     Those  who  were 

opposed  to  the  lancet  trusted  to  opium,  a  practice  equally  fatal The  epidemic 

ceased  on  the  return  of  warm  weather.  The  summer  was  unusually  healthy.  In  the 
winter  of  1814  the  destructive  disease  returned,  though  it  was  not  so  malignant  as  it 
had  proved  the  last  season.  Depleting  remedies  generally  produced  a  favorable  ter- 
mination. In  the  autumn  catarrhal  complaints  were  very  prevalent.  In  1815  the 
fevers  were  generally  inflammatory  and  easily  subdued.  In  July  dysentery  prevailed  as 
an  epidemic,  but  admitted  of  free  depletion.  In  some  cases  it  was  accompanied  by  ex- 
ternal inflammation  and  tumefaction  of  the  face,  neck  and  joints ;  in  some  few  instances 
the  inflammation  of  the  face  terminated  in  gangrene.  The  fatality  was  greatest  among 
children." 

The  sickness  described  above  was  evidently  of  a  nature  kindred  to  those 
diseases  mentioned  by  Turner.  Whatever  influence  they  may  have  liad  in 
postponing  the  settlement  of  the  village,  they  evidently  had  not  much  effect  in 
checking  the  growth  of  Rochester,  after  it  once  began,  for  it  increased  so  rap- 
idly as  to  show  that  settlers  must  have  poured  in  from  all  quarters.  The  very 
first  year  displayed  an  activity  which  has  scarcely  been  emulated  since  then, 
when  we  take  into  consideration  the  paucity  of  numbers,  the  difficulty  of  the 
transportation  of  material  from  other  places  and  the  smallness  of  capital  invested, 
compared  with  the  streams  of  wealth  that  have,  in  these  later  years,  flowed 
into  the  far  western  towns  when  they  began  to  exhibit  evidence  of  prosperity. 
Among  the  events  of  that  year,  after  the  proprietors  of  the  Allan  mill  lot  had 
surveyed  it  into  village  lots  and  opened  it  for  sale  and  settlement,  was  the  erec- 
tion of  the  first  house  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  This  was  on  the  corner 
of  State  and  West  Main  streets,  where  the  Powers  block  now  stands,  and  was 
built  for  Hamlet  Scrantom  by  Henry  Skinner,  on  a  lot  which  the  latter  had 
purchased  from  Colonel  Rochester.  Having  been  begun  early  in  the  year  it 
was  completed  in  May,  Mr.  Scrantom  finishing  the  structure  by  roofing  it  with 
slabs  from  the  saw-mill  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  which  were  floated  across 
at  the  rapids,  as  the  bridge  was  not  then  open  for  travel.  On  the  Fourth  of 
July  the  house  was  first  occupied,  and  what  celebration  there  was  of  the 
nation's  birthday  in  this  place  consisted  in  part  of  bonfires  built  in  front  of  the 
log  hut.  One  of  the  four  sons  of  the  occupant  of  this  dwelling  was  Hamlet  D. 
Scrantom,  elected  mayor  of  the  city  in  i860,  and  another  was  the  late  Edwin 
Scrantom,  who  at  a  later  period  in  life  referred  to  it  in  a  pleasing  little  poem 
called  My  Early  Home,  one  stanza  of  which  is  as  follows :  — 


loo  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

"  Back  on  the  misty  track  of  time, 

In  memory's  flickering  light, 
I  see  the  scenes  of  other  days 

Like  meteors  in  the  night. 
The  garden,  with  its  low-built  fence. 

With  stakes  and  withes  to  tie  it ; 
The  rude  log-house,  my. early  home. 

And  one  wild  maple  by  it." 

Mr.  Scrantom  is  the  authority  for  the  statements  given  immediately  above, 
as  told  to  the  writer  several  years  ago,  and  subsequently  published  by  Mr. 
Scrantom.  Not  in  conflict  with  those  recollections,  but  as  setting  the  matter 
in  another  light  and  showing  that,  while  the  log  hut  above  alluded  to  was 
doubtless  the  first  dwelling  built  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  the  first  frame 
house  erected  in  that  neighborhood  was  put  up  by  other  parties,  the  following 
extracts  are  given  from  the  private  diary,  or  "  memoirs  and  reminiscences,"  as 
he  styles  them,  of  the  late  Abelard  Reynolds,  who  came  here  from  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  in  April,  1812:  — 

"  On  arriving  at  the  falls  I  called  on  Enos  Stone  and  introduced  myself  as  being  in 
search  of  a  location  in  the  western  wilds  for  myself  and  little  family.  Mr.  Stone  replied 
that  he  was  from  Lenox,  which  adjoined  Pittsfield  ;  that  Messrs.  Rochester,  Carroll  and 
Fiti;hugh  had  appointed  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  village  of  Rochester,  which, 
instead  of  inhabitants,  consisted  only  of  trees.  He  gave  me  a  warm  invitation  to  setde 
in  Rochester  and  become  his  neighbor.  I  crossed  near  where  the  aqueduct  stands. 
He  gave  me  on  the  west  side  a  button-wood  tree  as  an  object  to  guide  me  on  the 
perilous  voyage,  at  the  same  time  remarking  that  the  fall  previous  a  man  with. his  family 
moving  to  the  West,  in  attempting  to  cross  with  his  team  (his  family  having  left  to  criJ).ss 
on  the  unfinished  bridge),  was  swept  over  the  rapids,  and  the  man,  wagon  and  horses, 
with  a  load  of  furniture,  were  carried  over  the  falls  and  lost.  Having  crossed  in  safety 
I  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  map 
of  the  village  of  trees,  viewed  falls,  etc.  1  finally  concluded  to  settle  at  Rochester, 
provided  I  could  be  suited  in  the  selection  of  a  lot.  He  said  I  should  have  my  choice, 
and,  taking  the  map  of  the  village  of  trees,  we  crossed  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,  I  said  1  would  take  number  i  ( '  Eagle'  corner),  but  he  said  that 
lot  was  sold  to  Henry  Skinner.  He  recommended  the  Clinton  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 
services  rendered,  but  that  I  might  have  his  lot.  We  recrossed  the  bridge  and  called 
on  Captain  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  township  number  7  (now  Irondequoit),  who  agreed  to  build 
the  basement  wall  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.  ioi 


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.  Reynolds  then  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  rnore  trouble  to  complete  the  large  house  than  it  would  be  to 
erect  a  smaller  one  on  lot  24,  and  thus  fulfill  the  purchase  contract,  by  which 
he  was  bound  to  put  up  a  house  within  a  year.  The  timber  was  growing  in 
the  forest,  but  determination  overcame  all  obstacles,  and  by  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary, 1813,  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 
Pittsfield,  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  year  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-office,  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.  Andrew^  (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 


I02  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

such)  ran  along  by  the  Ridge  road,  but,  as  it  was  then  almost  impassable,  the 
legislature  granted,  in  1813,  $5,000  for  clearing  the  path  and  bridging  the 
streams  between  the  two  places.  Three  houses  were  built  on  the  west  side 
during  that  year,  and,  what  was  of  more  importance  to  the  growth  of  the  vil- 
lage and  the  development  of  that  industry  from  which  so  much  of  its  wealth 
was  to  be  subsequently  derived,  the  mill  race  south  of  East  Main  .street  was 
opened  by  Rochester  &  Co. 

The  year  18 14  witnessed  the  first  mercantile  operations  of  any  importance 
in  the  little  village,  but  in  that  time  an  event  transpired  which  for  years  after- 
ward formed  a  leading  theme  of  conversation  among  the  older  inhabitants  and 
was  the  subject  of  at  least  one  poem  by  a  resident  author,  the  late  George  H. 
Mumford,  though  no  copies  of  it  have  been  obtainable  for  a  long  time  past. 
"Madison's  war"  —  to  use  the  name  which  the  opponents  of  the  national  ad- 
ministration gave  to  what  is  generally  known  as  the  war  of  18 12  —  had  been  in 
progress  for  two  years,  and,  although  no  gunpowder  had  been  burnt  here  for 
any  other  purpose  than  to  kill  the  bears  and  other  animals  that  lurked  in  the 
surrounding  forest  and  occasionally  came  among  the  houses,  still  it  had  some 
effect  in  causing  the  emigration  hither  to  slacken  perceptibly.  Many  of  the 
able-bodied  men  in  the  vicinity  had  gone  to  the  Niagara  frontier,  leaving  this 
point  almost  defenseless,  and  to  make  matters  worse  Sir  James  Yeo,  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  British  fleet  on  Lake  Ontario,  had  frequently  cruised  off 
the  mouth  of  the  Genesee,  and  had  in  June,  1813,  come  to  anchor  and  sent  a 
party  on  shore  for  the  purpose  of  plunder.  No  resistance  was  made,  as  there  was 
no  military  organisation  there  to  offer  it,  and  the  enemy,  who  had  landed  in  the 
afternoon,  remained  over  night,  keeping  sentinels  posted,  and  retired  early  in 
the  morning,  taking  with  them  a  quantity  of  salt,  whisky  and  provisions  from 
the  store-house  of  Frederick  BushncU,  for  which  they  kindly  gave  a  receipt  to 
George  Latta,  the  clerk.  Turner  thinks  their  speedy  departure  was  owing  to 
their  getting  information  that  an  armed  force  was  collecting  at  Hanford's  Land- 
ing, and  says  that  a  body  of  armed  men  which  had  gathered  there  marched 
down,  arriving  at  the  Charlotte  landing  just  as  the  invaders  were  embarking  on 
board  their  boats.  The  men  to  whom  he  refers  were  probably  those  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Caleb  Hopkins,  who  was  a  resident  of  Pittsford  at  the 
time,  but  had  been  holding  for  many  years  the  double  position  of  collector  of 
the  customs  and  inspector  of  the  same,  at  the  port  of  Genesee,  both  commis- 
sions being  issued  by  President  Madison.  His  civic  duties  did  not  prevent  him 
from  engaging  in  military  pursuits,  as  the  following  letter  will  show.  It  was 
written  by  General  Amos  Hall,  at  that  time  a  major-general  of  militia,  and 
commanding  a  division  in  this  district,  and  is  addressed  to  "Lieutenant- Colo- 
nel Caleb  Hopkins,  Smallwood,  Ontario  County,"  —  Smallwood  being  the  name 
then  borne  by  the  village  which  is  now  Pittsford,  as  well  as  the  township  which 
included  both  it  and  the  village  of  Brighton  :  — 


The  War  OF  i8i2.  103 


"Bloomfield,  June  16,  1813. 

"I  this  moment  received  your  letter  by  Major  Norton,  advising  me  of  the  landing 
of  the  enemy  from  their  fleet,  off  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee  river.  Your  calling  out 
your  regiment  was  perfectly  correct.  You  will  please  to  collect  as  many  men  as  appear- 
ances will  justify,  until  the  enemy's  vessels  leave  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  cannot  be 
expected  they  will  make  much  stay,  but  you  will  be  able  to  judge  of  their  movements 
by  to-morrow  morning.  I  shall  expect  you  will  give  me  immediate  notice  if  you  think 
more  force  is  wanted.  A.  Hall." 

With  this  invasion  as  a  foretaste  of  what  might  be  in  store  for  Rochester, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  great  alarm  was  felt  lest  the  British  admiral  might,  at  some 
day  not  far  distant,  land  quite  a  body  of  troops,  and  march  up  the  river.  The 
alarm  was  not  confined  to  this  particular  locality,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  follow- 
ing letter,  sent  on  the  8th  of  January,  18 14,  by  the  "committee  of  safety  and 
relief"  at  Canandaigua,  to  the  influential  inhabitants  of  New  York  city,  being 
addressed  to  DeWitt  Clinton,  then  mayor.  Colonel  Robert  Troup,  General 
Clarkson  and  others  :  — 

"Gentlemen:  Niagara  county  and  that  part  of  Genesee  county  which  lies  west  of 
Batavia  are  completely  depopulated.  All  the  settlements,  in  a  section  of  country  forty 
miles  square,  and  which  contained  more  than  12,000  souls,  are  effectually  .broken  up. 
These  facts  you  are  undoubtedly  acquainted  with ;  but  the  distresses  they  have  pro- 
duced, none  but  an  eye-witness  can  thoroughly  appreciate.  Our  roads  are  filled  with 
people,  many  of  whom  have  been  reduced  from  a  state  of  competence  and  good  pros- 
pects, to  the  last  degree  of  want  and  sorrow.  So  sudden  was  the  blow  by  which  they 
have  been  crushed  that  no  provision  could  be  made  either  to  eliide  or  to  meet  it.  The 
fugitives  from  Niagara  county,  especially,  were!  dispersed  under  circumstances  of  so 
much  terror  that  in  some  cases  mothers  find  themselves  wandering  with  strange  children 
and  children  are  seen  accompanied  by  such  as  have  no  other  sympathies  with  them 
than  those  of  common  sufferings.  Of  the  families  thus  separated,  all  the  members 
can  never  meet  again  in  this  life,  for  the  same  violence  that  has  made  them  beggars  has 

deprived  some  of  their  heads  and  others  of  their  branches The  inhabitants 

of  Canandaigua  have  made  large  contributions  for  their  relief,  in  money,  provisions  and 
clothing.  And  we  have  been  appointed,  among  other  things,  to  solicit  further  relief  for 
them  from  our  wealthy  and  liberal-minded  fellow-citizens.  In  pursuance  of  this 
appointment,  may  we  ask  you,  gentlemen,  to  interest  yourselves  particularly  in  their 
behalf?  We  believe  that  no  occasion  has  ever  occurred  in  our  country  which  presented 
stronger  claims  upon  individual  benevolence,  and  we  humbly  trust  that  whoever  is  will- 
ing to  answer  these  claims  will  always  entitle  himself  to  the  precious  reward  of  active 
charity." 

The  response  to  this  appeal  was  generous  and  prompt,  for  an  indorsement 
dated  January  24th  appears  on  the  letter,  stating  that  resolutions  proposed  by 
the  recorder  (Josiah  Ogden  Hofifman)  were  passed  unanimously  by  tfie  corpo- 
ration of  New  York,  granting  $3,000  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  legislature  on  the  8th  of  February  appropriated  $50,000  "for  the 
relief  of  the  indigent  sufferers  in  the  counties  of  Genesee  and  Niagara  in  con- 
sequence of  the  invasion  of  the  western  frontier  of  the  state,  including  the  Tus- 
carora  nation  of  Indians,  and  the  Canadian  refugees  —  the  money  to  be  distrib- 
uted by  Graham  Newell,  William  Wadsworth  and  Joseph  Ellicott." 


I04  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Provisions  were  now  made  in  earnest  for  repelling  the  invasion  which  was 
definitely  expected  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  precautions  were  taken 
none  too  soon.  Isaac  W.  Stone  was  commissioned  as  captain  of  the  dragoons, 
to  be  enlisted  for  six  months  as  volunteers,  under  command  of  General  Peter 
B.  Porter.  Hervey  Ely  and  Abelard  Reynolds  contracted  to  furnish  the  equip- 
ments, the  former,  to  provide  the  clothing  and  the  latter  the  saddlery,  all  to  be 
paid  for  when  the  soldiers  should  receive  their  pay  from  the  government  for 
their  services.  Enlistments  began  immediately,  but  it  did  not  take  long  to  find 
that  thirty-three  men  were  all  that  could  be  raised  in  the  village  itself  By  active, 
recruiting  among  the  surrounding  towns  seventeen  men  were  obtained,  and  the 
company  of  fifty  men  was  stationed  at  Charlotte,  Captain  Stone  being  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  major,  and  Francis  Brown  and  Elisha  Ely  elected  to  captain- 
cies. Before  they  started  for  their  destination,  word  was  received  that  Admiral 
Yeo,  with  a  fleet  of  thirteen  vessels,  had  appeared  at  Charlotte  and  dropped 
anchor.  Hastily  equipping  themselves  with  muskets  that  had  been  lodged  with 
Hervey  Ely  &  Co.,  and  leaving  behind  them  one  of  their  number  who  refused 
to  go,  and  another  who  was  deputed  to  remain  behind  and  take  off  the  women 
and  children  in  a  cart  if  the  enemy  approached  too  near,  they  hurried  away. 
Halting  for  a  time  near  Deep  hollow,  beside  the  lower  falls,  they  set  to  work  on 
a  breastwork  already  begun,  which  was  called  Fort  Bender,  and  upon  the  bat- 
tery of  this  they  planted  a  four-pounder  cannon,  to  intimidate,  if  not  to  resist 
the  enemy,  in  case  they  should  attempt  a  landing  at  that  point  from  small  boats, 
or,  as  Turner  says,  "to  impede  the  crossing,  by  the  invaders,  of  the  bridge  over 
Deep  hollow."  After  completing  this  work  of  military  engineering,  which  con- 
sisted mainly  of  fallen  trees,  they  started  again,  long  after  nightfall,  and,  after 
marching  in  the  rain  and  through  deep  mud,  they  reached  Charlotte  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Here  they  found  that  further  measures  of  defense  had 
been  already  taken.  An  eighteen-pounder  —  which,  as  well  as  the  piece  of 
heavy  ordnance  already  mentioned,  had  been  sent  from  Canandaigua  on  the 
order  of  General  Porter,  the  commander  of  the  forces  in  this  part  of  the  state  — 
had  been  mounted  on  the  only  fortification  in  the  place,  a  breastwork  upon  the 
bluff  near  the  old  hotel,  so  located  as  to  command  the  road  leading  up  the  bank 
from  the  wharf,  and  composed  of  two  tiers  of  ship  timber,  with  the  space  be- 
tween filled  in  with  barn  refuse.  Other  troops  were  already  there,  consisting 
of  a  volunteer  company  under  Captain  Rowe,  from  Gates  and  Greece,  while 
Colonel  Atkinson's  regiment,  made  up  from  other  towns  in  the  county,  were 
either  there  previously  or  came  up  during  the  day.  Nevertheless  the  Rochester 
contingent  was  evidently  the  head  and  front  of  the  American  army  at  that 
place  on  the  15th  of  May.  O'Rielly,  in  his  history  of  Rochester,  remarks: 
"Though  the  equipments  and  discipline  of  these  troops  would  not  form  a  brill- 
iant picture  for  a  warHke  eye,  their  very  awkwardness  in  those  points,  coupled, 
as  it  was,  with  their  sagacity  and  courage,  accomplished   more,  perhaps,  than 


Projected' Invasion  of  Charlotte;  105 

could  have  been  effected  by  a  larger  force  of  regular  troops  bedizened  with  the 
trappings  of  military  pomp.  The  militia  thus  hastily  collected  were  marched 
and  counter-marched,  disappearing  in  the  woods  at  one  point  and  suddenly 
emerging  elsewhere,  so  as  to  impress  the  enemy  with  the  belief  that  the  force 
collected  for  the  defense  was  far  greater  than  it  actually  was."  So  impatient 
were  these  men  to  meet  the  invading  veterans  that  early  in  the  morning,  before 
any  demonstrations  were  made  from  the  fleet  toward  the  shore,  a  volunteer 
party,  consisting  of  Captain  Ely,  Abelard  Reynolds  and  Jehiel  Barnard,  went 
out  in  an  old  boat  that  had  been  used  as  a  lighter,  in  the  midst  of  a  heav)''  fog, 
The  mist  suddenly  clearing  away,  they  found  themselves  within  range  of  the 
guns  of  the  whole,  British  fleet,  so  that  a  gunboat  darted  out  after  them  and 
they  had  all  they  could  do  to  make  their  escape.  The  circumstances  immedi- 
ately succeeding  we  will  let  O'Rielly  tell  in  his  own  words:  — 

"An  officer  with  a  flag  of  truce  was  sent  from  the  British  fleet.  A  militia  officer 
marched  down,  with  ten  of  the  most  soldier-like  men,  to  receive  him  on  Lighthouse 
point.  These  militiamen  carried  their  guns  as  nearly  upright  as  might  be  consistent 
with  their  plan  of  being  ready  for  action  by  keeping  hold  of  the  triggers !  The  British 
officer  was  astonished.  He  looked  unutterable  things.  '  Sir,'  said  he,  '  do  you  receive 
a  flag  of  truce  under  arms,  with  cocked  triggers?'  'Excuse  me,  excuse  me,  sir;  we 
backwoodsmen  are  not  well  versed  in  military  tactics,'  replied  the  American  officer,  who 
promptly  sought  to  rectify  his  error  by  ordering  his  men  to  '  ground  arms.'  The  Briton 
was  still  more  astonished,  and,  after  delivering  a  brief  message,  immediately  departed 
for  his  fleet,  indicating  by  his  countenance  a  suspicion  that  the  ignorance  of  tactics 
which  he  had  witnessed  was  all  feigned  for  the  occasion,  so  as  to  deceive  the  British 
commodore  into  a  snare.  Shortly  afterward,  the  same  day,  another  officer  came  ashore 
with  a  flag  of  truce  for  a  further  parley,  as  the  British  were  evidently  too  sus- 
picious of  stratagem  to  attempt  a  hostile  landing  if  there  was  any  possibility  of  com- 
promising for  the  spoils.  Captain  Francis  Brown  was  deputed  with  a  guard  to  receive 
the  last  flag  of  truce.  The  British  officer  looked  suspiciously  upon  him  and  upon  his 
guard,  and,  after  some  conversation,  familiarly  grasped  the  pantaloons  of  Captain 
Brown  about  the  knee,  remarking,  as  he  firmly  handled  it,  '  Your  cloth  is  too  good  to 
be  si)oiled  by  such  a  bungling  tailor,'  alluding  to  the  width  and  clumsy  aspect  of  that 
garment.  Brown  was  quickwitted  as  well  as  resolute,  and  replied  jocosely  that  he  was 
'  prevented  from  dressing  fashionably  by  his  haste  that  morning  to  receive  such  dis- 
tinguished visitors  I '  The  Briton  obviously  imagined  that  Brown  was  a  regular  officer 
of  the  American  army,  whose  regimentals  were  masked  by  clumsy  overclothes.  The 
proposition  was  then  made  that  if  the  Americans  would  deliver  up  the  provisions  and 
military  stores  which  might  be  in  and  around  Rochester  and  Charlotte,  Sir  James  Yeo 
would  spare  the  settlements  from  destruction.  'Will  you  comply  with  the  offisr  ? ' 
'  Blood  knee-deep  first !  '  was  the  emphatic  reply  of  Francis  Brown." 

Turner  in  describing  the  events  of  the  day,  in  his  History  of  the  Phelps  & 
Gorham  Purchase,  follows  quite  closely  the  diary  or  "memoirs"  of  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds. He  makes  no  mention  of  the  melodramatic  incident  described  above, 
but  says  that  the  purpose  of  the  flag  of  truce  was  to  tender  the  assurance  of 
Sir  James  Yeo  that  if  all  the  public  property  were  surrendered,  private  prop- 
erty should  be  respected. 


io6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

"  To  favor  his  mission  he  presented  a  paper  signed  by  several  citizens  of  Oswego, 
the  purport  of  which  was  that  as  the  government  had  left  large  quantities  of  stores  and 
munitions  at  that  place,  without  any  adequate  force  to  protect  them,  they  had  concluded 
not  to  risk  their  lives  and  property  in  the  defense.  The  message  and  the  paper  were  for- 
warded to  Captain  Stone,  who  decided  at  once  that  the  citizen  soldiers  assembled  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Genesee  river  could  not  follow  the  precedent-  of  their  countrymen  at 
Oswego.  '  Go  back  and  tell  the  officer,'  said  he,  '  that  he  may  say  to  Sir  James  Yeo 
that  any  public  property  that  may  be  here  is  in  the  hands  of  those  who  will  defend  it.' 
Soon  after  this,  a  gun-boat,  sloop-rigged,  of  from  ninety  to  one  hundred  tons  burden, 
sailed  out  from  the  fleet,  approached  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  fired  a  six-pound  shot, 
which  compliment  was  returned  from  the  eighteen-pgunder  on  the  American  battery. 
The  gun-boat  then  fired  fifteen  or  twenty-six  eight-pound  shots,  but  one  of  them,  strik- 
ing the  store-house,  doing  any  damage.  Soon  after  this  occurrence  Peter  B.  Porter 
arrived  and  assumed  command.  Another  flag  of  truce  came  from  the  British  fleet  at  4 
o'clock  p.  m.,  bringing  a  peremptory  demand  from  Sir  James  Yeo  that  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  Indians.  To  this  General  Porter  re- 
plied, through  his  aid.  Major  Noon,  that  he  would  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  third  flag  of  truce,  sent  upon  the  same  errand,  could  not  be  respected." 

Thus  ended  the  negotiations  and  the  projected  invasion,  except  that  for  a 
few  hours  afterward  several  heavy  balls  were  thrown,  harmlessly,  from  the 
fleet,  many  of  which  missiles  were  picked  up  arid  used  afterward  for  breaking 
stones  in  the  erection  of  public  buildings.  For  the  next  two  or  three  days 
troops  kept  coming  into  Charlotte,  but  the  number  never  exceeded  800,  a  force 
utterly  inadequate  to  cope  with  the  body  of  men  that  the  English  admiral  could 
have  landed  had  he  chosen  to  do  so.  Why  he  retreated  without  action  is  a 
matter  of  conjecture,  there  being  only  two  plausible  suppositions — one,  that 
he  considered  the  victory,  though  certain,  to  be  a  barren  one,  as  the  amount 
of  property  here  was  very  small,  and  the  other  that  he  w^s  really  deceived,  by 
some  clevei-  marloeuvres  that  were  preformed  by  our  militiamen,  into  a  serious 
over-estimate  of  the  strength  opposed  to  him. 

Rochester's  warlike  experience  being  thus  happily  concluded,  we  may  turn 
our  attention,  as  the  settlers  turned  theirs,  to  the  consideration  of  peaceful  pur- 
suits. Emigration  soon  set  in  with  redoubled  spirit,  and  in  18 15  the  prosperity 
of  the  hamlet  greatly  increased.  Mail  facilities  received  an  unwonted  impetus. 
Samuel  Hildreth,  of  Pittsford,  began  running  a  stage  and  carrying  the  mail 
twice  a  week  between  Canandaigua  and  Rochester,  a  distance  of  twenty-eight 
miles,  and  a  private  weekly  mail  route  was  established  between  Rochester  and 
Lewiston,  dependent  for  its  support  on  the  income  of  the  post-offices  along  the 
route.  In  this  year  was  erected  the  first  building  here  of  any  magnitude — the 
old  "red  mill,"  on  West  Main  street,  near  Aqueduct — which  was  put  up  by 
Hervey  Ely  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  tlie  settlement  was  on  October  8th,  when  Delia,  daughter  of  Ham- 


Incidents  of  i8i6.  107 


let  Scraiitom,  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  society  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  machinery  west  of  Whitestown  and  had  the 
first  bell  hung  west  of  the  Genesee  river;  the  steady  purchase  of  produce  from 
the  surrounding  country  began;  in  December  the  first  census  was  taken,  show- 
ing a  population  of  33 1. 

The  year  1S16  witnessed  a  variety  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  18 18,  when  Colonel  Rochester  settled  permanently  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  on  the  west  side  of  Washington  street  by 
Hervey  Ely  and  John  G.  Bond  ;  the  first  newspaper  was  established,  a  weekly, 
called  the  Gazette,  published  by  Augustine  G.  Dauby  and  John  P.  Sheldon, 
afterward  by  Derick  and  Levi  W.  Sibley,  and  still  later  by  Edwin  Scrantom  as 
the  Monroe  Republican,  after  which  it  became  and  is  now  the  weekly  edition 
of  the  Union  &  Advertiser;  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  and  making  a  distressing  scarcity  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  may 
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  between  the  Powers  block  and 
the  bridge  over  the  Genesee.  'J'he  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. 

a  log  causeway  over  a  deep  swamp,  in  which  the  forest  trees  were  then  standing;  be- 
yond Washington  street  west  there  was  an  unbroken  forest.  State  street  had  been 
cleared  of  trees,  but  the  stumps  were  remaining.  The  forest  came  almost  to  the  west 
line  of  the  street,  between  Allen  and  Brown  streets.  On  the  west  side  of  Exchange 
street  a  small  frame  building  stood  perched  on  a  high  ledge  of  stone,  where  William 
AUing's  stationery  store  was  afterward  located;  further  west  was  a  dwelling-house  back 
of  where  the  Bank  of  Monroe  now  stands ;  then  on  the  south  was  occasionally  a  smal[ 
building.  On  the  other  side  of  the  street  were  no  buildings.  A  yard  for  saw-logs 
occupied  the  ground  of  Child's  basin.  On  North  Fitzhugh  street  there  was  no  settle- 
ment north  of  the  present  site  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  cart-tracks  then  led  north  to 
adjacent  woods.  From  Sophia  street,  on  west  beyond  Washington,  was  an  ash  swamp, 
filled  with  water  the  most  of  the  year.  '  The  long,  pendent  moss  from  the  boughs  of  the 
trees  in  this  swamp  presented  a  picturesque  appearance.  The  land  south  of  Troup 
street  was  a  forest.  On  the  east  side  of  the  river  was  a  cluster  of  houses  on  Main  and 
South  St.  Paul  streets.  From  Clinton  street  east,  from  Mortimer  north  and  from  Jack- 
son south  was  mostly  forest.  A  black  walnut  tree  of  magnificent  proportions  stood  in 
the  north  part  of  Dublin,  not  far  northwest  from  the  falls,  and  attracted  many  visitors." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ROCHESTER  AS  A  VILLAGE. 

Its  Incorporation  in  1817  —  The  First  Village  Election  —  The  First  Church  Built  —  The  Com- 
merce with  Canada  —  Settlement  of  Carthage  —  The  Great  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  Quincy  Adams. 

TT7E  have  seen  the  troubles  through  which  our  early  settlers  passed — the 
\\  wasting  disease,  the  difficulty  of  communication,  the  alarm  caused  by 
the  menacing  army  of  the  British.  These  surmounted,  and  the  further  growth 
of  the  place  being  reasonably  assured,  it  seemed  that  the  collection  of  buildings, 
of  stores,  factories  and  dwelling-houses,  should  be  bound  together  by  corporate 
ties.  Accordingly  the  legislature  passed  an  act  in  April,  181 7,  incorporating 
the  village  of  Rochesterville,  thus  placing  a  suffix,  which  was  probably  consid- 
ered a  mark  of  dignity,  to  the  shorter  name  of  Rochester,  which  the  place  had 
previously  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  On- 
tario. On  the  5th  of  May  the  village  election  was  held,  at  which  the  five  trus- 
tees provided  for  in  the  charter  were  chosen,  Francis  Brown,  Daniel  Mack, 
William  Cobb,  Everard  Peck  and  Jehiel  Barnard  being  the  persons  for  whom 
tlie  votes  of  the  villagers  were  cast.  Of  these  Francis  Brown  was  chosen  pres- 
ident of  the  board — and  therefore  of  the  village — and  Hastings  R.  Bender  was 
elected  clerk,  Frederick  F.   Backus  being  subsequently   appointed    treasurer. 


Improvements  Following  Incorporation  as  a  Village.       109 

The  assessors  for  that  year  were  Isaac  Colvin,  Hastings  R.  Bender  and  Daniel 
D.  Hatch,  with  Ralph  Lester  as  collector  and  constable.  Thus  fairly  launched 
into  corporate  life,  the  village  took  a  new  start  in  prosperity,  and  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  dropped  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- 
rarily 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  1817 
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  Elisha  Johnson  purchased  of  Enos  Stone, 
in  this  year,  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  of  those  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 


I  lo  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

who  played  under  him  were  Joseph  Strong,  Bradford  King,  Edwin  Scrantom, 

Jehiel  Barnard,  Perkins,  L.  L.  Miller,  James  Caldwell,  Jedediah  Stafford, 

H.  T.  McGeorge,  Nathaniel  T.  Rochester,  Selkreg,  Myron  Strong,  Eras- 

tus  Cook  (who  brought  the  first  piano  to  Rochester),  Horace  L.  Sill,  Alfred 
Judson,  Alpheus  Bingham,  Leyi  W.  Sibley  and  Isaac  Loomis, 

Not  alone  on  land  but  on  water  did  the  new  village  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  kept  busy  transporting  produce  and  manufactured  ar-  ^ 
tides  down  the  river,  besides  which  many  boats*were  at  frequent  intervals  com- 
ing up  to  Hanford's  Landing  from  ports  below.  No  statement  is  obtainable  of 
the  commerce  for  1817,  but  in  the  next  year  the  exports  from  the  Genesee 
river  down  the  lake  to  the  Canada  market,  during  the  season  of  navigation, 
were  26,000  barrels  of  flour,  3,653  barrels  of  pot  and  pearl  ashes,  1,173  barrels 
of  pork,  190  barrels  of  whisky,  214,000  double  butt  staves,  which  made  a  total 
valuation  of  $380,000.  ,  That  was  not  a  bad  showing  for  the  foreign  commerce 
of  a  little  village  during  its  first  full  year  of  corporate  existence,  and  18 19  showed 
a  fair  increase  upon  that,  for  the  exports  to  Canada  then  amounted  to  $400,000. 

The  year  181 8  was  not  remarkable  for  any  thrilling  events  in  the  vil- 
lage or  any  striking  advance  in  its  material  prosperity,  but  the  strictest  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  the  devising  and  enforcing  of  ordinances  for  the  promotion  of 
health,  the  security  of  property  and  the  convenience,  as  well  as  safety,  of  the 
people.  Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Roswell  Hart,  William  P.  Sherman,  Daniel  Mack 
and  H.  R.  Bender  were  appointed  as  street  patrol,  and  in  their  persons  the  maj- 
esty of  the  law  was  duly  respected.  The  second  weekly  newspaper  was  estab- 
lished—  the  Rochester  TelcgrapJi  (not  Rochestervillc,  for  the  appendix  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  generally  used  even  when  it  was  officially  a  part  of  the  name 
of  the  place),  edited,  published  and  printed  by  Everard  Peck  &  Co.,  the  first 
number  appearing  on  the  7th  of  July  in  this  year.  For  the  manufacture  of  the 
material  used  by  the  two  journals  Gilman  and  Sibley  built  a  paper-mill  on  the 
east  side,  near  Atkinson's  flour  mill.  In  September  the  second  census  was 
taken,  showing  a  population  of  1,049.  l^^t  however  little  of  interest  or  excite- 
ment took  place  in  the  proximity  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  destroyed  the  precipice  of  fifteen  feet  for  the  "upper" 
falls  to  flow  over — enough  was  going  on  at  the  Lower  falls  to  call  our  attention 
in  that  direction.  The  settlement  then  known  as  Carthage — an  appellation 
borne  by  that  locality  long  after  it  was  embraced  within  the  city  limits,  by  which 
it  was  generally  designated  till  a  very  few  years  ago — was  a  rival  of  Rochester, 
or  rather  it  was  hoped  by  those  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lower  falls  and  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river  that  that  point  would  be  the  very  center  of  the  future 


(^  §■  e^":^'^^^  <tyc  ty/(_ 


The  Bridge  Between  Rochester  and  Carthage.  i  i  i 

city  which  they  felt  sure  was  to  grpw  up  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood.  Ca- 
leb Lyon,  who  was  probably  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  1 8 1 6, 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,  kept  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  falls,  a  flour  mill  with  four  run  of  stones. 
In  spite  of  all  this  it  was  evident  that  more  must  be  done;  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 
only  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  <vas  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{Y&hr\x^xy   i6th,  1819:  — 

"  It  is  with  pleasure  that  we  announce  to  the  public  that  the  Carthage  bridge  is  com- 
pleted and  that  its  strength  has  been  successfully  tested  by  the  authority  designated  in 
its  charter  of  incorporation.  It  consists  of  an  entire  arch  thrown  across  the  Genesee 
river,  the  chord  of  which  is  352  and  -^^  feet  and  the  versed  sine  fifty-four  feet.  By  a 
recent  and  accurate  admeasurement  it  is  found  that  the  summit  of  the  arch  is  196  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  water.     It  is  718  feet  in  length  and  thirty  feet  in  width,  be- 


112  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sides  four  large  elbow  braces  placed  at  the  extrenjities  of  the  arch  and  projecting  fifteen 
feet  on  each  side  of  it,  thereby  presenting  a  resistance  to  any  lateral  pressure  or  casualty 
equal  to  a  width  of  sixty  feet.  The  travel  passes  upon  the  crown  of  the  arch,  which 
consists  of  nine  ribs,  two  feet  and  four  inches  thick,  connected  by  braced  levelers  above 
and  below  and  secured  by  nearly  800  strong  bolts.  The  feet  of  the  arch  rest  upon  solid 
rock  about  sixty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  upper  bank,  and  the  whole  structure  is 
braced  and  bound  together  in  a  manner  so  compact  as  to  disarm  even  cavil  of  its  doubts. 
The  arch  contains  more  than  200  tons  and  can  sustain  any  weight  that  ordinary  travel 
ma>  bring  upon  it.  Loaded  teams  of  more  than  thirteen  tons  passed  over  it  together  a 
few  days  since  and  produced  very  little  perceptible  tremor.  Great  credit  is  due  to  the 
contractors,  Messrs.  Brainard  and  Chapman,  for  their  persevering  and  unremitted  efforts 
in  accomplishing  this  stupendous  work.  It  was  erected  upon  a  frame  called  the  sup- 
porter or  false  bridge.  The  Genesee  river  flows  under  the  bridge  with  an  impetuous 
current  and  is  compressed  to  the  width  of  about  120  feet.  This  width  was  crossed  by 
commencing  a  frame  on  each  side  near  the  margin  and  causing  the  weight  behind  to 
sustain  the  bents  progressively  bending  over  the  water,  which  meeting  at  the  top  formed 
a  Gothic  arch  over  the  stream,  the  vertex  of  which  was  about  twenty  feet  below  the 
present  floor  of  the  bridge.  Though  now  purposely  disconnected  from  the  bridge,  the 
Gothic  arch  still  stands  underneath  the  Roman  and  is  esteemed  by  architects,  in  point 
of  mechanical  ingenuity,  as  great  a  curiosity  as  the  bridge  itself  The  bridge  contains 
69,513  feet  of  timber,  running  measure,  in  addition  to  20,806  feet  of  timber  contained 
in  the  false  bridge  or  supporter.  All  this  has  been  effected  by  the  labor  of  somewhat 
less  (upon  an  average)  than  twenty-two  workmen,  within  the  short  space  of  nine  months. 
Were  this  fact  told  in  Europe  it  would  only  excite  the  smile  of  incredulity.  The  bridge 
qt  Schffahausen  in  Switzerland,  which  for  almost  half  a  century  was  regarded  as  the 
pride  of  the  eastern  hemisphere,  was  built,  we  are  informed,  in  a  little  less  than  three 
years,  and  was  the  longest  arch  in  Europe.  It  was  but  twelve  feet  longer  than  the 
bridge  at  Carthage  (admitting  that  it  derived  no  support  from  a  pier  in  the  center),  was 
only  eighteen  feet  wide  and  of  ordinary  and  convenient  height.  It  was  destroyed  dur- 
ing the  French  revolution,  and  no  entire  arch  is  known  at  present  in  the  old  world  to 
exceed  240  feet  span.  The  most  lofty  single  arch  in  Europe  is  in  England,  over  the 
river  Wear,  at  Sunderland,  which  falls  short  of  the  bridge  at  Carthage  116  feet  in  the 
length  of  the  span  and  ninety-six  feet  in  the  height  of  the  arch.  The  bridge  at  Car- 
thage may  therefore  be  pronounced  unrivaled  in  its  combined  dimensions,  strength  and 
beauty,  by  any  structure  of  the  kind  in  Europe  or  America.  The  scenery  around  it  is 
picturesque  and  sublime ;  within  view  from  it  are  three  waterfalls  of  the  Genesee,  one 
of  which  has  105  feet  perpendicular  descent.  The  stupendous  banks,  the  mills  and  ma- 
chinery, the  forest  yielding  to  the  industry  of  a  rising  village,  and  the  navigable  waters 
not  100  rods  below  it  are  calculated  to  fill  the  mind  of  a  generous  beholder  with  sur- 
prise and  satisfaction.  Particularly  is  this  the  case  when  the  utility  of  the  bridge  is  re- 
garded in  connection  with  its  extent.  It  presents  the  nearest  route  from  Canandaigua 
to  Lewiston,  it  connects  the  points  at  the  great  Ridge  road,  it  opens  to  the  counties  of 
Genesee  and  Niagara  a  direct  communication  with  the  water  privileges  at  the  lower 
falls  and  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  river,  and  renders  the  village  of  Carthage  ac- 
cessible and  convenient,  as  a  thoroughfare  from  the  east,  the  west  and  the  north.'' 

The  bridge  was  guaranteed,  by  the  contractors,  to  stand  for  a  year  and  a  day, 
and  it  is  somewhat  singular  that  a  great  proportion  of  those  inhabitants  of  the 
city  who  have  had  any  idea  at  all  about  the  matter  have  always  supposed  that 


Events  of  1819 — The  Erie  Canal.  113 

it  lasted  for  exactly  that  time,  the  tradition  being  so  firmly  established  that 
more  than  one  history  has  repeated  the  statement.  It  stood  for  more  than  one 
year  and  three  months,  giving  way  on  the  22d  of  May,  1820,  at  a  moment 
when  there  was  no  weight  upon  it,  the  great  mass  of  timber  not  being  suffi- 
ciently braced  to  pi'event  the  springing  upward  of  the  arch.  As  it  sank  into 
the  flood  below,  the  hopes  of  Carthage  sank  with  it.  Efforts  were  made  to  re- 
pair the  loss,  but  they  only  served  to  retard  the  decay  of  the  settlement ;  imme- 
diately after  its  destruction  another  bridge  was  built  upon  piers,  about  a  hundred 
rods  south  of  the  former  and  on  a  lower  level ;  a  few  years  subsequently  another 
was  erected  which  stood  till  1835.  In  1856  the  City  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $25,- 
©00,  a  second  suspension  bridge  on  the  site  of  the  first,  which  was  constructed- 
on  a  novel  principle  and  one  that  seemed  injudicious  to  most  persons  other  than 
the  architect.  At  either  end  of  the  bridge  stood  two  columns,  each  one  a  combi- 
nation of  four  hollow  cylinders  or  tubes  of  cast  iron,  screwed  together  by  flanges 
and  bound  and  braced  with  wrought  irqn  rods.  These  columns,  about  ninety 
feet  in  height,  rose  from  the  rocky  terrace  below  the  high  bank  and  served  as 
towers  to  support  the  wire  cables  that  were  anchored  beyond  them.  It  had 
stood  for  about  seven  months  when  one  night  in  April,  1857,  ^  very  heavy,  wet 
snow  fell,  to  the  depth  of  four  inches,  and  when  the  sun  rose  there  was  no 
bridge  there.  No  one  saw  it  fall,  and  no  one,  so  far  as  is  known,  heard  the 
sound,  except  the  watchman  at  the  paper-mills  below. 

The  year  of  18 19  came  and  went  without  many  changes  in  the  appearance 
of  the  village,  other  than  those  caused  by  the  erection  of  new  mills,  as  will  be 
detailed  in  another  place  in  this  volume.  In  addition  to  the  completion  of  the 
Carthage  bridge  the  river  was  again  spanned  within  the  village  limits,  a  toll 
bridge  being  thrown  across  by  Andrews,  Atwater  and  Mumford,  about  midway 
between  the  falls  and  the  present  site  of  Andrews  street  bridge  ;  it  was  prob- 
ably not  very  strongly  constructed,  as  it  stood  but  a  few  years  and  there,  was 
no  occasion  to  rebuild  it.  The  title  of  the  village  corporation  was  changed  by 
act  of  the  legislature,  the  name  of  Rochesterville,  which  had  always  been  dis- 
tasteful to  the  people,  giving  place  to  the  original  appellation  of  Rochester. 
This  is  what  it  ought  to  have  been  called  all  the  time,  not  only  on  account  of 
Colonel  Rochester,  the  part  owner  of  the  land  on  which  the  village  stood,  but 
as  bearing,  in  its  natural  features,  a  resemblance  more  or  less  .marked,  and  cer- 
tainly not  wholly  fanciful,  to  the  town  of  the  same  name  in  England.  On  the 
28th  of  September  the  state  engineers  made  a  survey  of  a  route  for  the  canal 
through  the  village.  The  question  of  the  course  to  be  taken  by  the  Erie  canal 
was  one  that  agitated  the  inhabitants  of  the  little  place,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
following  extract  from  the  Rochester  Telegraph  of  November  2d,  18 19:  — 

"We  learn  from  Mr.  White,  one  of  the  engineers  who  have  been  employed  in  explor- 
ing the  route  for  the  canal,  that  the  commissioners,  at  their  late  meeting  in  Utica,  de- 
cided in  favor  of  the  northern  route,  from  Montezuma  to  the  Genesee  river,  which  it  will 
intersect  at  this  village.     The  course  it  will  take  west  of  the  river  is  not  yet  determined. 


1 14  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

It  is  expected  that  contracts  will  be  made  this  season,  for  working  some  part  of  the 
canal  in  this  section  of  the  country.  The  result  of  the  first  experiment  which  was  made 
to  navigate  the  canal  between  Rome  and  Utica  will  afford  its  friends  and  advocates  the 
highest  gratification." 

A  letter  in  the  same  number  of  the  newspaper,  from  a  correspondent  at 
Utica,  gives  an  account  of  "the  first  trial  of  the  great  canal,"  in  a  trip  made 
from  that  place  to  Rome  by  Governor  Clinton,  the  canal  commissioners  and  a 
number  of  gentlemen,  the  letter  closing  with  the  ardent  hope  on  the  part  of 
the  writer  that  the  season  then  in  progress  would  "  witness  the  transportation 
of  salt  from  Salina  to  Utica  by  the  canal,  a  distance  of  more  than  fifty  miles." 
An  account  of  the  inception  of  this  great  work,  its  progress,  its  completion  and 
its  enlargement,  as  well  as  the  rneans  taken  to  direct  its  course  through  this 
.  city,  will  be  found  in  another  place.  Village  lots  had  by  this  time  greatly  in- 
creased in  value,  but  the  prices  at  which  they  were  held  in  18 19  have  a  strange 
look  at  this  day.  A  store  lot  fronting  on  State  street  (then  Carroll  street), 
where  part  of  the  Powers  block  now  stands,  was  offered  for  $1,000,  and  the 
Boody  farm,  embracing  one  hundred  acres,  now  partly  covered  by  some  of  the 
finest  residences  and  grounds  on  East  avenue,  was  offered  at  ten  dollars  an 
acre.  At  about  the  same  time  the  lot  on  West  Main  street  between  Exchange 
and  Aqueduct  streets,  and  running  back  to  where  the  canal  now  is,  was  sold 
for  $1,175. 

In  1820  the  village  had  grown  to  be  a  place  of  1,502  inhabitants,  according 
to  the  United  States  census  taken  in  that  year ;  the  first  court  of  record  was 
held  here,  Hon.  Roger  Skinner  presiding  at  a  session  of  the  United  States  dis- 
trict court ;  St.  Luke's  (Episcopal)  church  was  built,  being  the  second  house  for 
public  worship  erected  here  ;  the  price  of  produce  fell  greatly  in  this  year,  corn 
being  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  cents  per  bushel  and  wheat  thirty- seven  and 
a  half  cents,  so  that  flour  was  sold  at  from  $2.25  to  $2.50  per  barrel. 

The  legislature  did  in  February,  1821,  what  it  ought  to  have  done  before  — 
it  passed  a  law  creating  the  county  of  Monroe  out  of  portions  of  Genesee  and 
Ontario  counties,  which  had  hitherto  been  divided  by  the  river.  Jesse  Haw- 
ley,  Fitch  Chipman  and  Samuel  M.  Hopkins  were  the  members  of  assembly 
from  Genesee  county,  and  there  is  no  record  that  they  were  hostile  to  a  meas- 
ure that  was  plainly  demanded  by  justice  to  a  thriving  and  increasing  popula- 
tion, with  a  large  village  astride  of  a  river  and  situated  in  two  counties,  but 
John  C.  Spencer,  who  was  then  one  of  the  seven  members  from  Ontario  coun- 
ty, and  who  afterward  became  so  eminent  as  a  jurist,  set  himself  in  violent 
opposition  to  the  scheme.  It  was  not  the  last  time  that  a  resident  of  Canan- 
daigua  exerted  himself  to  prevent  legislation  favorable  and  just  to  Rochester, 
but  then,  as  sixty  years  later,  the  effort  was  unsuccessful  and  the  bill  passed, 
aided  in  its  adoption  by  the  strenuous  arguments  of  Daniel  D.  Barnard,  Ash- 
ley Sampson  and  others,  who  went  down  to  Albany  to  facilitate  its  passage. 
Morris  S.  Miller,  Robert  S.  Rose  and  Nathan  Williams,  the  commissioners  ap- 


First  Deed  Recorded.  i  i  s 

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  Sep- 
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  year,  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  years  ago  to  live  in  the  house  which  had 
been  built  there  by  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  year  (182 1)  a  female  charity 
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,  however,  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  insufficient,  ^nd  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  any  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  for  public  worship  was 
built  in  the  village  by  the  society  of  Friends,  and  the  fourth  was  begun  by  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,  forms  a  small  square,  laid 


1 1 6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

out  in  grass  plats  and  gravel  walks,  and  needs  only  the  further  attention  of  the  citizens, 
in  planting  it  with  shade  trees  and  shrubbery,  to  render  it  a  very  pleasant  and  valuable 
accommodation  as  a  public  walk.  This  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  Court  square. 
The  court-house  building  is  fifty-four  feet  long,  forty-four  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  by  four  fluted  Ionic 
columns,  surmounted  by  a  regular  entablature  and  balustrade,  which  returns  and  con- 
tinues along  the  whole  front.  From  the  center  of  the  building  arises  an  octagonal  belfry, 
covered  by  a  cupola.  The  basement  affords  convenient  offices  for  county  and  village 
purposes.  The  court-room  is  in  the  second  story,  extending  the  entire  length  and 
breadth  of  the  building,  and  is  a  remarkably  well  lighted  and  airy  apartment." 

The  basenient  referred  to  was  not  always  used  for  office- room  alone,  for 
during  the  latter  portion  of  the  existence  of  the  structure  the  cells  of  the  police 
station  were  located  in  the  northwest  corner.  The  county  jail,  erected  about 
this  time,  contained  two  tiers  of  cells,  divided  by  a  hall  through  the  center, 
inclosed  in  a  secure  manner.  It  stood  in  the  rear  of  a  handsome  and  commo- 
dious brick  house  on  what  was  then  Hughes  street  (now  the  north  part  of 
Fitzhugh),  on  the  site  afterward  occupied  by  the  Unitarian  church,  and  now 
by  the  German  Evangelical  church  of  St.  Paul.  After  being  used  for  its 
intended  purpose  for  aboiit  ten  years,  it  was,  after  the  erection  of  the  jail  on  the 
island,  occupied  for  a  long  time  as  a  recruiting  station  by  officers  of  the  United 
States  army.  Business  was  brisk  in  this  year,  even  in  the  winter,  and  it  is 
recorded  that  on  the  Sth  of  February  7,000  bushels  of  wheat  were  taken  at 
the  mills  in  Rochester  and  Carthage.  In  the  autumn  the  canal  was  extended 
as  far  as  this  place,  and  on  the  29th  of  October  the  first  canal  boat  left  the  vil- 
lage for  Little  Falls,  laden  with  flour.  In  September  the  fourth  census  was 
taken,  showing  that  the  population  had  nearly  doubled  in  two  years,  the  num- 
ber recorded  as  permanent  being  2,700,  besides  430  laborers  on  the  public 
works.  Thurlow  Weed  came  here  in  November  and  obtained  employment  on 
the  Telegraph. 

In  1823  a  fifth  house  of  public  worship  was  built,  St.  Patrick's  (Roman 
Catholic)  church,  on  Piatt  street,  where  its  successor,  the  cathedral,  now  stands. 
It  was  constructed  of  stone,  and  was  forty-two  feet  long  and  thirty  eight  wide. 
The  great  event  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-way,  escorted  by  the  military  companies,  Masonic  societies  and  citizens 
generally.  The  work  cost  $83,000,  and  although  far  inferior  to  the  existing 
structure,  both  in  expense  and  in  workmanship,  it  was  considered  at  the  time  a 
"stupendous  fabric,"  as  it  was  denominated  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  Finished  in  1823.  117 

and  coping  of  gray  limestone,  and  many  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  twenty-six  feet  chord,  nine  of  fifty  feet  each,  and  one  of  thirty  feet,  the  re- 
maining distance  being  of  masonry  put  up  on  the  land.  The  piers  were  thirty- 
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  year,  meetings  were  held  to  devise  means  for  aiding 
the  Greeks  in  their  struggle  against  the  Turks.  Balls  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  Quincy  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  pubHc  meeting  was  held 
here,  at  which  Mr.  Adams  was  nominated,  which  was  the  first  action  of  the 
kind  taken  anywhere,  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  Quincy 
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. 


1 1 8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER  XVni. 

THE  GROWTH  OF  THE  VILLAGE. 

The  First  Bank  in  Rochester  —  The  First  Presbyterian  Church  —  LaFayette's  Visit  to  Rochester  — 
The  Abduction  of  William  Morgan  —  The  Excitement  in  Rochester  and  Elsewhere  —  Trial,  Confess- 
ion and  Punishment  of  the  Original  Abductors  —  Other  Trials  in  Different  Counties  —  Anti-Masonic 
Party  Formed  —  Bitterness  of  Feeling  Engendered  —  The  Body  Found  at  Oak  Orchard  —  Morgan  or 
Munroe,  Which  ?  —  Perhaps  Neither  — The  First  Village  Directory  —  The  Fate  of  Catlin  —  The  Leap 
of  Sam  Patch  —  The  Mormon  Bible  —  The  First  Cholera  Year  —  St.  Patrick's  Day  in  1833. 

THE  record  of  1824  may  begin  with  the  estabh'shment  of  the  Bank  of  Roch- 
ester, which  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the  legislature ;  the  Buffalo  street 
bridge,  beginning  to  decay,  was  rebuilt  by  the  county  at  an  expense  of  $6,000, 
Samuel  Works  being  the  commissioner  and  Elisha  Johnson  the  contractor ;  the 
Episcopal  society  moved  their  old  edifice  to  the  rear  and  erected  St.  Luke's 
church,  which  is  still  standing  and  bids  fair  to  last  through  another  generation  ; 
the  First  Presbyterian  society  having  disposed  of  their  old  building  to  another 
congregation,  erected  a  new  church  —  the  sixth  in  the  village  —  on  Fitzhugh 
street,  back  of  the  court-house,  the  church  and  its  session-room,  which  was 
separate  from  it,  occupying  the  present  site  of  the  city  hall.  It  fronted  north 
and  was  eighty-six  feet  long,  by  sixty-four  wide  and  thirty  high,  with  a  tower 
projecting  three  feet  from  the  face  of  the  building  and  running  up  seventy-one 
feet  from  the  base,  surmounted  by  an  octagonal  spire  of  seventy-nine  feet,  so 
that  the  whole  height  of  the  steeple  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  ves- 
tibule was  entered  from  three  doors,  from  the  middle  one  of  which  the  stair- 
case rose,  leading  to  the  galleries.  Unlike  the  arrangement  in  most  churches, 
the  pulpit  was  at  the  front  of  the  auditorium,  and  all  the  pews  were  so  arranged 
as  to  face  it  directly.  It  was  built  of  stone,  covered  with  cement  in  imitation 
of  whitish  free-stone,  and  the  cost  of  the  whole  building,  with  the  lot  on  which 
it  stood,  was  about  $16,000.  A  few  years  after  its  erection,  while  Rev.  Dr. 
Finney  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  on  the  outside  by  buttresses  rising  between  the 
windows  and  above  the  eaves. 

In  1825  the  question  was  agitated  whether  the  community  should  apply  for 
a  charter  as  a  city,  since  the  powers  granted  to  the  village  trustees  by  the  act 
of  incorporation  were  inadequate ;  after  considerable  discussion,  the  people  con- 
cluded not  to  make  the  application  but  to  rest  content  with  an  amendment, 
which  was  obtained,  increasing  the  powers  of  the  board  of  trustees.  The  growth 
of  the  place  during  the  spring  and  early  summer  of  this  year  was  surprisingly 
large,  for  the  village  census,  taken  in  February,  showed  the  population  to  be 
4,274,  while  the  state  census  taken  on  the  istof  August,  gave  the  number  as 
5,273,  an  increase  of  a  thousand  less  one.      On  the  7th  of  June  LaFayette  vis- 


Visit  OF  LaFayette.  119 


ited  the  city,  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,  J  had  the  happiness  to  revisit  the  American  shore 
it  was  in  the  bay  of  New  York,  and  within  the  limits  of  her  vast  and  flourishing  empo 
rium  of  commerce,  that  1  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.  From  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  Exchange  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  subiscription,  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  river,  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 


I20  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  type,  and  finally  Morgan  was  sub- 
jected to  a  number  of  harassing  arrests,  which  his  intemperate  habits  and 
general  character  made  easy,  for  he  was  not  of  high  standing  in  the  communi- 
ty. He  was  repeatedly  put  in  jail  for  small  debts,  and  at  last  arrested  on  a 
charge  of  petty  larceny,  being  accused  of  borrowing  a  shirt  from  a  tavern- 
keeper  at  Canandaigua  and  not  returning  it.  He  was  taken  from  his  home  in 
Batavia  to  the  former  village,  where  the  charge  was  promptly  dismissed,  but  he 
was  immediately  re- arrested  on  a  debt  of  two  dollars,  which  he  admitted,  and 
was  thrown  into  prison,  on  the  nth  of  September.  The  next  night  several 
men  came  to  the  prison  and  paid  the  debt,  with  the  costs,  and,  Morga'n,  as  he 
left  his  place  of  confinement,  was  seized,  thrown  into  a  carriage  and  driven  off". 
He  was  never  seen  in  public  again.  His  wife  became  alarmed  at  the  prolonged 
absence  of  her  husband,  and  the  excitement  extended  to  her  neighbors,  from 
them  to  the  rest  of  the  village,  and  speedily  spread  through  the  state,  gather- 
ing intensity  through  the  next  three  yeans,  during  which  the  trials  in  five  dif- 
ferent counties  of  those  charged  with  the  abduction  were  going  on- — special 
sessions  of  the  courts  being  sometimes  ordered  for  the  purpose  —  and  finally 
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  party,  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 
Hervey  Ely,  Thurlow  Weed,  Frederick  F.  Backus  and  Frederick  Whittlesey  as 
the  most  active  members,  was  earnestly  engaged  in  bringing  to  light  all  the 
facts  that  could  be  obtained  with  regard  to  the  dark  affair. 

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  away.  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 
by  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  offense  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.  121 

not  know  what  had  become  of  him,  all  of  which  was  probably  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  guilty"  in  others,  while  in  the  majority  of  in- 
stances, perhaps,  the  jury  disagreed.  The  testimony  was  of  course  conflicting, 
but  it  seemed  to  be  fairly  established  that  the  prisoner  was, taken  to  Canada 
and  an  effort  made  to  induce  the  Masons  there  to  take  care  of  him,  perhaps, 
as  was  said  by  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  wrote  officially  to  the  earl  of  Dal- 
housie,  the  governor  of  Lower  Canada,  and  said,  after  giving  a  description  of 
Morgan  :  — 

"  During  the  last  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  liave  been  apprehended  and  punished,  hut  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 


122  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  testimony 
to  that  effect  was  obtained  at  any  of  the  trials,  the  witnesses  who  were  sup- 
posed to  know  something  of  the  matter  either  refusing  to  answer  on  the  ground 
that  by  so  doing  they  might  criminate  themselves  or  else  testifying  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  narratives  made 
from  hearsay,  and  only  in  that  it  is  cumulative  does  it  offer  better  claims  to ' 
credibility  .than  the  vague  rumors  from  time  to  time  that  the  missing  man  had 
been  seen  in  remote  parts  of  the  earth.  The  secret  was  well  kept,  and  was 
undoubtedly  told  to  but  few  outside  of  those  engaged  in  the  work.  That  the 
vast  body  of  Masons  both  here  and  elsewhere  were  not  only  guiltless  of  any 
complicity  in  the  crime  at  any  of  its  stages  but  were,  then  and  ever  after,  in 
profound  ignorance  of  its  consummation,  no  one  at  this  day  can  doubt  for  a 
moment.  Not  so  in  that  unhappy  time.  The  righteous  indignation  of  the 
people  over  the  commission  of  the  deed  extended  to  a  groundless  hatred  of 
the  whole  order,  the  members  of  which  were  subjected  to  persecutions  of 
various  kinds,  were  generally  ill  treated  and  in  some  instances  —  as  on  the 
occasion  of  a  procession  at  Batavia,  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  alive  the  ill  feeling  that  was  engendered,  but  other  events  occured  to  fan 
the  flames  of  passion  and  intolerance.  For  ten  years  from  the  incorporation  of 
the  village  Dr.  F.  F.  Backus  had  been  annually  elected  treasurer  of  Rochester, 
but  after  the  abduction  of  Morgan  he  had  come  out  as  an  opponent  of  Masonry. 
As  the  village  election  in  the  summer  of  1827  approached  he  was  again 
placed  in  nomination,  but,  though  as  usual  no  one  was  named  in  opposition  to 
him,  it  was  found  on  counting  the  ballots  that  he  was  defeated  by  Dr.  John  B. 
Elwood,  a  man  equally,  respected,  belonging  to  the  same  political  party 'and  not 
a  Mason,  but  who,  nevertheless,  since  he  knew  nothing  about  his  own  candi- 
dature till  after  he  was  elected,  was  probably  chosen  only  as  a  means  of  retri- 
bution. The  natural  result  followed.  Early  in  September  a  Monroe  county 
convention  of  Anti- Masons  was  called,  to  nominate  candidates  for  members  of 
Assembly.  Timothy  Childs,  an  eloquent  advocate  of  the  village,  was  nominated 
as  the  member  from  Rochester  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  1,700,  being 
chosen  in  the  next  year  as  member  of  Congress,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for 
four  years  as  an  Anti-Mason. 

Between  the  time  of  Mr.  Childs's  nomination  and  his  election  an  incident  oc- 
curred in  the  Morgan  history  which  in  the  mystery  in  which  it  was  clouded 
from  that  day  to  this  exceeded  even  the  uncertainty  of  the  principal  act  in  the 
drama.  On  the  7th  of  October,  1827,  a  corpse  was  discovered  on  the  beach  in 
the  town  of  Carleton,    Orleans  county,  at  a  point  where  Oak  Orchard  creek 


Supposed  Finding  of  Morgan's  Body.  123 

empties  into  Lake  Ontario.  From  certain  marks  on  the  body  it.  was  supposed 
to  be  that  of  the  man  whose  name  was  in  every  mouth,  and  several  members  of 
the  Morgan  committee  went  up  to  Oak  Orchard  and  had  the  remains  exhumed. 
A  second  inquest  was  held,  as  a  former  one  had  given  a  verdict  of  non-identifi- 
cation, and  several  reputable  witnesses  were  examined,  who,  before  seeing 
the  remains,  testified  to  certain  physical  peculiarities  of  Morgan,  such  as  a 
broken  tooth  in  one  jaw  and  a  missing  tooth  in  another,  which  marks  were 
found  to  be  the  same  in  the  body  discovered  on  the  shore.  Mrs.  Morgan,  who 
was  present,  positively  identified  the  corpse  as  that  of  her  husband,  though  she 
declared,  that  she  had  never  before  seen  the  clothes  in  which  it  was  found,  and 
the  coroner's  jury  of  twenty-three  members  returned  a  unanimous  verdict  that 
it  was  "the  body  of  William  Morgan  and  that  he  came  to  his  death  by  suffoca- 
tion by  drowning."  The  committee  of  investigation  gave  to  the  public  a  re- 
port to  the  same  efiect,  signed  by  all  the  members  —  Samuel  Works,  Hervey 
Ely,  Frederick  F.  Backus,  Frederick  Whittlesey  and  Thurlow  Weed  —  and  the 
remains  were  buried  a  second  time. 

But  public  opinion  was  not  quite  satisfied,  and  the  feeling  of  uneasiness  was 
increased  by  the  news  that  in  September,  1827,  a  Canadian  named  Timothy 
Munroe  had  been  drowned  in  the  Niagara  river.  His  widow  and  son  were  sent 
for  and  brought  to  this  city,  whence  they  went,  together  with  prominent  Masons, 
to  Oak  Orchard  creek.  Again  were  the  remains  taken  up  and  a  third  examin- 
ation was  held,  the  result  being  only  a  further  complication  of  the  mystery. 
Mrs.  Munroe  described  minutely  and  accurately  all  the  outer  garments  of  her 
husband,  with  the  rents  in  them  and  the  repairs  that  she  had  made,  and  her  de- 
scription corresponded  exactly  with  the  appearance  of  the  clothes  found,  which 
had  not  been  shown  to  her.  She  and  her  son  identified  the  corpse  as  that  of  Mun- 
roe, but  their  previous  description  of  him  did  not  by  any  means  tally  with  the 
presentment  of  the  body,  as  to  length  or  as  to  the  color  of  the  hair  and  whisk- 
ers. Which  of  the  two  it  was,  or  whether  it  was  neither,  has  never  been  set- 
tled. The  body  was  for  a  third  time  laid  to  rest,  but  the  Morgan  excitement 
knew  no  repose.  The  Daily  Advertiser  of  the  day  after  these  events  contained 
a  paragraph  saying  that  Mr.  Weed  had  declared  that,  whatever  might  be 
proven  to  the  contrary,  the  corpse  found  at  Oak  Orchard  was  "a  good  enough 
Morgan  till  after  election."  This  phrase,  which  long  ago  attained  the  im- 
portance of  a  familiar  quotation,  was  repudiated  at  the  time  by  Mr.  Weed, 
though  unsuccessfully,  but  his  explanation,  as  given  in  his  autobiography,  pub- 
lished last  year,  ought  to  extinguish  the  wrong  credit  given  to  him.  Eben- 
ezer  Griffin,  one  of  the  counsel  of  those  charged  with  the  abduction,  said  to 
him:  "After  we  have  proven  that  the  body  found  at  Oak  Orchard  is  that  of 
Timothy  Munroe,  what  will  you  do  for  a  Morgan?  "  To  which  Mr.  Weed  re- 
plied :  "That  is  a  good  enough  Morgan  for  us  until  you  bring  back  the  one  you 
have  carried  off." 

9 


124  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Through  the  following  year  the  fever  of  partisanship  continued.  Great 
numbers  of  clergymen  and  others  renounced  the  order,  while  others  gave  up 
all  active  participation  in  its  councils  but  were  still  known  as  "adhering 
Masons."  Finally,  in  1829,  as  the  hostility  to  the  society  in  this  locality  in- 
creased rather  than  diminished  in  bitterness,  the  part  of  wisdom  was  taken  and 
all  the  Masonic  institutions  in  Rochester  and  the  surrounding  country  ceased 
to  exist,  being  abolished  by  surrendering  their  charters  to  the  grand  lodge. 
Many  of  our  prominent  citizens  who  were  instrumental  in  the  adoption  of  this 
conciliatory  course  united  publicly  in  assigning  their  reasons,  which  were  after- 
ward embodied  in  an  address  that  was  circulated  through  the  newspapers  and 
in  pamphlet  form.  After  remaining  dormant  for  more  than  a  dozen  years  in 
this  locality  the  institution  of  Masonry  again  sprang  to  life  in  1843,  when  the 
angry  passions  of  its  opponents  had  passed  away,  and  soon  acquired  a  stronger 
hold  in  the  community  than  it  had  ever  before  possessed. 

The  first  directory  of  the  village,  from  which  many  of  the  minor  items 
previously  rehearsed  have  been  taken,  and  which  since  its  publication  has 
formed  the  basis  of  all  histories  of  Rochester,  was  published  in  1827,  and  the 
record  for  that  year  may  give  place  to  a  glance  at  its  pages.  It -begins  with 
the  names  of  the  inhabitants,  divided  into  two  lists  —  first,  the  householders, 
separated  into  wards  under  the  initial  letter  of  the  surname,  and  then  the 
boarders,  segregated  in  the  same  manner,  with  their  occupations  and  the  names 
of  those  with  whom  they  boarded.  Then  comes  a  description  of  the  county 
of  Monroe  and  its  environs,  followed  by  that  of  the  village  of  Rochester,  ter- 
minating with  its  record  of  events.  After  that  we  have  a  list  of  the  regula- 
tions adopted  by  the  trustees,  the  first  of  which  reads:  "Householders  must 
clean  and  keep  clean  the  sidewalks  and  streets  opposite  their  premises,  except 
in  specified  cases;  fine  for  neglect,  $5."  This  was  evidently  not  specific 
enough,  for  the  second  regulation  after  it  says  that  "  they  must  sweep  and 
clean  the  sidewalks  opposite  their  dwellings,  every  Saturday,  from  the  first  day 
of  April  till  the  first  day  of  November;  fine  for  each  neglect,  $1."  The 
directions  for  the  prevention  and  extinguishment  of  fires  are  very  minute,  and 
those  calculated  to  preserve  the  public  health  almost  equally  so.  The  real  or 
supposed  interests  of  morality  were  carefully  looked  after,  for  no  nine-pin  alley 
was  to  be  kept,  under  a  penalty  of  $5  per  day,  theatrical  representations 
were  restrained  by  ordinance  and  the  keeping  of  billiard  tables  for  gaming  was 
prohibited,  while  tavern-keepers  and  grocers  were  forbidden  to  keep  them  at 
all,  perhaps  because  they  were  considered  peculiarly  addicted  to  hazard.  Then 
are  given  the  officers  of  the  corporation,  then  the  religious  societies,  then  the 
benevolent,  then  the  literary  and  other  institutions,  the  newspapers,  the  post- 
office,  and  the  bank.  The  population  is  alluded  to  as  being  "composed  chiefly 
of  emigrants  from  New  England  and  the  other  states  of  the  Union,  together  with 
a  considerable  number  from  England,  Ireland,  Scotland  and  Germany,  and  a  few 


Sam  Patch — His  Fatal  Leap.  125 

natives  of  Norway  and  Switzerland."  A  list  of  the  principal  occupations  pursued 
by  them  shows  that  three  hundred  and  four  were  carpenters,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  shoemakers,  twenty-five  physicians,  twenty-eight  lawyers,  seven 
clergymen,  thirty-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, 
which  occurred  on  Sunday,  September  21st.  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  by  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  £^bout  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  particularly  conducive  to  the  growth  or  welfare  of  the  village  marks 
the  year  1829,  but  it  is  made  forever  memorable  in  local  history  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  had  acquired  a  reputation,  some  time  before  his  final  plunge 
into  the  water,  by  making  an  aquatic  descent  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  by  jump- 
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 


1 26  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

feet,  accompanied  in  his  plunge  by  a  tame  bear.  Both  beings  came  to  the  sur- 
face soon  after  striking  the  water,  as  much  satisfied  with  the  entertainment  as 
were  the  crowd  of  spectators.  Not  content  with  this  success,  Sam  announced 
that  he  would  exceed  that  performance,  and  so  on  the  13th  of  the  same  month 
he  ascended  a  scaffolding  twenty  feet  higher  than  the  brink  of  the  falls,  where 
he  harangued  in  maudlin  fashion  the  immense  throng  that  swarmed  on  earth 
and  roof  and  branch.  As  he  proceeded,  he  became  conscious  of  his  weakness, 
and  to  revive  his  failing  courage  he  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,  even  with  death  staring  him  in  the  face ;  in  desperation 
he  rushed  forward  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  did  not  rise  to  view, 
and  no  trace  of  the  rash  adventurer  was  found  throughout  the  winter.  Rumors 
were  afloat  that  he  had  been  seen,  but  they  were  baseless  and  were  disproved 
in  the  following  spring,  when  his  mangled  body,  with  the  limbs  broken,  was 
found  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  was  buried  in  the  little  cemetery  at  Char- 
lotte. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  our  village  narrowly  escaped  the  attainment  of  celeb- 
rity on  account  of  its  connection  with  another  mountebank,  of  brighter  intellect 
than  poor  Sam  Patch,  and  of  infinitely  greater  capacity  for  rnischief,  who  was 
then  about  to  introduce  to  the  world  a  new  religion,  destined  to  carry  in  its 
train  a  long  Hne  of  miseries  that  would  have  appalled  even  the  stolid  heart  of  its 
founder,  could  he  have  foreseen  them,  and  probably  deterred  him  from  his 
course.  The  story  is  told  by  Thurlow  Weed,  in  his  autobiography,  in  these 
words :  — 

"  A  stout,  round,  smooth-faced  young  man,  between  twenty-five  and  thirty,  with  the 
air  and  manners  of  a  person  without  occupation,  came  into  the  Rochester  Telegraph 
office  and  said  he  wanted  a  book  printed,  and  added  that  he  had  been  directed  in  a 
vision  to  a  place  in  the  woods  near  Palmyra,  where  he  resided,  and  that  he  found  a 
'golden  Bible,'  from  which  he  was  directed  to  copy  the  book  that  he  wanted  published. 
He  then  placed  what  he  called  a  'tablet'  in  his  hat,  from  which  he  read  a  chapter  of 
the  'book  of  Mormon,'  a  chapter  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  myself  of  whatever  notoriety  might  have  been  achieved  by  having  my 
name  imprinted  upon  the  title  page  of  the  first  Mormon  Bible.  It  is  scarcely  necessary 
to  ^dd  that  this  individual  was  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  the  Mormon  creed.  On 
the  day  but  one  following  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  for  the  expense  of  printing.  But  I  again  declined,  and  he  subsequently 
found  a  publisher  in  E.  B.  Grandin,  of  Palmyra,  in  1830." 

In  1830  St.  Paul's  church  was  finished  and  consecrated,  the  builder  being 
Elisha  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  Epidemic  in  1832.  127 

stood,  from  River  to  St.  Paul.  The  last  wolf  seen  wild  in  the  county  was  killed 
in  February,  near  Irondequoit  bay,  after  being  hunted  for  five  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 
twenty-five  years  ago  his  stuffed  skin  stood  before  a  hat  store  opposite  the  Ar- 
cade. In  this  year  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  by  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 
Hfe  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  cofiins  with  his  own  hand,  almost 


128  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

invariably  unaided  and  alone.  His  noble  work  was  not  confined  to  that  season, 
for  although  the  frightful  contagion  passed  us  by  for  the  next  year,  it  came 
back  in  1834.  The  faithful  guardian  of  the  public  health,  then  in  New  York, 
heard  that  the  epidemic  had  appeared  here,  a  man  named  Van  Kleeck  having 
died  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  officer  hastened  back  to  his  post  and  was 
immediately  appointed  superintendent  of  the  cholera;  nurses  were  placed 
under  his  command  and  an  old  cooper-shop  on  Brown  street  was  fitted  up  as  a 
hospital,  where  those  smitten  with  the  disease  were  taken  unless  they  had 
friends  to  take  care  of  them  at  home,  but,  in  spite  of  all,  fifty-four  died  and 
their  remains  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  on  West  avenue. 

St.  Patrick's  day  fell  on  Sunday  in  1833,  and  so  its  observance  was  post- 
poned till  the  next  day,  March  i8th,  when  the  celebration  consisted  principally 
of  a  public  dinner  at  the  Franklin  House,  then  kept  by  James  Tone.  Henry 
O'Rielly  presided,  with  Gen.  Hestor  L.  Stevens,  Isaac  R.  Elwood,  W.  A.  Rab- 
beson  and  John  O'Donoughue  officiating  as  vice-presidents  at  the  different 
tables.  Long  speeches  were  made  by  Mr.  O'Rielly  and  Judge  P.  G.  Buchan. 
In  the  first  month  of  this  year  a  charity  school  was  established  by  the  society 
of  St.  Luke's  church  for  the  free  education  of  the  poor  children  of  the  city, 
which  was  undoubtedly  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  year.  The  teacher  was  G.  P.  Waldo,  and 
the  school  was  established  during  the  rectorate  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Whitehouse, 
afterward  bishop  of  Illinois.  With  the  mention  of  this  noble  though  infant 
charity  the  record  of  Rochester  as  a  village  comes  fittingly  to  a  close. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


ROCHESTER  AS  A  CITY. 


Its  Incorporation  in  1834  —  Organisation  of  the  Government  and  Inauguration  of  Mayor  Child  — 
He  Conscientiously  Resigns  the  Office  —  The  River  Steamboat  —  The  Flood  of  1835  —  The  Navy 
Island  Raid  —  The  First  Murder  in  the  County  —  The  First  Foundry  —  Anti-Slavery  Movements  — 
Bringing  the  Bones  of  Patriot  Soldiers  to  Mount  Hope  —  The  Printers'  Festival  —  Mexican  War 
Volunteers  —  Woman's  Rights'  Convention. 

TO  the  repeated  applications  of  the  villagers  of  Rochester  the  legislature 
finally  yielded,  passing  an  act  in  the  early  part  of  1834  for  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  city.  The  charter  was  a  long  one,  divided  into  eleven  titles,  con- 
taining in  all  276  sections.  These  provided  minutely  for  the  government  of 
the  new  city  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  public  welfare  in  almost  every 
conceivable   manner.     The  limits  of  the  village  were  much  extended,  though 


Incorporation  of  Rochester  as  a  City.  129 

principally  toward  the  north  in  a  narrow  strip  which  embraced  the  lower  falls 
and  the  old  steamboat  landing  near  there,  taking  in  a  portion  of  the  McCracken 
tract  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  and  the  Carthage  tract  on  the  east,  and  the 
whole  area  of  the  new  city  was  4,000  acres.  On  the  2d  of  June  the  common 
council  and  supervisors  were  elected,  of  whom  only  one  is  now  living.  Gen.  A. 
W.  Riley,  who  was  the  first  alderman  from  the  fourth  ward.  A  week  later  the 
council  elected  Jonathan  Child  mayor  of  the  city,  Vincent  Mathews  attorney 
and  counsel,  Samuel  Works  superintendent,  John  C.  Nash  clerk,  E.  F.  Mar- 
shall treasurer,  and  William  H.  Ward  chief  engineer.  On  the  loth  of  June 
Mayor  Child  was  inaugurated,  and  the  following  extract  from  his  address  then 
delivered  will  show  the  potency  and  promise  of  the  little  municipality  fifty 
years  ago  :  — 

"  The  rapid  progress  which  our  place  has  made,  from  a  wilderness  to  an  incorporated 
city,  authorises  each  of  our  citizens  proudly  to  reflect  upon  the  agency  he  has  had  in 
bringing  about  this  great  and  interesting  change.  Rochester  has  had  little  aid  in  its 
])ermanent  improvement  from  foreign  capital.  It  has  been  settled  and  built  for  the  most 
])art  by  mechanics  and  merchants,  whose  capital  was  economy,  industry  and  persever- 
ance. It  is  their  labor  and  skill  which  have  converted  a  wilderness  into  a  city ;  and  to 
them  surely  this  must  be  a  day  of  pride  and  joy.  They  have  founded  and  reared  a  city 
before  they  have  passed  the  meridian  of  life.  In  other  countries  and  times  the  city  of 
Rochester  would  have  been  the  result  of  the  labor  and  accumulations  of  successive  gen- 
erations ;  but  the  men  who  felled  the  forest  that  grew  on  the  spot  where  we  are  assem- 
bled are  sitting  at  the  council-board  of  our  city.  Well,  then,  may  we  indulge  an  honest 
pride  as  we  look  back  upon  our  past  history,  and  let  the  review  elevate  our  hopes  and  an- 
imate our  exertions.  Together  we  have  struggled  through  the  hardships  of  an  infant  settle- 
ment and  the  embarrassments  of  straitened  circumstances,  and  together  let  us  rejoice 
and  be  happy  in  the  glorious  reward  that  has  crowned  our  labors.  In  the  intercourse  of 
social  life,  and  on  all  occasions  involving  the  interests  of  our  young  city,  let  us  forget  our 
politics  and  our  party,  and  seek  only  the  public  good.  The  fortunes  of  us  all  are  em- 
barked in  a  common  bottom,  and  it  cannot  be  too  much  to  expect  a  union  of  counsels 
and  exertions  to  secure  their  safety.'' 

Apart  from  the  organisation  of  the  city  government  a  step  forward  was 
taken  in  this  city  in  1834,  which  it  was  thought  at  the  time  would  be  the  be- 
ginning of  greater  things  in  the  same  direction.  As  an  improvement  upon  the 
flat-boats  which  before  that  time  were  poled  up  the  river,  above  the  dam,  a 
steamboat  was  built  and  put  into  operation,  to  run  from  here  to  Geneseo,  an 
event  which  was  talked  about  through  the  whole  country  and  which  seemed  to 
the  villagers  of  Dansville,  Geneseo  and  Mt.  Morris  to  be  the  opening  up  to  them 
of  the  outside  world.  She  was  called  the  Genesee,  was  a  stern-wheeler,  flat-bot- 
tom and  capable  of  carrying  more  than  three  hundred  passengers,  besides  towing 
other  boats,  of  which  there  were  twenty  or  thirty  in  use,  for  which  purpose  she 
was  in  great  part  designed.  Her  captain  was  J.  W.  Phillips,  who,  during  the 
war  of  1812,  had  brought  flour  down  from  Geneseo  and  Wheatland  and  carried 
it  by  teams  to  Albany.     The  landing  was  made  at  the  Rapids,  aiid  carryalls 


1 30  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

were  stationed  there  to  bring  the  passengers  down  to  the  center  of  the  city. 
After  the  Genesee  had  made  the  voyage  for  two  seasons  the  enterprise  was 
abandoned,  and  the  vessel  was  run  over  the  dam  and  broken  up. 

Mayor  Child  showed  that  he  was  true  to  his  convictions  of  right.  During 
all  of  his  term  of  office  he  had  been  unalterably  opposed  to  the  granting  of  any 
licenses  for  the  sale  of  ardent  spirits,  confident  that  their  public  use  was  a  seri- 
ous detriment  to  the  welfare  of  the  city.  The  common  council  of  the  first  year, 
although  opposed  to  licensing  in  general,  differed  with  him  as  to  the  strict  ap- 
plication of  the  principle  and  had  permited  four  grocers  to  sell  the  intoxicat- 
ing fluid,  believing  that  a  gradual  reform  would  be  more  satisfactory  to  the  cit- 
izens than  an  absolute  denial  of  all  applications.  The  new  board,  however, 
which  came  in  in  June,  1835,  were  far  more  lax  than  their  predecessors  and  at 
once  granted  so  many  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  next  January,  as  the  mayor  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  own  time ;  up  the  river  vast  damage  was  done  to  hay  and 
corn ;  at  this  point  Buffalo  street  was  overflowed  as  far  west  as  the  Arcade 
and  much  injury  was  done  to  goods  in  cellars  ;  at  the  lower  falls  the  new  bridge 
was  swept  away ;  careful  measurements  made  by  Hervey  Ely  showed  that  the 
quantity  of  water  which  then  passed  was  as  much  as  21164,000  cubic  feet  in  a 
minute.  The  Rochester  Academy  of  Sacred  Music  was  organised  in  October; 
the  names  of  the  original  officers  are  not  known,  but  in  1837  Addison  Gardiner 
was  president,  James  M.  Fish  secretary  and  Edward  R.  Walker  professor,  with 
F.  F.  Backus,  L.  B  Swan  and  Moses  Long  as  music  committee  ;  its  object  was 
"the  cultivation  of  sacred  music  generally,  but  more  particularly  of  the  music 
in  churches  and  for  charitable  purposes." 

In  1836  the  first  Andrews  street  bridge  was  built;  the  first  balloon  ascen- 
sion was  made,  by  a  Frenchman  named  Lauriatt,  from  a  vacant  lot  where  the 
Waverley  House  and  Congress  Hall  now  stand ;  hydrogen  gas  was  used,  made 
from  acids ;  the  most  remarkable  part  of  the  show  was  the  falling  of  the  roof  of 
a  blacksmith  shop  at  a  corner  of  the  inclosure,  with  several  men  on  it,  one  of 
whom,  named  Frisbie,  fell  on  an  ax  that  was  screwed  in  a  vise  with  the 
handle  up  and  forced  it  completely  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  thigh,  be- 
tween the  great  muscle  and  the  bone ;  the  man  being  thus  impaled,  Dr.  W.  W. 
Reid,  one  of  the  best  surgeons  of  his  time,  had  to  saw  through  the  ax-handle  in 
order  to  extract  it;  Frisbie  was  so  little  affected  by  the  performance  that  he 


jMhi 


*     .- 


rf-"' 


JONATHAN  CHILD. 


The  Patriot  War.  i  3 1 


was  at  his  work  a  short  time  after,  and  thirty  years  later  was  a  strong  and 
hearty  old  man.  This  must  have  been  a  very  quiet  year  among  our  fathers — 
though  pro-slavery  riots  were  common  enough  in  other  cities — for  General 
Gould,  who  had  been  elected  to  succeed  hiniself,  made  these  remarks  in  the 
course  of  his  address  on  giving  up  the  mayoralty  on  the  last  day  of  Decem- 
ber:— 

"  Our  city  has  also  been  remarkably  distinguished  for  peace  and  good  order,  and  hap- 
pily delivered  from  the  fire  that  devours  the  property  and  the  pestilence  that  destroys 
the  lives  of  our  citizens.  During  the  period  of  my  office,  nearly  two  years,  I  wish  it  to  be 
remembered  as  a  most  extraordinary  and  to  me  most  gratifying  fact,  that,  with  a  popula- 
tion averaging  1 6,000,  I  have  never  been  called  upon  to  interfere,  nor  has  there  ever 
been  occasion  to  do  so,  for  the  suppression  of  riot,  mob,  tumult,  or  even  an  ordinary 
case  of  assault.  This  fact  speaks  a  most  gratifying  eulogy  for  our  civil  and  religious  in- 
stitutions, and  for  the  intelligence  and  morality  in  the  community  in  which  we  live." 

Several  events  made  1837.  ^  memorable  year  to  the  people  of  this  locality. 
The  great  financial  crisis,  followed  by  depression  and  widespread  bankruptcy 
among  the  merchants,  was  severely  felt  here  by  all  classes,  the  poorer  ones  be- 
ing the  most  affected  by  it,  and  it  was  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  giving  employ- 
ment to  the  great  number  of  laborers  who  would  otherwise  have  been  out  of 
work  that  Buffalo  street  west  of  King  street  was  then  cut  down  to  its  present 
level.  On  the  other  side  of  the  lake  a  ferment  of  dissatisfaction  had  during  the 
whole  summer  pervaded  the  province  of  Ontario  (then  Canada  West),  and  a 
newspaper  edited  by  William  Lyon  Mackenzie,  a  restless  demagogue,  had  so 
stirred  up  the  minds  of  the  Canadians  that  in  the  autumn  something  like  an 
armed  rebellion  broke  out.  A  feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  insurgents,  who  were 
rioters  rather  than  patriots,  spread  throughout  this  part  of  the  state,  and  a  party 
of  men,  who  had  nothing  else  to  do,  under  a  man  named  Van  Rensselaer, 
took  possession  of  Navy  island,  in  the  Niagara  river,  and  issued  proclamations 
urging  all  persons  to  join  them  in  aid  of  the  insurrection.  The  fever  increased 
and  people  flocked  to  the  island  from  all  quarters  ;  carried  away  by  the  excite- 
ment and  actuated  by  a  sentiment  that  seems  inexplicable,  large  sums  of 
money  were  advanced  by  an  active  committee  in  this  city,  to  forward  men  and 
means  by  wagons  and  post-coaches,  and  so  well  were  their  appeals  responded 
to  in  every  school  district  of  the  county  that  wagon  loads  of  all  conceivable 
kind  of  things  came  pouring  in  and  were  stored  in  one  wing  of  the  market, 
arms  and  accoutrements  in  all  stages  of  dilapidation,  provisions  of  every  variety 
and  blankets  and  coverlets  enough  to  envelop  the  whole  island. 

While  this  was  going  on,  the  news  came  one  Saturday  evening  that  the 
British  troops  had  come  across  the  river  to  the  American  side,  set  the  steamer 
Caroline  on  fire,  cut  her  adrift  and  sent  her  over  the  falls  with  sixty  persons  on 
board.  This  was  enough  to  arouse  the  whole  city ;  the  people  gathered  about 
the  Eagle  Hotel,  and  the  mayor  had  to  read  the  bulletin  again  and  again ;  the 
officers  of  the  militia  met,  and  the  soldiers  were  on  the  point  of  being  called 


132  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

out.  Sunday  intervened  without  further  news,  and  on  the  following  Monday 
it  was  learned  that  the  story  of  the  steamboat  was  true,  except  that  part  which 
related  to  the  loss  of  life,  for  there  was  nobody  on  board  of  her  when  she  de- 
scended the  falls.  More  recruits  rushed  to  the  island,  gun-houses  were  rifled 
of  their  contents  here  and  elsewhere,  and  a  real  war  seemed  about  to  be  precip- 
itated between  the  two  countries  by  the  popular  madness.  Before  the  patience 
of  the  Canadian  government  gave  out,  however,  our  own  interfered ;  General 
Scott  was  ordered  to  the  frontier ;  with  a  few  troops  he  cleared  off  the  island ; 
the  authorities  on  the  other  side  sentenced  about^a  dozen  persons  to  transpor- 
tation to  Botany  Bay  for  life,  though  it  afterward  pardoned  those  of  the  convicts 
who  were  American  citizens,  and  so  the  Navy  island  raid  came  to  an  end. 
Mackenzie,  the  leader  of  the  rebellion,  escaped  to  New  York,  and  finally,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1839,  came  up  here,  where  he  started  a  weekly  paper,  called  the  Gazette, 
intending  to  make  further  trouble  for  the  Canadian  government;  in  June  of 
that  year  he  was  tried  at  Canandaigua  for  violation  of  the  neutrality  laws,  was 
convicted  and  sentenced  to  imprisonment  in  our  jail  for  eighteen  months ;  within 
a  year  he  was  pardoned  and  disappeared. 

An  affair  of  more  purely  local  interest,  though  productive  of  an  excite- 
ment almost  equally  great,  and  an  interest  more  lasting,  was  the  murder  of 
William  Lyman  by  Octavius  Barron,  on  the  night  of  the  23d  of  October.  Ly- 
man was  a  grain  buyer  employed  by  Joseph  Strong,  the  proprietor  of  the  City 
mills,  and  he  started  homeward  for  the  last  time  with  nearly  $6,000  in  his  pos- 
session. Barron,  a  young  Frenchman,  only  eighteen  years  old,  induced  two 
other  men,  named  Bennett  and  Fluett,  to  follow  Lyman  with  him,  and  when 
their  victim  had  reached  an  open  lot  between  North  St.  Paul  and  Clinton 
streets,  near  his  home  at  the  corner  of  what  is  now  Clinton  place,  they  shot 
him  through  the  back  of  the  head,  killing  him  outright,  and  after  taking  $500 
from  his  person,  though  they  missed  $5,000,  which  was  in  his  hat,  they  went 
to  a  saloon  to  divide  the  money,  and  it  was  mainly  on  the  testimony  of  some 
girls  who  were  employed  in  a  millinery  shop,  back  of  the  bar  room,  that  Bar- 
ron was  convicted.  The  body  of  Lyman  was  found  by  Judge  Humphrey  the 
next  morning,  and  the  horror  of  the  whole  community  over  the  first  murder 
in  Monroe  county  continued  without  abatement  until  the  perpetrator  had  paid 
the  penalty  of  his  crime.  He  was  tried  on  the  28th  of  the  following  May, 
being  defended  by  a  lawyer  named  Bennett  —  residing  at  Lima,  though  he 
was  at  the  same  time  president  of  the  Dansville  bank  —  while  the  prosecution 
was  conducted  by  William  S.  Bishop,  the  district  attorney,  assisted  by  Mark 
H.  Sibley,  of  Canandaigua ;  Barron  was  convicted  one  week  later,  and  was 
hanged  on  the  2Sth  of  June,  1838.  His  accomplices  obtained  a  change  of 
venue,  and  were  tried  at  Batavia,  where,  by  some  legal  technicality,  they  escaped 
the  punishment  of  their  awful  deed.  Darius  Perrin,  who  was  the  sheriff  at  the 
time,  performed  the  execution  of  Barron,  but  declined  the  usual  fee  of  $500, 


oMi 


a  S!«SFKS»!ftSftS««5«5 


K  ^?  -  ~  ■■ 


Thk  First  Murders  in  Monr(je  County.  133 

and  the  supervisors  showed  their  appreciation  of  his  delicacy  of  feeling  by 
throwing  out  of  his  bill  of  expenses  an  item  of  $1.50  for  the  flax  rope  used  on 
the  occasion,  which  was  made  at  the  old  rope-walk  on  Buffalo  street,  near  St. 
Mary's  hospital. 

The  curse  of  Cain  having  come  upon  the  infant  city,  the  guilt  of  murder 
seemed  indissolubly  connected  with  the  place  by  a  repetition  of  the  crime  in 
1838,  even  before  the  first  assassin  was  tried.  On  the  evening  of  May  4th 
Austin  Squires  shot  dead  his  wife  as  she  was  removing  >  some  garments  from  a 
clothes-line  in  the  rear  of  their  residence,  on  the  corner  of  Lancaster  street 
and  Monroe  avenue ;  the  deed  was  dorie  in  a  fit  of  jealousy,  and  while  the 
perpetrator  was  in  a  condition  of  intoxication,  besides  which  he  was  a  man  of 
eccentric  mind,  and  many  considered  him  lacking  in  full  moral  responsibility, 
but  the  plea  of  insanity  had  not  then  been  brought  to  its  present  state  of 
artistic  development,  so  he  was  tried  in  October,  and  hanged  on  the  29th  of 
November,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five. 

It  is  pleasing  to  turn  from  the  necessary  record  of  these  horrors  to  the  de- 
tails of  peaceful  avocations,  prominent  among  them  being  the  transformation 
of  the  old  Gilbert  warehouse,  a  doorless  and  windowless  skeleton  with  a 
haunted  reputation,  which  stood  at  the  upper  end  of  the  canal  bridge  on  South 
St.  Paul  street,  at  the  junction  of  the  feeder  with  the  Erie  canal;  William  H. 
Cheney  rented  it  from  Dr.  Elwood,  who  was  then  its  owner,  put  in  an  engine 
and  boiler,  and  started  a  furnace  and  foundry,  casting  the  first  cooking- stove 
made  in  this  part  of  the  country,  after  an  old  "saddle-bags"  pattern  gotten  up 
in  Philadelphia;  he  stayed  there  for  eight  years,  when  he  moved  his  furnace  to 
St.  Paul  street,  just  below  Court.  Henry  O'Rielly  (the  spelling  being  changed 
from  its  original  form,  in  conformity  to  his  wish)  published  h.\^  Sketches  of 
Rochester,  with  Incidental  Notices  of  Western  New  York,  a  valuable  work, 
requiring  a  good  deal  of  research,  and  one  whose  merit  has  been  generally 
recognised  from  that  time  to  this.  The  book  was  published  by  subscription, 
and  the  interest  which  was  at  that  time  felt  in  the  preservation  of  the  records 
of  the  settlement  in  permanent  form,  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  many 
citizens  subscribed  for  a  large  number  of  copies,  thirty  being  taken  by  A.  M. 
Schermerhorn,  the  same  number  by  Jonathan  Child,  by  Fletcher  M.  Haight 
and  by  John  Allen  &  Co.,  while  thirteen  others  took  twenty-five  each,  and  so 
on,  660  copies  being  taken  by  thirty-five  individuals  or  firms.  The  Rochester 
Anti-slavery  society  was  formed  on  the  4th  of  January,  the  following  officers 
being  elected:  Lindley  M.  Moore,  president;  George  A.  Avery,  Silas  Cornell, 
Russell  Green,  O.  N.  Bush,  David  Scoville,  vice-presidents;  Oren  Sage,  treas- 
urer; S.  D.  Porter,  corresponding  secretary;  E.  F.  Marshall,  recording  secre- 
tary. A  state  convention  was  held  here,  in  the  court-house,  a  week  later,  but 
it  came  to  nothing. 

In  1839  the  Liberty  party  was  formed,  the  corner-stone  of  the  organisation 


134  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

being  laid  in  this  city.  Myron  HoUey,  in  June,  started  the  Rochester  Freeman, 
in  which  he  urged  the  policy  of  independent  political  action  on  the  part  of 
those  opposed  to  slavery.  On  the  28th  of  September  the  Monroe  county  con- 
vention for  nominations  was  the  first  to  be  held  —  in  answer  to  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  national  anti-slavery  convention  in  the  previous  July,  refer- 
ring the  question  of  independent  political  nominations  to  the  judgment  of  the 
Abolitionists  in  the  different  localities  —  and  it  adopted  an  address  and  a  series 
of  resolutions,  prepared  by  Mr.  Holley,  who  added  to  the  great  reputation 
which  he  had  gained  for  his  services  in  connection  with  the  Erie  canal,  the 
honor  of  being,  more  than  any  other  one  person,  the  founder  of  the  Liberty  party. 
From  this  convention  sprang  that  of  the  state,  held  at  Arcade,  Wyoming  coun- 
ty, in  the  succeeding  January,  and  from  that  the  national  convention,  held  at 
Albany  in  the  following  April,  which  nominated  James  G.  Birney  for  the  pres- 
idency. In  this  year  the  new  Methodist  and  tlic  Fifth  Presbyterian  churches 
were  dedicated,  and'  the  new  Rochester  artillery  was  organised. 

For  1840  the  following  will  have  to  answer:  The  semi-centennial  celebra- 
tion held  Monday,  March  i6th,  commemorating  ,the  settlement  of  Western 
New  York,  excited  much  interest  throughout  the  city.  The  Brick  church  was 
crowded  to  excess,  hundreds  being  unable  to  obtain  seats.  A  procession  made 
up  of  the  different  military  organisations  of  the  city  marched  through  the  prin- 
cipal streets  to  the  Brick  church,  where  the  following  programme  was  ren- 
dered :  Prayer  by  Rev.  Tryon  Edwards,  an  ode  written  for  the  occasion  by 
D.  W.  Chapman  and  read  by  Graham  Chapin,  a  discourse  by  Myron  Holley, 
with  reference  to  the  settlement  and  history  of  Western  Ne\v  York,  followed 
by  an  ode  composed  for  the  celebration  by  W.  H.  C.  Hosmer  and  read  by  My- 
roti  Holley. 

An  imposing  ceremony  caused  the  year  1841  to  be  memorable  for  a  long 
time  after  it  had  passed  away.  In  August,  1779,  General  Sullivan  started  on 
his  campaign  to  chastise  the  Indians  in  Western  New  York,  who  had  committed 
wanton  devastation  and  murdered  peaceful  settlers  throughout  a  wide  circuit 
of  country.  In  the  eleventh  chapter  of  this  work  is  given  a  description  of  the 
surprise,  by  the  red  men  and  the  tories,  of  a  detachment  of  his  troops  under 
Lieutenant  Boyd,  with  the  execution,  in  Indian  fashion,  of  that  officer  and  a 
private  named  Parker,  at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of  the  general  massacre. 
Sullivan's  army  came  up  soon  afterward  and  the  bodies  of  the  victims  were 
buried  where  they  lay,  tho.se  of  Boyd  and  Parker  where  the  village  of  Cuyler- 
ville,  Livingston  county,  now  stands,  and  the  others  a  few  miles  off,  near  Grove- 
land.  Sixty-two  years  later  the  bones  were  exhumed,  those  of  Boyd  and 
Parker  were  placed  in  an  urn,  those  of  the  others  in  a  "sarcophagus,"  and  both 
receptacles  were  delivered  to  a  committee  from  this  city,  which  went  up  the 
Genesee  Valley  canal  in  a  flotilla  of  boats,  accompanied  by  the  Williams  light 
infantry,  the  Union  Grays,  the  City  Cadets,  the  German  Grenadiers  and  the 


Remains  of  Boyd  and  Parker  Removed.  135 

Rochester  artillery,  as  well  as  by  the  mayor  and  other  city  officials.  The  next 
day,  August  21st,  they  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  staff,  who  had  come 
from  Batavia  on  a  special  train,  by  the  fastest  time  ever  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  7th  of  January,  1842,  Jesse  Hawley  died  at  Cambria,  Niagara  county, 
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  1817  and  held  it 
until  Jackson's  election  in  1828.  The  fourth  of  July  was  grandly  celebrated, 
all  the  military,  civic,  literary  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  England  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  Quincy  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 


1 36  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

other  cities  in  the  enthusiasm  displayed.  On  the  i-2th  of  April  the  friends  of 
Henry  Clay  celebrated  the  birthday  of  their  favorite  by  a  large  gathering  at 
Irving  hall,  at  which  Governor  Seward  was  expected  to  be  present,  but  he  sent, 
instead,  a  two-column  letter;  Elisha  B.  Strong  presided  and  an  oration  was  de- 
livered by  Dr.  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,  and  after  working  for  some  years  on  the  Telegraph  they 
purchased  the  Gazette  in  1821,  and  published  it  four  years.  The  census  taken 
in  March  showed  a  population  of  23,553,  an  increase  of  3,358  in  three  years. 
Three  hundred  and  ten  new  buildings  were  ePected  during  the  year,  about 
equally  divided  between  the  two  sides  of  the  river. 

Temperance,  the  canal  and  slavery  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  convention,  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  Erie;  James  Seymour  presided,  many  speecTies  were  made 
and  resolutions  were  c\dopted  calling  upon  the  legislature  to  equalise  the  tolls, 
so  as  to  make  western  forwarders  pay  the  same  whichever  way  the  produce 
went.  On  Febi-uary  Sth,  6th  and  7th  the  Western  New  York  Anti-slavery 
society  held  a  convention,  Isaac  Post  presiding.  The  mayoralty  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,  magnanimously  decided 
against  himself,  and  Mr.  Keeler  was  declared  elected;  he  declined  to  accept 
the  office,  and  Mr.  Allen,  who  by  that  means  would  have  held  over,  sent  in  his 
resignation  and  the  common  council  appointed  William  Pitkin  mayor.  On  the 
19th  of  May  an  anti-gambling  meeting  of  prominent  citizens  was  held,  at 
which  J.  H.  Green,  "the  reformed  gambler,"  made  an  address;  two  days  later 
a  society  was  formed,  with  Frederick  Whittlesey  as  president,  Messrs.  Champ- 
ion, Kempshall,  Bumphrey,  Smith,  Bloss,  Wheeler  and  Barton  as  vice-presi- 
dents; I.  F.  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  days  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;  "'"e  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,  leaving  fifty- 
eight  direct  descendants. 

Benjamin  Franklin's  birthday  was  celebrated  on  the  i6th  of  January,  1846, 
in  grand  style  by  the  printers  of  Western  New  York ;  it  was  the  first  festival 
of  the  craft  of  this  city  and  was  held  at  the  Champion  Hotel,  which  was  the 
old  Morton  House  refitted,  rechristened  and  opened  as  a  temperance  house, 
on  the  corner  of  Buffalo  and  Fitzhugh  streets.  Derick  Sibley  presided  at  the 
principal  table,  and  a  newspaper  of  the  next  day,  in  an  account  of  the  pro-' 
ceedings,  which  takes  up  more  than  eight  columns,  says  that  "one  hundred  and 
seven,  including  Adams's  brass  band,  sat  down  to  one  of  the  most  sumptuous 
repasts  ever  furnished  to  printers'  palates;"  all  those  living  here  who  were  then 
or  ever  had  been  connected  with  the  press  as  editors  or  publishers  were  pres- 
ent ;  many  of  them  made  speeches,  and  letters  were  read  from  several  journal- 
ists in  other  parts  of  the  state.  On  the  8th  of  February  Rev.  Ashbel  Baldwin, 
then  the  oldest  ordained  Episcopal  minister  in  the  United  States,  died  at  his 
residence  in  this  city,  aged  nearly  eighty-nine.  The  first  exhibition  of  the 
Genesee  Valley  Horticultural  society  was  held  June  I2th,  at  the  Blossom  House. 
The  Mexican  war  having  broken  out  in  the  spring  of  that  year,  a  meeting  of 
citizens  was  held  on  the  27th  of  May,  General  Gould  presiding,  to  sustain  Pres- 
ident Polk's  administration  ;  a  "committee  of  safety"  was  appointed,  which  in 
turn  appointed  John  Allen,  Horace  Gay  and  H.  B.  Ely  a  committee  to  take 
measures  for  the  enrollment  of  volunteers ;  the  response  was  more  tardy  than 
had  been  anticipated,  and  by  the  time  a  company  of  thirty-three  was  raised, 
under  Captain  H.  B.  Ely,  word  came  that  the  quota  of  the  state  was  full  and 
no  more  troops  were  needed,,  so  the  enlistments  were  revoked  and  the  men 
stayed  at  home. 

The  next  year,  1847,  saw  greater  activity  and  excitement  in  the  matter, 
General  Taylor's  brilliant  achievements  having  stirred  the  warlike  feelings  of 
the  young  men  of  the  North,  so  that  when  more  troops  were  called  for  there 
was  less  difficulty  .in  getting  enlistments  in  this  city.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
year  Caleb  Wilder,  as  captain,  organised  a  company,  forty  members  of  which, . 
under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Edward  McGarry,  left  here  in  April  for  Fort  Ham- 
ilton, where  they  remained  until  joined  by  the  complement  of  the  company, 
when,  on  the  9th  of  June,  they  proceded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  they  remained  about  sixteen  months,  doing  active  and  efficient  service  as, 
a  part  of  the  army  of  occupation.     This  was  the  great  year  of  famine  in  Ireland 

as  it  was  foreseen  it  would  be,  in  consequence  of  the  failure  of  the  potato 

crop  the  year  before  —  and  of  course  meetings  were  held  here,  to  send  relief 
to  the  starving  people,  the  largest,  perhaps,  being  at  the  court-house  on  Feb- 


History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


ruary  8th  ;  Dr.  James  Webster  presided ;  $363  was  raised  at  once ;  Dr.  Lee, 
General  Gould  and  Rev.  Mr.  Holland  were  appointed  a  committee  to  send  cir- 
culars to  the  neighboring  towns.  In  this  year  an  amendment  to  the  charter 
was  adopted  by  the  common  council,  and  subsequently  passed  by  the  legisla- 
ture, whereby  all  city  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  council.  On  the  30th  of  September  the  Society  of  the 
Pioneers  was  organised,  at  a  dinner  held  at  the  Blossom  House,  with  Enos 
Stone  as  president,  Judge  Sampson,  Ralph  Parker  and  Oliver  Culver,  as  vice- 
presidents  ;  sixty-two  were  present  at  this  first  festival,  or  sent  letters  joining 
the  organisation,  which  at  the  outset  was  to  comprise  only  those  who  were  here 
before  1816;  of  that  original  number,  not  one  is  now  living,  the  last  to  pass 
away  being  Charles  J.  Hill,  who  died  last  year ;  the  limit  of  time  was  then  ex- 
tended so  as  to  admit  all  who  resided  in  Western  New  York  prior  to  1820;  the 
number  of  members  then  rapidly  increased,  so  that  in  i860  there  were  ninety 
men  and  forty  women  connected  with  the  society.  In  July  a  new  railroad 
bridge  was  built  across  the  river  by  the  Auburn  &  Rochester  railroad,  to  take 
the  place  of  the  old  one  laid  down  seven  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  year  was  747,  a  death  rate  of  more  than  two  and  a  half  per  cent. 
In  February,  1848,  much  excitement  was  caused  by  the  disappearance  of 
Porter  P.  Pierce,  a  young  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  body  was  afterward  found  in  the  river  with  marks  of  vio- 
lence; the  murderer  was  never  discovered.  On  the  2d  of  August  there  was  a 
woman's  rights  convention  at  the  Unitarian  church,  the  building  being  filled  to 
overflowing;  Amy  Post  called  the  meeting  to  order;  Abigail  Bush  was  presi- 
dent, with  other  women  to  fill  the  remaining  offices ;  proceedings  were  opened 
with  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Wicher,  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  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.  Bloss  spoke  in  favor  of 
the  emancipation  of  women  from  *all  artificial  disabilities ;  Milo  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  August  23d  a  citizens'  meeting  was  held  for  the  relief 
of  Albany,  nearly  a  quarter  of  that  city  being  burned,  with  a  loss  of  more  than 
a  million  of  dollars;  a  draft  for  $1,000  was  remitted  by  the  mayor,  Joseph 
Field.  The  gas  works  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  Franklin  street. 


Incidents  of  1850.  139 


Cholera  visited  the  place  again  in  1849,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  utmost 
precautions  had  been  talten  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  to  cleanse  the  filthiest 
places,  and  put  the  city  in  a  sanitary  condition  ;  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
deaths  resulted  from  the  disease.  In  May  the  trial  of  Dr.  Hardenbrook,  for 
the  murder  of  Thomas  Nott,  took  place,  the  motive  alleged  being  the  desire  to 
marry  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. 

f  On  the  13th  of  March,  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  far  as  known,  more  extensively  interested  than  any  other 
person  in  the  United  States.  John  T.  Talman,  another  of  the  early  settlers, 
died  February  I2th.  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  Cliapin,  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  many  other  objects 
of  interest.  A  mournful  occasion  caused  the  passage  of  a  similar  procession, 
augmented  by  the  fire  department  and  the  secret  societies,  on  the  13th  of 
July,  in  token  of  the  national  loss  sustained  by  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, 

10 


I40  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

John  B.  Gough,  Senator  John  P.  Hale,  Bishop  Hopkins,  of  Vermont,  and  Rev. 
Dr.  Lord,  of  Buffalo.  The  University  of  Rochester  and  the  theological  sem- 
inary were  established  here  in  autumn.  The  census  taken  during  the  summer 
showed  a  population  of  36,561,  an  increase  of  11,296  in  five  years.  This  fin- 
ishes the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  though  not  the  first  half  century 
of  the  existence  of  Rochester,  which  had,  however,  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  PROGRESS  TO  THE  WAR  TIME. 

Visit  of  Fillmore  and  his  Cabinet,  and  of  Daniel  Webster  —  Singing  of  Jenny  I.ind  —  Civic  Fes- 
tival in  1 85 1  —  Building  the  New  Court-IIouse  —  The  Meridian  of  Rochester  —  The  Mock  Funeral 
of  Henry  Clay  —  The  Cholera  in  1852  —  The  Ira  Stout  Murder  —  The  "  Irrepressible  Conflict  "  — 
De  Lave's  Rope- Walking  —  Death  of  Ex-Mayors  Allen  and  Child. 

PRESIDENT  FILLMORE  conceived  the  idea  that  some  of  the  unpopu- 
larity which  he  had  incurred  at  the  North,  and  especially  in  his  own  state, 
by  signing  the  fugitive  slave  bill,  would  be  removed  by  making  a  tour  with  his 
cabinet  and  explaining  matters  as  he  went  along,  so  he  set  out  with  three  of 
the  secretaries  and  was  generally  well  received;  he  reached  here  on  the  20th 
of  Mayj  1851,  and  was  greeted  by  a  fine  turnout  of  the  military  and  other 
organisations;  much  disappointment  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,  who  responded,  followed  by  Attorney- General 
Crittenden  and  ex-Gov.  Graham,  secretary  of  the  navy;  in  the  afternoon  the 
party  dined  at  the  Eagle  Hotel,  where  more  speeches  were  made.  Mr.  Web 
ster  reached  here  three  days  later,  but  was  not  honored  by  an  official  recep- 
tion, which  he  had  probably  expected  and  which  he  would  certainly  have 
received  a  few  years  before ;  the  next  morning  he  spoke,  from  the  south  end 
of  the  Arcade  gallery,  to  a  large  crowd,  but  the  circumstances  under  which 
his  speech  was  delivered  were  not  such  as  to  enhance  his  great  reputation. 
Jenny  Lind  sang  here  July  22d  and  24th  ;  the  desire  to  hear  her  was  so  great 
that  every  nook  and  corner  in  the  adjacent  streets  was  occupied,  and  as  the 
heat  of  the  evenings  caused  the  windows  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  eclat  than  in  any  year  since  then ;  the 
address  was  delivered  by  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- Gov.  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  river,  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  $10,000), 
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  TJ^  36'  50.97". 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1852,  a  Portuguese  family,  named  Antonio,  left  on 
the  cars  for  Albany  —  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 


142  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Pinto,  who  had  lived  with  the  others  and  had  been  missed  since,  the  previous 
November;  one  deadly  wound  was  in  the  breast,  another  on  the  head  ;  an  offi- 
cer was  sent  after  the  family  and  brought  them  back  ;  Maurice  Antonio  was 
tried  for  the  murder  in  April  —  an  interpreter  b^ing  used  as  medium  all  through 
the  trial  —  and  was  hanged  on  the  3d  of  June.  Sally  Holley,  the  daughter  of 
Myron  Holley,  delivered  an  address  on  anti-slavery  on  the  i6th  of  February. 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Leonard  Bacon,  Horace  Mann,  T.  D'Arcy  McGee, 
Horatio  Seymour  and  Donald  G.  Mitchell  were  among  the  lecturers  of  the 
winter.  Horace  Gay,  formerly  district  attorney,  master  in  chancery,  member 
of  Assembly,  etc.,  died  June  9th,  at  Baltimore,  having  been  taken  sick  while  on 
the  way  to  attend,  as  a  delegate,  the  Democratic  national  convention  in  that 
city.  Henry  Clay  having  died  on  the  gth  of  June,  one  week  after  General 
Scott  obtained  the  Whig  nomination  as  candidate  for  the  presidency,  this  city, 
in  common  with  all  others  in  the  country,  was  deeply  moved  by  the  general 
feeling  of  sorrow ;  resolutions  of  regret  were  passed  by  the  council  and  all  the 
literary  organisations;  an  immense  throng  gathered  at  the  depot. as  the  remains 
passed  through  here  on  the  6th  of  July,  on  the  way  to  Kentucky  ;  formal  obse- 
quies were  held  here  July  13th,  with  a  eulogy  at  the  First  Methodist  church  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Hickok,  of  the  Bethel ;  this  was  not  all,  for  on  the  23d  of  the  same 
month  there  was  a  mock  funeral  procession — "under  the  dir,ection  of  the  young 
men  of  Rochester,"  as  the  newspapers  had  it  —  with  more  imposing  pageantry 
than  had  ever  been  seen  here  before,  surpassing  that  displayed  after  the  death 
of  Taylor,  of  John  Quincy  Adams  or  of  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  intervals,  and  all  the  bells  tolled  as  the  procession  moved. 

But,  before  the  summer  was  over,  the  streets  were  filled  with  mourners  on 
account  of  the  actual  presence  of  the  destroyer,  and  the  mimic  demonstrations  of 
woe  gave  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 
formerly ;  the  board  of  health  began  its  work  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  possibly  473  (the  discrepancy  being  due,  in  part,  to  confusion  in 
undertakers'  reports),  so  that  a  little  over  one  per  cent,  of  the  population  was 
carried  off  by  the  scourge.  The  first  case  was  that  of  John  Hart,  an  Irish 
laborer  on  Factory  street,  which  occurred  June  6th  ;  the  last,  which  took  place 


Occurrences  of  1853  and  1854.  143 

early  in  November,  was  that  of  a  prisoner  in  the  jail,  eighty-three  years  old, 
who,  when  another  inmate  died  of  the  cholera,  became  panic-stricken,  was 
seized  with  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  gave  way  and  he  was  obliged  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.  Mcllvaine,  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  candy  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 ;  several 
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  secretary ;  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  19th  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  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Theodore  Parker  and  Horace  Greeley  being  among  the  lecturers  of  the  season. 
The  veterans  of  the  war  of  1812  held  a  mass  meeting  in  the  common  council 
chamber  on  the  3d  of  January  and  appointed  Ebenezer  Griffin,  Jonathan  Child 
and  S.  L.  Wellman  to  petition  Congress'  for  appropriate  relief  Everard  Peck, 
who  came  here  in  18 16,  died  on  the  9th  of  February.  In  March  forty-five 
clergymen  of  this  city,  headed  by  Dr.  Dewej'  and  Dr.  Anderson,  signed  a  pe- 
tition to  Congress,  remonstrating  against  the  attempt  to  organise  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  as  slave  territories  ;  similar  remonstrances  were  signed  by  great  num- 
bers of  the  citizens,  and  all  the  petitions  were  presented  to  Congress  by  our 
member,  Dr.  Davis  Carpenter,  of  Brockport.  On  the  3d  of  May  the  ground 
of  St.  Mary's  church,  on  St.  Paul  street,  was  sold  at  auction  for  $4,600,  the  old 
church  for  $160.  This  was  a  bad  year  for  the  millers — first,  by  reason  of  the 
short  crop  of  grain,  and  consequent  high  prices,  and, .  second,  on  account  of 
the  lack  of  water,  the  drought  being  so  great  that  the  Phoenix  and  the  Red  mill 
were  idle  during  the  whole  season,  and  the  others  ran  to  about  half  of  their  ca- 
pacity;  the  shipments  of  flour  were  less  than  in  any  previous  year  since  1844. 
On  thq  14th  of  November  Emma  Moore,  aged  thirty-seven,  disappeared  ;  anx- 
iety was  soon  felt  by  her  friends,  and  then  by  the  public ;  meetings  were  held 
by  the  citizens  and  a  reward  of  $1,000  was  offered  by  the  sheriff;  the  body 
was  found  in  the  upper  race  on  the  19th  of  the  following  March  ;  coroner's  jury 
rendered  a  verdict  of  "death  by  drowning,  whether  by  her  own  voluntary  act 
or  otherwise  is  entirely  unknown  to  the  jury." 

Woman's  rights  asserted  themselves  in  1855,  a  county  convention  of  those 
in  favor  of  them  being  held  at  Corinthian  hall  on  the  15th  of  January,  with 
Mrs.  Lucy  Clapp,  of  Perinton,  presiding;  Miss  Anthony  read  a  long  address 
in  the  afternoon,  and  Mrs.  Rose,  of  New  York,  spoke  one  in  the  evening. 
Science  predominated  in  the  Athenaeum  course  during  the  month,  six  lectures 
on  chemistry  being  delivered  by  Prof  Silliman,  of  Yale  college.  On  the  26th 
the  Union  Grays,  under  command  of  Captain  Lee,  were  called  out  by  the 
sheriff  to  quell  a  riot  of  laborers  on  the  canal,  engaged  in  a  strike ;  several 
arrests,  but  no  one  seriously  hurt.  The  night  between  the  6th  and  the  7th  of 
February  was  considered  the  coldest  ever  known  in  this  locality  since  civilisa- 
tion existed  here;  the  mercury  fell  to  twenty-six  below  at  four  in  the  morn- 
ing. One  hundred  and  twenty-five  guns  were  fired  and  bonfires  lighted  on 
the  evening  of  the  6th,  on  account  of  the  reelection  of  William  H.  Seward  to 
the  United  States  senate.  On  the  nth  of  May  Martin  Eastwood  was  con- 
victed of  the  murder  of  Edward  Brereton  and  sentenced  to  death,  but  he 
secured  a  new  trial,  and  got  off  with  a  long  imprisonment.  The  short-lived 
political  party,  calling  itself  the  "American,"  but  more  commonly  known  as 
the  "Know- Nothing,"  attained  its  greatest  strength  in  this  year,  at  least,  in 
Rochester,  where  it  placed  Charles  J.  Hayden  in  the  mayor's  chair  at  the 
spring  election.     The  pro-slavery  outrages  in  Kansas  and  Missouri  excited  the 


Diary  OF  Events  OF  1 8s6  AND  1 857-  HS 

utmost  indignation  in  Rochester,  and  a  large  meeting  in  expression  thereof  was 
held  at  the  city  hall  on  the  ist  of  June,  with  Prof  J.  H.  Raymond  and  others 
as  speakers.  On  the  15th  of  July  the  Junior  Pioneer  association  was  organ- 
ised, its  condition  of  admission  being  that  the  applicant  should  have  resided 
here  before  1825,  the  limit  being  subsequently  extended  to  1830.  The  first 
president  was  Ezra  M.  Parsons,  of  Gates ;  the  treasurer,  George  W.  Fisher ; 
the  corresponding  secretary,  L.  Ward  Smith  ;  Jarvis  M.  Hatch  was  first  on  the 
executive  committee,  and  William  A.  Reynolds  at  the  head  of  that  on  histor- 
ical collections.  The  first  object  given  to  the  society  was  a  cane,  with  the  fol- 
lowing inscription:  "A  fragment  of  the  boat  Young  Lion  of  the  West,  pre- 
sented to  the  Junior  Pioneer  association  by  H.  H.  Knapp,  October,  1855."^ 
About  1863  this  organisation  was  merged  in  the  older  pioneer  society,  and 
the  consolidated  body  continued  for  a  few  years,  when  it  quietly  passed  away, 
George  G.  Cooper  being  its  last  president.  Many  of  the  very  early  settlers 
died  during  this  year,  among  them  Mrs.  Levi  Ward,  Mrs.  Joseph  Sibley,  Mrs. 
Samuel  J.  Andrews,  Eli  Stillson  and  Elbert  W.  Scrantom.  A  number  of 
lectures  by  celebrated  speakers  were  delivered  before  the  Ladies'  Anti-Slavery 
society  in  the  course  of  the  winter. 

During  the  early  part  of  1856  snow  fell  in  immense  quantifies,  impeding 
the  passage  of  trains  in  January  and  February,  and  on  the  nth  of  March  the 
blockade  was  so  complete  as  to  cause  a  great  accumulation  of  passengers  at 
the  hotels  in  the  city,  besides  those  who  were  confined  in  the  cars  by  being 
snowed  in.  Elihu  Burritt,  the  "learned  blacksmith,"  lectured  before  the  Typo- 
graphical Union  on  the  i6th  of  January.  Rev.  Dr.  Finney,  the  revivalist, 
preached  here  during  the  month ;  there  was  much  religious  excitement,  great 
numbers  attended  the  meetings,  and  many  joined  the  church.  On  May  21st 
high  mass  was  celebrated  in  St.  Patrick's  church  (the  interior  being  hung  with 
black)  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  Bishop  Bernard  O'Reilly,  formerly  the  be- 
loved pastor  of  that  parish,  who  was  on  the  \\!i-idXz6i  Pacific  when  she  sank  in 
mid-ocean.  An  indignation  meeting,  on  the  30th  of  May,  over  Brooks's  cow- 
ardly assault  on  Senator  Sumner,  filled  the  city  hall  more  densely  than  in  any 
former  instance ;  the  mayor,  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  presided,  and  all  living  ex- 
mayors  were  vice-presidents  ;  Dr.  Anderson  delivered  the  longest  speech  of 
the  occasion.  July  30th  the  first  carriage  crossed  the  suspension  bridge  at 
Carthage.  Rev.  John  Donnelly  was  killed  by  the  cars  on  the  Central  railroad 
bridge,  August  9th.  Great  interest  was  aroused  by  the  Fremont  campaign  ; 
Gov.  Seward  spoke  in  Corinthian  hall  on  the  third  day  before  election.  Chas.- 
M.  Lee,  one  of  the  best-known  lawyers  of  the  city,  died  on  the  2Sth  of  No- 
vember. 

There  was,  in    1857,  almost  a  repetition  of  the  snowfall  of  the  previous 


1 A  similar  cane,  made  from  another  piece  of  the  same  old  vessel,  our  first  canal  boat,  is  iiow  in  the 
possession  of  Henry  L.  Fish,  having  been  presented  to  him  by  George  G.  Cooper  in  1882. 


146  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

year;  a  train  which  left  here  on  the  19th  of  January  was  twenty-seven  hours 
in  working  through  to  Albany.  There  was  enou-gh  of  a  flood  in  February,  on 
the  8th,  to  carry  away  most  of  the  old  buildings  on  the  north  side  of  Main 
street  bridge  by  undermining  the  old  piers,  and  finally  to  sweep  away  the 
greater  part  of  the  ancient  bridge  itself  The  new  one  was  about  half  built  at 
the  time.  The  Garrisonian  Abolitionists  had  a  convention  at  Corinthian  hall 
on  the  loth  of  February;  Messrs.  Garrison, •  May,  Remond  and  others  in 
attendance,  with  Miss  Anthony,  Mrs.  Post,  Miss  Burtis  and  others  of  this  city. 
Ephraim  Moore  died  on  the  12th  of  April ;  he  came  here  in  18 17,  was  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  village,  and  held  various  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility. 
The  passage  by  the  legislature  of  the  bill  for  extending  the  Genesee  Valley 
canal,  was  thought  to  be  the  forerunner  of  so  vast  an  influx  of  wealth  from  the 
iron,  coal  and  timber  lands  in  Pennsylvania  that  the  city  was  illuminated  on 
the  13th  of  April,  and  a  large  meeting  of  felicitation  was  held  in  the  city  hall ; 
our  citizens  have  not  yet  grown  rich  out  of  it.  Lake  avenue  was  improved  in 
this  year  by  widening  the  sidewalks  to  the  extent  of  twenty  feet,  and  planting 
a  double  row  of  maple  trees  near  the  curb  ;  it  was  due  to  the  efforts  of  Alder- 
man Lewis  Selye  in  the  common  council,  and  to  his  personal  liberality.  This 
was  quite  a  y'ear  for  bridges.  Main  street  bridge,  constructed  of  cut  stone,  was 
finished  at  a  cost  of  over  $60,000,  after  a  prolonged  wrangle  in  the  common 
council,  over  the  efibrts  to  take  the  matter  out  of  the  hands  of  the  commission- 
ers appointed  by  the  legislature  to  build  it.  The  suspension  bridge  at  Carthage 
fell  in  April,  as  described  in  a  previous  chapter.  Andrews  street  bridge  was 
rebuilt  of  iron,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000;  in  tne  course  of  its  construction,  on  the 
19th  of  December,  Nathan  Newhafer,  one  of  the  workmen,  stepped  on  a  loose 
plank,  fell  into  the  water  and  was  swept  over  the  falls.  Court  street  bridge 
was  completed  in  the  following  year,  at  an  expense  about  the  same  as  that  of 
the  Andrews  street  crossing.  A  Methodist  anti-slavery  convention  was  held 
at  St.  John's  church  in  this  city  on  the  i6th  of  December.  On  the  19th  of 
that  month  Ira  Stout  decoyed  his  brother-in-law,  Charles  W.  Littles,  an  attor- 
ney, to  Falls  field,  and  murdered  him,  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Littles, 
Stout's  sister,  throwing  his  body  over  the  precipice ;  in  doing  so,  both  the 
murderers  fell,  rolled  a  part  of  the  way  down,  and  nearly  met  their  own  death  ; 
Stout's  arm  was  broken,  and  both  he  and  his  sister  were  covered  with  burdock 
burrs ;  these  things  were  what  led  to  their  detection ;  Stout  was  tried  the  next 
year,  convicted,  and  executed  on  the  22d  of  October ;  Sarah  Littles  was  tried 
later  and  sent  to  Sing  Sing  for  seven  years. 

The  record,  for  1858  may  begin  with  the  mention  of  a  sermon  preached  at 
Plymouth  church  on  the  I2th  of  January,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Chester  Dewey,  it 
being  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination  as  a  minister.  On  the  2Sth 
Charles  A.  Jones  died  after  a  lingering  illness,  a  victim  of  the  mysterious 
"National  Hotel  disease,"  which  prostrated  so  many  of  the  guests  at  the  ban- 


Events  of  1858-1859.  147 


quet  given  at  Washington  at  the  time  of  President  Buchanan's  inauguration  on 
the  4th  of  March,  in  the  previous  year.  On  the  27th  of  February  the  funeral 
of  two  young  men  —  T.  Hart  Strong  and  Henry  H.  Rochester,  who  had  per- 
ished just  a  week  before,  at  the  burning  of  the  Pacific  Hotel,  in  St.  Louis  — 
took  place  at  St.  Luke's;  the,  church  was  densely  packed,  and  emotions  of  sad- 
ness and  solemnity  were  manifested  by  all  present.  Another  death  —  that  of 
William  H.  Perkins,  who  was  killed  on  the  12th  of  May  in  a  railway  accident 
near  Utica  —  produced  a  more  general  feeling  of  sorrow  than  can  be  appre- 
ciated at  this  day,  when  we  have  not  yet  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  2Sth 
of  October,  by  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  United  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  mayor  of  the  city  in  1844,  died 
in  New  York  on  the  1st  of  April;  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 
bearers  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,  on  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- 


148  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

pal  sheet  of  water;  a  delighted  crowd  of  not  far  from  20,000  people  witnessed 
the  performance,  which  he  repeated  two  or  three  ijtimes  in  the  course  of  the 
next  ten  days,  so  that  it  got  to  be  an  old  story.  The  first  locomotive  explo- 
sion in  this  city  took  place  on  the  12th  of  September,  when  the  boiler  of  the 
engine  Ontario,  of  the  New  York  Central  road,  was  blown  to  pieces,  just  west 
of  the  depot;  the  engineer  was  so  badly  hurt  that  one  leg  had  to  beamputated, 
and  the  fireman  was  severely  scalded,  but  both  recovered  and  were  employed 
on  the  road  for  many  years.  Agricultural  fairs  of  the  state  association  had 
been  held  from  year  to  year,  here  and  elsewhere,  but  by  i860  it  was  found  that 
the  display  was  too  large  and  the  interests  were  too  divergent  to  allow  of  jus- 
tice being  done  to  each  exhibitor,  so  a  convention  was  held  on  the  15th  of 
March  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the  Western  New  York  Agricultural,  Horti- 
cultural and  Mechanical  association.  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Penney  died  on  the  22d; 
he  was  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  for  many  years  and  subse- 
quently president  of  Hamilton  college.  On  the  ist  of  May  the  new  building 
of  the  Home  for  the  Friendless  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  Presbyterian  church  began 
its  session  at  the  First  church  in  this  city;  Dr.  Breckenridge,  of  Kentucky, 
•being  detained  by  illness.  Dr.  Scott,  of  California,  opened  the  session  with  a 
sermon;  Dr.  Yeomans,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  elected  moderator;  the  assembly 
dissolved  on  the  30th,  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  struggle  that  was  felt  to  be  decisive;  a  great  Demo- 
cratic demonstration  was  made  on  the  i8th  of  September,  when  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  spoke  to  an  immense  crowd  at  Washington  square;  still  greater  en- 
thusiasm was  displayed  by  the  Republicans,  who  got  up  the  organisation  of  the 
Wide- Awakes,  which  paraded  the  streets  night  after  night  during  the  campaign, 
the  largest  manifestation  being  on  October  18th,  when  Senators  Wade  and 
Doolittle  spoke  here.  Jonathan  Child  died  on  the  26th  of  October;  he  came 
here  in  1820  and  after  holding  various  offices  under  the  village  government 
he  became  in  1834  the  first  mayor  of  the  city,  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  may  bring  this 
chapter  to  a  close. 


The  War  of  the  Rebellion.  149 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  WAR  TIME   AND  BEYOND. 

Breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion — The  Call  for  Volunteers  —  Enthusiastic  Response  from  Monroe 
County  —  Formation  of  the  Old  Thirteenth  and  other  Regiments  —  Support  of  the  Government  during 
the  War  and  Rejoicing  over  the  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  others  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  cbuld  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  iSth,  stirred  every  heart;  the  common  council 
immediately  appropriated  $10,000  to  defray  urgent  expenses;  on  the  i8th  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.  Quinby ;  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  Quinby,  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  Eighth  cavalry  was 
recruited  here,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  Thanksgiving  day,  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  and 
had,  in  connection  with  Gen,  Burroughs,  codified  the  military  laws ;  of  Orlando 


ISO  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Hastings,  of  Ebenezer  Griffin,  the  last  incumbent  of  the  office  of  city  recorder ; 
of  Joshua  Conkey  and  of  Calvin  Huson,  jr.  ;  the  last-named,  who  was  formerly 
district-attorney,  dying  in  prison  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  he  had  been 
held  in  confinement  since  being  captured,  together  with  Alfred  Ely,  our  mem- 
ber of  Congress,  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  on  the  21st  of  July. 

The  war  fever,  which  had  somewhat  abated  during  the  winter,  increased  as 
the  summer  of  1862  came  on  and  another  call  was  made  for  troops.  In  July 
Camp  Fitzjohn  Porter  was  established  near  the  Rapids,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  as  Camp  Hillhouse,  on  the  east  side,  could  no  longer  be  retained. 
The  new  quarters  were  intended  for  the  use  of  the  infantry  regiments  which  it 
was  seen  must  be  raised  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  county,  and  under  the  impetus 
given  by  war  meetings  which  were  held  almost  nightly  in  different  parts  of  the 
city  the  recruits  poured  in  fast,  Gen.  John  Williams  doing  his  best  to  organise 
and  prepare  them  for  duty.  In  the  latter  part  of  August  the  dry  goods  mer- 
chants and  other  storekeepers  closed  their  establishments  every  afternoon  at 
three  o'clock,  to  help  on  the  work;  on  the  19th  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighth, 
more  than  a  thousand  strong,  under  command  of  Col.  Palmer,  left  for  Elmira, 
and  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  started  just  one  month  later.  Of  events 
connected  with  the  war  may  be  mentioned  the  reception  of  Congressman  Ely 
on  the  4th  of  January,  on  his  return  from  captivity  in  Richmond,  and  Parson 
Brownlow's  address  to  a  crowded  audience  in  Corinthian  hall,  on  August  12th, 
when  he  told  how  Tennessee  was  fraudulently  and  forcibly  taken  out  of  the  Un- 
ion. On  the  28th  of  July  the  bells  were  tolled  and  flags  hung  at  half  mast,  for 
the  funeral  of  ex-President  Van  Buren,  who  had  died  on  the  24th.  In  Sep- 
tember the  state  fair  was  held  here  ;  Clarissa  street  bridge  was  completed  and 
opened  for  travel  on  the  25th,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1 5,000.  Of  the  deaths  in  the 
city  during  the  year  were  those  of  Mrs.  Hamlet  Scrantom,  in  February  —  who 
came  here  in  1812  and  lived  in  the  first  house  built  on  the  west  side  of  the  river 
—  and  of  Hervey  Ely,  in  November;  he  came  here  in  18 13,  and  his  promi- 
nence may  be  known  by  the  frequency  with  which  his  name  appears  in  the  early 
chapters  of  this  work. 

Joy  and  exultation  opened  the  year  1863,  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  4th  of  January. 
On  the  I  ith  of  February  the  Eagle  Hotel  was  closed,  after  having  been  kept 
open  for  forty  years.  April  was  distinguished  by  a  religious  revival  in  many  of 
the  churches.  St.  Mary'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 
year  many  a  military  funeral  of  one  after  another  of  those  who  fell  in  battle  or 
died  from  wounds  or  exposure  ;  of  those  the  most  impressive  was  that,  on  the  1 5  th 
of  July,  of  Patrick  H.  O'Rourke,  colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth,  who 
was  killed  at  Gettysburg  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  highly  respected  citizen  who  was 
totally  blind.  The  6th  of  August  was  observed  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving  for 
the  national  victory  at  Gettysburg.  No  one  who  was  in  Rochester  from  the 
14th  to  the  22d  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  Assembly  in  1845,  '4^  ^^^  '47  ! 
WilUiam  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  Presbyterian  church ;  Silas  O.  Smith  and  his 
son,  L.  Ward  Smith. 

The  progress  and  effects  of  the  war  were  plainlj'-  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  twenty-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  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  then  a  chaplain  in  the  army ;  Anson  House,  one  of  the  old  pioneers ;  Jason 
Baker,  formerly  county  treasurer ;  Captain  Daniel  Loomis  —  one  of  the  most 
prominent  builders  of  early  days,  who  built  the  old  jail  in  1822  and  the  present 
jail  (in  connection  with  Richard  Gorsline)  about  sixteen  years  later —  and  Col- 
onel Eliphaz  Trimmer,  member  of  Assembly  in  1857  and  1863,  died  during  the 
year. 

As  though  the  war  did  not  offer  enough  excitement,  there  were  about  this 
time  two  phases  of  speculation  that  amounted  almost  to  popular  frenzy  —  the 
petroleum  investments  and  the  Western  Union  telegraph  stock-buying.  As  to 
the  former  of  these,  it  is  difficult  to  name  any*  one  year  as  that  most  closely 
connected  with  the  ruinous  enterprises  that  were  engaged  in,  but  perhaps  1 864 
will  do  as  well  as  any  other.  Two  years  before  that  the  oil  fields  of  Pennsyl- 
vania had  given  unmistakable  indications  of  the  vast  treasure  that  lay  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  when  the  Noble  well  began  to  pour  forth  a  steady 
stream  of  some  two  thousand  barrels  a  day,  the  excitement,  which  was  at  first 
local,  spread  beyond  the  limits  of  that  state,  and  especially  through  the  western 
part  of  New  York.  Other  flowing  wells  quickly  followed,  and  then  capital 
began  to  flow  down  from  Rochester  to  meet  the  gushing  tide  of  oil,  and  to 
increase  the  production  by  boring  in  every  spot  where  the  peculiar  appearance 
of  the  earth  afforded  the  slightest  ground  for  hope.  Petroleum  Center,  a  little 
place  on  Oil  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  for  low  prices,  but  those  taken  later  on  being  sold  for  im- 
mense sums  —  many  went  down  there  from  here  to  work  in  an  honest,  industri- 
ous manner,  attracted  by  the  high  wages  that  were  paid  for  day  labor,  and  in 
one  way  or  another  a  large  proportion  of  the  families  of  this  city  were  inter- 
ested in  the  development  of  the  slippery  fluid.  A  few  fortunes  were  made, 
but  a  great  many  more  were  lost,  and  even  the  wealth  that  was  gained  gener- 
ally stayed  with  its  possessor  but  a  short  time. 

>  The  other  bubble  was  that  of  the  Western  Union  telegraph  stock.  The 
headquarters  of  the  company  were  then  in  this  city,  and  on  that  account  the 
foolish  enthusiasm  over  its  prosperity  was  almost  confined  to  Rochester.  In 
the  early  part  of  1863  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  advance  was  not 
checked  by  the  further  watering  of  the  stock,  to  the  extent  of  one-third  addi- 
tional, in  December.  Exalted  dividends  declared  out  of  questionable  profits 
were  accepted  by  many,  without  close  scrutiny  of  the  concern,  but  most  people 
were  indifferent  to  even  those  shadowy  reasons,  and  the  majority  of  those  who 
had  any  money  left  from  their  operations  in  oil  were  eager  to  buy  Western 
Union  at  any  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  nth  of  May,  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  year.  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  locality  as  "the  year  of  the 
flood."  After  very  cold  weather  and  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  a  thaw  came  on 
suddenly  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  river  itself  stretched  beyond  its  channel  and  when 
darkness  came  on  (and  stayed,  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.  Quinby,  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- 
sufficient to  pass  the  immense  volume  of  water  that  came  down  the  river,  the 
consequence  of  which  was  the  formation  of  a  large  lake  extending  from  the 
embankment  southward  as  far  as  Geneseo.  The  water  finally  rose  high  enough 
to  overflow  the  embankment  and  sweep  away,  in  a  space  of  four  hours, 
twelve  hundred  linear  feet  of  the  same,  and  thus  this  vast  reservoir  was  pre- 
cipitated upon  us;  which  explains  the  sudden  rise  of  the  water  in  this  city. 
Those  openings  in  the  embankment  have  been  greatly  enlarged  since  then,  so 
that,  although  a  freshet  and  something  of  an  overflow  in  the  city  may  occur 
in  any  year,  a  disaster  like  that  of  1865  cannot  well  take  place  again,  at  least 
from  the  same  cause. 

Gen.  Lee  surrendered  on  the  9th  of  April ;  the  news  reached  here  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening;  an  hour  later  the  fire  alarm  bell  rang  out  the  glad  tid- 
ings that  the  war  was  ended  at  last;  the  streets  were  instantly  filled  with  people, 
the  mayor  read  the  dispatches  aloud  from  the  steps  of  the  Powers  bank  and  an 
impromptu  celebration  on  a  grand  scale  took  place,  with  fireworks,  bonfires, 
salutes  by  th'e  Grays,  speeches  and  singing  of  patriotic  songs  by  thousands  of 
inharmonious  and  happy  voices.  Within  a  week  rejoicing  was  changed  to 
gloom;  President  Lincoln  was  murdered  on  the  14th  and  there  was  mourning 
throughout  the  land;  on  the  19th,  the  day  of  the  funeral  at  Washington,  all 
business  places  here  were  closed,  services  were  held  at  noon  in  all  the  churches,  at 
two  o'clock  the  procession,  unparalleled  in  numbers  and  variety,  with  a  funeral' 
car,  bearing  a  cenotaph,  in  the  midst,  walked  through  the  streets  from  the 
court-house  square,  returning  to  the  same;  the  oration  was  delivered  by  Ros- 
well  Hart.  Mr.  Lincoln's  remains  passed  through  the  city  at  three  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  27th;  the  military  turned  out  in  full  force  and  the 
gathering  numbered,  perhaps,  as  many  thousands  as  had  witnessed  the  arrival 
here,  more  than  four  years  before,  of  the  man  who  afterward  so  well  fulfilled 
the  nation's  hopes  that  rested  on  him  then.  A  grand  demonstration  of  the 
Fenian  brotherhood  took  place,  at  the  court-house,  on  the  12th  of  August: 
Judge  Chumasero  and  others  spoke.  During  the  year  the  city  lost,  by  death, 
Thomas  Kempshall,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the  first  common  council, 
mayor  in  1837  and  member  of  Congress  in  1839;  Moses  Chapin,  who  came 
here  in  1816,  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village  and  the  first  judge  of  Mon- 
roe county,  and  John  C.  Nash,  formerly  city  clerk,  county  clerk  and  mayor, 
successively. 

Considerable  excitement  was  occasioned  by  the  murder,  on  the  8th  of 
March,  1866,  of  Jonathan  T.  Orton,  a  hackman,  living  on  Union  street,  whose 
body  was  found  in  his  stable,  with  his  skull  smashed  in ;  one  man  was  arrested, 
but  he  proved  an  alibi;  no  judicial  trace  of  the  murderer  was  ever  found. 
During  the  last  week  in  May  the  general  synod  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
church   was  held  here ;    the  moderator  was  Rev.  R.  J.  Dodds,  a  returned  mis- 


KVfeNTS  OF  1867.  155 


sidfidi-y  frorii  Syria.  In  tlie  early  part  of  June  the  Fenians  in  this  eity  were 
Jjrfeatly  fexefcised  cfver  the  invasidii  of  Caiiada  by  sc/me  warlike  rriembers  of  the 
brotherhood  and  the  battle  with  the  "Queen's  Own  ;  "  several  went  from  here, 
and  those  IVho  did  hot  go  sympathised  with  those  who  did.  Iii  the  perforihahce 
of  that  presidential  feat  known  as  "swinging  ardund  the  circle,"  Ahdrfew  John- 
son, accohipanied  by  Secretaries  Seward  and  Welles,  Generals  Grant  and 
Custer,  Admifal  Farfagut  and  other  notables,  reached  here  on  Septerriber  1st, 
and  gave  an  open-air  reception  frotii  the  balcony  of  Congress  Hall  to  a  large 
crowd  which  was  animated  by  curiosity  rather  than  enthusiasm.  There  \^'as  a 
little  niisiiiiderstariding  in  the  Republican  congfessional  convention  this  year, 
the  result  being  that,  while  Roswell  Hart  received  a  renomirtatidn  fronrt  one 
portion,  Lewis  Selye  was  made  the  candidate  of  the  other  side ;  the  Democrats 
adopted  the  latter  gentleman  and  he  was  elected. 

A  slight  attempt  at  a  flood  Ivas  made  in  the  middle  of  February,  I867,  when 
the  ice  gorged  at  the  piers  of  the  Erie  failroad  bridge,  throwing  the  water  into 
the  Genesee  Valley  canal,  which  overflowed  into  some  of  the  low-lying  streets 
in  the  third  and  eighth  wards ;  the  next  day  the  cellars  and  basements  of  the 
factories  on  Brown's  race  were  filled  ;  there  was  a  good  deal  of  damage  and 
more  alarm,  lest  there  should  be  another  calamity  like  that  of  two  years  be- 
fore. A  board  of  trade  was  established  here  on  the  gth  of  March,  with  George 
J.  Whitney  as  president,  Gilman  H.  Perkins  as  vice-president,  Charles  B.  Hill 
as  secretary  and  E.  N.  Buell  as  treasurer ;  after  livinig  a  sleepy  life  for  a  few 
months,  it  slowly  expired.  The  "Black  Crook"  rah  here,  at  the  Metropolitan 
opera  house,  for  thirty-six  riights  in  the  early  part  of  the  year.  Ristori  played 
in  "Queen  Elizabeth"  on  the  i6th  of  April ;  every  inch  of  room  in  Corinthian 
hall  was  filled,  at  a  high  price.  On  the  ibth  of  May  some  boys  found  in  the 
river  at  Charlotte  the  body  of  Louis  Fox,  a  celebrated  billiard  player,  who  had 
been  missing  since  the  4th  of  the  previous  December;  he  had  imdoubtedly 
committed  suicide  in  aberration  of  mind,  rhainly  induced  by  chagrin  over  the 
loss  of  the  champion  cue  of  the  United  States  in  a  contest  with  Joseph  Deery 
at  Washington  hall  more  than  a  year  before  his  disappearance.  In  the  rtiiddle 
of  May  the  Episcopal  board  of  missions  met  here,  presided  over  by  Bishop  Lee, 
of  Iowa ;  also,  the  general  asseinbly  of  the  New  School  Presbyterian  church. 
Rev.  Dr.  Nel.son,  of  St.  Louis,  moderator.  Weston,  the  pedestrian,  pasSed 
through  here  at  midnight  of  November  12th,  on  his  walk  from  Portland  to 
Chicago.  Jacob  Gould  died  November  iSth  ;  he  was  one  of  the  village  trus- 
tees, and  second  rrtayor  of  the  city,  appointed  major-genei-al  of  artillery  by  Gov. 
Clinton,  collector  of  customs  under  Jackson  and  Van  Buren,  United  States 
marshal  under  Polk.  Di'-  M.  M.  Mathews,  a  riiuch  respected  and  beloved  phy- 
sician, died  November  23d.  Dr.  Chester  Dewey  died  December  15th;  he  vfras 
widely  known  as  a  scholar  and  an  educator  for  more  than  half  a  century;  a 
sketch  of  his  life  and  services  will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this  volume. 

1 1 


156  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

With  the  exception  of  delightful  readings  from  his  own  works,  by  Charles 
Dickens,  on  the  10  and  nth  of  March,  nothing  occurred  in  1868  to  interest 
the  people  of  Rochester  till  Joseph  Messner  killed  his  wife,  in  a  fit  of  passion, 
on  the  13th  of  April,  in  the  town  of  Penfield ;  he  was  tried  here  the  next  year 
and  sentenced  to  be  executed  on  the  4th  of  June,  1869;  just  before  that  time 
came  Gov.  Hofifman  granted  a  reprieve  for  two  weeks,  then  a  writ  of  error  was 
granted,  and,  after  argument  at  the  general  term,  Messner  was  again  sentenced 
to  be  hanged  on  the  loth  of  December;  on  the  very  day  before  that  date  a 
stay  was  granted  by  Judge  Grover;  after  more  than  a  year's  delay  the  case 
was  argued  before  the  court  of  appeals,  a  new  trial  was  ordered,  which  took 
place  in  the  following  June,  and  he  was  again  sentenced  to  meet  his  death  on 
the  nth  of  August,  1871;  this  time  the  judgment  was  carried  into  effect. 
While  an  engine  on  the  Genesee  Valley  road  was  standing  still,  a  little  south 
of  the  depot,  on  Exchange  street,  on  the  evening  of  September  14th,  the  boiler 
exploded ;  the  engineer,  the  brakeman,  and  a  little  girl  standing  by  were 
instantly  killed ;  two  other  little  girls  were  so  badly  injured  that  they  died  a 
few  hours  later.  More  than  the  usual  number  of  buildings  were  erected  this 
year,  no  less  than  503  —  of  which  seven  were  of  stone  —  being  completed; 
their  total  value,  by  careful  estimate  of  each  one,  was  $1,456,100.  John  V. 
Richardson,  who,  after  being  professor  of  Latin  at  Madison  university,  came 
here  in  1850  and  occupied  the  same  chair  in  our  university,  died  in  this  year; 
also,  Martin  S.  Newton,  formerly  district- attorney. 

Practical  operations  in  fish-hatching  were  begun  in  1869  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Seth  Green,  who  had  begun  five  years  before  to  experiment  privately 
in  that  way,  and  had  succeeded,  by  using  the  least  possible  quantity  of  water 
proportional  to  the  milt  used,  in  quadrupling  the  natural  product  of  the  fish ; 
in  1867,  his  discoveries  being  made  known,  he  had  given  a  public  exhibition 
of  his  methods  at  Holyoke,  Massachusetts,  on  the  Connecticut  river;  in  1868 
he  and  Horatio  Seymour  and  Robert  B.  Roosevelt  had  been  appointed  fish 
commissioners  of  New  York  state,  and  by  this  time  the  charge  of  the  whole 
matter  was  given  into  his  hands,  his  own  hatchery  at  Caledonia  being  pur- 
chased by  the  state  for  that  purpose.  By  the  falling  of  a  floor  in  the  German 
school  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul,  on  East  Maple  street,  while  the  room  was 
packed  with  children  and  adults  for  the  Epiphany  festival,  on  the  evening  of 
January  6th,  eight  were  killed  outright  and  nearly  fifty  badly  injured ;  the 
most  frightful  accident  that  ever  happened  in  this  city ;  the  cause  was  a  defect 
in  the  building,  by  which  a  brick  pier  supporting  iron  columns  below  the  floor 
gave  way  ;  no  person  was  censured  by  the  coroner's  jury.  St.  Patrick's  cathe- 
dral was  opened  with  gorgeous  ceremonies  on  the  1 7th  of  March,  by  Bishop 
Mc^uaid,  assisted  by  Bishop  Ryan,  of  Buffalo,  and  all  the  priests  of  this  dio- 
cese, some  fifty  in  number.  The  Odd  Fellows  celebrated  their  semi-centennial 
on  the  26th  of  April.     The  swing  bridge  across  the  canal  at  Exchange  street 


Events  of  1870.  iS7 


was  built  in  the  early  part  of  this  year,  replacing  the  ancient  structure  with  an 
ascent  by  steps  at  both  sides,  which,  to  most  of  the  old  inhabitants,  seemed  a 
necessary  part  of  the  Erie  canal.  The  Powers  block,  which  had  been  begun 
in  the  previous  year  (save  that  the  northernmost  store  had  been  built  a  few 
years  before),  was  finished  before  the  end  of  this  —  so  far,  that  is,  as  the  State 
street  part  and  the  stone  part  on  West  Main  street  are  concerned  ;  the  expense 
somewhat  exceeded  the  original  estimate  of  $300,000.  The  death  record  of 
the  year  includes  the  names  of  Colonel  John  H.  Thompson,  widely  known  as 
an  earnest  worker  in  the  Sunday-school  cause,  and  for  eighteen  years  the  over- 
seer of  the  poor;  of  William  Pitkin,  who  came  here  in  18 14,  was  mayor  of  the 
city  in  1845-46,  and  held  numerous  positions  of  responsibilify  and  trust  in 
educational  and  financial  institutions  ;  of  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Luckey,  an  eminent 
Methodist  clergyman,  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate  and  other  denomina- 
tional journals,  and  appointed  regent  of  the  university  of  the  state  of  New 
York  in  1847,  ^""^  of  Frederick  Starr,  a  zealous  champion  of  the  temperance 
cause,  connected  with  many  religious  movements,  and  a  member  of  Assernbly 
in  1839. 

There  were  enough  of  the  veterans  of  the  war  of  18 12  left  in  1870  to  hold 
a  meeting  at  the  court-house  on  the  13th  of  January;  John  Seeley,  of  Roch- 
ester, occupied  the  chair,  but  most  of  those  in  attendance  were  from  the  towns 
of  the  county,  very  few  from  the  city.  A  great  canal  convention  was  held  at 
Corinthian  hall  on  the  19th,  to  promote  the  abolition  of  the  contract  system 
in  repairing  the  canals ;  Henry  L.  Fish  called  the  convention  to  order,  and 
Nathaniel  Sands,  of  New  York,  was  made  president;  letters  were  read  from 
most  of  the  state  officers ;  many  addresses  were  made,  the  longest  by  ex-Gov- 
ernor Seymour.  A  successor  or  outgrowth  of  this  convention  was  held  at  the 
same  place  on  the  isth  of  July,  to  advocate  the  extension  of  the  principles 
involved;  ex-Governor- Seymour  was  again  present,  and  among  the  others 
were  Governor  Fairchild,  of  Wisconsin ;  Governor  Merrill,  of  Iowa,  and  Peter 
Cooper,  of  New  York;  long  speeches  by  those  named,  and  .by  others.  The 
state  sportsmen's  convention  was  held  here  during  the  week  beginning  May 
23d ;  the  contest  for  prizes  took  place  at  the  fair  grounds ;  large  attendance 
and  much  enjoyment.  The  Fenians,  in  that  same  week,  undertook  to  get  up 
a  shooting-match  of  their  own,  and  to  repeat  the  performances  of  four  years 
before;  several  car-loads  of  men  passed  through,  amid  increasing  excitement 
on  the  part  of  the  resident  members  of  the  brotherhood ;  one  company  left 
here  on  the  24th,  under  command  of  Captain  (or  "General")  O'Ncil,  and  other 
squads  stood  ready  to  depart,  when  their  ardor  was  completely  dampened  by 
the  arrest  of  O'Neil  by  the  United  States  marshal,  and  his  lodgment  in  jail  be- 
fore he  could  or  would  get  across  the  border  ;  thus  ended  the  last  attempt  at  an 
invasion  of  Canada. 

The  state  arsenal,  fronting  on  Washington  square,  was  built  in  the  latter 


IS8  HlSTORV  OF  THE  ClTY  OF  ROCHESTER. 

part  of  this  year ;  in  November  the  Powers  block  was  extended  on  West  Main 
street  to  Pindell  alley,  and  was  then  regarded  as  complete,  though  there  was 
at  that  time  no  tower,  and  but  a  single  mansard  story,  which  was  upon  the 
stone  corner  part  only.  The  obsequies  of  Colonel  George  Ryan,  of  the  One 
Hundred  and- Fortieth,  who  was  killed  at  Laurel  Hill  on  the  8th  of  May,  1864, 
were  held  on  the  19th  of  June  in  this  year;  the  funeral  services  were  at  St. 
Patrick's  cathedral,  and  a  long  procession  of  veterans,  with  many  other  organ- 
isations, followed  the  remains  to  the  cemetery.  Among  the  deaths  of  old  citi- 
zens during  the  year  were  those  of  Ebenezer  Ely,  aged  ninety-three,  who, 
after  being  connected  with  a  bank  at  Canandaigua-  from  18 14  to  1820,  came, 
here  in  the  latter  year  and  opened  a  broker's  office,  which  he  kept  from  that  time 
till  a  few  days  before  he  died  ;  of  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  mayor  of  the  city  in  1859 
and  1866,  who  was  universally  known  as  'Squire  Moore,  from  his  having  held 
the  office  of  police  justice  for  nine  years  ;  of  Hamlin  Stilwell,  who  was  engaged 
in  the  canal  packet  business  in  early  years,  was  mayor  in  1852,  and  held  other 
municipal  offices ;  of  Patrick  G.  Buchan,  who  was  clerk  of  the  mayor's  court 
in  1835,  and  county  judge  from  1847  to  1851,  and  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Scran- 
tom,  the  wife  of  Edwin  Scrantom,  who  came  here  with  her  father,  Asa  Sibley, 
in  1 818,  taught  school  the  next  year,  near  the  Rapids,  when  she  was  fifteen 
years  old,  and  afterward  set  type  for  her  brothers,  Derick  and  Levi  W.  Sibley, 
when  they  published  the  Gazette. 


CHAPTER   XXir. 

TO  THE  FIFTIETH   BIRTHDAY. 

The   Howard   Riot  —  The  Small-Pox    and  Other    Oi.seases  —  The  New  City  Hall—  Mount   Hope 
Records  Found  in  Canada  —  John  Clark's  Murder  of  Trevor  — The  Centennial  Celebration  of  1876 

—  The  Railroad  Strike  of  1877 —  The  Mock  Funeral  of  President  Carficld  —  The  Cunningham  Strike 

—  The  Telegraphers'  Strike — Principal   Improvements  in  the  City  in   1883,  with  their  Cost  —  Other 
Statistics. 

IN  187 1  there  was  a  surfeit  of  crimes  of  all  sorts  and  of  accidents  of  almost 
every  description,  but  of  the  homicides  committed  none  were  adjudged  by 
court  and  jury  sufficiently  flagitious  to  rise  (or  sink)  to  the  grade  of  murder  in 
the  first  degree,  while  of  the  casualties  none  were  so  peculiar  in  their  nature  as 
to  deserve  mention.  Little  change,  and  still  less  progress,  is  discernible  in  the 
city's  records  during  that  time.  On  the  loth  of  April  the  Germans  held  a 
grand  peace  jubilee  over  the  closing  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  German  empire.  A  serious  break  in  the  Erie  canal  at  the  "Ox- 
bow," near  Fairport,  on  the  28th  of  April,  called  into  requisition  hundreds  of 


Mournful  Tragedy.  159 


laborers  for  several  days ;  they  got  up  a  strike  on  the  4th  of  May  and  were  so 
demonstrative  that  the  Fifty-fourth  had  to  be  sent  up  there ;  several  were 
arrested,  work  was  resumed  and  the  break  closed  on  the  9th.  Death  was  busy 
throughout  the  year,  and  carried  off  more  than  one  prominent  citizen  ;  of  those 
who  departed,  the  following  are  but  a  small  proportion  :  H.  N.  Curtis,  an  ex- 
tensive owner  of  business  blocks ;  Dr.  Horatio  N.  Fenn,  who  came  here  as 
early  as  18 17,  and  who,  after  practising  medicine  a  few  years,  gave  up  general 
practice  and  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  dentistry,  being  the  first  in  Western 
New  York  to  do  so,  as  far  as  is  known  ;  Preston  Smith,  who  was  one  of  the 
very  earliest  pioneers  of  Rochester,  coming  here  in  1813,  being  sent  out  by 
Josiah  Rissell,  of  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  to  build  a  store  here  for  him  and 
Klisha  Ely,  and  living  here  constantly  from  181 5  till  his  death,  in  a  quiet,  un- 
obtrusive way  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Barker,  who  had  been  the  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  (Cath- 
olic) church  for  many  years  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Albert  G.  Hall,  for  thirty-two  yeai-s  the 
pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian  church  and  a  theologian  of  high  standing  in 
the  denomination  ;  Aristarchus  Champion,  one  of  the  richest  men  in  this  part 
of  the  state  and  one  of  the  few  whose  great  wealth  was  equaled  by  his  benev- 
olence;  George  H.  Mumford,  eminent  as  a  lawyer,  a  financier  and  a  promoter 
of  one  of  the  worthiest  charities,  and  Dr.  Philander  G.  Tobey,  the  oldest  phy- 
sician in  practice  in  the  city  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

A  mournful  tragedy  marked  the  opening  of  the  year  1872.  A  young 
negro  named  Howard  had  committed  an  aggravated  assault  on  one  of  the  last 
days  of  the  old  year,  for  which,  after  being  captured  some  miles  out  of  town 
by  officers  in  pursuit  of  him,  he  had  been  thrown  into  jail,  to  await  his  trial  in 
its  regular  course;  in  the  morning  of  January  3d,  as  he  was  brought  to  town, 
the  people  in  the  streets  were  so  threatening  in  their  attitude  that  the  Fifty- 
fourth  was  ordered  out  to  guard  the  jail  and  prevent  any  attempt  to  take  the 
prisoner  from  the  authorities  and  execute  vengeance  upon  him;  the  precaution 
was  taken  none  too  soon,  for,  as  soon  as  darkness  came  on,  a  large  crowd 
gathered  on  Exchange  street  and  on  Court  street  as  far  as  the  bridge  over  the 
race-way,  at  the  west  end  of  which  companies  D  and  G  were  posted;  after 
taunting  the  military  for  some  time  the  mob  began  to  throw  stones  at  them, 
and  at  last  the  soldiers,  after  they  had  repeatedly  asked  their  officers  to  be 
allowed  either  to  advance  or  to  fall  back,  were  ordered  to  disperse  the  rioters; 
the  charge  was  made  and  the  mob  slowly  retired,  but  more  missiles  were  hurled, 
some  of  them  striking  and  wounding  different  members  of  the  militia ;  a  mem- 
ber of  company  D  then  discharged  his  musket,  which  was  followed  by  a  vol- 
ley from  both  companies;  several  fell  to  the  ground  at  once,  but  so  dense  were 
the  crowd  and  the  darkness  that  it  was  not  for  several  minutes  generally  known 
whether  the  result  was  serious ;  finally  the  wounded  were  gathered  up  and 
carried  to  adjacent  saloons,  to  the  City  hospital  or  to  their  homes,  as  the  nature 
of  their  wounds  permitted;   two  of  them,   John  Elter  and  Henry  Merlau,  died 


i6o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

in  a  few  moments;  the  others,  five  in  number,  eventually  recovered;  the  crowd 
then  slowly  dispersed.  The  next  afternoon  another  demonstration  was  made, 
but  the  police,  under  Captain  Sullivan,  scattered  the  crowd  without  nluch 
difficulty  and  there  was  no  occasion  for  the  services  of  the  veteran  organisa- 
tions —  the  Old  Thirteenth  and  the  Ryan  Zouaves  —  which  had  been  sworn 
in  as  special  police.  On  the  day  after  that  the  tragedy  closed  with  an  act 
which  would  have  been  farcical  but  for  the  solemnity  that  invested  the  pro- 
ceedings. In  view  of  the  expense  attending  the  keeping  of  Howard  until  the 
next  session  of  the  court  —  such  as  soldiers'  pay  and  rations  —  it  was  deter- 
mined to  hold  an  extra  session  at  once,  and,  as  the  excitement  still  prevailing 
rendered  it  almost  certain  that  there  would  be  bloodshed  if  the  trial  took  place 
in  open  court,  it  was  concluded  to  hold  a  secret  session  and  at  night;  the  win- 
dows of  the  court-room  were  darkened  to  prevent  the  emission  of  light,  and 
Howard,  with  his  face  chalked  to  disguise  him,  was  taken  from  the  jail  to  the 
court-house  by  back  streets  and  arraigned  before  Judge  E.  Darwin  Smith ;  he 
pleaded  guilty,  was  sentenced  to  state  prison  for  twenty  years  and  was  im- 
mediately put  into  a  carriage  with  jailer  Beckwith  and  two  sheriff's  officers; 
the  party  were  at  once  driven  to  Honeoye  Falls,  where  they  took  the  cars  and 
reached  Auburn  in  safety.  The  grand  jury  subsequently  censured  the  two 
military  companies  for  firing  into  the  mob,  but  that  was  all  that  ever  came  of  it. 
On  the  15th  of  January  the  funeral  of  William  A.  Reynolds  was  held  at 
Plymouth  church,  President  Anderson,  of  the  university,  delivering  the  dis- 
course ;  on  the  following  Sunday  Mr.  Bartlett,  the  pastor,  preached  a  memorial 
sermon.  In  the  early  part  of  this  year  the  frightful  epidemic  of  small-p(5x 
seemed  about  to  establish  itself  among  us ;  there  were  twenty-eight  deaths 
from  the  disease  and  many  cases  that  were  not  fatal ;  those  who  were  taken 
down  were  removed  at  once  to  Hope  hospital,  where  Dr.  Little,  who  was  then 
the  health  officer,  visited  them  every  day  during  their  confinement;  a  general 
vaccination  was  ordered  by  him ;  about  10,000  people,  including  children  in 
the  public  schools,  underwent  the  incision,  and  the  old  session-room  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  was  used  as  a  general  operating-room  for  all  who 
chose  to  come  to  it.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  cerebro-spinal  meningitis  also 
broke  out  with  great  violence,  lasting  only  through  the  month  of  March,  to  a 
day,  and  it  is  a  little  singular  that  in  that  time  the  number  of  deaths  from  that 
cause  should  have  been  also  twenty-eight,  the  same  as  from  small-pox. 
Throughout  October  a  disease  that  went  by  the  general  name  of  the  "  cpizo- 
oty"  raged  with  great  mortality  among  the  horses.  Susan  B.  Anthony  and 
other  women  of  this  city  were,  on  the  26th  of  December,  held  to  answer  for 
illegal  voting  in  the  eighth  ward  at  the  previous  election.  Besides  the  death 
of  Mr.  Reynolds,  mentioned  above  —  a  sketch  of  whose  life  will  be  found  in 
another  part  of  this  work  —  there  were  those  of  O.  M.  Benedict,  a  prominent 
lawyer;  Dr.  L.  C.  Dolley,  Isaac  Post,  a  zealous  Abolitionist  in  former  years,  and 
Henry  Stanton,  Lyman  Munger  and  James  Riley,  early  pioneers  of  this  place. 


Completion  of  the  City  Building.  i6i 

In  pursuance  of  the  system  of  education  for  the  very  young,  which  had 
been  found  so  satisfactory  in  the  Old  world,  a  "real  school"  was  established 
in  the  early  part  of  1873,  being  dedicated  on  the  14th  of  February.  On  the 
28th  of  May  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  city  hall,  just  south  of  the  court- 
house, was  laid  with  imposing  ceremonies,  most  of  which  were  conducted  by 
the  Masonic  fraternity  — ^  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.  MuUer  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  formally  opened.  Vincent  place  bridge,  which  was  begun  in  1872,  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  $150,000,  borne  by 
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  by  the  city  at  large,  and  the  other  part  by  the  region 
more  directly  benefited. 

The  death  record  of  the  year  includes  the  names  of  Dr.  A.  G.  Bristol,  who 
came  here  at  an  early  day;  Robert  M.  Dalzell,  who  camp  in  1826,  was  for 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century  a  deacon  in  the  First  Presbyterian  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  university  ;  Dr.  Michael  Weigel, 
a  respected  German  physician;  John  Haywood,  who  came  here  in, 18 19  and 
soon  afterward  opened  a  hat  store  on  State  street,  which  he  kept  for  more  than 
forty  years,  was  the  first  treasurer  of  the  Rochester  savings, bank  and  was  often 
a  member  of  the  city  council ;  Colonel  Aaron  Newton,  who  came  in  1 8 1 7,  kept 
a  tavern  for  many  years,  beginning  in  18 18,  on  the  spot  where  the  Blossom 
Hotel  and  the  Osburn  House  afterward  stood,  and  was  one  of  the  chief  pro 
motcrs  of  the  Old  Pioneer  society;  Ebenezer  Watts,  aged  ninety-two,  also  a 
settler  of  18 17,  who  for  many  years  had  a  hardware  store  on  Buffalo  street 
near  Exchange  street,  and  John  McConviU,  member  of  Assembly  in  1864  and 
1865. 

In  January,  1874,  the  city  building  on  Front  street  was  completed,  at  a  cost 
of  something  over  $50,000,  including  plumbing  and  gas-fitting ;  the  police  court- 
room and  head-quarters  were  located  there  at  first,  but  were  removed  to  the  city 
hall  on  the  completion  of  that  edifice  ;  the  Front  street  concern  has,  since  then, 
been  devoted  to  fire  matters,  the  office  of  overseer  of  the  poor,  and  other  city  in- 


1 62  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

terests.  The  water-works  went  into  successful  operation  in  tliis  month ;  a  grand 
public  test  was  made  on  February  i8th,  as  fully  described  in  the  chapter  devoted 
to  that  subject.  On  the  22d  a  boy  of  thirteen,  while  crazed  with  liquor,  threw 
himself  into  the  river  and  was  carried  over  the  falls;  perhaps  it  was  that  which 
caused  a  revival  of  the  temperance  movement,  mass  meetings  being  held  at 
Corinthian  hall  during  the  next  two  months,  addressed  by  Dr.  Anderson,  Dr. 
Saxe  and  others;  the  Ladies'  Temperance  union  petitioned  the  excise  commis- 
sioners in  vain  to  grant  no  more  licenses ;  the  police  commissioners  ordered 
the  closing  of  all  saloons  on  Sunday ;  the  lager  beer  saloons  kept  open,  but 
most  of  the  others  closed  their  front  doors.  In  March  a  letter  was  received  by 
the  commissioners  of  Mount  Hope,  from  the  sheriff  of  Lincoln  county,  Ontario, 
saying  that  some  of  the  records  of  our  cemetery  and  of  our  city  treasurer's 
office  had  been  found  at  St.  Catherine's ;  messengers  were  dispatched  for  them 
and  obtained  them;  they  were  found  to  be  the  cemetery  records  for  eleven 
years,  from  1846  to  1857,  and  the  accounts  of  the  sinking  fund  for  most  of  the 
same  tinie ;  they  had  been  in  the  custody  of  John  B.  Robertson  at  the  time  of 
the  burning  of  the  Eagle  bank  block  in  1857,  he  being  the  comptroller  and  hav- 
ing charge  of  those  funds ;  he  had  then  alleged  that  they  were  burned,  but  he 
had  taken  them  off  to  cover  a  defalcation  of  nearly  $40,000;  a  vast  amount  of 
confusion  as  to  Mount  Hope  lots  had  been  caused  by  the  deportation.  The 
sportsmen's  national  convention  was  held  here  in  September.  In  this  year 
Prof.  Swift  began  to  develop  his  skil)  in  the  discovery  of  comets  ;  there  were 
an  unusual  number  of  suicides,  two  of  which  were  by  jumping  from  Clarissa 
street  bridge;  three  corner-stones  were  laid  —  those  of  St.  John's  German  Lu- 
theran and  the  First  German  Methodist  churches  and  of  St.  Joseph's  orphan 
asylum  —  and  there  were  three  dedications  —  those  of  the  Free  Academy  and 
the  Salem  Evangelical  and  St.  Michael's  (Catholic)  churches. 

Record  may  be  made  of  the  deaths,  in  this  year,  of  Sam  Drake,  a  well 
known  old  fisherman,  a  very  oracle  on  all  things  pertaining  to  the  sport  of  an- 
gling, who  worked  here  at  his  trade  of  book-binding  as  far  back  as  1826,  in  the 
same  shop  with  Washington  Hunt,  afterward  governor  ;  of  John  M.  F"rench,  a 
prominent  iron-founder,  who  held  various  offices  and  was  more  than  once  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  mayor;  of  Pliny  M.  Bromley,  very  popular  in  early 
days  as  a  canal  boat  captain  and  in  later  years  as  the  landlord  of  the  Osburn 
House  ;  of  Isaac  Butts,  a  veteran  journalist  of  twenty  years'  experience  as  ed- 
itor of  the  Advertiser  and  then  of  the  Union,  in  which  he  acquired  a  great  repu- 
tation, though,  having  amassed  a  fortune  by  investments,  he  left  the  profession 
about  ten  years  before  his  death  ;  and  of  Thomas  H.  Rochester,  son  of  him  for 
whom  the  city  was  named;  he  came  here  in  1820,  built  the  old  Red  mill  in 
connection  with  his  brother-in-law,  Harvey  Montgomery  ;  superintended  the 
construction  of  the  Tonawanda  railroad  in  1834,  was  first  cashier  of  the  Com- 
mercial bank,  and  mayor  of  the  city  in  1839;  lie  was  throughout  his  life  one  of 
the  most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Rochester. 


Events  of  1878.  163 


The  city  hall,  then  recently  completed,  was  opened  to  the  public  on  the 
evening  of  January  4th,  1875,  by  a  musical  entertainment  (given  by  home  tal- 
ent) in  aid  of  the  sufferers  by  famine  in  the  West  —  an  auspicious  opening,  as 
dedicating  the  edifice  to  fraternity  and  human  sympathy.  The  building  cost 
$337,000,  and  was  erected  under  the  auspices  of  a  commission  appointed  for 
the  purpose,  consisting,  at  first,  of  George  J.  Whitney,  Daniel  W.  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  the  hearse,  with  the  saddle-horse  of  the  general,  and  then  fol- 
lowed the  civic  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-party,  through  two  evenings  in  April,  at  the  city  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  property  in  the  city.  Several  burglaries  were  committed  in  the 
early  part  of  the  summer,  and  in  one  case,  where  the  house  was  not  broken 
into,  the  thief  climbed  a  tree,  and  with  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  July  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  badly  hurt  that  he  died  of  the  wound  two  days  later,  had  held  on 
to  the  murderer  till  others  secured  him ;  it  was  John  Clark,  a  desperado 
who  had  committed  numerous  crimes,  and  probably  many  murders  else- 
where. He  was  tried  in  September,  and  sentenced  to  hang  on  November 
5  th;  his  counsel,  William  F,  Howe,  of  New  York,  made  desperate  efforts  for 
a  new  trial,  going  before  six  Supreme  court  judges  in  different  parts  of  the  state, 
with  a  motion  for  a  stay  of  proceedings  and  a  writ  of  error,  but  in  vain ;  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  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

William  J.  Vianco,  and  the  fireman,  Andrew  G.  Northrop,  his  son-in-law,  were 
instantly  killed,  their  bodies  being  found  under  the  wreck. 

The  obituary  list  of  the  year  is  a  long  one,  containing  the  names  of  Elias 
Pond,  who  was  collector  of  the  port  under  President  Taylor,  elected  sheriff  in 
1834,  and  member  of  Assembly  in  1859  and  i860,  and  actively  connected  in 
old-time  politics  with  Thurlow  Weed  and  Governor  Seward  ;  Daniel  E.  Harris, 
for  a  long  time  the  efficient  assistant  superintendent  of  Mount  Hope ;  William 
Brewster,  who  came  here  in  18 16,  well  known  to  all  the  older  inhabitants; 
Rufus  Keeler,  who  was  mayor  in  1857;  George  W.  Parsons,  a  respected  citi- 
zen, for  many  years  superintendent  of  the  gas  works ;  Edward  S.  Boughton,  an 
old  pioneer;  John  Williams,  who  came  here  in  1824,  was  mayor  in  1853, 
elected  to  Congress  in  1854,  chosen  city  treasurer  for  three  consecutive  terms, 
prominently  connected  with  military  affairs  for  most  of  his  life,  being,  when 
he  died,  major-general  of  the  seventh  division  of  the  national  guard,  succeeding 
the  late  James  S.  Wadsworth  ;  Father  Patricio  Byrnes,  pastor  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception  church  ;  Charles  L.  Pardee,  formerly  sheriff;  David  R.  Barton, 
who  acquired  a  national  reputation  as  a  maker  of  edge  tools ;  Dr.  H.  B.  Hack- 
ett,  of  the  theological  seminary,  one  of  the  foremost  Hebrew  scholars  of  the 
country ;  A.  Carter  Wilder,  mayor  of  the  city  in  1872,  after  having  been  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  Kansas;  Dr.  Hartwell  Carver,  who  always  claimed  to  be 
the  originator  of  the  Pacific  railroad,  and  William  H.  Hanford,  who,  in  18 10, 
settled  at  Hanford's  Landing  with  his  relative,  Frederick,  from  whom  it  was 
named. 

An  unearthly  din  at  the  hour  of  twelve  ushered  in  the  centennial  of  1876, 
"vexing  the  drowsy  ear  of  night"  with  the  combination  of  all  imaginable  arti- 
ficial noises;  the  bells  rang,  cannon  roared,  torpedoes  exploded,  fish  horns 
resounded,  all  the  engines  of  the  New  York  Central  which  could  be  brought 
together  for  the  purpose  screamed  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  stay  out  of  the  house  did  his  best  to  swell 
the  tumult  of  discordant  sounds.  That  ended  the  celebration  of  the  historic 
year  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  ceremony,  in  Franklin  square.  At  least  three 
deliberate  murders  were  committed  here  during  the  year  —  those  of  Louis  Gom- 
menginger,  a  policeman,  by  Fairbanks ;  of  Joseph  Fryer,  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- 
coming crazed  with  drink,  and  the  third  one  pleading  guilty  by  shooting  him- 
self and  dying  in  jail  a  few  days  later.  Of  the  deaths  during  the  year  were 
those  of  Samuel  Hamilton,  a  retired  merchant  of  former  days ;   Horatio  G.  War- 


Republican  State  Convention  of  1877.  165 

ncr,  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  inventor 
of  improvements  in  artificial  limbs ;  Dr.  H.  C.  Wanzer,  well  known  in  the  ranks 
of  dentistry ;  Abram  Karnes,  a  veteran  banker,  and  Lysander  Farrar,  an  emi- 
nent counselor. 

The  first  part  of  1877  passed  away  quietly  enough,  but  in  July  the  railroad 
strikes,  which  were  the  outcome  of  the  labor  riots  of  the  previous  month,  broke 
out  on  the  Erie  road ;  the  Fifty-fourth  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  next  day  was  in  full  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 ;  ex-Mayor  John  B.  Elwood,  of  whom 
more  will  be  said  in  the  chapter  on  the  medical  practitioners ;  Col.  C.  T.  Ams- 
den,  formerly  city  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, 


1 66  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Railroad  enterprise  signalised  the  opening  of  1878,  for  on  the  28th  of 
January  the  last  rail  was  laid  on  the  State  Line  road  (now  the  Rochester  &  Pitts- 
burg) from  here  to  Salamanca,  connecting,  by  this  means,  the  Erie  with  the 
Atlantic  &  Great  Western,  besides  opening  up  to  this  city  a  fertile  and  popu- 
lous section  of  the  country,  inaccessible  to  us  by  direct  communication  before 
then;  great  celebration  at  Salamanca  that  day,  but  a  larger  one,  with  immense 
excursion  from  here,  on  the  isth  of  the  following  May,  after  the  road  had 
been  ballasted.  In  consequence  of  the  burning  of  a  block  on  Exchange  street, 
near  the  canal,  on  the  Sth  of  April,  by  which  one  man  was  burned  to  death, 
the  wall  of  an  adjacent  building  just  north  fell,  on  the  14th  of  June,  three  floors 
crashing  down  into  the  cellar  and  pulling  with  them  a  great  part  of  another 
block  still  further  north;  Colonel  M.  H.  Smith,  proprietor  of  a  printing-office,  was 
caught  in  the  ruins,  carried- down  into  the  cellar  and  fastened  there  with  a  hot 
kettle  across  his  chest  and  debris  piled  above;  he  was  rescued  with  great  diffi- 
culty, terribly  burned  and  otherwise  injured,  but  finally  recovered,  with  the 
loss  of  the  right  arm.  In  bright  daylight  at  some  time  before  noon,  on  the 
1 2th  of  October,  twenty-four  prisoners  in  the  jail,  most  of  whom  were  burglars, 
escaped  by  breaking  a  hole  through  the  cell  of  one  of  them  into  the  dungeon 
and  thence  into  the  yard;  eight  were  recaptured  the  next  day,  and  most  of 
the  others  aftei'ward;  it  was  thought  that  they  took  much  needless  trouble  in 
getting  out  of  so  rickety  a  place.  Burglary  became  quite  popular  in  Novem- 
ber, a  number  of  houses  in  the  third  ward  being  entered.  Among  those  who 
passed  away  during  the  year  were  Dr.  H.  W.  Dean,  an  eminent  physician  ; 
Rev.  John  Barker,  an  old  Methodist  clergyman ;  E.  N.  Buell,  formerly  city 
treasurer  and  held  in  general  esteem;  Charles  P.  Achilles,  much  beloved  by  his 
associates,  county  treasurer  for  one  term;  the  venerable  Abelard  Reynolds,  and 
George  J.  Whitney,  sketches  of  the  last  two  of  whom  will  be  found  elsewhere. 

A  terrible  snow-storm,  which  during  the  last  week  of  the  previous  year  had 
blocked  the  railroads  in  the  vicinity  and  caused  more  than  one  fatal  accident, 
was  renewed  on  the  2d  of  January,  1879,  and  produced  disastrous  results  for 
several  days;  the  drifts  were  thirty  feet  high  in  the  country;  on  the  5th  no 
train  could  get  into  or  out  of  the  city;  many  were  frozen  to  death  in  snow- 
drifts in  adjacent  villages ;  trains  ran  off  the  track  near  here,  a  number  of  em- 
ployees being  killed;  the  blockade  was  not  finally  broken  till  the  loth;  the 
executive  board  of  the  city  paid  $1,300  for  shoveHng  and  carting  away  the 
snow  during  the  week.  The  national  association  of  stove-makers  held  its  an- 
nual meeting  here  in  January.  For  three  days  in  July  the  Mannerchor  cele- 
brated the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  society.  During  the  year  the  El- 
wood  block,  on  the  corner  of  State  and  West  Main  streets,  was  erected,  and 
the  Allen  street  lift  bridge,  over  the  canal,  begun  in  1878,  was  completed,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $7,000;  some  $6,000  was  subsequently  spent  on  it.  Dr.  Jonah 
Brown,  who  came   here  in    18 13,  was   the  first  physician  in  the  place  and  the 


Events  of  1880.  167 


grantee  named  in  the  first  deed  given  for  real  estate  paid  for  in  the  One-hun- 
dred-acre tract  (the  lot  on  Exchange  street  where  the  Bank  of  Monroe  now 
stands),  died  in  this  year;  also,  Joseph  Field,  an  old  resident,  one  of  the  orig- 
inators of  the  City  bank  and  for  many  years  its  president,  one  of  the  most  act- 
ive promoters  of  railroads  in  early  days,  being  for  some  time  president  of  the 
Buffalo  &  Rochester  road,  and  mayor  of  the  city  in  1848;  Dr.  W.  W.  Ely, 
whose  abilities  as  a  physician  were  supplemented  by  unusual  literary  culture; 
Ezra  Jones,  whose  experience  as  an  iron  founder  went  back  for  a  generation 
and  his  previous  experience  as  a  boat-builder  far  back  into  the  village  days, 
and  Colonel  A.  T.  Lee,  a  veteran  officer  of  the  United  States  army. 

Charles  Stewart  Parnell,  the  Irish  patriot  and  agitator,  made  a  tour  through 
the  middle  and  western  states  in  January,  1880,  and  was  received  here  by  his 
fellow-countrymen. on  the  26th  of  the  month;  he  spoke  at  the  city  hall  to  a  crowd 
that  filled  the  room  and  showed  great  enthusiasm.  On  the  6th  of  March  the 
legal  profession  furnished  a  criminal  case  out  of  its  own  ranks;  Robert  Jarrard, 
a  young  lawyer,  while  frantic  with  drink,  shot  just  over  the  heart,  intending  to 
kill  him,  Wallace  Rice,  an  inoffensive  man,  with  whom  he  had  a  slight  alterca- 
tion; Jarrard,  being  released  on  bail,  hung  himself  in  his  own  house  three  days 
later;  Rice  finally  got  well  —  in  other  words,  "the  man  recovered  from  his 
bite."  This,  being  a  presidential  year,  was  equal  to  any  of  its  predecessors  of 
that  character  in  the  displays  and  street  parades  that  were  given  by  both  of  the 
great  parties,  if  not  in  the  intense  earnestness  that  was  felt  over  the  election 
contests  during  the  war.  The  grandest  show  of  the  Republicans  was  on  the 
27th  of  October,  both  day  and  night.  General  Grant  and  others  from  abroad 
joining  in  the  turnout  of  the  afternoon;  the  Democrats  had  theirs  the  next  day 
and  evening,  General  McClellan  appearing  in  the  line  of  the  afternoon  parade ; 
the  whole  country  and  many  towns  outside  of  it  sent  recruits  for  the  different 
processions,  and  the  evening  spectacle  in  each  case  was  a  very  fine  one,  the 
number  of  men  in  line  on  each  night  being  something  over  seven  thousand. 
Several  of  the  old  pioneers  died  during  the  year —  among  them,  Abner  Wake- 
lec,  Lyman  B.  Langworthy,  Johnson  I.'  Robins  and  Edwin  Scrantom,  the 
residence  of  the  last  dating  from  the  very  birth  of  Rochester,  as  has  been  told 
in  an  earlier  chapter  of  this  work  —  while  of  those  whose  residence  dated  back 
to  very  early  times  were  P.  M.  Crandall,  Aaron  Erickson  (an  outline  of  whose 
life  is  given  elsewhere),  William  Kidd,  who  by  industry  and  integrity  acquired 
a  large  fortune  and  was  for  several  years  the  treasurer  of  the  county;  Elijah 
F.  Smith,  who  had  been  mayor  in  1841  (being  the  first  one  elected  by  the 
people)  and  had  held  various  offices  of  public  responsibility;  Edmund  Lyon, 
Dr.  J.  F.  Whitbeck  and  John  Widner,  the  last-named  dying  at  the  age  of  a 
century. 

Some  railroad  matters  were  settled  up  in  the  early  part  of  188 1,  the  State 
Line  road,  which  for  a  long  time  had  been  the  source  of  great  anxiety  to  its 


1 68  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

friends  and  creditors,  being  sold  at  auction,  on  the  court-house  steps,  on  the 
8th  of  January,  to  the  highest  bidder,  who  was  Walston  H.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  who  paid  $600,000  for  it,  reorganised  it  and  changed  it  into  the  Roches- 
ter &  Pittsburg ;  later  in  the  same  month  the  contract  for  the  elevation  of  the 
Central  railroad  tracks  was  signed  by  the  citizens'  commission  and  William  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  trotter,  lowered,  on  the  nth  of  August,  her  own  record  and  trotted  a 
mile  in  2:10^,  the  fastest  time  ever  made  up  to  that  hour.  On  the  3d  of  July 
prayers  were  offered  up  in  all  the  churches  for  the  recovery  of  President  Gar- 
field, who  had  been  shot  the  day  before;  the  people  waited  in  suspense  from 
that  time  till  the  night  of  September  19th,  when  the  simultaneous  tolling  of  city 
bells  announced  his  death;  the  mock  funeral  here,  at  the  time  of  his  obsequies 
on  the  26th,  was  most  impressive  ;  the  procession  was  by  far  the  longest  ever 
seen  here  up  to  that  time,  as  well  it  may  have  been,  for  it  embraced  a  large 
proportion  of  those  who  less  than  a  year  before  had  made  up  the  numbers  of 
the  two  monster  parades  that  were  given  in  rivalry  over  the  approaching  elec- 
tion of  the  man  whom  now  they  mourned  with  a  common  sorrow. 

In  the  obituary  record  of  our  citizens  may  be  placed  the  names  of  James  C. 
Cochrane,  an  eminent  lawyer ;  William  Stebbins  and  David  Moody,  among  the 
pioneers;  George  D.  Stillson,  who,  after  having  been  engaged  in  locating  the 
Tonawanda  railroad,  and  other  roads  in  this  vicinity  of  half  a  century  ago,  had 
been  so  long  the  superintendent  of  Mount  Hope  cemetery  as  to  seem  almost  in- 
separably connected  with  it ;  Samuel  D.  Porter,  who,  during  more  than  the  life- 
time of  the  city,  had  been  actively  engaged  in  promoting  works  of  benevolence 
and  reform,  and  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  anti -slavery  cause 
in  this  section  of  the  state  (whftse  oldest  son  died  the  day  after  his  father,  so 
that  the  two  were  borne  from  the  house  together) ;  Levi  A.  Ward,  who  came 
here  when  a  child,  with  his  father,  in  1 8 17,  grew  up  with  the  place,  and  was 
for  more  than  a  generation  in  the  front  ranks  of  citizenship,  mayor  in  1 849, 
first  president  of  the  board  of  education,  and  connected  with  many  institutions 
of  benevolence;  Isaac  Hills,  a  prominent  resident,  who,  after  teaching  school 
in  Lenox  academy,  Massachusetts,  where  Mark  Hopkins  and  David  Dudley 
Field  were  among  his  pupils,  came  here  in  1824  to  practise  law,  was  district- 
attorney,  first  recorder  of  the  city,  mayor  in  1843,  and  the  incumbent  of  numer- 
ous other  offices ;  William  Burke,  the  oldest  hardware  merchant  in  the  city  at 
the  time  of  his  death  ;  John  H.  Martindale,  brigadier-general  in  the  war  of  the 
rebellion,  and  afterward  attorney- general  of  the  state ;  Mrs.  Jehiel  Barnard 
(daughter  of  Hamlet  Scrantom),  who  came  here  in  1812,  and  whose  wedding, 
in  18 1 5,  was  the  first  one  in  Rochester,  and,  lastly,  Lewis  H.  Morgan,  whose 
scholarship  reflected  distinction  upon  the  city  of  his  abode.  He  was  born  near 
Aurora,  in  this  state,  in  1 8 1 8 ;  came  to  Rochester  soon  after  his  graduation  at 


'^C-Ooi.-^     yv-   Cy^^ 


'^.C/t-^^Clyl— 


Lewis  H.  Morgan.  169, 


Union  college  in  1840,  and  began  the  practice  of  law,  which  he  continued  with 
great  success  for  several  years,  when  he  finally  abandoned  it  to  engage  exclu- 
sively ill  literary  pursuits.  In  early  life  he  had  become  interested  in  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  Indians  formerly  dwelling  in  the  state,  and  his  researches 
in  this  direction  caused  the  production  by  him,  in  1851,  of  The  League  of  the 
Iroquois,  in  which  he  thoroughly  explained  the  organisation  and  government 
of  that  wonderful  confederacy  of  the  Six  Nations,  whose  constitution,  the  form- 
ation of  which  is  assigned  by  tradition  to  Hiawatha,  was  in  part  the  basis  upon 
which  that  of  the  United  States  was  reared.  This  book,  instead  of  closing  Mr. 
Morgan's  labors  in  that  line  of  study,  only  opened  the  field  for  wider  investiga- 
tion, and  he  entered  upon  his  life-work,  which  was  twofold  —  first,  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  mutual  relationship  of  the  human  race  by  tracing  the  similarity 
of  social  customs,  a  generalisation  which  took  years  of  labor,  and  found  its 
outcome  in  his  Systems  of  Consanguinity  of  the  Human  Family,  a  ponderous 
quarto  of  600  pages,  published  by  the  Smithsonian  institution,  which  contains 
the  systems  of  kinship  of  more  than  four-fifths  of  the  world  —  second,  and  in 
part  the  outgrowth  of  the  first,  the  proof  of  his  theory  that  \hz  gens,  instead  of 
the  family,  was  the  social  unit  of  the  race  —  a  proposition  which  was  wholly 
original  with  the  author,  and  was  of  course  violently  combated  by  English 
writers,  but  accepted  by  many,  even  in  Great  Britain,  and  which  he  fully  de- 
veloped in  his  Ancient  Society,  by  far  the  greatest  of  all  his  works,  and  the  one 
upon  which  his  future  renown  will  rest.  Houses  and  House- Life  of  the  Ameri- 
can Aborigines  was  his  last  production,  giving  the  results  of  his  latest  inquiries 
into  the  habits  of  the  western  Indians  and  the  Aztec  tribes.  Besides  these  vol- 
umes was  his  work  on  the  American  beaver,  published  in  1868,  which,  though 
really  outside  of  the  range  of  his  special  studies,  was  received  by  foreign  scholars 
with  the  highest  admiration,  was  translated  into  various  languages,  and  gained 
for  its  writer  the  honorary  membership  of  several  of  the  most  famous  scientific 
societies.  Mr.  Morgan  was  elected  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1861  and 
member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  legislature  in  1875,  but  these  honors  were 
inconsequential,  and  were  nothing  to  him  in  comparison  with  the  presidency  of 
the  American  association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  which  was  conferred 
upon  him  in  1879.  He  was  the  most  distinguished  ethnologist  that  this  coun- 
try ever  produced,  and  the  foremost  in  the  world  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Small-i^ox  was  agaiii  the  enemy  to  fight  against  in  the  early  part  of  1882, 
the  aiann  having  been  given  in  the  autumn  of  the  previous  year  and  the  work 
of  vaccination  then  entered  upon  ;  it  was  carried  out  with  far  greater  thorough- 
ness than  ever  before,  the  board  of  health,  with  Dr.  Buckley  as  health  officer, 
using  the  most  stringent  measures  and  being  sustained  by  the  municipal  author- 
ities ;  several  young  physicians  were  appointed  to  do  the  work,  and  not  only 
every  school  but  every  manufacturing  establishment  had  to  submit  to  visitation 
and  operation  upon  all  who  could  not  show  themselves  proof  against  the  infec- 


170  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tion ;  in  this  way  between  20,000  and  30,000  were  vaccinated,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  scourge  was  effectually  prevented.  Strikes  were  extensively  inaug- 
urated at  this  time,  and  in  some  instances  carried  on  with  disastrous  results. 
After  there  had  been  some  trouble  of  that  kind  in  one  or  two  of  the  shoe  shops 
the  employees  of  the  Cunningham  carriage  factory  determined  to  redress  in  that 
manner  some  things  of  which  they  had  complained  in  vain ;  of  450  workmen, 
400  went  out  on  the  28th  of  January,  the  others  remaining  and  being  reinforced 
by  nearly  a  hundred  of  newly  employed  non-union  men  ;  all  through  February 
the  conduct  of  the  strikers  was  faultless,  but  on  the  1st  of  March,  their  patience 
and  their  means  being  nearly  exhausted,  they  resorted  to  violence  to  obtain 
their  ends  and  attacked  the  non-union  men  in  the  street  as  they  were  returning 
from  their  work ;  the  next  day  there  were  more  wicked  assaults  and  some 
bloodshed,  though  no  one  was  killed ;  this,  of  course,  could  not  be  allowed  to 
go  on,  so  the  sheriff  interfered  and  peace  was  preserved  for  the  next  two  days, 
after  which,  by  the  intervention  of  the  mayor,  a  compromise  was  effected  and 
the  men  returned  to  work,  abandoning  the  scheme  for  a  cooperative  carriage- 
making  company,  with  a  capital  of  $250,000,  which  had  been  almost  matured 
during  the  strike.  As  a  counterpart  to  the  trades  union,  most  of  the  em- 
ployers in  the  city  formed,,  in  May,  a  protective  union,  by  which  each  one 
bound  himself  not  to  employ  men  who  have  struck  in  other  establishments  and 
to  join  in  resisting  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  trades  union  to  coerce  any  (jf 
the  associated  manufacturers.  In  March,  on  account  of  the  large  amount  of 
money  lying  idle  in  the  savings  banks,  by  reason  of  the  New  York  insurance 
and  other  companies  having  loaned  money  in  Monroe  county  below  the  legal 
rate  of  six  per  cent.,  the  savings  banks  here  agreed  to  loan  at  five  per  cent, 
on  sums  of  $5,000  or  upward.  The  summer  months  brought  with  them  some 
mild  excitements,  beginning  with  one,  in  June,  of  a  rather  serious  nature,  in 
the  shape  of  a  funereal  exhibition  by  the  national  association  of  undertakers  or 
funeral  directors,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States  and  quite  a  fine  affair; 
then  followed,  in  the  same  month,  the  first  general  parade  of  workingmen 
ever  seen  in  this  city,  in  which  over  6,000  "Knights  of  Labor"  were  in  line, 
their  idea  being  to  express  abhorrence  of  the  new  penal  code.  In  July  a 
disease  called  the  "pink-eye"  made  havoc  with  the  horses,  thirty-six  of  the  ani- 
mals connected  with  the  street  cars  being  attacked  in  a  single  day ;  few  deaths 
occurred  from  that  cause.  In  August  there  was  a  great  firemen's  convention, 
as  described  in  another  chapter.  The  Osburn  House,  after  being  one  of  the 
leading  hotels  in  the  state  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  closed  its  doors  in 
September  and  was  turned  into  a  business  block.  The  lift  bridge  at  Brown 
street  was  built  during  the  year,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1 1,000.  On  the  21st  of 
December  those  standing  in  front  of  the  old  City  bank  saw  a  sign  attached  to 
the  door,  with  these  words :  "This  bank  has  suspended  ;  "  much  distress  was  pro- 
duced by  the  failure,  which  was  caused  by  speculation  in  oil ;  the  capital  stock 
was  $200,000,  a  total  loss  to  the  holders ;  the  loss  to  depositors  was  very  great. 


First  Chinese  Voter  in  Rochester.  171 

Death  made  many  inroads  into  the  ranks  of  our  older  citizens  durjng  the 
year,  carrying  off  Hamlet  D.  Scrantom,  who  came  here,  at  the  age  of  six,  in 
1 8 12,  was  elected  mayor  in  i860,  and  after  leaving  office  took  a  lease  of  Con- 
gress Hall,  and  acquired  a  high  reputation  as  a  typical  landlord ;  David  Bell, 
who  came  here  in  1822,  was  one  of  the  first  Quakers  of  the  place,  and  always 
active  in  charity ;  Joseph  Medbery,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  here,  at 
one  time  president  of  the  village  and  prominent  in  its  militia,  in  which  he  held 
the  rank  of  major;  Benjamin  Fish,  Nathan  Huntington  and  Mrs.  Mary  West- 
bury  (at  the  age  of  one  hundred),  who  were  among  the  pioneers;  James  Vick, 
whose  fame  as  a  nurseryman  and  cultivator  of  flowers  was  almost  world-wide, 
but  who  had  been  also  a  printer,  an  editor,  an  author,  a  publisher,  a  farmer, 
a  botanist,  a  merchant,  and  all  his  life  a  student ;  Colonel  Charles  J.  Powers, 
whose  good  service  in  the  field  gained  for  him  the  brevet  of  brigadier-general, 
and  who  was  elected  county,  clerk  in  1867;  Patrick  H.  Sullivan,  another  brave 
soldier,  who  was  chief  engineer  of  the  fire  department  in  1864;  Charles  H. 
Chapin,  a  prominent  banker ;  Francis  Gorton,  who,  after  a  successful  business 
career  as  a  merchant,  became  president  of  the  Flour  City  bank,  and  continued 
such  till  his  death,  twenty- six  years  later,  and  E.  Peshine  Smith,  a  noted  pub- 
licist, whose  work  on  political  economy  is  a  standard  text-book  in  several 
American  colleges,  and  who,  many  years  ago,  was  professor  of  mathematics  in 
our  university,  then  deputy  superintendent  of  public  instruction  of  the  state, 
then  reporter  to  the  court  of  Appeals,  then  solicitor  of  the  state  department  at 
Washington  during  much  of  the  war  time,  after  which  he  was,  on  the  advice  of 
Secretary  Seward,  selected  by  the  Japanese  government  as  chief  legal  adviser 
of  the  foreign  department  of  that  country,  a  position  which  he  held  until  a  few 
years  ago,  when  he  returned  to  the  United  States. 

Rochester's  first  Chinese  voter  was  naturalised  on  the  8th  of  January,  1883  ; 
his  name  was  Sam  Fang,  his  age  twenty-seven,  his  residence  in  this  country 
twenty  years;  he  could  hardly  be  called  a  "heathen  Chinee,"  being  a  member 
of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  church.  Shortly  after  noon,  on  July  19th  most  of  the 
telegraph  operators  in  all  the  offices  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  left  their  instru- 
ments, in  obedience  to  a  rapping  from  the  office  at  Washington,  where  the 
headquarters  of  the  brotherhood  were.  The  signal  agreed  upon  was  the  tele- 
graphic utterance  of  the  sentence  "  Grant  is  dead,"  and  it  was  supposed  that 
the  language  would  not  be  understood  by  any  one  but  the  different  operators. 
Some  one  in  New  York,  however,  either  in  the  office  or  outside  of  it,  happened 
to  overhear  the  secret  message,  and,  giving  to  it  its  exoteric  meaning,  rushed 
into  the  street  and  communicated  what  he  mistook  for  information,  upon  which 
there  was  great  excitement,  that  was  allayed  only  by  the  revelation  of  the  strike 
that  had  been  just  inaugurated.  In  the  Western  Union  office  here  only  two 
telegraphers  remained  at  work,  and  all  the  managers  had  to  go  on  duty  to  take 
the  place  of  those  who  had  retired ;  in  the  American  Rapid  office  all  deserted, 

12 


172  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  the  door  was  closed ;  in  the  Mutual  Union  two  operators  stayed,  and  the 
work  went  on  as  usual.  A  week  later  the  American  Rapid  company  compro- 
mised with  the  strikers,  and  the  office  was  reopened,  but  with  the  other  the 
trouble  continued  for  just  a  month  from  the  beginning  of  the  strike,  when  at 
last  the  operators,  disappointed  in  the  supply  of  funds  from  other  trades  organ- 
isations, and  driven  to  surrender  by  dire  necessity,  yielded  and  returned  to  their 
work.  They  preserved,  throughout  the  whole  period  of  their  voluntary  sus- 
pension from  income-producing  labor,  their  self-respect,  and  with  it  the  respect 
of  the  entire  community,  which  sympathised  in  this  well-directed  though  un- 
successful resistance  to  the  intolerable  tyranny  of  the  most  heartless  monopoly 
of  modern  times.  On  the  5th  of  August  the  military  funeral  of  General  E.  G. 
Marshall  —  who  died  at  Canandaigua,  though  he  was  sometime  a  resident  of 
this  city,  and  was  colonel  of  the  "old  Thirteenth"  —  took  place  here.  In  Sep- 
tember three  things  occurred  here  —  the  convention  of  Freethinkers  of  the 
United  States,  the  visit  of  Lord  Coleridge,  chief-justice  of  the  English  court  of 
queen's  bench,  and  the  digging  up  on  St.  Paul  street  of  one  of  the  spikes  and 
strap  rails  of  the  old  Rochester  &  Carthage  horse  railroad.  The  bi-centennial 
of  the  German  settlement  of  America  was  celebrated  in  fine  style  by  the  fellow- 
countrymen  of  those  pioneers,  the  street  parade  on  the  8th  of  October  being 
notable  for  the  variety  of  its  elements.  Of  the  prosperity  and  improvement  of 
the  city  during  this  last  year  of  our  historical  record,  the  few  following  state- 
ments may  convey  some  intimation  to  readers  in  future  years :  The  new  depot 
of  the  New  York  Central  and  the  elevation  of  its  tracks  through  the  city  were 
completed,  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000,000 ;  the  Powers  Hotel  —  a  fire-proof 
building,  standing  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  tavern,  older  than  the  city  itself, 
which  was  built  as  the  Monroe  House,  then  changed  its  name  to  the  National, 
then  to  the  Morton,  then  to  the  Champion,  then  back  to  the  National  —  was 
finished,  at  an  expense  of  about  $630,000 ;  the  Warner  observatory,  on  East 
avenue,  was  completed,  costing,  with  its  magnificent  telescope,  not  far  from 
$100,000;  the  Warner  building,  a  splendid  iron  structure  on  North  St.  Paul 
street,  was  built,  at  an  expense  in  the  neighborhood  of  $500,000;  Church 
street  was  opened  and  improved  at  a  total  cost  of  about  $  1 65 ,000 ;  North  St. 
Paul  street  was  straightened  and  widened  for  the  same  amount ;  the  lift  bridge 
over  the  canal  at  Lyell  street  was  built  for  $13,000,  and  finally.  Central  avenue 
was  extended  and  a  bridge  built  across  the  river  to  Atwater  street,  at  a  cost  of 
$46,000.  The  records  of  the  city  surveyor's  office  show  that  during  the  year 
there  were  eleven  streets  improved,  at  an  expense  of  $110,000,  and  thirty-one 
sewers  constructed,  costing  $56,000.  The  records  of  the  city  treasurer  show 
that  the  receipts  for  the  year,  on  account  of  general  city  tax,  were  $1,059,- 
940.48;  the  expenditures  for  local  improvements,  $498,384.00;  the  receipts 
on  local  improvements,  $300,353.73,  and  the  receipts  for  water  rents  about 
$150,000.     The  registry  of  vital  statistics  indicates  that  the  total  number  of 


Necrology  of  1884.  173 


births  was  2,472,  of  marriages  1,021,  of  deatlis  1,785.  The  population  is  at 
this  time  (June  loth,  1884)  estimated  at  110,000. 

Of  the  deaths  those  may  be  noted  of  Samuel  Richardson,  mayor  of  the 
city  in  1850,  though  he  lived  in  Pennsylvania  for  most  of  the  time  after  that; 
the  venerable  Jeremiah  Cutler,  who  in  1824  was  appointed  a  deputy  in  the 
county  clerk's  office  and  served  in  that  capacity  continuously — with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  intervals  aggregating  less  than  three  years  —  till  his  death,  at 
the  age  of  ninety-one,  having  been  employed  under  twenty  successive  county 
clerks;  Lewis  Selye,  who  came  here  in  1824  and  soon  acquired  more  than  a 
local  fame  as  a  manufacturer  of  fire  engines,  was  always  a  public-spirited  citizen 
and  a  liberal  giver,  was  elected  county  treasurer  in  1848  and  again  in  1854  and 
member  of  Congress  in  1866;  Dr.  B.  F.  Gilkeson,  a  well-known  physician;  H. 
Edward  Hooker,  a  prominent  nurseryman,  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all 
who  knew  him;  Roswell  Hart,  one  of  the  earliest  coal  dealers  here,  elected 
member  of  Congress  in  1864,  secretary  of  the  Rochester  savings  bank  at  the 
time  of  his  death;  Isaac  Ashley,  a  veteran  landlord,  who  came  here  in  1825 
and  kept,  first,  the  Carter  House,  near  the  canal  feeder,  then  the  Union  Hotel, 
then  the  National  (at  that  time  the  Monroe),  and  then  the  Clinton,  beginning 
there  in  1835  and  retiring  in  1878;  Dr.  Hugh  Bradley,  an  eminent  physician 
and  the  oldest  here  at  the  time  of  his  death;  Addison  Gardiner,  a  distinguished 
citizen,  whose  public  career  is  traced  in  another  part  of  this  work;  Nathaniel 
T.  Rochester,  a  son  of  Colonel  Rochester,  who- came  here  in  1818,  a  man  uni- 
versally respected  but  of  so  retiring  a  disposition  that  he  almost  uniformly  re- 
fused to  hold  any  public  office;  Charles  J.  Hill,  who  came  in  1816  and  was 
mayor  in  1842,  of  whom  a  sketch  is  given  elsewhere;  Joseph  Curtis,  one  of 
the  proprietors  of  the  Union  &  Advertiser,  influential  in  financial  circles  and 
respected  by  all  his  associates  ;  Judge  E.  Darwin  Smith,  who  came  here  in 
1824  and,  after  practising  law  for  many  years,  was  raised,  in  1855,  to  the  bench 
of  the  Supreme  court,  where  he  remained  till  1876,  when  he  retired  by  reason 
of  the  constitutional  limitation  of  seventy  years;  and  Mrs.  Anson  House  (for- 
merly Lucinda  Blossom),  who  came  here  in  1820  and  was  one  of  the  witnesses 
to  the  first  deed  recorded  in  the  county. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  celebration  of  the  city's  birthday  nothing  occurred  in 
1884,  essential  to  mention  in  this  chapter,  except  the  death  of  Martin  Briggs, 
a  prominent  citizen,  who  held  several  public  offices  and  was  closely  identified 
with  the  iron  industry  of  the  city  for  more  than  fifty  years;  of  George  B.  Har- 
ris, the  typical  fireman  of  Rochester  and  chief-engineer  of  the  department  for 
more  than  seven  years;  of  Mrs.  Silas  O.  Smith,  who  came  here  with  her  hus- 
band in  1813,  and  of  her  son  Edward  M.  Smith,  one  of  the  most  popular  citi- 
zens of  his  day,  who,  after  being  in  the  municipal  council,  was  elected  mayor 
in  1869;  he  was  postmaster  from  1871  to  1875,  being  in  the  meantime  one  of 
the  commissioners  of  water- works;  for  several  years  he  was  one  of  the  three 


174  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

members  of  the  fish  commission  of  the  state  of  New  York  and  was  a  delegate 
in  its  behalf  to  the  fisheries  exposition  in  London  in  1883;  in  1876  he  was  ap- 
pointed United  States  consul  at  Mannheim,  Baden,  and  occupied  that  position 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  England,  as  he  was  on  his  way  to 
return  home. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
the  great  celebration. 

Preparations  for  the  Event  —  Services  in  the  Churches  on  Sunday  —  Opening  Salute  on  Monday 

—  The  Literary  Exercises  —  The  Pyrotechnic   Display  —  Reception  of  Guests  —  The  Great  Parade 

—  The  Banquet  —  The  Toasts  —  The  Close. 

WITH  perpetual  announcements  through  the  daily  press  of  the  approach- 
ing festival,  no  one  in  all  this  region  was  ignorant  of  the  preparations 
that  were  made  for  the  appropriate  celebration  of  Rochester's  fiftieth  birthday, 
and  the  populaf  expectations  were  raised  so  high  that  a  fulfillment  of  them 
might  well  have  seemed  destructive  of  the  vanity  of  human  wishes.  But  so  it 
was  that  all  that  had  been  promised  was  performed  and  all  that  had  been  looked 
for  came  to  pass,  and  the  citizens  of  Rochester  were  justly  satisfied  with  a 
triumph  that  has  had  no  counterpart  in  this  portion  of  the  state.  The  anniver- 
sary days  were  the  9th  and  loth  of  June,  but  the  observances  really  began  on 
Sunday,  the  8th,  with  a  delivery  in  most  of  the  churches  of  discourses  per- 
tinent to  the  occasion  —  in  many  cases  reminiscent,  in  others  prophetic.  In 
the  First  Presbyterian  church,  whose  society  is  the  oldest  in  the  city,  the  ser- 
vices were  especially  noticeable.  In  the  morning  Rev.  Dr.  Tryon  Edwards,  who 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  congregation  fifty  years  ago  —  and  who  is  now 
settled  at  Gouverneur,  in  this  state  —  preached,  by  request,  the  same  sermon 
which  he  delivered  at  his  installation,  and  many  of  his  hearers  at  this  time  were 
able  to  recall  the  words  to  which  they  had  listened  so  long  before.  The  evening 
services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Dr.  F.  De  W.  Ward,  now  of  Geneseo,  whose 
connection  with  the  old  church  also  dated  back  half  a  century,  for  it  was  then 
that  he  was  there  ordained  as  a  missionary  to  India. 

Monday  morning  was  quiet  enough,except  as  it  was  occupied  by  tlie  munic- 
ipal committee  in  the  reception  of  invited  guests  from  abroad  and  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  arrived  the 
city  hall  bell  gave  the  intelligence  that  Rochester's  semi-centennial  birthday  had 
begun;  the  booming  of  cannon,  with  fifty  measured  notes,  answered  back  the 


The  Semi- Centennial  Celebration.  175 

stroke,  while  for  the  succeeding  hour  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  by  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  to-day  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 
quiet  listeners  to-day  will  have  gone  the  way  of  all  men  —  gone  to  join  the  innumerable 
throng.  But  this  is  not  the  time  for  sad  reflection.  Neither  do  we  assemble  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  venerable  pastor  of  the  Brick  church,  then  invoked 
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  dovi^n  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  missive  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  day  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  expressing 
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  Fifty-fourth  regiment  band,  the  whole  music,  vocal 
and  instrumental,  of  this  piece  and  others,  being  under  the  direction  of  Albert 
Sartori. 


176  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Charles  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,  perhaps,  generally  known,  but  exceedingly  interesting  and  deserving 
emphasis,  that  the  chief  impulse  to  the  exodus  of  Colonel  Rochester  from  Maryland 
was  his  aversion  to  the  institution  of  human  bondage.  He  could  not  bear  the  thought 
of  rearing  his  family  amid  its  demoralising  influences.  He  freed  all  his  slaves,  bringing 
the  majority  of  them  with  him,  as  hired  domestic  servants,  and,  with  his  household  goods, 
set  his  face  toward  the  north  star.  Thus  Rocliester,  which  the  Chrysostom  of  the  col- 
ored race  was  afterward  to  make  his  home,  and  from  which  New  York's  most  philosophic 
statesman  was  to  announce  the  'irrepressible  conflict,'  is,  through  the  resolution  of  its 
founder,  most  honorably  identified  with  the  revival  of  anti-slavery  sentiment  in  America. 

Mrs.  Abelard  Reynolds  came  to  Rochester,  a  young  wife  and  mother,  to  share 

in  the  toils  of  the  frontier  settlement,  and  to  rear  her  family  in  'the  nurture  and  admoni- 
tion of  the  Lord.'  What  panorama  of  dissolving  woods,  of  opening  thoroughfares,  of 
artificial  waterways,  of  iron  fingers  with  friendly  clasp  of  distant  communities,  of  ascend- 
ing walls  enshrining  peaceful  homes  or  uplifting  dome  and  tower  and  steeple,  of  ham- 
mers swinging  and  wheels  revolving,  of  varied  industries  unfolding  and  expanding,  of 
hospitals  and  asylums  evoked  by  the  gentle  genius  of  charity,  of  the  confident  tread  of 
the  sons  pressing  upon  the  tottering  steps  of  the  fathers,  has  passed  before  her  eyes. 
Mother  in  Israel  !  we  greet  thee,  to-day,  with  reverence  and  with  love,  grateful  that 
thou  hast  been  spared  to  witness  all  these  wonders,  and  earnestly  imploring  that,  upon 
the  rounded  cycle  of  thy  hundred  years,  now  so  near  its  consummation,  health  and  peace 

and  mercy  may  descend,  in  benediction We  bid  the  newer  generations 

glory  in  the  warmth  and  cheer  of  a  newer  age.  We  stand  afar  off  and  hail  that  centen- 
nial hour.  We,  who  are  about  to  die,  salute  it;  and  our  prayer  only  is,  knowing  how, 
in  the  order  of  nature  we  pass  away  and  are  forgotten,  that  some  tender  hand,  searching 
amid  the  moss-covered  entablatures  of  the  past,  may  find  the  half-effaced  inscriptions,  and 
learn  that  there  were  men  and  women  who,  in  1884,  tried  honestly,  if  humbly,  to  take 
some  note  of  their  city's  progress,  and  to  transmit  it  to  the  coming  century  worthy,  at 
least,  of  its  kindly  welcome." 

After  the  rendition  of  another  selection  by  the  quartette,  George  Raines  de- 
livered the  oration,  beginning  with  these  words:  — 

"The  true  orator  of  the  hour  is  the  imperial  city  whose  fifty  years  we  celebrate ;  at  our 
feet  lie  her  rich  robes  of  green,  bound  round  with  sheen  of  placid  waters.  She  points  us 
to  her  open  ways  thronging  with  busy  life ;  her  schools  for  youth  crowned  with  a  uni- 
versity curriculum ;  her  theaters  for  popular  amusement;  her  clanking  machinery;  her 
flags  of  spray  fluttering  in  triumph  above  tlie  conquered  waters  escaping  from  brief  im- 
prisonment in  mill  and  factory  to  seek  the  great  lake ;  to  the  princely  palaces  of  the  rich  ; 
to  the  thousand  homes  of  toilers  in  all  the  arts  of  life  in  which  fair  women  and  brave 
men  dig  deep  in  the  bed-work  of  conscience  the  foundation  of  true  morality  and  patriot- 
ism for  the  generations  of  the  future ;  to  her  tribunals  of  justice  in  which  the  right  is 
measured  to  the  people ;  to  her  body  of  officials,  administering  a  government  of  liberty 
regulated  by  law ;  to  her  churches  and  cathedral,  echoing  the  solemn  chant  and  te  detim 
of  the  religion  of  humain  charity  and  of  the  holiness  of  sacrifice.  Let  church  bells  chime 
and  cannon  boom  the  universal  joy.  Proud  in  every  fiber  of  her  achievements  of  the 
past,  which  are  hostages  to  the  future,  we  have  to  hide  no  traditional  disgrace  in  her 


'-    -*,-^, 


.^a '  fi<v. 


'{ 


MRS.  ABELARD  REYNOLDS. 
1784-  — 1884. 


The  Semi-Centennial  Celebration.  177 

civic  history,  either  in  court  or  camp  or  municipal  council.  We  exalt  the  grand  strains 
of  our  rejoicing  in  honor  at  once  of  all  the  generations  that  have  poured  their  labors  of 
love  into  our  victory  in  the  great  rivalries  of  cities.'' 

Tennyson's  Golden  Year  having  been  sung,   Rev.  Joseph  A.  Ely  recited  a 
poem,  of  which  the  following  are  the  first  two  and  the  last  two  stanzas :  — 
"Out  of  the  forest  sprung, 
City  of  ours  ! 
Fondly  thou  dwell'st  among 
Trees  that  with  thee  were  young; 
Now  be  thy  praises  sung. 
City  of  flowers  ! 

"  O'er  thee  no  castle  walls 
Proudly  look  down ; 
No  mythic  glory  falls, 
No  storied  past  enthralls, 
Marble  nor  bronze  recalls 
Ancient  renown. 

"  Lived  their  loved  East  again 

Here  in  the  west. 
Borne  by  heroic  men 
Through  river,  lake  and  glen. 
Mid  the  wild  forest,  then. 

Seeking  its  rest. 

"  Long  may  the  city's  fame 
Honor  their  worth, 
Long,  where  the  fathers  came, 
Children  their  praise  proclaim. 
Bearing  a  noble  name 

Wide  through  the  earth." 
A  festival  hymn,  with  music  composed  for  the  occasion  by  Prof  Sartori, 
was  then  given,  after  which  the  mayor  introduced,  successively.  Mayor  Low, 
of  Brooklyn,  and  Mayor  Smith,  of  Philadelphia,  both  of  whom  made  short  ad- 
dresses of  congratulation,  which  were  received  with  much  applause  by  the  audi- 
ence, after  which  the  time  honored  America  was  sung  by  the  audience,  accom- 
panying the  band,  and  the  benediction  was  pronounced  by  Rev.  Dr.  H.  C.  Riggs, 
of  St.  Peter's  church.  A  sunset  salute  of  fifty  guns  closed  the  day,  and  in  the 
evening  an  exhibition  of  fireworks  was  given  at  the  driving-park,  near  Lake 
avenue,  where  a  crowd  of  nearly  30,000  people  witnessed  the  finest  display  of 
that  kind  ever  beheld  here. 

Tuesday,  the  lOth,  was  ushered  in  by  a  sunrise  salute,  and  from  that  time 
the  city  was  in  a  state  of  more  joyful  confusion  than  even  on  the  preceding 
day.  The  streets  were  filled  at  an  early  hour  with  a  throng  of  persons,  busy 
in  their  idlene-ss,  intent  on  looking  at  the  holiday  apparel  of  the  buildings,  and 
watching  with  interest  the  movements  of  each  other.      Many  of  these  were  resi- 


178  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

dent  citizens,  but  a  great  proportion  were  from  other  places,  and  the  trains  all 
through  the  morning  brought  still  larger  numbers  of  strangers  than  had  arrived 
the  day  before.  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  came,  in  a  special  car.  Governor 
Cleveland  and  most  of  the  officers  of  his  staff,  accompanied  by  Mayor  Edson, 
of  New  York,  who  had  gone  up  to  Albany  the  night  before,  to  come  on  with 
the  others.  The  guests  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Mayor  Parsons  and  the 
reception  committee,  besides  a  detachment  of  police,  and  a  large  military 
escort,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  F.  A.  Schceffel,  comprising  the  Eighth 
Separate  company,  with  the  Fifty-fourth  regiment  band ;  the  Powers  Rifles, 
with  drum  corps ;  the  Lincoln  Guards,  with  the  Lincoln  band  ;  the  Greenleaf 
Guards  and  the  Flower  City  Zouaves.  The  line  being  formed,  the  party  were 
taken  to  the  Powers  Hotel,  in  the  rotunda  of  which  a  reception  was  held. 
Mayor  Parsons  delivering  an  address  of  welcome,  to  which  the  governor 
responded ;  after  which  Mayor  Edson  and  Mayor  Low  made  brief  acknowl- 
edgments. The  noonday  salute  of  fifty  giins  gave  the  signal  for  all  the  stores 
to  close  their  doors,  a  measure  that  required  no  self-denial,  for  at  the  very  time 
thousands  of  persons  were  occupying  all  the  steps  and  stairways  and  windows 
on  the  route  of  the  procession  that  was  to  be,  and  thousands  more  were  flock- 
ing down  to  fill  up  any  space  not  already  taken.  Patience  was  needed,  but 
good  nature  was  paramount  over  all,  and  the  dense  throng  on  "the  four  cor- 
ners" parted  without  a  murmur  for  the  carriages  containing  Governor  Cleve- 
land and  the  other  distinguished  visitors  to  pass  through  to  Church  street,  re- 
view the  public  school  children  assembled  there,  and  return  to  the  lofty  platform 
which  had  been  erected  on  West  Main  street,  in  front  of  the  court-house,  for 
their  accommodation  and  that  of  all,  pioneers  and  others,  who  had  been  invited 
to  seats  upon  it.  This  was  done  after  the  parade  had  really  begun,  for  the  line 
of  march  was  formed  at  the  liberty  pole,  at  the  intersection  of  East  Main  street 
and  East  avenue,  and,  though  it  began  to  move  soon  after  two  o'clock,  it  was 
three  before  the  head  of  the  column  had  crossed  the  river  by  the  Central  avenue 
bridge,  and  had  come  abreast  of  the  reviewing-stand.  In  the  van  was  the 
police  force  —  those  in  front  mounted,  the  others  on  foot  —  then  came  the 
marshal  of  the  day,  General  John  A.  Reynolds,  with  a  full  staff  of  aids  and 
deputies ;  then  the  veteran  military  organisations,  then  the  citizen  soldiery  of 
the  present  day  —  with  a  company  of  Buffalo  Cadets  between  the  lines  of  their 
hosts,  the  Rochester  Cadets  —  then  the  lodges  of  Odd  Fellows,  followed  by  the 
uniformed  Catholic  Societies,  the  German  societies  of  various  kinds,  and  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  succeeded  by  a  number  of  organisations, 
social,  industrial  and  otherwise,  and  then  the  Rochester  fire  department,  after 
which  came  an  almost  endless  array  of  wagons  representing  the  different  trades 
and  industries.  The  procession  took  more  than  two  hours  to  pass  the  stand, 
which  will  give  a  better  idea  of  its  length  than  any  enumeration  can  —  the 
more  so  as  its  passage  was  continuous,  for  nothing  occurred  to  obstruct  it,  as 


The  City  Government.  179 

ropes  were  stretched  across  the  intersection  of  Main  street,  from  Elizabeth  to 
Lancaster,  and  all  vehicles  were  at  an  early  hour  excluded  from  the  streets 
along  the  line  of  march.  It  was,  as  the  committee  had  determined  it  should  be, 
the  grandest  parade  ever  seen  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

At  six  o'clock  the  banquet  was  served  at  the  Powers  Hotel,  where  more  than 
one  hundred  were  seated.  After  the  dinner  the  following  toasts,  with  appro- 
priate elaboration,  were' proposed  by  Mayor  Parsons,  and  were  responded  to  by 
those  whose  names  are  attached,  in  each  case:  "The  state  of  New  York," 
Governor  Cleveland;  "the  United  States,"  Alfred  Ely;  "the  city  of  Roches- 
ter," General  A.  W.  Riley;  "our  sister  cities,"  Mayor  Edsori,  of  New  York; 
"Pennsylvania,"  Mayor  Smith,  of  Philadelphia ;  "our  educational  institutions," 
President  Anderson;  "the  clergy,"  Bishop  McQuaid ;  "the  judiciary,"  Judge 
Macomber;  "the  bar,"  W.  F.  Cogswell;  "the  medical  profession,"  Dr.  E.  M, 
Moore;  "the  press,"  William  Purcell ;  "municipal  government,"  Mayor  Low, 
of  Brooklyn  ;  "our  Dominion  visitors,"  Mayor  Boswell,  of  Toronto  ;  "bur  labor 
interests,"  William  N.  Sage;  "the  horticulture  and  floriculture  of  Rochester," 
Patrick  Barry;  "our  labor  interests"  (to  this  there  was  no  response,  as  H.  H. 
Cale,  who  had  been  designated,  was  absent);  "our  veterans,"  Colonel  H.  S. 
Greenleaf;  "the  ladies,"  J.  Breck  Perkins  (by  letter).  Judge  Morgan  then 
introduced  Oronoyetekha  —  the  present  chief  of  the  Mohawks,  from  Canada, 
and  of  the  family  of  Joseph  Brandt,  the  old  war  sachem  of  the  tribe  —  who 
.spoke  in  a  manner  that  was  the  natural  result  of  the  finished  education  which 
he  had  received  in  England.  Another  salute  at  sunset,  with  a  general  illumina- 
tion of  business  blocks  and  houses,  and  a  street  display  of  miscellaneous  fire- 
works in  the  evening,  many  of  which  were  of  a  high  order,  closed,  with  satis- 
faction to  all  —  participants,  hearers  and  spectators  —  the  semi-centennial 
celebration  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 


THE  CITY  GOVERNMENT. 


The  Present  Officers  —  The  Common  Council  —  The  Board  of  Education  —  The  City  Deljt  — 
The  Tax  Levy  for  the  Present  Year  —  The  Municipal  Court  —  The  Police  Hoard  —  The  E:xecutive 
Hoard  —  The  County  Officers  —  The  United  States  Officials. 

THE  municipal  year  of  this  city  begins  on  the  first  Monday  of  April.  The 
following  persons  now  constitute  the  government:  Mayor,  Cornelius  R. 
Parsons;  treasurer,  Ambrose  McGlachlin;  police  justice,  Albert  G.  Wheeler; 
city  attorney,  John   N.    Beckley;  judges  of  the  Municipal  court,  Thomas  E. 


i8o  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

White,  George  E.  Warner;  city  clerk,  Peter  Sheridan ;  city  surveyor,  Oscar 
H.  Peacock;  city  messenger,  Frank  J.  Irwin;  overseer  of  the  poor,  John  Lutes; 
city  sealer,  Stephen  Rauber;  fire  marshal,  Arthur  McCormick;  street  superin- 
tendent, Gilbert  H.  Reynolds;  assessors  —  John  Gorton,  William  Mahar,  Val- 
entine Fleckenstein;  executive  board  —  George  W.  Aldridge,  Byron  Holley, 
Samuel  B.  Williams;  police  commissioners  —  C.  R.  Parsons  (ex  officio),  Fred- 
erick Zimmer,  Joseph  W.  Rosenthal;  board  of  health  —  C.  R.  Parsons  [ex 
officio),  J.  W.  Martin,  E.  B.  Chace,  Timothy  Derick,  Dr.  F.  B.  Gallery,  Dr.  E. 
M.  Moore,,  J.  O.  Howard.     Dr.  J.  J.  A.  Burke  is  health  officer 

The  common  council  is  made  up  as  follows:  First  ward,  Wm.  H.  Tracy; 
second  ward,  Martin  Barron;  third  ward,  Amon  Bronson;  fourth  ward,  Charles 
Watson;  fifth  ward,  Henry  Kohlmetz;  sixth  ward,  Elias  Strouss;  seventh 
ward,  Charles  A.  Jeffords;  eighth  ward,  John  H.  Foley;  ninth  ward,  F.  S. 
Upton;  tenth  ward,  James  M.  Pitkin;  eleventh  ward,  Peter  G.  Siener;  twelfth 
ward,  Henry  Rice;  thirteenth  ward.  Christian  Stein;  fourteenth  ward,  Jag.  M. 
Aikenhead;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  Miller  Kelly  ;  sixteenth  ward,  John  B.  Simmel- 
ink.     J.  Miller  Kelly  is  president  of  the  board. 

The  board  of  education  is  as  follows:  First  ward,  J.  E.  Durand;  second, 
J.  O.  Howard;  third,  Thomas  McMillan;  fourth,  H.  A.  Kingsley;  fifth,  C.  S. 
Cook;  sixth,  F.  M.  Thrasher;  seventh,  Milton  Noyes;  eighth,  T.  A.  Ray- 
mond; ninth,  W.  J.  McKelvey;  tenth,  C.  S  Ellis;  eleventh,  Henry  Klein- 
dienst;  twelfth,  T.  H,  Maguire;  thirteenth,  F.  C.  Loebs;  fourteenth,  August 
Kimel;  fifteenth,  J.  P.  Rickard;  sixteenth,  F.  H.  Vick.  C.  S.  Ellis  is  presi- 
dent of  the  board.     S.  A.  Ellis  is  superintendent  of  schools. 

The  debt  of  the  city  in  June,  1884,  with  the  items  of  the  various  loans,  is 
as  follows :  — 

Genesee  Valley  railroad  loan  re-issue $144,000  00 

R.  N.  &  P.  R.  R.  loan 1 50,000  00 

R.  &  S.  L.  R.  R.  loan 600,000  00 

Arsenal  site  loan 8,000  00 

Floating  debt  loan . 21 0,000  00 

City  Hall  Commissioners  loan 33S>ooo  00 

Free  academy  building  loan 1 25,000  00 

Water  works  loan _ _ 3,182,000  00 

Funding  loan   1875 410,00000 

Number  5  school  loan 20,000  00 

Consolidated  loan 100,000  00 

$5,284,000  00 
The  Genesee  Valley  railroad  loan  is  provided  for  by  excess  of  receipts  from 

lease  to  the  N.  Y.,  L.  E.  and  W.  R.  R.  after  interest  on  the  loan  is  paid. 

The  arsenal  site  loan  is  provided  for  by  $1,500  received  annually  from  the 

county  of  Monroe,  for  rent  of  the  arsenal. 


The  Tax  Levy  for  1884-85.  181 

The  tax  levy  for  1884-85  is  as  follows:  — 

For  payment  of  notes  authorised  by  the  common  council  to  supply  deficiencies  in 
the  following  funds :  — 

Water  pipe  fund $75,000  00 

City  property  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 3>5°o  00 

Police  fund 21 ,000  00 

Lamj)   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 

$356,3°°  °° 
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  $iooo  each 15,000  00 

For  payment  of  50  bonds  deficiency  loan  due 

January  ist,   1884 _ ' 50,00000 

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,°°°  00 

For  sup))ort  of  poor 20,000  00 

For  support  of  police 75,°°°  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  60 

For  support  of  common  schools 22 6,399  °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. 

tion,  for  the  trial  of  actions  to  the  extent  of  $500.  The  first  judges  were 
John  W.  Deuel  and  George  W.  Sill,  both  appointed  by  Governor  Tilden  —  the 
former  for  five  years,  the  latter  for  six.  In  1881  George  E.  Warner  was 
elected  to  succeed  Judge  Deuel,  and  in  1882  Thomas  E.  White  was  chosen  to 
succeed  Judge  Sill. ,.  The  term  is  six  years;  the  offices  are  in  the  city  hall 
building. 

The  following  list  of  the  several  police  boards  since  the  present  law  went 
into  effect,  in  July,  1865,  has  been  furnished  by  B.  F.  Enos,  the  clerk  of  the 
board :  — 

1865.  — D.  D.  T.  Moore,  mayor;  Henry -S.  Hebard,  Jacob  Howe,  sr., 
commissioners. 

1866. — S.  W.  D.  Moore,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  Jacob  Howe,  sr.,  com- 
missioners. 

1867-68.  —  Henry  L.  Fish,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  Jacob  Howe,  sr.,  com- 
missioners. 

1869. — Edward  M.  Smith,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  George  G.  Cooper, 
commissioners. 

1870. — John  Lutes,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  George  G.  Cooper,  commis- 
sioners.    H.  S.  Hebard  acted  as  secretary  to  the  board  to.  this  date. 

1 87 1.  —  Charles  W.  Briggs,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  George  G.  Cooper, 
commissioners.     B.  Frank  Enos,  clerk. 

1872.  —  A.  Carter  Wilder,  mayor;  H.  S.  Hebard,  G.  G.  Cooper,  commis- 
,sioners.     B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1873. — A.  Carter  Wilder,  mayor;  G.  G.  Cooper,  Fred.  Zimmer,  com- 
missioners.    B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1874-75. — George  G.  Clarkson,  mayor;  G.  G.  Cooper,  Fred.  Zimmer, 
commissioners.      B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1876.  —  Cornelius  R.  Parsons,  mayor;  G.  G.  Cooper,  Fred.  Zimmer,  com- 
missioners.    B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1877—79 — C.  R.  Parsons,  mayor;  Fred.  Zimmer,  Henry  C.  Daniels,  com- 
missioners.    B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1880-84  —  C.  R.  Parsons,  mayor;  Fred.  Zimmer,  Jacob  Howe,  jr.,  com- 
missioners.    B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

Thomas  J.  Neville,  clerk  of  the  executive  board,  has  kindly  prepared  the  fol- 
lowing "history  of  the  rise,  power  and  progress  of  the  commission  of  public  works, 
the  executive  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  for,  supervise  the  con- 
struction of,  and  confirm  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  Briggs,  Wm.  Purcell,  George  H.  Thompson,  Herman 
Mutschler  and  Daniel  Warner  commissioners  of  public  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,  Ambrose  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  pass 
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  county  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 ;  sheriff, 
Francis  A.  Schceffel ;  county  judge,  John  S.  Morgan  ;  special  county  judge, 
Thomas  Raines ;  surrogate,  Joseph  A.  Adlington  ;  superintendent  of  the  poor, 
George  E.  McGonegal ;  coroners^Dr.  Porter  Farley,  Daniel  A.  Sharpe. 

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 
Henry  S.  Pierce. 


1 84  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  Village  Trustees  —  The  Mayors  —  The  Boards  of  Aldermen  — The  City  Treasurers  —  The  Po- 
lice Justices  —  The  City  Supervisors  —  The  Sheriffs  —  The  County  Clerks  —  The  County  Treasurers  — 
The  State  Senators — The  Members  of  Assembly  —  The  Members  of  Congress. 

THE  names  of  the  trustees  of  the  village,  chosen  at  its  incorporation  in  1817, 
have  been  given  above,  and  those  elected  in  succeeding  years  are  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

1818.  —  Francis  Brown,  Daniel  Mack,  Everard  Peck,  Isaac  Colvin,  Ira 
West.     Moses  Chapin,  clerk ;  Frederick  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1 8 19.  —  No  election  was  held,  the  old  trustees  continuing  in  office. 

1820.  —  Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Moses  Chapin,  William  Cobb,  Charles  J.  Hill, 
Elisha  Taylor.     Moses  Chapin,  clerk  ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1 82 1.  —  M.  Brown,  jr.,  Moses  Chapin,  Warham  Whitney,  C.  J.  Hill, 
Elisha  Taylor.     M.  Chapin,  clerk ;   F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1822.  —  M.  Brown,  jr.,  president;  R.  Bender,  C.  J.  Hill,  S.  Melancton 
Smith,  W.  Whitney.     H.  R.  Bender,  clerk ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1823.  —  M.  Brown,  jr.,  president;  Jacob  Graves,  W.  P.  Sherman,  Abner 
Wakelee,  S.  M.  Smith.     Rufus  Beach,  clerk ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1824. — John  W.  Strong,  president;  W.  Whitney,  Anson  Coleman,  Jona- 
than Packard,  Ashbel  W.  Riley.     R.  Beach,  clerk ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1825.  —  M.  Brown,  jr.,  president;  Phelps  Smith,  Frederick  Starr,  William 
Rathbun,  Gilbert  Evernghim.     R.  Beach,  clerk ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer. 

1826.  —  During  this  year  and  the  next  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 :  WiU'am 
Brewster,  M.  Brown,  jr.  (president),  Vincent  Mathews,  John  Mastick,  Giles 
Boulton.  Rufus  Beach,  clerk ;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer ;  Raphael  Beach,  collec- 
tor. 

1827.  —  Frederick  Whittlesey,  Ezra  M.  Parsons,  Jonathan  Child,  Elisha 
Johnson  (president),  A.  V.  T.  Leavitt.  R.  Beach,  clerk;  John  B.  Elwood, 
treasurer;  Stephen  Symonds,  collector. 

1828.  —  Ebenezer  Ely,  E.  M.  Parsons,  Ephraim  Moore,  E.  Johnson  (presi- 
dent), Nathaniel  Rossiter.  F.  Whittlesey,  clerk;  F.  F.  Backus,  treasurer;  D. 
D.  Hatch,  collector. 

1829. — John  Haywood,  S.  S.  Alcott,  Robert  L.  McCollum,  E.  Johnson 
(president),  William  H.  Ward.  Hestor  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.  Elwood,  clerks ; 
S.  Saxton,  treasurer;  A.  Newton,  collector. 


City  Civil  List.  185 


183 1.  — Rufus  Meech,  M.  Brown,  jr.,  Jacob  Thorn,  Harvey  Humphrey,  N. 
Rossiter  (president).  A.  W.  Stowe,  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. 

^^33' — William  E.  Lathrop,  Fletcher  M.  Haight  (president),  E.  F.  Marsh- 
all, D.  Tinker,  Nathaniel  Draper.  I.  R.  Elwood,  clerk ;'  Ebenezer  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.  Schermer- 
horn  and  Thomas  Kempshall ;  1838,  Elisha  Johnson  ;  1839,  Thomas  H.  Roch- 
ester ;  1840,  Samuel  G.  Andrews;  1841,  Elijah  F.  Smith;  1842,  Charles  J.. 
Hill;  1843,  Isaac  Hills;  1844,  John  Allen ;  1845  and  1846,  William  Pitkin.; 
1847,  John  B.  Elwood;  1848,  Joseph  Field;  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 ;  1861,  John  C.  Nash;  1862,  Mich- 
ael Filon  ;  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  ;  1874-75,  George  G.  Clarkson  ;  1876-77,1878-79,1880- 
81,  1882-83,  and  1884-85,  Cornelius  R.  Parsons. 

Aldermen.-^— 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  ward  till  1877,  when  the 
representation  was  confined  to  one  member : 

1834.  —  First  ward,  Lewis  Brooks,  John  Jones;  second  ward,  Thomas 
Kempshall,  Elijah  F.  Smith ;  third  ward,  Frederick  F.  Backus,  Jacob  Thorn  ; 
fourth  ward,  A.  W.  Riley,  Lansing  B.  Swaii ;  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 
H.  Ward,  David  Scoville.     P.  G.  Buchan,  clerk. 


1 86  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

1837.  —  First  ward,  H.  L.  Stevens,  Kilian  H,  Van  Rensselaer;  second  ward, 
S.  H.  Packard.  W.  Barron  Williams ;  third  ward,  Joseph  Strong,  John  Hawks ; 
fourth  ward,  M.  G.  Woodbury,  Schuyler  Moses;  fifth  ward,  L.  C.  Faulkner, 
James  Williams.     J.  W.  Gilbert,  clerk. 

1838. —  First  ward,  Abelard  Reynolds,  Stephen  Charles;  second  ward, 
John  Allen,  Isaac  F.  Mack ;  third  ward,  Joseph  Strong,  John  Hawks ;  fourth 
ward,  Elias  Pond,  Matthew  G.  Warner ;  fifth  ward,  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  Orrin 
E.  Gibbs.     I.  R.  Elwood,  clerk. 

1839.  —  First  ward,  Abelard  Reynolds,  Stephen  Charles;  second  ward, 
John  Allen,  George  Arnold  ;  third  ward,  John  C.  Stevens,  E.  D.  Smith  ;  fourth 
ward,  Elias  Pond,  S.  W.  D.  Moore;  fifth  ward,  S.  G.  Andrews,  William  Pit- 
kin.    T.  B.  Hamilton  and  W.  R.  Montgomery,  clerks. 

1 840.  —  First  ward,  Stephen  Charles,  Henry  Witbeck  ;  second  ward,  George 
Arnold,  I.  F.  Mack ;  third  ward,  E.  D.  Smith,  Henry  Cady ;  fourth  ward,  S. 
W.  D.  Moore,  Porter  Taylor;  fifth  ward,  D.  R.  Barton,  William  J.  Southerin. 
W.  R.  Montgomery,  clerk. 

1841.  —  First  ward,  Henry  Witbeck,  John.son  I:  Robins;  second  ward,  I.  F. 
Mack,  Lewis  Selye ;  third  ward,  Henry  Cady,  Jo.seph  Field;  fourth  ward, 
Porter  Taylor,  William  W.  Howell ;  fifth  ward,  W.  J.  Southerin,  Aaron  lirick- 
son.     W.  R.  Montgomery,  clerk. 

1 842.  —  First  ward,  J.  I.  Robins,  Hamlin  Stilwell ;  second  ward,  Lewis 
Selye,  John  Williams;  third  ward,  Joseph  Field,  Henry  Campbell;  fourth  ward, 
W.  W.  Howell,  George  B.  Benjamin ;  fifth  ward,  Aaron  Erickson,  N.  B.  Nor- 
throp.    J.  A.  Eastman,  clerk. 

1843. — -First  ward,  H.  Stilwell,  S.  Richardson;  second  ward,  J.  Williams, 
L.  Selye ;  third  ward,  H,  Campbell,  Eleazar  Conkey ;  fourth  ward,  G.  B.  Benja- 
min, Moses  B.  Seward ;  fifth  ward;  N.  B.  Northrop,  Joshua  Conkey.  A.  S. 
Beers,  clerk. 

1844.  —  First  ward,  S.  Richardson,  Alfred  Hubbell;  second  ward,  L. 
Selye,  J.  Williams;  third  ward,  E.  Conkey,  Simon  Traver;  fourth  ward,  M. 
B.  Seward,  Thomas  Kempshall ;  fifth  ward,  J.  Conkey,  Rufus  Keeler.  A.  S. 
Beers,  clerk. 

1845. — First  ward,  A.  Hubbell,  Abram  Van  Slyck;  second  ward.  Pardon 
D.  Wright,  Seth  C.  Jones ;  third  ward,  S.  Traver,  Everard  Peck ;  fourth  ward, 
T.  Kempshall,  John  H.  Babcock ;  fifth  ward,  Joseph  Cochrane,  Jared  Newell ; 
sixth  ward,  L.  A.  Ward,  George  Keeney ;  seventh  ward,  Wm  I.  Hanford,  Jer- 
emiah Hildreth  ;  eighth  ward,  John  Briggs,  Edwin  Scrantom  ;  ninth  ward,  John 
Fisk,  Charles  B.  Coleman.     Chauncey  Nash,  clerk. 

1846.  —  First  ward.  A-  Van  Slyck,  A.  Hubbell;  second  ward,  S.  C.  Jones, 
Samuel  F.  Witherspoon  ;  third  ward,  E.  Peck,  Charles  Hendrix ;  Fourth  ward, 
J.  H.  Babcock,  Theodore  B.  Hamilton  ;  fifth  ward,  Jared  Newell,  Henry  Fox  ; 
sixth  ward,  Charles  L.  Pardee,  L.  A.  Ward  ;  seventh  ward,  J.  Hildreth,  William 


>     L 


\ 


SCHUYLER  MOSES. 


City  Civil  List.  187 


G.  Russell ;  eighth  ward,  E.  Scrantom,  Samuel  W.  D.  Moore ;  ninth  ward, 
George  J.  Whitney,  Charles  Robinson.  Chauncey  Nash  and  James  S.  Tryon, 
clerks. 

1847.  —  First  ward,  A.  Hubbell,  S.  Richardson  ;  second  ward,  S.  F.  Wither- 
spoon,  John  Disbrow  ;  third  ward,  C.  Hendrix,  James  M.  Fish  ;  fourth  ward, 
T.  B.  Hamilton,  Joseph  Hall;  fifth  ward,  H.  Fox,  Nathan  H.  Blossom;  sixth 
ward,  L.  A.  Ward,  John  Rees ;  seventh  ward,  W.  G.  Russell,  L.  Ward  Smith  ; 
eighth  ward,  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  Hatfield  Halsted  ;  ninth  ward,  C.  Robinson, 
James  Gallery.     J.  S.  Tryon,  cleric. 

1848. — r'irst  ward,  S.  Richardson,  H.  Scrantom;  second  ward,  J.  Dis- 
brow, ICz.ra  Jones;  third  ward,  J.  M.  Fish,  Wm.  Churchill;  fourth  ward,  Joseph 
Hall,  John  L.  Fish;  fifth  ward,  N.  H.  Blossom,  Isaac  Van  Kuren;  sixth  ward, 
Philander  Davis,  J.  S.  Benton;  seventh  ward,  L.  W.  Smith,  John  Greig;  eighth 
ward,  H.  Halsted,  S.  W.  D.  Moore;  ninth  ward,  J.  Gallery,  Sebastian  Zeug. 
H.  L.  Winants,  clerk. 

1849.  — First  ward,  H.  Scrantom,  John  Dawley;  second  ward,  Ezra  Jones, 
S.  B.  Stoddard;  third  ward,  Wm.  Churchill,  J.  S.  Caldwell;  fourth  ward,  J.  L. 
Fish,  G.  S.  Copeland;  fifth  ward,  I.  Van  Kuren,  N.  B.  Northrop;  sixth  ward, 
Phil.  Davis,  Samuel  P.  Allen;  seventh  ward,  John  Greig,  George  T.  Frost; 
eighth  ward,  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  E.  S.  Boughton;  ninth  ward,  Sebastian  Zeug, 
Peter  A.  Smith.      Newell  A.  Stone,  clerk. 

1850.  —  First  ward,  J.  Dawley,  William  F.  Holmes;  second  ward,  W.  H. 
Wait,  Martin  Briggs;  third  ward,  J.  S.  Caldwell,  L.  R.  Jerome;  fourth  ward, 
G.  S.  Copeland,  T.  T.  Morse;  fifth  ward,  N.  B.  Northrop,  Joshua  Conkey; 
sixth  ward,  Phil.  Davis,  C.  A.  Jones;  seventh  ward,  G.  T.  Frost,  Hiram  Ban- 
ker; eighth  ward,  E.  S.  Boughton,  Henry  L.  Fish;  ninth  ward,  Peter  A. 
Smith,  Henry  Suggett.     J.  N.  Drummond,  clerk. 

185 1. — Plrst  ward,  Wm.  F.  Holmes,  Benjamin  M.  Baker;  second  ward, 
Martin  Briggs,  W.  H.  Wait;  third  ward,  L.  R.  Jerome,  Amon  Bronson ;  fourth 
ward,  T.  T.  Morse,  Schuyler  Moses;  fifth  ward,  Joshua  Conkey,  J.  B.  Robert- 
son; sixth  ward,  C.  A.  Jones,  Thomas  Parsons;  seventh  ward,  Hiram  Banker, 
J.  H.  Babcock ;  eighth  ward,  H.  L.  Fish,  H.  Seymour ;  ninth  ward,  John  Fisk, 
Lysander  Farrar.      E.  B.  Shepardson,  clerk. 

1852.  —  First  ward,  B.  M.  Baker,  Wm.  F.  Holmes;  second  ward,  W.  H. 
Wait,  B.  F.  Gilkeson  ;  third  ward,  Amon  Bronson,  John  M.  French  ;  fourth 
ward,  S.  Moses,  George  Shelton  ;  fifth  ward,  J.  B.  Robertson,  George  B.  Red- 
field  ;  sixth  ward,  T.  Parsons,  Michael  Filon ;  seventh  ward,  J.  H.  Babcock, 
Edward  M.  Smith ;  eighth  ward,  H.  Seymour,  George  G.  Munger ;  ninth 
ward,  L.  P^arrar,  Edgar  Belden.     Washington  Gibbons,  clerk. 

1853.  —  First  ward,  W.  F.  Holmes,  Ambrose  Cram;  second  ward,  B.  F. 
Gilkeson,  J.  C.  Marsh  ;  third  ward,  J.  M.  French,  Amon  Bronson  ;  fourth 
ward,  G.  Shelton,  J.  C.  Chumasero;   fifth  ward,    G.  B.  Redfield,  M.  Douglass; 

13 


1 88  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sixth  ward,  M.  Filon,  Charles  H.  Clark ;  seventh  ward,  E.  M.  Smith,  P.  P. 
Thayer ;  eighth  ward,  G.  G.  Munger,  Daniel  D.  Lynch ;  ninth  ward,  E.  Bel- 
den,  B.  Schoeffel ;  tenth  ward,  Thomas  Parsons.     W.  Gibbons,  clerk. 

1854.  —  First  ward,  A.  Cram,  Johnson  I.  Robins  ;  second  ward,  J.  C.  Marsh, 
A.  J.  Harlow  ;  third  ward,  A.  Bronson,  William  Breck ;  fourth  ward,  J.  C. 
Chumasero,  George  Shelton ;  fifth  ward,  M.  Douglass,  E.  K.  Warren ;  sixth 
ward,  C.  H.  Clark,  Michael  Filon ;  seventh  ward,  P.  P.  Thayer,  Stephen 
Charles;  eighth  ward,  D.  D.  Lynch,  William  H.  Moore;  ninth  ward,  B. 
Schoeffel,  J.  Hilton ;  tenth  ward,  T.  Parsons,  John   Quin.     W.  Gibbons,  clerk. 

1855.  —  First  ward,  J.  I.  Robins,  Edwin  Pancost;  second  ward,  A.J. 
Harlow,  Martin  Briggs ;  third  ward,  W.  Breck,  Thos.  C.  Montgomery ; 
fourth  ward,  G.  Shelton,  J.  M.  Winslow  ;  fifth  ward,  E.  K.  Warren,  M.  Doug- 
glass  ;  sixth  ward,  M.  Filon,  C.  H.  Clark ;  seventh  ward,  S.  Charles,  E.  W. 
Sabin ;  eighth  ward,  W.  H.  Moore,  J.  B.  Bennett  ;  ninth  ward,  J.  Hilton, 
Louis  Bauer ;  tenth  ward,  J.  Quin,  John  E.  Morey.     W.  Gibbons,  clerk. 

1856. — First  ward,  U.  C.  Edgerton,  W.  S.  Thompson;  second  ward,  Mar- 
tin Briggs,  G.  W.  .Parsons;  third  ward,  T.  C.  Montgomery,  Adolphus  Morse ; 
fourth  ward,  J.  M.  Winslow,  John  T.  Lacy ;  fifth  ward,  M.  Douglass,  M.  Mc- 
Donald ;  sixth  ward,  C.  H.  Clark,  George  G.  Cooper ;  seventh  ward,  E.  W. 
Sabin,  Chauncey  Perry;  eighth  ward,  J.  B.  Bennett,  H.  L.  Fish;  ninth  ward, 
L.  Bauer,  Lewis  Selye ;  tenth  ward,  J.  E.  Morey,  C.  Dutton.  C.  N.  Simmons, 
clerk. 

1857.  —  First  ward,  W.  S.  Thompson,  Jacob  Howe;  second  ward,  G.  W. 
Parsons,  Heman  Loomis ;  third  ward,  A.  Morse,  A.  G.  Wheeler;  fourth  ward, 
J.  T.  Lacy,  H.  S.  Hebard ;  fifth  ward,  M.  McDonald,  P.  M.  Bromley ;  sixth 
ward,  G.  G.  Cooper,  J.  Schutte ;  seventh  ward,  C.  Perry,  P.  Cunningham  ; 
eighth  ward,  H.  L.  Fish,  Obed  M.  Rice  ;  ninth  ward,  L.  Selye,  John  Lutes ; 
tenth  ward,  C.  Dutton,  Thomas  Parsons.     C.  N.  Simmons,  clerk. 

1858. —  First  ward,  Jacob  Howe,  W.  Mudgett,  jr.  ;  second  ward,  Heman 
Loomis,  G.  W.  Perry;  third  ward,  A.  G.  Wheeler,  W.  A.  Reynolds;  fourth 
ward,  H.  S.  Hebard,  G.  W.  Lewis ;  fifth  ward,  P.  M.  Bromley,  L.  B.  Twitch- 
ell  ;  sixth  ward,  J.  Schutte,  D.  W.  Perry ;  seventh  ward,  P.  Cunningham,  H. 
Billinghurst;  eighth  ward,  O.  M.  Rice,  Henry  B.  Knapp ;  ninth  ward,  John 
Lutes,  L.  Selye ;  tenth  ward,  Thomas  Parsons,  H.  S.  Fairchild  ;  eleventh  ward, 
J.  W.  Phillips,  L.  Bauer.     C.  N.  Simmons,  clerk. 

1859. — First  ward,  W.  Mudgett,  jr. ;  W.  F.  Holmes;  .second  ward,  G.  W. 
Perry,  Benjamin  Butler;  third  ward,  W.  A.  Reynolds,  William  Hollister ; 
fourth  ward,  G.  W.  Lewis,  H.  S.  Hebard ;  fifth  ward,  L.  B.  Twitchell,  N.  C. 
Bradstreet ;  sixth  ward,  D.  W.  Perry,  John  C.  Nash ;  seventh  ward,  Henry  G. 
Moore,  Aaron  Erickson  ;  eighth  ward,  H.  B.  Knapp,  N.  A.  Stone  ;  ninth  ward, 
L.  Selye,  John  Lutes ;  tenth  ward,  H.  S.  Fairchild,  G.  Shelton ;  eleventh  ward, 
L.  Bauer,  J.  C-  Mason  ;  twelfth  ward,  W.  T.  Gushing,  H.  Billinghurst.  F.  S. 
Rew,  clerk. 


City  Civil  List.  189 


i860.  —  First  ward,  W.  F.  Holmes,  James  Brackett ;  second  ward,  B.  But- 
ler, D.  A.  Woodbury ;  third  ward,  W.  HoUister,  Eben  N.  Buell ;  fourth  ward, 
H.  S.  Hebard,  I.  S.  Waring;  fifth  ward,  N.  C.  Bradstreet,  Alexander  Long- 
muir ;  sixth  ward,  Alonzo  Stearns,  Gottlieb  Goetzman ;  seventh  ward,  A.  Er- 
ickson,  H.  G.  Moore ;  eighth  ward,  N.  A.  Stone,  Levi  Palmer ;  ninth  ward,  J. 
Lutes,  O.  L.  Angevine ;  tenth  ward,  G.  Shelton,  Frederick  Vose ;  eleventh 
ward,  J.  C.  Mason,  Christian  Schaefifer ;  twelfth  ward,  H.  Billinghurst,  Patrick 
Barry.     F.  S.  Rew,  clerk. 

1 86 1.  —  First  ward,  J.  Brackett,  W.  F.  Holmes;  second  ward,  D.  A.  Wood- 
bury, B.  Butler;  third  ward,  E.  N.  Buell,  John  H.  Brewster;  fourth  ward,  I. 
S.  Waring,  H.  S.  Hebard ;  fifth  ward,  A.  Longmuir,  N.  C.  Bradstreet ;  sixth 
ward,  G.  Goetzman,  Charles  H.  Williams ;  seventh  ward,  H.  G.  Moore,  Jason 
W.  Seward ;  eighth  ward,  L.  Palmer,  Daniel  Warner ;  ninth  ward,  O.  L.  Ange- 
vine, M.  C.  Mordoff;  tenth  ward,  F.  Vose,  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  Darling;  third  ward,  J.  H.  Brewster,  E.  N.  Buell;  fourth  ward, 
H.  S.  Hebard,  C.  M.  St.  John ;  fifth  ward,  N.  C.  Bradstreet,  P.  M.  Bromley ; 
sixth  ward,  C.  H.  Williams,  Joseph  Hoffman ;  seventh  ward,  J.  W.  Seward,  H. 
G.  Moore ;  eighth  ward,  D.  Warner,  H.  L.  Fish  ;  ninth  ward,  M.  C.  Mordoff, 
Horace  A.  Palmer;  tenth  ward,  S.  B.  Raymond,  Louis  Ernst;  eleventh  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, William  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.  Hoffman,  James  O'Maley;  seventh  ward,  H.  G.  Moore, 
James  Upton;  eighth  ward,  H.  L.  Fish,  D.  Warner;  ninth  ward,  H.  A.  Pal- 
mer, M.  C.  Mordoff;  tenth  ward,  L.  Ernst,  Alonzo  Chapman  ;  eleventh  ward, 
G.  A.  Sidler,  Thomas  M.  Flynn ;  twelfth  ward,  H.  Hebing,  Hamilton  McQuat- 
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.  McQuatters,  H.  Hebing ; 
thirteenth  ward,  George  P.  Draper,  Lawrence  Sellinger.  B.  Frank  Enos, 
clerk. 

1865,-^ First  ward,  L.  C.  Spencer,  A.  Cram;  second  ward,  Joseph  Qual- 


iQo  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

trough,  George  B.  Harris;  third  ward,  W.  H.  Groot,  William  Hollister;  fourth 
ward,  G.  S.  Copeland,  Stephen  Remington ;  fifth  ward,  Martin  Heberger,  E. 
K.  Warren;  sixth  ward,  J.  Schutte,  Joseph  Beir;  Seventh  ward,  R.  Milliman, 
William  H.  Gorsline ;  eighth  ward,  H.  L.  Fish,  George  Taylor ;  ninth  ward, 
H.  A.  Palmer,  W.  D.  Callister ;  tenth  ward,  W.  Wagner,  John  Quin ;  eleventh 
ward,  G.  A.  Sidler,  T.  M.  Flynn ;  twelfth  ward,  H.  Hebing,  H.  McQuatters; 
thirteenth  ward,  L.  Sellinger,  G.  P.  Draper.     B.  F.  Enos,  clerk. 

1 866.  —  First  ward,  A.  Cram,  L.  C.  Spencer ;  second  ward,  G.  B.  Harris, 
J.  Qualtrough;  third  ward,  W.  Hollister,  W.  H.  Groot;  fourth  ward,  S.  Rem- 
ington, John  Graham;  fifth  ward,  E.  K.  Warren,  William  Guggenheim;  sixth 
ward,  J.  Beir,  Herman  Mutschler;  seventh  ward,  W.  H.  Gorsline,  David  Cope- 
land  ;  eighth  ward,  George  Taylor,  M.  M.  Brown ;  ninth  ward,  W.  D.  Callister, 
James  H.  Kelly ;  tenth  ward,  J.  Quin,  Cyrus  F.  Paine ;  eleventh  ward,  T.  M. 
Flynn,  F.  Adelman ;  twelfth  ward,  H.  McQuatters,  B.  Horcheler ;  thirteenth 
ward,  G.  P.  Draper,  John  Mauder;  fourteenth  ward,  H.  S.  Hogoboom.  B.  V. 
Enos,  clerk. 

1867.  ^ First  ward,  L.  C.  Spencer,  A.  Cram;  second  ward,  J.  Qualtrough, 
J.  Lutes;  third  ward,  W.  H.  Groot,  Ezra  R.  Andrews;  fourth  ward,  J.  Graham. 
S.  Remington ;  fifth  ward,  W.  Guggenheim,  William  Carroll ;  sixth  ward,  H. 
Mutschler,  Lodo'wick  F.  Relyea ;  seventh  ward,  D.  Copeland,  William  Ratt ; 
eighth  ward,  M.  M.  Brown,  G.  Taylor ;  ninth  ward,  J.  H.  Kelly,  Patrick  Burke  ; 
tenth  ward,  C.  F.  Paine,  S  R.  Woodruff;  eleventh  ward,  F.  Adelman,  Robert 
R.  Charters ;  twelfth  ward,  B.  Horcheler,  A.  Bingemer ;  thirteenth  ward,  J. 
Mauder,  Henry  Miller;  fourteenth  ward,  Cornelius  R.  Parsons,  J.  Quin.  B.  F. 
Enos,  clerk. 

1868.  —  First  ward,  A.  Cram,  A.  G.  Whitcomb;  second  ward,  J.  Lutes,  J. 
Qualtrough  ;  third  ward,  E.  R.  Andrews,  H.  E.  Rochester ;  fourth  ward,  S. 
Remington,  G.  W.  Crouch  ;  fifth  ward,  W.  Carroll,  James  Cochrane  ;  sixth  ward, 
L.  F.  Relyea,  William  Sidey ;  .seventh  ward,  W.  Ratt,  C.  A.  Jeffords ;  eighth 
ward,  G.  Taylor,  Patrick  Caufield  ;  ninth  ward,  P.  Burke,  W.  S.  Thompson ; 
tenth  ward,  S.  R.  Woodruff,  Elijah  Withall ;  eleventh  ward,  R.  R,  Charters,  J.-  P. 
Roche;  twelfth  ward,  A.  Bingemer,  F.  S.  Stebbins ;  thirteenth  ward,  H.  Miller, 
John  Mauder;  fourteenth  ward,  J.  Quin,  C.  R.  Parsons.  R.  H.  Schooley, 
clerk. 

1869.  —  First  ward,  A.  G.  Whitcomb,  C.  W.  Briggs;  second  ward,  J.  Qual- 
trough, John  Barker;  third  ward,  H.  E.  Rochester,  E.  R.  Andrews;  fourth 
ward,  G.  W.  Crouch,  S.  Remington;  fifth  ward,  J.  Cochrane,  William  Caring; 
sixth  ward,  W.  F.  Morrison,  L.  F.  Relyea ;  seventh  ward,  C.  A.  Jeffords,  Philip 
J.  Meyer ;  eighth  ward,  P.  Caufield,  Henry  H.  Craig ;  ninth  ward,  W.  S.Thomp- 
son, John  H.  Wilson ;  tenth  ward,  E.  Withall,  S.  R.  Woodruff;  eleventh  ward, 
J.  P.  Roche,  Jacob  Gerling;  twelfth  ward,  F.  S.  Stebbins,  Edward  Dagge  ;  thir- 
teenth ward,  J.  Mauder  John  Nagle ;  fourteenth  ward,  C.  R.  Parsons,  William 
Aikenhead.     R.  H.  Schooley,  clerk. 


City  Civil  List.  191 


1870.  —  First  ward,  C.  W.  Briggs,  A.  G.  Whitcomb;  second  ward,  J.  Bar- 
ker, George  Wait ;  third  ward,  E.  R.  Andrews,  H.  T.  Rogers ;  fourth  ward,  S. 
Remington,  George  Herzberger ;  fifth  ward,  W.  Caring,  M.  M.  Smith  ;  sixth 
ward,  L.  F.  Relyea,  G.  W.  Connolly ;  seventh  ward,  P.  J.  Meyer,  E.  A.  Glover; 
eighth  ward,  H.  H.  Craig,  N.  A.  Stone ;  ninth  ward,  J.  H.  Wilson,  J.  H.  Kelly ; 
tenth  ward,  S.  R.  Woodruff,  W.  Mandeville ;  eleventh  ward,  J.  Gerling,  R.  R. 
Charters;  twelfth  ward,  E.  Dagge,  F.  S.  Stebbins;  thirteenth  ward,  J.  Nagle, 
J.  Mauder;  fourteenth  ward,  W.  Aikenhead,  C.  R.  Parsons.  Wm.  F.  Morri- 
son, clerk. 

1871.  —  First  ward,  A.  G.  Whitcomb,  George  W.  Aldridge ;  second  ward, 
G.  Wait,  R.  K.  Gould  ;  third  ward,  H.  T.  Rogers,  Charles  F.  Pond ;  fourth  ward, 
G.  Ilcrzbergcr,  Michael  Ilcavcy ;  fifth  ward,  Owen  F.  Fee,  W.  Caring;  sixth 
ward,  G.  W.  Connolly,  Abram  Stern ;  seventh  ward,  E.  A.  Glover,  Robert  Y. 
McConnell ;  eighth  ward,  N.  A.  Stone,  H.  H.  Craig ;  ninth  ward,  J.  H.  Kelly, 
L.  Selye ;  tenth  ward,  Wesley  Mandeville,  John  Stape ;  eleventh  ward,  R.  R. 
Charters,  J.  Gerling;  twelfth  ward,  F.  S.  Stebbins,  Valentine  F.  Whitmore  ; 
thirteenth  ward,  J.  Mauder,  Frederick  Stade  ;  fourteenth  ward,  C.  R.  Parsons, 
W.  Aikenhead.     W.  F".  Morrison,  clerk. 

1872. — F'irst  ward,  G.  W.  Aldridge,  John  Cowles ;  second  ward,  R.  K. 
Gould,  James  O.  Howard  ;  third  ward,  C.  F.  Pond,  H.  T.  Rogers  ;  fourth  ward, 
M.  Heavey,  John  Gorton ;  fifth  ward,  W.  Caring,  O.  F.  Fee ;  sixth  ward,  A. 
Stern,  G.  W.  Connolly;  seventh  ward,  R.  Y.  McConnell,  Charles  C.  Meyer; 
eighth  ward,  H.  H.  Craig,  W.  W.  Croft;  ninth  ward,  L.  Selye,  J.  H.  Kelly; 
tenth  ward,  J.  Stape,  J.  H.  Nellis  ;  eleventh  ward,  J.  Gerling,  Thomas  Mitchell ; 
twelfth  ward,  V.  F.  Whitmore,  E.  H.  C.  Griffin ;  thirteenth  ward,  F.  Stade,  J. 
Mauder ;  fourteenth  ward,  W.  Aikenhead,  J.  Philip  Farber.  W.  F.  Morrison, 
clerk. 

1873. — First  ward,  J.  Cowles,  G.  W.  Aldridge;  second  ward,  J.  O.  How- 
ard, A.  H.  Cushman ;  third  ward,  H.  T.  Rogers,  John  McMullen ;  fourth  ward, 
J.  Gorton,  G.  Herzberger;  fifth  ward,  O.  F.  Fee,  Henry  Brinker;  sixth  ward, 
G.  W.  Connolly,  A.  Stern ;  seventh  ward ;  C.  C.  Meyer,  W.  G.  Anthony ; 
eighth  ward,  W.  W.  Croft,  D.  M.  Anthony ;  ninth  ward,  J.  H.  Kelly,  William 
Shelp ;  tenth  ward,  J.  H.  Nellis,  John  Bower ;  eleventh  ward,  T.  Mitchell, 
George  Fleckenstein ;  twelfth  ward,  E.  H.  C.  Griffin,  V.  F.  Whitmore ;  thir- 
teenth ward,  J.  Mauder,  J.  Margrander  ;  fourteenth  ward,  J.  P.  Farber,  F.  S. 
Skuse.     W.  F".  Morrison,  clerk. 

1874.  —  First  ward,  G.  W.  Aldridge,  William  H.  Tracy;  second  ward, 
A.  H.  Cushman,  J.  O.  Howard ;  third  ward,  J.  McMullen,  George  D.  Lord ; 
fourth  ward,  G.  Herzberger,  Wm.  Whitelock ;  fifth  ward,  H.  Brinker,  Charles 
P.  Bromley;  sixth  ward,  A.  Stern,  William  N.  Emerson;  seventh  ward,  W.  G. 
Anthony,  C.  R.  Parsons ;  eighth  ward,  D.  M.  Anthony,  N.  A.  Stone ;  ninth 
ward,  W.  Shelp,  James  E.  Booth  ;  tenth  ward,  J.  Bower,  Walter  Weldon ;  elev- 


192  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

enth  ward,  G.  Fleckenstein,  M.  J.  Maher ;  twelfth  ward,  V.  F.  Whitmore,  B.  F. 
Thomas;  thirteenth  ward,  J.  Margrander,  J.  Mauder;  fourteenth  ward,  F.  S. 
Skuse,  Louis  P.  Beck;  fifteenth  ward,  Anthony  H.  Martin,  James  Gorsline; 
sixteenth  ward,  M.  H.  Merriman,  S.  Dubelbeiss.     W.  F.  Morrison,  clerk. 

1875. — First  ward,  W.  H.  Tracy,  G.  W.  Aldridge;  second  ward,  J.  O. 
Howard,  Andrew  Nagle;  third  ward,  G.  D.  Lord,  David  H.  Westbury;  fourth 
ward,  W.  Whitelock,  A.  G.  Whitcomb ;  fifth  ward,  C.  P.  Bromley,  H.  Brinker ; 
sixth  ward,  Simon  Hays,  W.  N.  Emerson,  F.  H.  Smith  (to  fill  vacancy) ;  sev- 
enth ward,  C.  R.  Parsons,  F.  S.  Hunn ;  eighth  ward,  N.  A.  Stone,  J.  W.  Mar- 
tin ;  ninth  ward,  J.  E.  Booth,  J.  H.  Kelly ;  tenth  ward,  W.  Weldon,  FIdwin 
Huntington ;  eleventh  ward,  M.  J.  Maher,  G.  Fleckenstein ;  twelfth  ward,  B.  F 
Thomas,  John  McGraw,  2d  ;  thirteenth  ward,  J.  Mauder,  Jacob  Nunnold  ;  four- 
teenth ward,  L.  P.  Beck,  Wm.  S.  Smith  ;  fifteenth  ward,  A.  H.  Martin,  J.  P. 
Rickard ;  sixteenth  ward,  J.  George  Baetzel,  Wm.  E.  Buell.  W.  F".  Morrison, 
clerk. 

1876. — First  ward,  G.  W.  Aldridge,  W.  H.  Tracy;  second  ward,  Andrew 
Nagle,  John  M.  Brown ;  third  ward,  D.  H.  Westbury,  Thomas  Peart ;  fourth 
ward,  A.  G.  Whitcomb,  Nathan  Palmer;  fifth  ward,  H.  Brinker,  Frederick  Mor- 
hardt ;  sixth  ward,  S.  Hays,  Willis  C.  Hadley ;  seventh  ward,  Francis  S.  Hunn, 
G.  A.  Redman;'  eighth  ward,  John  W.  Martin,  A.  H.  Bennett;  ninth  ward,  J. 
H.  Kelly,  E.  B.  Chace ;  tenth  ward,  W.  Weldon,  Edwin  Huntington  ;  eleventh 
ward,  G.  Fleckenstein,  John  Brayer  ;  twelfth  ward,  J.  McGraw,  2d,  Benj.  F. 
Thomas;  thirteenth  ward,  J.  Nunnold,  F.  C.  Lauer,  jr.;  fourteenth  ward,  W.  S. 
Smith,  L.  P.  Beck ;  fifteenth  ward,  A.  H.  Martin,  J.  P.  Rickard  ;  sixteenth  ward, 
J.  Geo.  Baetzel,  Charles  Hilbert.     Edward  Angevine,  clerk. 

1877.  — First  ward,  W.  H.  Tracy ;  second  ward,  Michael  H.  P'itzSimons  ; 
third  ward,  T.  C.  Montgomery ;  fourth  ward,  G.  Herzberger ;  fifth  ward,  E. 
K.  Warren  ;  sixth  ward,  S.  Hays  ;  seventh  ward,  G.  A.  Redman  ;  eighth  ward, 
J.  W.  Martin;  ninth  ward,  E.  B.  Chace;  tenth  ward,  E.  Huntington;  eleventh 
ward,  Nicholas  Kase ;  twelfth  ward,  John  Donivan  ;  thirteenth  ward,  Fred.  C. 
Lauer,  jr.  ;  fourteenth  ward,  W.  S.  Smith ;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  Miller  Kelly ; 
sixteenth  ward,  J.  G.  Baetzel.     Edward  Angevine,  clerk. 

1878.  —  First  ward,  W.  H.  Tracy;  second  ward,  M.  H.  FitzSimons;  third 
ward,  T.  C.  Montgomery;  fourth  ward,  G.  Herzberger;  fifth  ward,  E.  K. 
Warren  ;  sixth  ward,  S.  Hays  ;  seventh  ward,  Charles  T.  Crouch  ;  eighth  ward, 
J.  W.  Martin;  ninth  ward,  E.  B.  Chace;  tenth  ward,  E.  Huntington;  eleventh 
ward,  Rudolph  Vay ;  twelfth  ward,  John  Donivan ;  thirteenth  ward,  Lewis 
Edelman  ;  fourteenth  ward,  W.  S.  Smith  ;  fifteenth  ward,  Joseph  W.  Knobles ; 
sixteenth  ward,  J.  G.  Baetzel.     Edward  Angevine,  clerk. 

1879.  —  First  ward,  W.  H.  Tracy;  second  ward,  M.  H.  FitzSimons;  third 
ward,  D.  H.  Westbury ;  fourth  ward,  L.  M.  Otis ;  fifth  ward,  E.  K.  Warren ; 
sixth  ward,   Henry  Hebing ;  seventh  ward,  C.  T.  Crouch ;  eighth  ward,  Geo. 


City  Civil  List.  193 


Chambers ;  ninth  ward,  E.  B.  Chace ;  tenth  ward,  W.  Mandeville ;  eleventh 
ward,  R.  Vay ;  twelfth  ward,  Philip  Wickens ;  thirteenth  ward,  Lewis  Edel- 
nian  ;  fourteenth  ward,  D.  G.  Weaver;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  W.  Knobles ;  six- 
teenth ward,  J.  J.  Hart.      Edward  Angevine,  clerk. 

1 880. — First  ward,  W.  H.  Tracy ;  second  ward,  M.  H.  FitzSimons ;  third  ward, 
D.  H.  We.stbury;  fourth  ward,  L.  M.  Qtis ;  fifth  ward,  Owen  F.  Fee;  sixth 
ward,  Henry  Hebing;  seventh  ward,  Ira  L.  Otis;  eighth  ward,  Geo.  Chambers; 
ninth  ward,  S.  D.  Walbridge ;  tenth  ward,  W.  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.  Hart.      Lucius  M.  Mandeville,  clerk. 

1 88 1 — W.  H.  Tracy;  second  ward,  Martin  Barron;  third  ward,  D.  H. 
Westbury ;  fourth  ward,  H.  S.  Ransom;  fifth  ward,  O.  F.  Fee;  sixth  ward, 
A.  Stern;  seventh  ward,  I.  L.  Otis;  eighth  ward,  G.  Chambers;  ninth  ward, 
S.  D.  Walbridge;  tenth  ward,  J.  M.  Pitkin;  eleventh  ward,  J.  A.  Felsinger; 
twelfth  ward,  Henry  Rice ;  thirteenth  ward,  L.  Edelman  ;  fourteenth  ward,  W. 
Aikenhead;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  M.  Kelly;  sixteenth  ward,  J.  J.  Hart.  J.  T. 
McMannis,  clerk. 

1 882.  —  First  ward,  Alphonso  Collins  ;  second  ward,  M.  Barron  ;  third  ward, 
Amon  Bronson  ;  fourth  ward,  H.  S.  Ransom  ;  fifth  ward,  George  W.  Archer ; 
sixth  ward,  A.  Stern;  seventh  ward,  C.  A.  Jeffords;  eighth  ward,  G.  Cham- 
bers ;  ninth  ward,  James  A.  Hinds ;  tenth  ward,  J.  M.  Pitkin ;  eleventh  ward, 
J.  A.  l'"clsingcr;  twelfth  ward,  II.  Rice;  thirteenth  ward,  James  T.  Southard; 
fourteenth  ward,  W.  Aikenhead;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  M.  Kelly;  sixteenth  ward, 
J.  J.  Hart.      Frank  N.  Lord,  clerk. 

1883.  —  First  ward,  A.  Collins;  second  ward,  M.  Barron;  third  ward,  A. 
Bronson;  fourth  ward,  Charles  Watson;  fifth  ward,  G.  W.  Archer;  sixth 
ward,  Elias  Strouss  ;  seventh  ward,  C.  A.  Jeffords  ;  eighth  ward,  John  H.  Foley  ; 
ninth  ward,  J.  A.  Hinds;  tenth  ward,  J.  M.  Pitkin  ;  eleventh  ward,  J.  A.  Fel- 
singer; twelfth  ward,  H.  Rice;  thirteenth  ward,  J.  T.  Southard;  fourteenth 
ward,  J.  M.  Aikenhead  ;  fifteenth  ward,  J.  M.  Kelly  ;  sixteenth  ward,  John  B. 
Simmelink.      F.  N.  Lord,  clerk. 

City  Treasurers.  —  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  city  treasurers,  in 
order:  1834,  E.  F.  Marshall;  1835,  Theodore  Sedgwick;  183(5,  Erasmus  D. 
Smith;  1837,  W.  E.  Lathrop  ;  1838,  E.  F.  Marshall ;  1839-40-41-42,  Eben 
N.  Jkiell;  1843-44,  James  M.  Fi.sh  ;  1 845-46,  Hiram  Wright ;  1847,  Matthew 
G.  Warner;  1848,  Clarence  H.  Sweet;  1849-50,  Elbert  W.  Scrantom ;.  185  i- 
52-53-54,  Charles  M.  St.  John  ;  1855-56,  P.M.Bromley;  1857-58,  Abram 
Karnes;  1859-60,  William  E.  Lathrop ;  1861-62,  Thomas  Hawks  ;  1863-64, 
Chri-stopher  T.  Amsden  ;  1865-66-67-68-69-70,  Harvey  P.  Langworthy  ; 
,  87 , -72-73-74,  John  Williams ;  1 875-76-77-1-78-79-80,  George  D.  Williams  ; 
1880-81-82-83-84,  Ambrose  McGlachlin. 


194  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Police  Justices: — The  following-named  have  presided  over  the  criminal 
court  for  the  trial  of  minor  offenses:  Sidney  Smith,  from  June,  1834,  to  Jun^. 
1836;  Ariel  Wentworth;  from  1836  to  1840,  and  from  1844  to  1848  ;  Matthew 
G.Warner,  1840  to  1844;  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  1848  to  1856;  Butler  Bardwell, 
1856  to  i860;  John  Wegman,    i860  to    1865  ;  E.  W.  Bryan,  1865  to  1873  ; 

A.  G.Wheeler,    1873   to    1877,  and  1881  to  the  present  time  )  George  Trues- 
dale,  1877  to  1 88 1. 

Supervisors.  — The  following  are  the   names   of  the  supervisors  from  the 
city  of  Rochester  in   each  year,  those  serving  during  the  first  two  years  being 
■  elected  from  the  city  at  large,  after  which  an  amendment  to  the  charter  allowed 
a  supervisor  to  be  chosen  in  each  ward  : — 

1834.  —  Erasmus  D.  Smith,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn,  Horace  Hooker. 
1835. — Joseph  Medbery,  Charles  J.  Hill,  Jared  Newell. 

1836.  —  First  ward,  Maltby  Strong  ;  'second  ward,  Joseph  Medbery  ;  third 
ward,  Thomas  H.  Rochester  ;  fourth  ward,   Elisha  Johnson  ;   fifth  ward,  Elisha 

B.  Strong. 

1837.  —  First  Ward,  Lyman  B.  Langworthy  ;  second  ward,  John  Williams; 
third  ward,  T.  H.  Rochester ;  fourth  ward,  James  H.  Gregory  ;  fifth  ward, 
Jared  Newell. 

1838.  —  First  ward,  Thomas  J.  Patterson  ;  second  ward,  Elijah  F.  Smith; 
third  ward,  E.  D.  Smith  ;  fourth  ward,  Thomas  Kempshall ;  fifth  ward,  Horace 
Hooker. 

1839. — First  ward,  Alfred  Hubbell ;  second  ward,  E.  F.  Smith;  third 
ward,  Everard  Peck  ;  fourth  ward,  J.  W.  Smith  ;  fifth  ward,  Levi  A.  Ward. 

1840 — First  ward,  A.  Hubbell ;  second  ward,  Seth  C.  Jones  ;  third  ward, 
James  M.  Fish;  fourth  ward,  William  Griffith;   fifth  ward,  L.  A.  Ward. 

1 841 .  —  First  ward,  Eleazar  Conkey  ;  second  ward,  John  Allen  ;  third  ward, 
J.  M.  Fish;  fourth  ward,  John  Hawks;  fifth  ward,  Rufus  Keeler. 

1842.  —  First  ward,  E.  Conkey;  second  ward,  J.  Allen;  third  ward,  J.  M. 
Fish ;  fourth  ward,  Asahel  S.  Beers ;   fifth  ward,  R.  Keeler. 

1843.  —  First  ward,  Samuel  B.  Dewey ;  second  ward,  William  Buell ;  third 
ward,  Simon  Traver;  fourth  ward,  Schuyler  Moses;  fifth  ward,  Peter  W. 
Jennings. 

1844. — First  ward,  John  Haywood;  second  ward,  William  W.  Alcott; 
third  ward,  Henry  Cady ;  fourth  ward,  Robert  Haight;  fifth  ward,  E.  B. 
Strong. 

1845.  —  Four  new  wards  were  added  to  the  city  in  this  year,  but  the  city's 
representation  in  the  board  of  supervisors  was  not  increased  till  1853, the  divis- 
ion being  for  eight  years  by  districts,  as  follows:  First  ward,  Ambrose  Cram  ; 
second  and  ninth  wards,  George  H.  Mumford ;  third  and  eighth  wards,  E.  F. 
Smith  ;  fourth  and  seventh  wards,  Matthew  G.  Warner ;  fifth  and  sixth  wards, 
P.  W.  Jennings. 


City  Civil  List.  195 


1846.  —  First  ward,  John  Haywood;  second  and  ninth  wards,  G.  H.  Mum- 
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  P. 
Milliner  ;  third  and  eighth  wards,  Zina  H.  Benjamin  ;  fourth  and  seventh  wards, 
John  Miller ;  fifth  and  sixth  wards,  David  R.  Barton. 

1 848.  —  First  ward,  John  Haywood  ;  second  and  ninth  wards,  J.  P.  Mil- 
liner ;  third  and  eighth  wards,  William  H.  Cheney  ;  fourth  and  seventh  wards, 
Thomas  B.  Husband ;   fifth  and  sixth  wards.  Philander  G.  Tobey. 

1 849. -.- 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  Humphrey. 

1850.  —  First  ward,  Lansing  B.  Swan;  second  and  ninth  wards,  J.  Crom- 
bie ;  third  and  eighth  wards,  James  Chappell ;  fourth  and  seventh  wards,  M.  G. 
Warner;   fifth  and  sixth  wards,  Mitchel  Loder. 

1851.  —  First  ward,  George  Gould;  second  and  ninth  wards,  J.  Crombie ; 
third  and  eighth  wards,  C.  J.  Hill ;  fourth  and  seventh  wards,  James  C.  Camp- 
bell ;  fifth  and  sixth  wards,  M.  Loder. 

1852.  —  First  ward,  John  Whitney;  second,  Lewis  Selye  ;  third,  Nathaniel 
T.  Rochester ;  fourth,  Simon  L.  Brewster ;  fifth,  Joshua  Conkey ;  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,  eleventh  and 
twelfth,  George  Peck. 

1854.  —  First  ward,  Thomas  Kempshall ;  second,  William  E.  Lathrop  ; 
third,  Samuel  Miller ;  fourth,  Alvah  Strong ;  fifth,  J.  Conkey ;  sixth,  R.  Syme  ; 
seventh,  John  H.  Babcock ;  eighth,  Henry  L.  Fish  ;  ninth,  James  C,  Cochrane ; 
tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth,  Wm.  B.  Alexander. 

1855.  —  First  ward,  Henry  Churchill ;  second,  George  Arnold  ;  third,  C.  J. 
Hill;  fourth,  Harvey  Prindle;  fifth.  Philander  G.  Tobey;  sixth,  Hiram  Davis; 
seventh,  J.  H.  Babcock ;  eighth,  Henry  B.  Knapp ;  ninth,  Lysander  Farrar ; 
tenth,  eleventh  and  twelfth,  James  L.  Angle. 

1856. — First  ward,  John  Haywood;  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,  William  S.  Thompson;  second,  John  H.  Thompson; 
third,  William  Churchill ;  fourth,  Hiram  Smith  ;  fifth,  J.  Rigney  ;  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.  Gififord;  sixth,  John 
G.  Wagner ;  seventh,  Alex.  W.  Miller ;  eighth,  S.  W.  D.  Moore ;  ninth,  Fran- 
cis Brown ;  tenth  and  twelfth,  H.  W.  Jones ;  eleventh,  Charles  Wilson. 

1859. —  First  ward,  Benj.  M.  Baker;  .second,  H.  D.  Scrantom ;  third, 
Amon  Bronson ;  fourth,  Octavius  P.  Chamberlain;  fifth,  Wm.  W.  Bruff ;  sixth, 
George  C.  Maurer ;  seventh,  M.  G.  Warner ;  eighth,  Joel  B.  Bennett ;  ninth,  O. 
L.  Angevine ;  tenth,  H.  W.  Jones  ;  eleventh,  Francis  A.  Adelman  ;  twelfth, 
Philip  J.  Meyer. 

i860.  —  First  ward,  B.  M.  Baker;  second,  J.  H.*Thompson  ;  third,  A.  Bron- 
son ;  fourth,  William  McCarthy ;  fifth,  William  Carroll ;  sixth,  Evan  Evans ; 
seventh,  Edward  M.  Smith ';  eighth,  Benjamin  McFarlin  ;  ninth,  Thonfias  C. 
Gilman  ;  tenth,  Louis  Ernst;  eleventh,  Jacob  Waldele ;.  twelfth,  Lyman  Mun- 
ger. 

1861.  —  First  ward,  Hamlin  Stilwell ;  second,  Samuel  M.  Hildreth  ;  third, 
A.  Bronson  ;  fourth,  Wm.  H.  Burtis ;  fifth,  W.  Carroll ;  sixth,  William  Shep- 
herd ;  seventh,  E.  M.  Smith  ;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin  ;  ninth,  T.  C.  Gilman  ;  tenth, 
Daniel  B.  Loder ;  eleventh,  Augustus  Haungs ;  twelfth,  Alex.  McWhorter. 

1862.  —  F"irst  ward,  H.  Stilwell ;  second,  Wm.  C.  Rowley  ;  third,  A.  Bron- 
son ;  fourth,  George  N.  Deming ;  fifth,  PatHck  J.  Dowling ;  sixth,  William 
Sidey ;  seventh,  Edwin  Taylor  ;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin  ;  ninth,  John  H.  Wilson  ; 
tenth,  Henry  Suggett ;  eleventh,  A.  Haungs ;  twelfth,  Patrick  Barry. 

1863.  —  First  ward,  H.  Stilwell:  second,  Ezra  Jones;  third,  A.  Bronson; 
fourth,  G.  S.  Copeland  ;  fifth,  Patrick  ConoUy;  sixth,  W.  Sidey;  .seventh,  E. 
Taylor ;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin  ;  ninth,  L.  Selye ;  tenth,  D.  Wagner ;  eleventh, 
Frederick  Zimmer ;  twelfth,  James  L.  Angle  ;  thirteenth,  John  Seeder. 

1864.  —  First  ward,  Dudley  D.  Palmer;  second,  Ezra  Jones;  third,  A. 
Bronson ;  fourth,  H.  S.  Redfield ;  fifth,  P.  Conolly  ;  sixth,  Chas.  H.  Williams ; 
seventh,  Byron  M.  Hanks ;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin ;  ninth,  Wm.  J.  Sheridan  ; 
tenth,  DeWitt  C.  Ellis;  eleventh,  J.  W.~  Phillips;  twelfth,  P.  Barry;  thirteenth. 
Philander  Davis. 

1865. — First  ward,  H.  Stilwell;  second  Ezra  Jones;  third,  A.  Bronson; 
fourth,  W.  V.  K.  Lansing ;  fifth,  P.  Conolly ;  sixth,  C.  H.  Williams ;  seventh, 
D.  B.  Beach ;  eighth,  S.  Lewis ;  ninth,  L.  Selye ;  tenth,  A.  H.  Billings ;  elev- 
enth, Louis  Bauer ;  twelfth,  Alex.  ,McWhorter ;  thirteenth.  Christian  Widman  ; 
fourteenth,  Samuel  S.  Partridge. 

1866.  —  First  ward,  Henry  Churchill ;  second,  Ezra  Jones;  third,  A.  Bron- 
son ;  fourth,  H.  S.  Redfield  ;  fifth,  P.  Conolly ;  sixth,  C.  H.  Williams  ;  seventh, 
F.  De  W.  Clarke ;  eighth,  S.  Lewis ;  ninth,  L.  Selye ;  tenth,  A.  H.  Billings ; 
eleventh,  Chas.  S.  Baker;  twelfth,  A.  McWhorter;  thirteenth,  C.  Widman ; 
fourteenth,  S.  S.  Partridge. 

1867.  —  First  ward,  Joseph  Curtis  ;  second,  George  Arnold ;  third,  A.  Bron- 


City  Civil  List.  197 


son;  fourth,  Wm.  S.  Kimball;  fifth,  P.  Conolly;  sixth,  Joseph  Schutte;  seventh, 
J.  W.  Seward  ;  eighth,  Daniel  Warner  ;  ninth,  L.  Selye  ;  tenth,  George  Preck  ; 
eleventh,  L.  Bauer;  twelfth,  George  V.  Schaffer;  thirteenth,  C.  Widman  ;  four- 
teenth, John  Stewart. 

1 868.  —  First  ward,  Charles  H.  Stilwell ;  second,  John  Barker ;  third,  Thos. 
C.  Montgomery ;  fourth,  J.  C.  Campbell ;  fifth,  P.  Conolly ;  sixth,  J.  Schutte ; 
seventh.  Porter  W.  Taylor;  eighth,  D.  Warner;  ninth,  M.  S.  Fairchild;  tenth, 
Isaiah  F.  Force;  eleventh,  L.  Bauer;  twelfth,  George,  EUwanger;  thirteenth, 
George  P.  Davis ;  fourteenth,  J.  Stewart. 

1869.  —  First  ward,  H.  Churchill;  second,  Thomas  T.  Sprague  ;  third,  T.  C. 
Montgomery;  fourth,  James  Kane,  sr.  ;  fifth,  William  Guggenheim;  sixth, 
Quincy  Van  Voorhis ;  seventh,  P.  W.  Taylor;  eighth,  M.  J.  Glenn;  ninth,  C. 
S.  Baker;  tenth,  D.  C.  Ellis;  eleventh,  Thomas  M.  Flynn ;  twelfth,  Joseph  L. 
Luckey;  thirteenth,  Henry  S.  Brown;  fourteenth,  J.  Stewart. 

1 870.  —  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.  Taylor ;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin  ;  ninth,  C.  S.  Baker ;  tenth,  D.  C.  Ellis  ; 
eleventh,  T.  M.  Flynn ;  twelfth,  J.  L.  Luckey  ;  thirteenth,  Frederick  Loebs  ; 
fourteenth,  J.  Stewart. 

1 87 1.  —  First  ward,  L.  A  Pratt ;  second,  T.  T.  Sprague  ;  third,  T.  C.  Mont- 
gomery ;  fourth,  Lyman  M.  Otis ;  fifth,  W.  W.  Bruff;  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.  Royal  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,  Henry  Bender;  thirteenth, 
C.  Widman  ;  fourteenth,  Abram  Boss. 

1873.  —  I'^irst  ward,  Frank  W.  Embry;  second,  C,  A.  Pool;  third,  Henry 
E.  Rochester;  fourth,  John  B.  Hahn  ;  fifth,  Heqian  S.  Brewer ;,  sixth,  F.  Boor; 
seventh,  G.  F.  Loder;  eighth,  Wm.  F.  Parry;  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.  GerHng;  twelfth,  Nicholas  Cutberlet ;  thirteenth,  John  Nothaker ;  fourteenth, 
Wm.  H.  Dake;  fifteenth,  John  C.  O'Brien;  sixteenth,  Henry  E.  Boardman 
(last  two  appointed  by  comrnpn  council). 


198  History  of  the  City  of  Rochestetr. 

1875.  —  First  ward,  L.  A.  Pratt;  second,  C.  A.  Pool;  third,  H.  E,  Roch- 
ester; fourth,  Henry  S.  Hebard;  fifth,  J.  Dufner;  sixth,  WilHs  C.  Hadley; 
seventh,  C.  H.  Webb;  eighth,  B.  McFarlin;  ninth,  F.  Miller;  tenth,  Daniel 
Lowrey;  eleventh,  J.  Gerling;  twelfth,  George  V.  Schaffer;  thirteenth,  F"rank 
X.  Bradler ;  fourteenth,  W.  H.  Dake ;  fifteenth,  Henry  KHnkhammer ;  six- 
teenth, George  J.  Farber. 

1 876.  —  First  ward,  L.  A.  Pratt ;  second,  James  Day ;  third,  Chas.  F.  Pond  ; 
fourth,  James  E.  Hayden ;  fifth,  Charles  Englert;  sixth,  Samuel  Rosenblatt; 
seventh,  C.  H.  Webb ;  eighth,  William  Wright ;  ninth,  George  W.  Jacobs ;  tenth, 
Daniel  Lowrey ;  eleventh,  John  Greenwood ;  twelfth,  G.  V.  Schaffer ;  thir- 
teenth, Olaf  Oswald ;  fourteenth,  W.  H.  Dake ;  fifteenth,  H.  Klinkhammer ; 
sixteenth,  Henry  B.  McGonegal. 

1877.  —  First  ward,  L.  A.  Pratt;  second,  Thomas  Pryor ;  third,  C.  F. 
Pond ;  fourth,  J.  E.  Hayden ;  fifth,  C.  Englert ;  sixth,  William  S.  Falls ; 
seventh,  C.  H.  Webb ;  eighth,  W.  Wright ;  ninth,  G.  W.  Jacobs ;  tenth,  Ethan 
A.  Chase  (appointed  in  place  of  A.  N.  Whiting,  deceased) ;  eleventh,  Thomas 
McAnarney ;  twelfth,  William  Gibbs ;  thirteenth,  O.  Oswald ;  fourteenth,  W. 
H.  Dake ;  fifteenth,  James  H.  Curran ;  sixteenth,  H.  B.  McGonegal. 

1878.  —  First  ward,  L.  A.  Pratt;  second,  Michael  M.  Keenan.;  third,  C.  F. 
Pond;  fourth,  ]'.  E.  Hayden;  fifth,  William  Emerson;  sixth,  W.  S.  Falls; 
seventh,  Maxey  N.  Van  Zandt ;  eighth,  Leonard  Henkle ;  ninth,  G.  W.  Jacobs  ; 
tenth,  Harvey  C.  Jones;  eleventh,  Reuben  Punnett ;  twelfth,  W.  Gibbs;  thir- 
teenth, O.  Oswald ;  fourteenth,  John  J.  Burke ;  fifteenth,  J.  H.  (Jurran ;  six- 
teenth, H.  B.  McGonegal. 

1879.  —  First  ward,  William  W.  Carr ;  second,  M.  M.  Keenan  ;  third,  Frank 
M.  Bottum;  fourth,  J.  E.  Hayden;  fifth,  C.  Englert;  sixth,  W.  S.  Falls; 
seventh,  George  Heberling;  eighth,  Maurice  Leyden ;  ninth,  G.W.Jacobs; 
tenth,  H.  C.  Jones;  eleventh,  John  Brayer;  twelfth,  Conrad  Eisenberg;  thir- 
teenth, John  A.  P.  Walter;  fourteenth,  Thomas  Crane  ;  fifteenth,  J.  H.  Curran  ; 
sixteenth,  John  W.  Stroup. 

1880. —  First  ward,  James  W.  Clark;  second,  James  Day;  third,  F.  M. 
Bottum ;  fourth,  J.  E.  Hayden ;  fifth,  Conrad  Bachman ;  sixth,  Joseph  Hoff- 
man ;  seventh,  G.  Heberling ;  eighth,  Bernard  O'Kane ;  ninth,  Martin  Joiner ; 
tenth,  H.  C.  Jones;  eleventh,  J.  Brayer;  twelfth,  Philip  Welder;  thirteenth, 
J.  A.  P.  Walter;  fourteenth,  T.  Crane;  fifteenth,  Anthony  H.  Martin;  six- 
teenth, Alexander  Button. 

1 88 1. —  First  ward,  J.  W.  Clark;  second,  George  Wait;  third,  F.  M.  Bot- 
tum; fourth,  Charles  Watson;  fifth,  C.  Bachman;  sixth,  Abram  J.  Cappon  ; 
seventh,  G.  Heberling;  eighth,  B.  O'Kane;  ninth,  M.  Joiner;  tenth,  Henry  E. 
Shaffer;  eleventh,  J.  Brayer;  twelfth,  P.  Weider;  thirteenth,  J.  A.  P.  Walter; 
fourteenth,  Thomas  Gosnell;  fifteenth,  A.  H.  Martin;  sixteenth,  A.  Button. 

1882. —  First  ward,  Dwight  Knapp ;  second,  Conrad  B.  Denny;  third,  F. 


County  and  Other  Officers  from  Rochester.  199 


M.  Bottum ;  fourth,  C.  Watson ;  fifth,  George  Caring  (appointed  in  place  of  C. 
Hachman,  deceased) ;  sixth,  William  Perry ;  seventh,  Charles  C.  Meyer ;  eighth, 
JamesP.  Tumility;  ninth,  M.  Joiner;  tenth,  George  Weldon  ;  eleventh,  William 
Wolz;  tw^elfth,  P.  Weider;  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;  eleventh,  W.  Wolz;  twelfth,  D.  Clinton  Bar- 
num;  thirteenth,  Carl  F.  Gottschalk;  fourteenth,  T.  Gosnell;  fifteenth,  John 
Foos  ;  sixteenth,  Chauncey  Nash. 

1884. —  First  ward,  E.  F.  Stilwell ;  second,  G.  B.  Wesley;  third,  George 
Morgan;  fourth,  C.  B.  Ernst;  fifth,  George  Caring;  sixth,  Abrani  Stern; 
seventh,  C.  C.  Meyer;  eighth,  J.  P.  Tumihty;  ninth,  p-rederick  E.  Conway; 
tenth,  B.  Keeler ;  eleventh,  John  Brayer ;  twelfth,  D.  C."  Barnum ;  thirteenth, 
James  H.  Brown;  fourteenth,  T.  Gosnell;  fifteenth,  George  J.  Held;  sixteenth, 
Oscar  F.  Brown. 

County  officers  do  not  properly  come  within  the  civil  list  of  a  municipal 
corporation,  but,  as  Rochester  is  the  county  seat,  and  the  county  officers  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  county 
judicial  officers — judges,  surrogates  and  district-attorneys  —  will  be  found 
named  in  order  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  bench  and  bar. 

Sheriffs. —  1821,  James  Seymour;  1823,  John  T.  Patterson;  1826,  James 
Seymour;  1829,  James  K.  Livingston;  1832,  Ezra  M.  Parsons;  1835,  Elias 
I'ond;  1838,  Darius  Pcrrin;  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,  Jcseph 
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.  Schoeffel. 

County  Clerks.  —  1821,  Nathaniel  Rochester;  1823,  Elisha  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,  William  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  i88o,  Edward  A.  Frost;  1883,  Henry  D. 
McNaughton. 


200  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

County  Treasurers.  —  No  record,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  has  been 
kept  in  any  form,  printed  or  written,  of  the  early  treasurers  of  Monroe  county, 
nor  are  their  names  obtainable  from  the  records  of  the  board  of  supervisors, 
by  whom  they  were  elected  before  1 848,  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  few  of  those  ancient  years  —  so  that  the  list  of  supervisors  above 
given  had  to  be  made  up  in  part  from  the  original  records  (which  are  complete 
and  well  preserved  in  the  city  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  Whittlesey,  William  S.  Whit- 
tlesey, William  McKnight  and  William  Kidd,  the  last  of  whom  held  the  office 
for  six  or  eight  years.  The  first  to  be  elected  by  the  people  was  Lewis  Selye, 
who  entered  upon  the  office  in  1849  and  again  in  1855,  after  William  H.  Per- 
kins had  held  it  for  the  intermediate  term.  In  1858  Jason  Baker  went  in,  in 
1864  Samuel  Schofield,  in  1867  George  N.  Deming,  in  1873  Charles  P.  Achil- 
les, in  1876  James  Harris  and  in  1879  Alexander  McVean,  the  present  incum- 
bent. 

State  Senators.  —  No  member  of  the  state  Senate  was  sent  from  either  the 
village  or  the  city  of  Rochester  till  1844,  when  Frederick  F.  Backus  was  elected, 
serving  for  four  years;  the  next  was  Samuel  Miller,  in  1848;  the  others  were 
William  S.  Bishop,  in  1854;  Lysander  Farrar,  in  1862;  George  G.  Munger, 
in  1864;  Thomas  Parsons,  in  1866;  Lewis  H.  Morgan,  in  1868;  William  N. 
Emerson,  in  1876;  George  Raines,  in  1878;  Charles  S.  Baker,  in  1884 — each, 
except  Dr.  Backus,  for  one  term  of  two  years. 

Members  of  Assembly.  —  1822,  Nathaniel  Rochester;  1823,  Simon  Stone; 
1824,  Enos  Stone  ;  1825  and  1830,  Thurlow  Weed  ;  1826,  Vincent  Mathews  ; 
1827,  Abelard  Reynolds;  1828  and,  1833,  Timothy  Childs ;  1829,  Heman 
Norton;  1831  and  1832,  Samuel  G.  Andrews;  1834,  Flatcher  M.  Haight ; 
183s,  1837,  1838  and  1840,  Derick  Sibley;  1836,  Horace  Gay;  1839,  William  S. 
Bishop;  1841,  Alexander  Kelsey ;  1842,  Frederick  Starr;  1843,  Robert 
Haight;  1844,  Ashley  Sampson;  1845,  1846  and  1847,  William  C.  BIoss; 
1848,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn ;  1849  and  1850,  L.  Ward  Smith;  1851,  William 
A.  Fitzhugh;  1852,  Joel  P.  Milliner;  1853,  Orlando  Hastings ;  1854,  James 
L.  Angle;  1855,  John  W.  Stebbins  ;  1856,  1862  and  1863,  Eliphaz  Trimmer; 
1857,  John  T.  Lacy;  1858,  Thomas  Parsons;  1859  and  i860,  Elias  Pond ; 
1 86 1,  Lewis  H.  Morgan;  1864  and  1865,  John  McConvill ;  1866,  Henry  R. 
Selden;  1867,  Henry  Cribben ;  1868  and  1869,  Nehemiah  C.  Bradstreet ; 
1870,  1876  and  1877,  James  S.  Graham;  1871  and  1872,  George  D.  Lord; 
1873,  Henry  L.  Fish;  1874  and  1875,  George  Taylor  ;  1878,  EHas  Mapes  ; 
1879,  1880  and  1882,  Charles  S.  Baker;  1881,  John  Cowles ;  1883,  David 
Healy ;    1 884,  Charles  R.  Pratt;. 

Members  of  Congress.  —  The  following  are  the  names  of  congressional  rep- 


The  Fire  Department..  201 


resentatives  from  this  district  who  were  residents  of  this  city  at  the  time  of  their 
election,  with  the  year  in  which  the  congressional  term  of  each  one  began  : 
1823,  William  B.  Rochester ;  1827,  Daniel  D.  Barnard  ;  1 829,  Timothy  Childs  ; 
,1831  and  1833,  Frederick  Whittlesey  ;  1835  and  1837,  Timothy  Childs;  1839, 
Thomas  Kempshall;  1841,  Timothy  Childs;  1849  and  1851,  A.  M.  Scher- 
merhorn  ;  1853,  Azariah  Boody  ;  1855,  John  Williams  ;  1857,  Samuel  G.  An- 
drews ;  1859  and  1 86 1,  Alfred  Ely;  1863,  Freeman  Clarke ;  1865,  Roswell 
Hart;  1 867,  Lewis  Selye ;  1871  and  1873,  Freeman  Clarke ;  1875,  John  M. 
Davy;    1879  and  1881,  John  Van  Voorhis ;    1883,  Halbert  S.  Greenleaf. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  FIRE  DEPARTMENT.! 

Its  History  fiom  the  Beginning  —  The  App.tiatus  in  Early  Times  —  The  First  F"ire  Company  — 
The  Old  Volunteer  Department  —  Its  (llories  ami  its  Misdeeds  —  The  I'rotectives,  Alerts  and  Actives 
—  The  Firemen's  Henevolent  Association  —  Dedication  of  the  Monument  —  List  of  Chiefs  and  As- 
sistants —  The  Fire  Record. 

IN  a  previous  chapter  mention  has  been  made  of  the  organisation  of  a  fire 
department  for  the  little  settlement,  and  the  choice  of  Messrs.  Hart,  Kemp- 
shall,  Bond,  Wakelee  and  Brown  as  fire  wardens  at  the  first  village  election  in 
the  spring  of  1 817.  Their  duty  was  not  only  to  enforce  the  ordinances  which 
looked  to  the  prevention  of  fires  but  to  superintend  the  efforts  for  their  ex- 
tinguishment after  they  had  broken  out,  to  form  the  line  of  citizens  who  rushed 
to  the  scene,  each  with  the  fire-bucket  which  he  was  compelled  to  own,  and  to 
direct  the  rapid  and  judicious  passage  of  those  primitive  appliances  down  the 
line.  This  arrangement  was  soon  seen  to  be  inadequate,  and  on  the  19th  of 
October,  in  the  same  year,  the  first  fire  company  was  organised,  with  the  fol- 
lowing members :  Everard  Peck,  William  P.  Sherman,  Josiah  Bissell,  Albert 
Backus,  Roswell  Hart,  Jehiel  Barnard,  Isaac  Colvin,  Hastings  R.  Bender, 
libenezer  Watts,  Moses  Chapin,  Daniel  Mack,  William  Cobb,  Horace  Bates,  Ros- 
well Babbitt,  Gideon  Cobb,  Daniel  Warren,  Jedediah  Safford,  William  Brewster, 
Reuben  Darrow,  Ira  West,  Caleb  L.  Clarke,  Davis  C.  West,  CharlesJ.  Hill.  Daniel 
Mack  was  chosen  foreman.  Of  all  these  fire-laddies  not  one  remains  on  earth, 
the  last  to  go  being  the  otie  who  stood  at'  the  end  of  the  list  in  the  original 
record  and  who  was  the  last  to  answer  the  final  roll-call  —  Charles  J.  Hill,  who 
died  in  August,  1883.     An  engine  was  purchased,  a  poor  affair  into  which  the 

1  In  the  ]>reparation  of  this  chapter  the  editor  has  heen  aided  by  articles  of  Edward  Angevine, 
which  a|)peared  in  the  daily  press  a  few  years  ago  ;  by  a  manual  of  the  department  prepared  in  1882 
by  II.  \V.  Mathews,  L.  M.  Newton  and  (J.  I!.  Harris,  and  by  the  personal  kindness  of  Mr.  Mathews. 


202  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

water  had  to  be  poured  from  buckets,  for  it  had  no  suction  hose,  but  a  house 
was  built  for  it  on  Court-House  square  and  it  was  not  till  1820  that  the  machine 
needed  repairs,  when  $9.25  was  voted  for  that  purpose,  and  in  the  same  year  the 
board  of  village  trustees  appropriated.  $120  "to  purchase  and  repair  fire  uten- 
sils, such  as  buckets,  hooks,  ladders,  etc.,  and  to  build  a  shelter  for  the  ladders." 
In  1 82 1  the  engine-house  was  removed  to  Aqueduct  street,  and  the  first  rope 
for  the  fire-  hooks  was  purchased  at  an  expense  of  eight  dollars,  a  vote  of  all 
the  inhabitants  being  deemed  necessary  for  the  purpose.  The  first  fire-truck 
was  obtained  in  1824,  when  fifty  dollars  was  voted  for  the  purpose  of  procur- 
ing one  or  more  fire-ladders  to  be  placed  on  wheels  ;  the  next  year  four  hundred 
and  seventy  dollars  was  paid  for  a  new  engine,  the  house  for  which,  costing 
one  hundred  dollars,  was  located  in  Bugle  alley,  where  the  Corinthian  Academy 
of  Music  now  stands,  and  a  report  was  made  to  the  fire-wardens  by  Frederick 
Starr  and  Gilbert  Evernghim,  who  had  been  previously  appointed  a  committee 
to  organise  a  volunteer  fire  department,  as  up  to  that  time  the  firemen  were 
rather  appointees  of  the  wardens  and  acting  under  their  orders. 

The  volunteer  department  may  be  said  to  date  its  existence  from  the  5th  of 
May,  1826,  for  on  that  day  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  village  accepted  the 
following  persons  and  issued  certificates  to  them,  assigning  them  to  the  com- 
panies mentioned :  — 

Engine  company  number  i.  —  Addison  Gardiner,  Alpheus  Bingham,  John  S. 
Smith,  Silas  E.  Griffith,  Thomas  Matthews,  Jacob  Strawn,  James  Frazer,  Ebenezer  Watts, 
William  Bender,  Everard  Peck,  Charles  J.  Hill,  Daniel  D.  Hatch,  Hervey  Ely,  Elisha 
Taylor,  Elias  Beach,  Nathan  Mead,  William  Haywood,  Jacob  Gould,  Robert  King, 
John  Swift, Thomas  Kempshall,  Asa  Mardn,  Simeon  P.  Olcott,  S.  L.  Merrill,  Gilbert  Ev- 
ernghim, James  K.  Livingston,  John  C.  Munn,  William  Rathbun,  John  Haywood,  Jesse 
Congdon,  Timothy  Kempshall. 

Engine  company  number  2.-^  Anson  House,  Davis  C.  West,  Giles  Boulton,  H. 
Crandall,  Dennis  P.  Brown,  Joseph  P.  King,  Frederick  Starr,  William  Bliss,  Abner  Wake- 
lee,  E.  H.  Grover,  Chauncey  Eaton,  C.  W.  Barnard,  E.  S.  Curtis,  John  T.  Wilcox,  W. 
G.  Russell,  Stephen  Charles,  John  Colby,  Volney  Chapin,  Roswell  Bush,  Charles  M. 
Lee,  William  Atkinson,  Jabez  Ranney,  Joseph  Halsey,  Moses  Barnard,  Butler  Bardwell, 
Tiflfany  Hunn,  Jeremiah  Williams,  Abner  Ward. 

Hook  and  ladder  company. —  C.  A.  Van  Slyke,  Phelps  Smith,  E.  J.  Cummins,  John 
Bingham,  Archibald  Hotchkiss,  Daniel  Tinker,  Henry  Bush,  Barney  Bush,  Josiah 
Tower,  Nathan  Lyman,  Phelps  Smith,  foreman. 

At  the  same  time  the  president  of  the  board  appointed  the  first  committee 
on  the  fire  department,  consisting  of  Vincent  Mathews  and  William  Brewster, 
and  Samuel  Works  was  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.  Harvey  Leonard,  proprietor  of  the  "  Merchants'  Exchange 
tavern,"  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  off  with  a  reprimand. 


The  Village  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- 
velous 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  B.  H. 
Brown  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  years  before, 
while  the  new  machine  was  called  number  2  and  given  to  that, company,  known 
by  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  the  trustees  ordered  that  fire  en- 
gine number  i  be  located  near  the  First  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 
Rover")  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 ")  oame  into  existence 
as  a  company,  with  Joseph  Field,  Fletcher  M.  Haight,  Henry  E.  Rochester, 
Daniel  Loomis,  Levi  W.  Sibley  and  James  K.  Livingston  among  its  members ; 
later  in  the  year  company  number  5  ("Rough  and  Ready")  was  organised, 
with  Ashbel  W.  Riley,  Selah  Mathews,  Edwin  Scrantom,  Anson  House  and 
eighteen  others  on  the  original  roll ;  many  of  these  must  have  dropped  out  within 
a  few  years,  for  in  1847  number  5  di.sbandcd  as  a  company;  the  engine  house 
was  in  the  barn  of  A.  W.  Riley  in  rear  of  Court  street.  In  1833  company  num- 
ber 6  was  organised,  with  its  engine  house  in  Pindell  alley,  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.  Langworthy  (afterward' chief-en*gineer),  John  Chris- 
topher and  Francis  M.  Marshall.  In  the  year  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  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Selye.  So  mutinous  idid  the  latter  company  become  that  it  was  disbanded  by 
the  village  trustees  and  reorganised  the  next  year.  In  1833  the  first  exemption 
papers  were  granted,  Frederick  Starr  and  Joseph  Halsey  receiving  those  pre- 
ciou,s 'documents. 

The  city  government  came  into  existence  in  1834,  but  no  startling  change 
was  made  in  fire  matters.  John  Haywood  and  Abelard  Reynolds  were  chosen 
by  the  common  council  as  fire  wardens  for  the  first  ward,  John  Jones  and 
Willis  Kempshall  for  the  second  ward,  Erasmus  D.  Smith  and  Thomas  H. 
Rochester  for  the  third,  Nehemiah  Osburn  and  Obadiah  M.  Bush  for  the  fourth, 
Marshall  Burton  and  William  Colby  for  the  fifth.  W.  H.  Ward  was  elected 
chief-engineer,  with  Theodore  Chapin  and  Kilian  H.  Van  Rensselaer  as  his 
assistants ;  in  September  hook  and  ladder  company  number  2  was  organised 
with  thirty  members,  and  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  river;  $1,500  was  put 
in  the  tax  levy  this  year  for  the  support  of  the  fire  department.  A  hose  com- 
pany, called  the  "^Etna,"  after  the  name  of  engine  company  number  i,  was 
formed  in  1835,  with  L.  B.  Swan,  Heman  Loomis,  George  A.  Wilkin  and  A. 
S.  Wakelee  among  the  members.  Several  disastrous  fires  in  1837  had  aroused 
the  citizens  to  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  de- 
partment, and  in  1838  a  number  of  additions  were  made.  Two  bucket  com- 
panies were  organised,  with  George  B.  Benjamin,  Justin  M.  Loder  and  W.  H. 
Enos  among  the  members  of  the  first,  and  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  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  7"  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.  Elwood  among  its  original  members.  Its  name 
was  not  inapt  from  the  first,  and  its  restless  disposition  caused  its  disbandment 
within  a  year  of  its  foundation.  Being  reformed  (in  one  sense)  it  became  located 
in  January,  1843,  on  "Cornhill,"  where  it  led  anything  but  a  quiet  life;  reor- 
ganised in  1853,  it,  was  again  di.sbanded  five  years  later,  and  again  reorganised 
on  the  same  day.  When  the  war  broke  out.  in  1861,  and  volunteers  were 
called  for  by  President  Lincoln,  an  entire  company  of  the  "Old  Thirteenth" 
was  formed  out  of  the  members  of  "Storm  7,"  with  William  Tulley  as  captain, 
Michael  McMuUen  as  first  lieutenant,  and  Jerry  A.  Sullivan  as  second  lieuten- 
ant—  a  completeness  of  record  not  equaled  by  any  other  fire  company  in  this 
locality,  even  by  "Red  Rover  3,"  though  great  numbers  of  that  body  enlisted 
under  Frank  A.  Schoeffel  and  Law  S.  Gibson,  now  respectively  sheriff  of  this 
county  and  chief-engineer  of  the  department.  In  the  month  of  November, 
1838,  "Osceola  8," "also,  was  organised,  with  Lewis  Selye,  James  McMuUen,  J. 
M.  Southwick,  Orrin  Harris  and  others  as  the  charter  members;  originally 
located  on  Piatt  street,  it  was  afterward  moved  to  Mill  street ;  disbanded  in  1853, 
it  was  reorganised  in  the  same  year  as  "Columbia  8,"  was  again  disbanded 


DiSBANDMENT  OF  THE  VOLUNTEER  FiRE  DEPARTMENT.  205 

in  1856,  and  reorganised  a  year  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  iti  April, 
1848,  and  disbanded  in  July,  1853.  The  engine  lay  on  Main  street,  between 
Clinton  and  Lancaster. 

The  glory  of  the  volunteer  fire  department  has  passed  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  body  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  given,  praise  should  go  with  it,  hand  in  hand.  As  con- 
necting the  old  department  with  the  new,  three  organisations  of  proved  effi- 
ciency and  trustworthiness  should  now  be  mentioned  —  The  Protectives,  the 
Alerts  and  the  Actives. 

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  was  held  in  the  mayor's  office,  and  another 
in  the  city  clerk's  office,  one  to  organise  what  is  now  known  as  the  I'rotcctivcs 
aiid  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  property  from  burning  buildings,  or  buildings  in  dangerous  prox- 
imity 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.  Humphrey,  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  with  an  active  roll  of  forty  members. 
The  apparatus  of  the  company,  a  four-wheeled  carriage,  designed  especially 
for  their  needs,  was  drawn  by  hand,  and  from  its  peculiar  shape  it  was  at  once 


2o6  History  of  the  City  of  Rociiestkr. 

called  "the  hearse."  In  this  carriage  were  carried  a  number  of  pieces  of  can- 
vas, several  canvas  sacks,  and  a  large  number  of  leather  buckets,  their  only 
means  of  fighting  fire.  The  Protectives  soon  proved  themselves  a  worthy  ad- 
junct to  the  department  by  the  removal,  in  many  instances,  of  complete  stocks 
of  goods.  The  guard  also  provided  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- 
ity favored  the  young  company  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  by  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  company  commenced  to  falter,  and  for  a  period  it  could 
scarcely  be-  said  to  live ;  at  last,  however,  with  the  return  of  the  survivors  of 
that  terrible  struggle,  nqw  life  was  infused,  and  the  company  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-story  building  thereon  for  their  own  use.  March 
2Sth,  1868,  they  were  incorporated  by  a  special  act  of  the  legislature.  New 
appliances  for  extinguishing  fires  were  now  coming  into  use,  and  in  1870  two 
chemical  fire  extihguishers  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  obey  the 
call  to  duty  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  1881,  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- 
porary quarters  at  number  17  Mill  street,  in  a  building  owned  by  the  Butts 
estate.  Completing  the  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 
the  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  certainty  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  country.  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,  Wm.  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. 
Kinscy.  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- 
pany they  have  responded  to  more  than  1,700  alarms  and  have  done  duty  at 


2o8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

nearly  1,400  actual  fires,  and  records  in  possession  of  the  fire  marshals  and  the 
company  show  that  the  property  saved  or  removed  by  the  direct  efforts  of  the 
company  amount  to  many  hundred  thousand  dollars  —  a  remarkable  showing  of 
a  remarkable  company,  standing  alone,  as  it  does,  the  only  company  in  the 
United  States  performing  volunteer  fire  patrol  duty,  while  not  deriving  any 
benefit  from  the  insurance  companies.  The  members  receive  no  compensation 
for  their  services  and  the  running  expenses  are  borne  by  the  city  government. 
This  is  but  another  instance  of  the  city's  watchful  care  of  its  business  interests. 
The  organisation  of  the  Alert  or  City  hose  number  i,  the  latter  being  the 
first  name  of  this  company,  was  perfected  September  7th,  1858,  by  electing 
E.  W.  Farrington,  foreman ;  Herbert  Churchill,  assistant  foreman ;  John  P. 
Humphrey,  secretary;  Abram  Karnes,  treasurer;  and  W.  H.  Cross  director  of 
the  Firemen's  Benevolent  association — the  foreman  acting  as  president  during 
the  meetings  of  the  company.  Mr.  Farrington  was  an  old  New  York  fireman 
and  did  much  toward  setting  the  company  on  the  high  road  to  success.  The 
other  original  members  were :  Charles  H.  Clark,  Morris  Smith,  Wm.  S.  Grant- 
synn  and  Walter  Sabey.  The  Alerts  were  quartered  under  Corinthian  hall 
block  on  Mill  street,  being  next  north  of  the  Protectives.  Here  they  remained 
until  1866,  when  they  were  forced  to  vacate,  and,  the  common  council  not  pro- 
viding them  with  a  house,  they  stored  their  carriages  and  for  a  few  months  did 
no  fire  duty,  although  holding  regular  meetings  in  a  room  rented  by  them  for 
that  purpose  in  Baker's  block.  They  soon  tired  of  this  and  made  up  their 
mind  to  have  a  house  at  their  own  expense,  and  a  committee  soon  secured 
quarters  in  a  new  block  on  the  east  side  of  Front  street.  Possession  was  taken 
on  February  1st,  1867,  and  they  were  again  "Ever  Ready,"  that  being  the 
company  motto.  The  company  numbered  at  this  time,  active,  exempt  and 
honorary  members,  in  all  about  forty.  In  the  latter  part  of  1874  the  city 
erected  a  carriage  house  for  them  on  the  site  of  the  old  house  formerly  occu- 
pied by  "Protection"  6  and  "Empire"  hook  and  ladder  number  i.  This  is  a 
three- story  house,  with  carriage  room  and  reading-room  on  the  first  floor; 
bunk  room,  containing  six  double  beds,  locker  room,  bath-room  and  closet  on 
the  second  and  an  elegant  session-room  and  company  locker  on  the  third.  It 
was  completed  about  January  ist,  1875.  The  company  immediately  set  about 
furnishing  it  at  their  own  expense,  and  on  Saturday  evening,  January  23d, 
187s,  the  company,  headed  by  a  drum  corps  and  drawing  the  three  carriages 
owned  by  them,  left  the  Front  street  building  and  marched  to  and  took  pos- 
session of  the  house  they  now  occupy.  The  company  had  increa.sed  greatly 
during  the  eight  years  on  Front  street  and  now  numbered  in  all  over  one  hun- 
dred members.  The  company  was  incorporated  on  the  30th  of  March,  1867, 
having  at  that  time  thirty-two  members  on  the  active  roll,  of  whom  fifteen  were 
exempt.  The  following  have  been  elected  foremen  :  E.  W.  Farrington,  W.  S. 
Grantsynn,  James  B.  Humphrey,  George  B.  Harris,  Charles  H.  Stilwell,  Charles 


Alert  and  Active  Hose  Companies.  209 

B.  Ayers,  R.  H.  Warfield,  F.  B.  Watts,  E.  M.  Smith,  John  A.  Baird,  W.  H.  H. 
Rogers,  Wm.  H.  Brady,  John  A.  Davis,  Frank  H.  Leavenworth,  Charles  H. 
Atkinson,  Samuel  A.  Rose,  James  Cassidy,  Irving  C.  McWhorter,  John  E. 
Kelly,  John  A.  Vanderwerf,  Henry  W.  Mathews.  The  present  officers  are  : 
Henry  W.  Mathews,  foreman  ;  George  W.  Scott,  first  assistant ;  Wm.  V. 
Boyd,  second  assistant;  Charles  H.  Atkinson,  president;  Robert  Renfrew,  jr., 
vice-president;  Wm.  F.  Brinsmaid,  recording  secretary;  Charles  E.  Boor, 
financial  secretary  ;  Thomas  H.  Husband,  treasurer  ;  Rev.  W.  D'Orville  Doty, 
chaplain ;  C.  H.  Atkinson,  W.  F.  Brinsmaid,  Simon  V.  McDowell,  Simon  Stern 
and  Henry  W.  Mathews,  trustees.  After  twenty  years'  services  on  the  active 
and  exempt  roll  a  member  becomes  a  life  member'  in  the  company,  conferred, 
so  far,  only  on  H.  W.  Mathews  and  G.  B.  Harris.  The  honorary  roll  contains 
the  names  of  ninety-four  members,  the  exempt  roll  thirty-three  members,  the 
active  roll  thirty-seven — in  all  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  members.  At  the 
time  of  the  great  parade  held  in  this  city  on  August  i8th,  1882,  the  last  day 
of  the  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Firemen's  association,  the  Alerts,  on  the 
right  of  the  line,  had  on  the  rope  ninety-one  members,  three  officers,  one 
steward,  with  three  ort  the  central  committee  and  two  marshals  of  division,  in 
all  one  hundred  members. 

Active  hose  company  number  2  dates  its  organisation  from  June  9th,  1868, 
when  the  following  persons  were  named  as  officers  :  President,  Arthur  D.  Wal- 
bridgc ;  vice-president,  Cornelius  R.  Parsons;  secretary,  J.  Matthew  Angle  ; 
treasurer,  P.  Frank  Quin;  foreman,  James  Cochrane;  assistant  foreman,  S.  W. 
Updike,  jr. ;  but  they  did  not  receive  their  carriage  until  some  time  about  No- 
vember 1st,  of  the  same  year.  Before  that  time  a  difference  of  opinion  arose 
among  the  members  and  resulted  in  a  number  of  those  who  had  been  most 
active  in  effecting  an  organisation  leaving  the  company,  whereupon  they 
elected  a  new  set  of  officers,  who  were  the  first  under  whom  fire  duty  was 
done,  their  fir.st  alarm  being  on  November  4th,  1868.  They  were  located  at 
this  time  on  Water  street,  next  door  to  steam  engine  number  i,  where  they 
remained  until  November  5th,  1873,  when  they  opened  their  new  house  on 
North  St.  Paul  street,  where  they  now  are.  The  names  of  those  who  have' 
held  the  office  of  foreman  are  :  James  Cochrane,  Bernard  Dunn,  John  W.  Wil- 
son, Owen  F.  Fee,  Joseph  F.  Cochrane,  William  H.  Tracy,  William  V.  Clark, 
Josiah  J.  Kinsey,  Adolph  H.  Otto,  George  Ford,  John  B.  Mooney,  Morris 
H.  Lempert,  John  E.  Rauber,  John  Leight,  R.  C.  Reynell,  H.  C.  Knowlton. 
About  the  i8th  of  August,  1882,  the  company  received  a  new  hose  carriage 
called  "the  citizens'  gift,"  as  it  was  bought  by  a  subscription  raised  for  that 
purpose,  and  intended  to  be  drawn  by  horses.  The  present  officers  of  the  com- 
panyare:  President,  Henry  C.Wulle;  vice-president,  R.  Charles  Reynell ;  record- 
ing secretary,  Louis  Rice;  financial  secretary,  Adolph  H.  Otto ;  treasurer,  John  P. 
KisHngbury;  foreman,  H.  C.  Knowlton;  first  assistant,  John  Reinhart;  second 


2IO  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

assistant,  Louis  Rice.  The  honorary  exempt  roll,  which  requires  ten  years' 
service  in  this  company,  contains  the  names  of  James  Malcom,  A.  H.  Otto, 
Selim  Sloman ;  the  exempt  roll  contains  fifteen  names,  the  active  roll  sixteen 
names;  and  besides  the  company  has  what  are  called  "passive"  members,  who, 
upon  the  payment  of  yearly  dues  of  the  sum  of  three  dollars,  are  entitled  to 
the  privilege  of  the  house  but  have  no  vote  in  its  meetings ;  on  this  roll  there 
are  seventeen  names. 

In  February,  1861,  two  steam  fire  engines  were  brought  to  the  city,  which 
were  afterward  known  as  numbers  i  and  3.  There  was  at  first  some  slight  op- 
position to  their  use  and  much  incredulity  was  fdt  with  regard  to  their  effect- 
iveness, especially  in  cases  where  rapidity  of  action  was  concerned.  This, 
however,  soon  wore  away,  especially  after  the  substitution  of  horses  for  hand 
labor,  which  was  the  motive  power  in  drawing  the  steamers  for  the  first  few 
months.  The  inevitable  result  followed ;  the  old  hand  engines  soon  fell  into 
disuse,  the  paid  fire  department  was  organised  in  1862  and  one  steamer  after 
another  was  added  to  the  list,  until  there  were  four,  ready  to  be  called  into 
active  work  at  any  moment.  These  performed  all  that  could  be  accomplished 
by  any  number  of  machines  at  a  fire,  and  most  of  them  turned  out  at  every 
alarm  until  the  Holly  system  of  water-works  went  into  successful  operation 
in  1874,  when  the  attendance  of  the  steamers  on  ordinary  occasions  was  ren- 
dered unnecessary,  so  that  only  the  hose  carts  of  the  paid  department  turned 
out  at  every  call,  together  with  the  chemical  engine  or  fire  extinguisher.  'The 
two  volunteer  hose  companies,  the  sack  and  bucket  company  and  the  patent 
Hayes  truck,  with  long,  extension  ladders,  which  was  added  to  the  apparatus 
last  year,  run  only  to  boxes  in  the  center  or  more  thickly  settled  parts  of  the 
city,  while  the  steamers  respond  only  to  a  general  alarm  or  a  special  call  in 
case  of  emergency.  A  fifth  hose  cart  has  just  been  added  to  the  paid  depart- 
ment. A  useful  factor  in  the  suppression  of  fires,  and  one  which  it  would  now 
seem  almost  impossible  to  do  without,  is  the  fire  alarm  telegraph,  of  the  Game- 
well  system,  which  was  accepted  by  the  city  government  in  March,  1869,  after 
its  construction  at  a  cost  of  $12,000.  Box  after  box  has  been  added,  until 
now  there  are  eighty-seven  in  all.  The  telegraph  was  from  the  beginning  un- 
der the  charge  of  B.  F.  Blackall,  who  was  succeeded  three  years  ago  by  Charles 
R.  Finnegan,  both  of  whom  have  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  office  in  a  satis- 
factory manner.  No  more  valuable  adjunct  to  the  department  exists  than  the 
fire  marshal,  whose  obligations  are  various  but  whose  most  important  duty  is 
to  examine  all  buildings  in  process  of  construction  and  to  forbid  their  comple- 
tion if  it  will  be  dangerous  to  human  life,  as  well  as  to  order  the  demolition  of 
structures  that  have  so  far  gone  to  decay  as  to  render  them  unsafe.  O.  L.  An- 
gevine  filled  the  office  for  a  great  number  of  years  and  in  1880  gave  place  to 
William  Carroll,  who  in  April  of  this  year  was  succeeded  by  Arthur  McCor- 
mick,  the  present  incumbent. 


Firemen's  Benevolent  Association,  2 1 1 

Of  the  many  parades  of  the  fire  department  alone,  the  largest  and  most 
imposing  ever  given  under  the  old  volunteer  system  was  on  September  13th, 
1854,  when  several  machines  from  Buffalo,  Batavia,  Elmira,  Geneseo,  Oswego 
and  Cobourg  appeared  in  the  line,  two  of  the  visiting  companies  being  accom- 
panied by  brass  bands.  This  was  eclipsed  by  the  grand  procession  at  the  ded- 
ication of  the  firemen's  monument  in  1880  and  by  that  in  August,  in  1882, 
when  the  convention  of  the  State  Firemen's  association,  under  the  presidency 
of  Thomas  A.  Raymond,  of  the  Alert  hose  company  of  this  city,  was  held  here. 
The  festivities  then  lasted  through  most  of  the  week,  but  the  exercises  were  not 
confined  to  the  mere  entertainment  of  delegates  and  visitors  from  abroad,  for 
they  included  the  exhibition  at  a  large  building  on  North  St.  Paul  street,  which 
was  temporarily  used  as  headquarters,  of  all  imaginable  contrivances  for  the 
extinguishment  of  fires  or  connected  in  any  way  with  that  important  service. 
It  will  now  be  well  to  go  back  a  little  in  point  of  time  and  to  give  a  sketch  of 
the  Firemen's  Benevolent  association. 

From  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  village  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  advisability  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 
county,  offered  to  give  the  city  a  mammoth  cheese,  weighing  several  hundred 
pounds,  which  had  been  made  in  his  dairy,  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  chee.se.  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  loth,  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. 


2 1 2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  the  premiums  paid  to  foreign  insurance  companies,  which  those  organisa- 
tions had,  before  that  time,  paid  to  the  city  treasurer. 

The  great  day  of  the  association  —  or  department,  as  it  must  now  be 
called  —  was  September  9th,  1880,  when  the  monument,  above  referred  to, 
was  unveiled  with  impressive  ceremonies.  All  the  firemen  in  the  city,  exempts 
as  well  as  those  in  active  service,  turned  out  to  do  honor  to  the  occasion,  and 
visiting,  companies,  with  their  apparatus,  and  accompanied  in  some  cases  by 
their  own  bands,  were  present  from  Auburn,  Penn  Yan,  Ithaca,  Brockport, 
Lockport,  and  Bradford,  Pa.,  to  join  in  the  parade,  and  the  solemn  march  to 
Mount  Hope.  The  structure  stands  at  the  end  of  Grove  avenue,  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  cemetery,  on  a  high  ground  overlooking  the  river,  and  giv- 
ing a  view  of  some  of  the  most  beautiful  portions  of  the  city,  two  miles  to  the 
northward.  From  the  center  of  a  platform,  twenty-four  feet  and  three  inches 
square,  rises  the  monument  to  a  height  of  fifty  feet,  made  of  Vermont  granite, 
without  a  blemish  in  it,  and  constructed  entirely  by  Rochester  workmen.  On 
the  summit  of  the  shaft  is  a  figure  eight  feet  nine  inches  high,  that  of  a  fire- 
man, wearing  a  fire  hat,  with  coat  on  the  left  arm,  and  standing  in  an  attitude 
of  rest;  the  words  "Fire  department,"  on  one  of  the  bases,  form  the  only  let- 
tering on  the  work.  The  exercises  were  opened  with  a  brief  speech  by  An- 
drew M.  Semple,  the  president  of  the  day,  after  which  Dr.  H.  C.  Riggs,  of  St. 
Peter's  church,  made  a  prayer ;  Cornelius  R.  Parsons,  the  mayor  of  the  city, 
delivered  an  address ;  then  followed,  after  music,  an  address  by  James  H. 
Kelly,  a.  poem  written  for  the  occasion  by  Mrs.  J.  G.  Maurer,  and  read  by  Dr. 
Riggs,  an  address  by  John  W.  Stebbins,  and  the  benediction  by  Rev.  Byron 
Holley,  of  St.  Luke's. 

The  first  officers  of  the  association  were :  President,  Erastus  Cook ;  vice- 
presidents,  Peter  W.  Jennings  and  William  Blossom  ;  treasurer,  John  Williams  ; 
secretary,  William  R.  Montgomery ;  collector,  A.  J.  Langworthy ;  directors. 
Engine  company  number  i,  William  S.  Whittlesey;  number  2,  Edward  Rog- 
gen  ;  number  3,  Isaac  Hellems;  number  4,  John  T.  Tallman  ;  number  5,  E.  B. 
Wheeler;  number  6,  William  Ailing;  hook  and  ladder  number  i,  William 
Brewster;  number  2,  James  Bradshaw ;  hose  number  i,  Heman  Loom'is. 
The  different  presidents  from  that  time  on  were  William  Brewster,  Martin 
Briggs,  George  Arnold,  George  W.  Parsons,  XVilliam  E.  Lathrop,  John  Craigie, 
George  B.  Harris,  A.  S.  Lane,  Joseph  B.  Ward,  John  Cowles,  S.  M.  Stewart, 
Law  S.  Gibson,  L.  W.  Clarke,  Thomas  H.  Husband,  Henry  W.  Mathews  and 
Theron  E.  Parsons.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  ch  ief-engineers,  from 
their  time  of  service,  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;  Alfred  Judson,  1837-38  and  1840;  P.  W.  Jennings,  1839 
and  1 841;  A.  J.  Langworthy,  1842;  George  W.  Parsons,  1843-44;  T.  B. 
Hamilton,    1845,    1847-48  and    1850;   S.   M.   Sherman,    1846   and    1851-54; 


Notable  Fires.  213 


James  Cowles,  1849;  William  H.  Sprung,  1855-56;  Zachariah  Weaver,  1857- 
58  and  1868;  George  13.  Harris,  August,  1858-62  and  1865-67;  John  Mc- 
Mullen,  1863;  P.  H.  Sullivan,  1864;  Wendel  Bayer,  December,  1868-69  and 
1880;  Law  S.  Gibson,  1870-79  and  1881-84.  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.  Biirnap,  John  Craigie,  James  Cowles,  J.  P.  Steele,  Benjamin 
H.  Hill,  M.H.  Jennings,  James  Melvin,  William  Melvin,,W.  H.  Sprung,  Ed- 
ward Madden,  Valentine  Shale,  Zachariah  Weaver,  John  Cowles,  J.  N.  M. 
Weeks,  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,  Anthony  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  they  were  not  destructive  of  life  nor  did  they  bear  away 
with  them  in  their  ascending  smoke  the  memory  of  old  associations.  The  first 
fire  in  the  little  village  was  on  Sunday,  December  5th,  18 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  life,  burst  through  the  flames  and  rescued  him. 
The  first  fatality  occurred  December  2ist,  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. 

of  the  canal.  On  the  26th  of  August,  1840,  George  B.  Benjamin  and  John 
Eaton,  both  firemen,  were  killed  by  a  falling  wall  at  the  burning  of  the  Curtis 
building,  on  Main  street.  The  old  Mansion  House,  on  State  street,  built  in 
1 82 1,  was  burned  February  2d,  1844.  May  2d,  1846,  the  old  stone  block 
built  by  Hervey  Ely  in  1 8 1 7  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  State  streets,  where 
the  Burns  block  was  afterward  put  up  and  where  the  Elwood  block  now  stands, 
was  destroyed,  and  the  Democrat  office,  which  occupied  a  part  of  the  building, 
was  ruined.  In  July,  1847,  Grace  church,  on  the  site  of  the  present  structure, 
was  burned  to  the  ground. 

The  destruction  of  "Chicken  row,"  on  the  3l[st  of  March,  1853,  where  the 
Rochester  savings  bank  now  stands,  did  not  amount  to  much  of  a  conflagra- 
tion, but  it  removed  a  notorious  landmark  and  formed  the  subject  of  conversa- 
tion for  almost  a  month,  when  it  was  put  out  of  mind  by  the  calamity  of  the 
burning,  on  the  29th  of  April  in  the  same  year,  of  the  Rochester  House.  This 
noted  hotel,  which  in  the  early  days  of  the  canal  was  inseparably  connected 
with  the  glories  of  that  great  water-way,  was  a  large  structure  on  Exchange 
street,  extending  from  the  canal  to  Spring  street ;  in  its  latter  days  it  was 
kept  by  E.  W.  Bryan  as  a  temperance  house  and  on  the  final  night  there  were 
ninety  guests  sleeping  in  it,  all  of  whom  escaped-,  but  four  employees  of  the 
place — three  women  and  a  man  —  were  unable  to  get  out  and  were  burned  to 
death.  Within  a  year  from  that  time  another  hotel,  the  Blossom  House  (where 
the  Osburn  House  afterward  stood),  was  destroyed,  January  24th,  1854,  the 
fire  beginning  at  three  in  the  night  and  lasting  till  the  next  afternoon;  the  mer- 
cury fell  to  zero  soon  after  daylight,  the  pipes  froze  stiff,  faster  than  they  could 
be  thawed,  men  and  machines  were  almost  encased  in  ice,  the  free  use  of  liquor 
made  the  matter  worse  and  one  company  was  sent  home  by  Mayor  Williams 
for  its  bad  conduct.  Early  in  the  morning  of  November  21st,  1857,  the  Eagle 
bank  block,  a  fine  six-story  edifice,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Masonic  Hall 
block,  burned  to  the  ground;  Patrick  Heavey  and  William  Cleator,  of  engine 
company  number  2,  were  killed  by  a  falling  chimney;  the  Democrat  establish- 
ment, occupying  the  fourth  and  fifth  floors,  was  again  completely  destroyed 
and  the  Commercial  bank  building,  next  east,  was  crushed  by  a  falling  wall. 

We  now  come  to  the  most  destructive  fire,  in  point  of  pecuniary  value,  that 
ever  visited  our  city.  Soon  after  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  August  17th, 
1858,  flames  were  seen  issuing  from  the  livery  stable  of  Heavey  &  McAnally, 
on  Minerva  alley,  and  before  daylight  every  building  on  the  south  side  of  Main 
street  from  St.  Paul  to  Stone  street,  including  the  Third  Presbyterian  church 
and  Minerva  hall,  was  in  ruins,  five  business  blocks  and  twenty  stores  being 
thus  destroyed;  the  loss  was  $175,000,  insurance  nearly  two-thirds  of  that; 
water  was  difficult  to  get  at  and  the  firemen  were  somewhat  fatigued  by  a  long 
walk  in  procession  early  in  the  evening,  as  well  as  by  a  $25,000  fire  in  Water 
street  the  night  before.     On  the  lOth  of  November,  1859,  the  Unitarian  church. 


Notable  Fires.  2 1 5 


on  Fitzhugh  street,  was  burned,  and  just  a  month  later  the  Second  Baptist 
cliurch,  on  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Main  streets.  The  old  Bethel  church  on 
Washington  street,  next  to  the  canal,  which  had  long  been  vacant,  as  the  con- 
gregation had  built  the  Central  church,  was  burned  on  the  night  of  November 
24th,  1 861  ;  a  large  tin  dome  stood  above  the  roof,  and  as  the  heated  air  filled 
its  interior  it  rose  like  a  balloon  and  soared  away  to  quite  a  distance,  present- 
ing a  brilliant  and  peculiar  sight.  For  a  fourth  time  the  department  suffered 
a  loss  in  its  membership,  when  John  D.  Pike,  Henry  P'orscheler  and  Joseph 
Wernette  fell  at  the  post  of  duty  and  died  while  fighting  the  flames  at  the  burn- 
ing of  Washington  hall  on  the  4th  of  May,  1867.  March  17th,  1868,  St. 
Peter's  (Presbyterian)  church  was  burned,  and  on  the  19th  of  December  in  the 
same  year  the  Deinocrat  office  underwent  a  third  cremation,  being  burned  out 
completely  in  the  conflagration  that  destroyed  much  of  the  old  Eagle  Hotel 
block  and  extended  through  from  Pindell  alley  to  State  street,  taking  in  the 
Union  bank  building  and  other  property  adjacent.  The  First  Presbyterian 
church,  then  unoccupied,  where  the  city  hall  now  stands,  was  burned  on  the  2d 
of  May,  1869,  and  the  Opera  House  on  the  6th  of  November  in  the  same 
year. 

An  ancient  memorial  of  the  city  was  lost  when  the  old  Hervey  Ely  mill,  at 
the  east  end  of  the  aqueduct,  went  up  in  smoke  in  the  early  morning  of  August 
24th,  1870,  and  the  third  week  in  December  of  that  year  gave  hard  work  to 
the  department  by  three  successive  all-night  fires — those  of  the  Boston  mill, 
the  Pool  building  (in  which  the  Democrat  job- room  was  burned)  and  the  rag 
warehouse  of  McVean  &  Hastings,  on  Exchange  street,  where  the  Daily  Union 
building  now  is.  The  fire  in  Stewart's  block,  on  North  Water  street,  January 
1 8th,  1874,  is  noteworthy  for  being  that  at  which  the  first  stream  was  thrown 
from  the  water- works  hydrants.  July  19th,  1876,  a  fire  on  Warehouse  street, 
near  the  canal,  consumed  five  shops  and  factories ;  John  R.  Marks,  not  a  fire- 
man, was  burned  to  death.  Another  loss  of  life  occurred  at  the  burning  of 
Tower's  thermometer  works,  on  Exchange  street,  in  consequence  of  the  explo- 
sion of  some  material  there  used;  John  Prescott,  one  of  the  workmen,  was 
caught  fast  by  the  flying  debris  and  slowly  perished  in  the  flames.  One  of  the 
finest  pyrotechnic  displays,  of  late  years  at  least,  was  at  the  destruction,  on  the 
7th  of  April,  1880,  of  the  "Beehive,"  an  old  building  on  Aqueduct  street, 
which  was  built  in  1827  by  E.  S.  Beach,  Thomas  Kempshall  and  Henry  Ken- 
nedy, and  was  used  as  a  flour  mill  by  the  two  first  named,  one  after  the  other, 
till  the  death  of  Mr.  Kempshall,  in  1865,  when  it  was  remodeled  inside  and 
used  thereafter  for  a  great  number  of  manufacturing  industries.  This  will  close 
the  fire  record. 


2i6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

LIBRARIES  AND  LITERATURE. 

The  First  Public  Library  —  The  Franklin  Instilute  —  The  Athenaeum  —  The  Central  Library  — The 
Law  Library — The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  —  The  Literary  Union  —  "The  Club"  — The 
Fortnightly  —  The  Shakespeare  Club. 

THE  first  organised  association  in  this  place  for  the  dissemination  of  knowl- 
edge by  means  of  a  public  library  was  the  Franklin  Institute,  but  before 
that  there  was  at  least  an  effort  made  in  the  same  airection,  as  is  shown  by  this 
extract  from  the  first  volume  of  miscellaneous  records  in  the  county  clerk's 
office :  — 

"I,  Jonathan  Child,  having  been,  at  a  meeting  of  two-thirds  of  such  persons  as  have  in 
writing  under  their  hands  signified  their  consent  and  desire  to  associate  themselves  together 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  and  erecting  a  public  library,  held  at  the  house  of  John  G. 
Christopher  in  said  county  of  Monroe  and  state  of  New  York,  on  the  second  Tuesday 
of  April  1822,  the  time  and  place  previously  agreed  upon  by  a  majority  of  such  persons 
as  aforesaid,  duly  elected  chairman,  do  hereby  certify,  in  conformity  to  the  statute  in 
such  cases  made  and  provided ,  that  at  such  a  meeting  at  the  place  and  on  the  day  aforesaid 
Levi  Ward,  jr.,  Joseph  Penney,  Francis  H.  Cuming,  Joseph  Spencer,  William  Pitkin,  Ash- 
ley Sampson,  William  Atkinson,  Abraham  Plumb,  Elisha  Taylor,  Anson  Coleman,  Enos 
Pomeroy  and  Jonathan  Child  were  by  plurality  of  voices  duly  elected  to  serve  as  trustees 
of  '  the  Rochester  Literary  company,'  in  said  village  of  Rochester  for  the  ensuing  year." 

Whether  this  company  ever  went  into  active  operation  cannot  be  definitely 
ascertained.  If  it  did  so,  however,  it  must  have  been  short-lived,  for  the  di- 
rectory of  1827  makes  no  mention  of  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  distinctly  says :  — 

"There  is  as  yet  no  public  library  of  general  literature  nor  public  seminary  of  educa- 
tion. Measures  are  in  operation,  however,  for  prosecuting  both  these  objects,  which  it  is 
hoped  the  present  year  will  see  in  a  good  state  of  advancement." 

At  that  very  time  the  Franklin  institute  w^as  in  existence,  for  it  was  organ- 
ised on  the  13th  of  October,  1826,  but  its  library  was  scientific,  not  literary,  as 
will  be  seen  by  this  extract  from  its  constitution  :  — 

"The  objects  which  the  Franklin  institute  shall  have  especially  in  view  shall  be  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  members,  consisting  of  books  on  the  arts, 
sciences  and  manufactures,  a  museum  of  models  of  machines,  a  cabinet  of  mineralogy, 
geology,  and  chemical  substances,  scientifically  arranged ;  lectures  and  apparatus  for 
illustrating  the  sciences  connected  with  the  mechanical  arts,  and  mutual  instruction  in  el- 
ementary sciences  as  far  as  practicable." 

The  origin  of  the  institute  was  in  a  course  of  lectures  delivered  here  in  that 
year  by  Prof  Eaton  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 
hundred  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.  —  Athenaeum.  217 

the  Eagle  bank.  The  aflfairs  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  Athenseum  and  Mechanics' 
Literary  association,  generally  known  by  the  shorter  title  of  the  Athenaeum, 
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 :  — 

"Shortly  after  the  foundation  of  the  Franklin  institute  the  Rochester  Athenseum  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  Hfe  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  it  was  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  Ubrary  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  dehvered  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- 


2i8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ever  failed  to  be  called  upon  or  failed  to  respond.  With  regard  to  the  number 
of  volumes  in  the  library  any  statement  that  could  be  made  would  be  imperfect 
and  unsatisfactory.  In  the  time  of  its  greatest  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  returned,  many  were  rendered 
worthless  by  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  1 871,  when,  rents 
having  largely  increased,  application  was  made  to  the  trustees  of  the  Rochester 
savings  bank  for  the  use  of  the  upper  story  of  tkeir  building,  located  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets.  The  request  was  promptly  acceded  to 
and  the  association  was  granted  the  uSe  of  the  rooms  free  of  expense,  which  they 
occupied  for  a  few  years  and  then  removed,  first  to  the  court-house  and  then 
to  rooms  on  Fitzhugh  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.  Reynolds  and  George  S.  Riley,  the  latter  of  whom  at  a  later  day  trans- 
ferred his  interest  in  the  property  to  the  former  gentleman,  by  whom  it  has  been 
transferred  to  the  trustees  of  the  Reynolds  library,  for  the  benefit  of  the  city. 
The  following  are  the  names  of  the  different  presidents  of  the  Athenaeum  asso- 
ciation :  1849  and '50,  Levi  A.  Ward;  1851,  George  W.  Parsons;  1852,  George 
S.Riley;  1853,  B.R.  McAlpine;  1 854,  Edward  M.  Smith  ;  1855,  John  N.  Pome- 
roy;  1856,  George  G.  Clarkson ;  1857-58  D.  D.  T.  Moore;  1859,  W.  V.  K. 
Lansings  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.  H.  FitzSi- 
mons ;  1868,  Theron  E.  Parsons;  1869,  M.  H.  FitzSimons;  1870,  Thomas 
Dransfield;  1871,  A.  M.  Semple;  1872,  C.  E.  Morris;  1873,  J.  H.  Kelly; 
1874,  Jonas  Jones. 

The  Central  library  was  established  in  1863,  by  consoUdating  seventeen 
school  libraries  into  one.  Selections  from  these  were  made,  and  in  addition  a 
few  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,  and  in  1875  it  was 
removed  to  its  present  commodious  quarters  in  the  Free  academy  building,  on 
Fitzhugh  street.  Mrs.  W.  H.  Learned  was  appointed  the  first  assistant  libra- 
rian in  1870,  and  was  succeeded  in  1881  by  Mrs.  Katherine  J.  Dowling,  the 
present  incumbent.  An  annual  state  appropriation  of  $879  is.  devoted  solely 
to  the  purchase  of  books,  and  so  carefully  and  substantially  have  these  been 
selected  by  the  library  committee  every  year,  that  each  classified  division  of 
volumes  has  grown  in  harmony,  requiring  additional  alcoves  annually,  until 
this  library  has  to-day  15,000  volumes,  mostly  works  of  fair  literary  value. 
It  has  a  patronage  of  five  thousand  readers,  and  for  many  years  was  the  only 


Atlaiitifc  Puihsluu^  ScEu^HViiig  Co. ITT. 


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  wer6  left  after  the  judges  had  selected 
what  they  considered  necessary  for  their  own  use  ;  the  other  moiety  of  the  un- 
chosen  volumes  was  sent  to  Syracuse.  The  library,  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  many  of  these  are  of  great  worth  on  account  of  their  an- 
tiquity and  their  rarity.  Over  one  hundred  of  them  are  printed  in  "black  let- 
ter," and  some  of  them  are  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,  Fopham,  Little- 
ton and  other  great  lawyers,  published  in  the  seventeenth  century.  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  society  where  they  might  get  spiritual  improvement,  and  help  their  fel- 
low-men. With  this  purpose  in  view  the  association  was  reorganised,  with  G. 
W.  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  187s  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  oite  day.  The  year  1 880  saw  but  four  meetings,  which 
were  attended  by  both  sexes,  and  very  thinly.  The  present  year  (1884)  all 
meetings  but  two  were  for  young  men  only,  with  an  average  attendance  of 


220  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

twice  the  number  in  former  years.  Evening  classes,  in  different  English 
branches,  are  very  well  attended,  and  great  interest  is  exhibited.  President, 
George  C.  Buell ;  vice-president.  Prof.  A.  H.  Mixer ;  recording  secretary,  A. 
N.  Fitch;  treasurer,  C.  F.  Pond;  general  secretary,  F.  De  S.  Helmer;  assist- 
ant secretaries,  C.  W.  Foreman  and  Edward  S.  Simmons. 

The  object  of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  association  is  to  cultivate  a  love  of 
morality,  law  and  good  citizenship  among  the  youth  of  Rochester,  to  combine 
the  elevation  of  the  mind  with  the  development  of  the  body  by  the  alternation 
of  literary  exercises  with  physical  improvement.  The  organisation  was  effected 
on  the  25th  day  of  March,  1872,  by  the  election  of  the  following  officers: 
President,  Right  Rev.  B.  J.  McQuaid,  D.  D.;  first  vice-president,  Charles 
FitzSimons ;  second  vice-president,  John  Odenbach ;  treasurer,  William  Pur- 
cell  ;  corresponding  secretary,  F.  A.  Shale ;  recording  secretary,  John  C. 
O'Brien.  The  association  was  incorporated  the  3d  of  the  following  month.  A 
month  before  the  organisation  Bishop  McQuaid  had  purchased,  in  his  own 
name,  but  really  as  trustee  for  the  future  society,  the  ground  on  the  corner  of 
West  Main  street  and  Montgomery  alley,  then  occupied  by  the  Exchange 
Hotel,  for  $30,000,  the  o\yner  of  which,  C.  B.  Woodward,  refused  an  offer  of 
$5, 000  more  before  the  papers  were  drawn  up.  On  the  4th  of  April  the  bishop 
transferred  the  property  to  the  association,  and  one  year  later,  when  the  old 
leases  had  expired,  the  erection  of  a  building  was  begun,  which  was  completed 
before  the  next  October.  It  is  a  sightly  edifice,  costing  nearly  $40,000, 
seventy-severi  and  a  half  feet  in  front,  eighty  feet  deep,  with  a  wing  twenty-six 
by  forty-two  feet,  and  is  four  stories  in  height,  the  upper  floor  being  used  as  a 
gymnasium  and  occupied  by  the  Athletic  club,  the  one  below  that  for  the 
purposes  of  the  brganisation,  including  the  exercises  of  the  Literary  Union,  and 
the  other  floors  for  offices  and  stores ;  its  architect  was  A.  J.  Warner.  There 
have  been  few  changes  in  its  directorship,  and  its  present  officers  are  the  same 
as  given  above,  except  that  Timothy  Whalen  is  now  the  second  vice-pre.sident 
and  Dr.  Richard  Curran  is  the  treasurer. 

One  of  the  most  popular  Catholic  societies  in  Rochester  at  the  present 
time  is  the  Rochester  Literary  Union,  of  which  the  following  sketch  was  fur- 
nished by  E.  J.  Kelly:  It  was  organised  in  the  spring  of  1875,  with  twenty- 
five  charter  members.  Its  main  object  was  to  unite  the  Catholic  young  men 
of  the  city  without  distinction  as  to  nationality.  They  unanimously  elected  as 
their  first  president,  William  Purcell,  who  for  two  years  labored  with  the  great- 
est zeal  to  make  the  organisation  what  it  is  at  the  present  time,  the  representa- 
tive Catholic  association  of  the  city.  Mr.  Purcell  was  succeeded  by  James  Fee, 
who  during  his  term  of  office  did  much  for  the  improvement  of  the  association 
and  by  his  liberality  on  many  occasions  evinced  the  interest  he  took  in  the 
Literary  Union.  He  was  followed  by  William  C.  Barry,  whose  administration 
was  most  successful.      Mr.  Barry  has  been  succeeded  by  Patrick  Mahon,  Pat- 


"The  Cluu."  —  Fortnightly  Club.  221 

rick  Cox,  Patrick  H.  Magill  (who  scarcely  had  assumed  his  duties  when  he  was 
stricken  by  death,  much  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.  Maher,  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  listen  to  a  paper  read  by  one  of  the  club,  each  in 
turn  taking  his  part  as  the  contributor  for  the  evening,  and  the  others  taking 
up,  in  regular  order,  the  discussion  of  the  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  arc  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  withdrawn  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.  Brack  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.  Dwinelle,  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.  Yeoraans,  W.  F.  Cogswell,  Robert  Carter,  Prof. 
R.  J.  W.  Buckland,  Judge  E.  Darwin  Smith. 

Following  the  example  of  the  club  described  above,  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  Fortnightly"  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 


222  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

those  of  the  older  body.  Its  meetings  are  held  every  alternate  Tuesday,  with- 
out exception,  from  the  middle  of  October  to  the  middle  of  May,  and  at  each 
an  original  paper  is  read.  The  first  members  were  C.  E.  Fitch,  M.  W.  Cooke, 
Judge  F.  A.  Macomber,  Dr.  C.  A.  Dewey,  Dr.  Porter  Farley,  Rev.  N.  M. 
Mann,  Robert  Mathews,  Rev.  Myron  Adams,  Dr.  C.  E.  Rider,  J.  P.  Varnum, 
Rev.  Dr.  Max  Landsberg,  Wm.  F.  Peck.  Since  the  beginning  Judge  Macom- 
ber has  withdrawn  and  W.  E.  Hoyt  and  Dr.  David  Little  have  been  elected  in. 

There  is  another  club  of  a  nature  similar  to  that  of  the  two  just  mentioned, 
the  membership  of  which  embraces  persons  of  both  sexes,  but,  as  it  has  pre- 
served its  anonymity  during  all  the  years  of  its  existence,  nothing  more  can  be 
said  about  it.  The  Browning  club  is  another  literary  coterie,  but  its  purpose  is 
the  discussion  of  the  works  of  standard  English  poets,  rather  than  the  reading 
of  original  papers. 

The  Shakespeare  club  was  organised  December  15th,  1865,  mainly  through 
the  efforts  of  Rev.  F.  W.  Holland.  Twenty-eight  persons  were  enrolled  as 
members  at  the  first  meeting.  The  average  attendance  at  present,  however,  is 
about  sixteen.  Meetings  are  held  every  Tuesday,  from  the  first  of  November 
until  the  first  of  May.  The  officers  are :  President,  James  L.  Angle ;  secre- 
tary, De  L.  Crittenden. 


CHAPTER     XXVni. 

associations— SCIENTIFIC,    SOCIAL,  POLITICAL,    ETC. 

The  Academy  of  Science  —  The  Rochester  Club  —  The  Rochester  Whist  Cluh  —  The  Eureka  Club 
—  The  Abelard  Club  —  The  Mutual  Club  —  The  Celtic  Club  —  The  Commercial  Travelers'  Club  — 
The  Irish  National  League  —  The  Civil  Service  Reform  Association  —  The  Lincoln  Club  —  The  River- 
side Rowing  Club  —  The  Canoe  Club. 

THE  Rochester  Microscopical  society  was  organised  January  13th,  1879,  by 
a  few  gentlemen  interested  in  scientific  studies.  The  question  of  organr 
ising  an  academy  of  science  was  considered ;  but  it  was  deemed  best  to  begin 
with  that  department  in  which  the  most  interest  was  then  manifested,  viz.,  mi- 
croscopy, and  afterward  extend  the  scope  of  the  society,  if  desired.  The  soci- 
ety grew  rapidly,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years  was  the  largest  organisation  of 
the  kind  in  the  United  States.  March  14th,  1881,  the  suggested  change  was 
effected,  the  scope  of  the  society  extended,  its  name  changed,  and  its  constitu- 
tion and  by-laws  revised.  Sections  have  been  formed  in  several  departments, 
and  considerable  work  is  being  done.  The  society  was  incorporated  May  14th, 
1 88 1,  as  the  Rochester  Academy  of  Science.     The  incorporators  were  the  ofii- 


Academy  of  Sciences.  —  Rochester  Club.  223 

cers  of  the  academy  for  1881:  Rev.  Myron  Adams,  president;  H.  Franklin 
Atwood,  vice-president ;  Charles  E.  Rider,  treasurer ;  Henry  C.  Maine,  secre- 
tary ;  Adelbcrt  Cronise,  corresponding  secretary ;  Samuel  A.  Lattimore,  Wil- 
liam Streeter  and  Cyrus  F.  Paine,  trustees. 

The  object  of  the  organisation  is  to  promote  scientific  study  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:  Anatomy, 
astronomy,  botany,  entomology,  conchology,  hygiene,  ichthyology,  infusoria, 
literature,  microscopy,  photography,  taxidermy.  Each  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  hall  in  the  Ar- 
cade, which  has  been  devoted  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  various  departments  of  research.  Collections 
have  been  made  by  the  sections  of  botany  and  entomology.  The  section  of 
astronomy  is  well  equipped  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  illustrafed  by  dissections.  The  photographic  section  has 
done  excellent  work,  both  in  field-photography  and  in  micro-photography.i 

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  Ellwanger 
&  Barry  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  slightly  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.  B.  Hathaway,  vice-president;  E.  B. 
Jennings,  secretary,  and  Levi  F.  Ward,  treasurer. 

In  October,  1882,  a  few  gentlemen  who  were  well  inclined  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  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

such  an  extent  —  partly  by  the  absorption  of  the  old  Audubon  club  —  that 
larger  accommodations  were  needed  and  the  association,  in  March,  1883,  moved 
to  the  Howe  building,  on  North  Fitzhugh  street.  In  the  course  of  the  last 
year  a  further  expansion  became  more  and  more  essential,  and  finally,  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year,  a  second  change  was  made,  the  club  taking  a  lease  of 
the  quarters  occupied  up  to  that  time  by  the  Windsor  club,  which  then  dis- 
solved. The  suite  of  commodious  and  elegant  apartments,  occupying  the  whole 
front  and  other  portions  of  the  third  floor  of  the  Ellwanger  &  Barry  block, 
consists  of  seven  rooms,  which  include  a  reception  room,  a  reading-room,  a 
billiard-room,  a  card-room,  an  eating-room,  etc.  '^The  club,  in  its  purposes  and 
its  pursuits,  has  long  since  outgrown  the  original  designs  of  its  founders,  but 
the  old  name  is  retained  and  under  that  title  it  was  incorporated  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  year.  It  numbers,  at  present,  about  one  hundred  members.  The 
officers  for  the  year  are:  John  E.  Morey,  president;  William  Mudgett,  vice- 
president;  Homer  Jacobs,  secretary,  and  William  E.  Witherspoon,  treasurer. 
The  Phoenix  club  was  organised  in  1872  as  a  society  for  the  promotion  of 
social  intercourse  and  amusement  among  the  Jews.  It  erected  a  costly  build- 
ing on  North  Clinton  street,  and  was  in  a  flourishing  condition  until  1882,  when 
it  was  deemed  advisable  to  dissolve  the  club,  and  the  building  was  sold  to  the 
Odd  Fellows.  A  number  of  the  former  members  of  the  Phoenix  club  then 
banded  together  and  formed  the  Eureka  club  for  the  same  purposes.  They 
purchased  the  former  Barton  residence  and  transformed  it  into  a  luxurious 
club-house.  A  large  hall  and  a  bowling-alley  were  added  to  the  building, 
and  the  society  is  now  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The  officers  for  this  year 
are :  J.  W.  Rosenthal,  president ;  A.  J.  Katz,  vice-president ;  Benjamin  Munk, 
secretary ;  treasurer,  J.  Michaels. 

The  Abelard  club.  —  Only  Knights  Templar  are  eligible  to  membership 
in  this  club,  which  was  organised  in  1872  and  incorporated  in  1875.  It  num- 
bers more  than  one  hundred  and  is  one  of  the  most  influential  organisations  of 
the  kind  in  the  city.  It  has  three  rooms,  well  furnished,  on  an  upper  floor  of 
the  Powers  block.  The  officers  of  the  present  year  are  :  Charles  T.  Crouch, 
president;  Alfred  H.  Cork,  vice-president;  P.  S.  Wilson,  secretary,  and  N.  S. 
Phelps,  treasurer. 

The  Mutual  club  was  organised  on  the  22d  of  February,  1881,  and  rapidly 
increased  in  membership  till  it  attained  the  number  of  seventy-five.  It  differs 
from  all  social  clubs  in  this  city  in  that  the  wives  of  the  members  are  eligible 
to  election,  and  the  majority,  perhaps,  of  those  ladies  have  availed  themselves 
of  the  privilege.  One  evening  in  each  week  is  devoted  to  a  reunion  of  the 
members  of  the  club,  of  both  sexes,  at  the  rooms,  of  which  there  are  four,  in 
the  Powers  block.  The  present  officers  are  James  Sargent,  president ;  J.  W. 
Archer,  vice-president;  J.  Z.  Culver,  secretary,  and  H.  W.  Wilcox,  treasurer. 

The  Celtic  club,  whose  name  shows  the  nationality  of  its  members,  is  of  a 


Post  A,  C.  T.  A.  —  Irish  Mutual  League.  225 

social  character,  though  joining  with  that  an  efiTort  for  the  mutual  improvement 
of  its  constituents.  It  was  organised  ten  years  ago,  and  its  rooms  have  always 
been  in  the  Powers  block.  The  present  ofificers  are  :  J.  M.  Murphy,  president ; 
Edward  Julian,  vice-president ;  J.  J.  O'Byrne,  recording  secretary ;  William 
Gleason,  treasurer,  and  Michael  O'Connor,  financial  secretary. 

Post  A,  Commercial  Travelers'  association.  —  The  good-fellowship  and 
geniality  of  temperament  that  have  always  characterised  the  members  of  this 
association  led  them  to  form  themselves  into  a  social  organisation,  on  the  12th 
of  January  of  this  year,  both  for  the  recreation  of  those  who  reside  here,  and 
for  the  entertainment  of  those  of  the  brotherhood  who  might  be  stopping  here 
on  business.  Rooms  were  at  once  taken  on  North  Fitzhugh  street,  near  West 
Main,  and  the  readiness  with  which  the  local  "travelers"  joined  the  new  insti- 
tution showed  the  desirability  of  its  existence.  The  officers  are :  Abner  B. 
Wool,  president ;  H.  M.  Fuller  and  J.  C.  Bertholf,  vice-presidents ;  John  W. 
Taylor,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  W.  H.  Horton,  recording  secretary. 

The  Monroe  county  branch  of  the  Irish  National  league  of  America,  hav- 
ing its  headquarters  in  Rochester,  came  into  existence  April  29th,  1883,  on 
which  day  the  principles  set  forth  two  days  before  by  a  convention  in  Phila- 
delphia, called  to  cooperate  with  the  Irish  National  league  of  Ireland,  were 
adopted  as  the  principles  of  the  new  organisation.  The  objects  which  the  Irish 
National  league  was  formed  to  attain  for  Ireland  are  national  self-government, 
land  law  reform;  local  self-government,  extension  of  the  parliamentary  and 
municipal  franchises,  and  the  development  and  encouragement  of  the  labor  and 
industrial  interests  of  Ireland.  The  principal  purpose  of  the  league  in  America 
is  to  earnestly  and  actively  sustain  the  Irish  National  league  in  Ireland,  with 
moral  and  material  aid  in  achieving  self-government  for  Ireland.  The  original 
society  from  which  the  local  society  sprang  was  the  Monroe  County  Irish  Na- 
tional Land  League  Relief  association,  which  was  organised  on  Sunday,  Feb- 
ruary 1st,  1880,  at  a  meeting  held  in  this  city  to  form  a  permanent  organisation 
to  assist  Ireland  materially  in  the  famine  then  prevailing  in  the  island,  and  to 
keep  up  agitation  against  the  system  of  land  tenure,  and  political  evils  imposed 
by  England  on  the  country,  until  those  evils  shall  be  removed.  Any  person 
was  eligible  to  membership  who  professed  sympathy  with  the  movement,  and 
paid  ten  cents  a  week  into  the  treasury. 

The  officers  of  the  society  during  the  first  year  were :  President,  William 
Purcell ;  vice-president,  A.  B.  Lamberton ;  corresponding  secretary,  Patrick 
Mahon  ;  treasurer,  Patrick  Cox  ;  financial  secretary,  Martin  Barron  ;  recording 
secretary,  George  F.  Flannery.  Dr.  J.  W.  Casey  was  elected  president  for  the 
years  1881  and  1882,  but  declined  the  third  term,  and  was  succeeded  by  H.  P. 
Mulligan,  who,  in  1884,  had  as  his  successor  Bartholomew  Keeler,  the  incum- 
bent at  date  of  writing.  No  salary  whatever  is  paid  any  of  the  officers.  The 
society,  in  addition  to  weekly  meetings,  at  which  European  and  American  pub- 


226  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

lie  men  have  spoken  in  behalf  of  the  purposes  of  the  league,  has  also  printed 
and  distributed  free  in  America  and  Europe  thousands  of  documents  relating 
to  the  agitation  in  which  it  is  engaged.  The  money  which  it  has  collected  and 
sent  to  Ireland  amounts  at  this  date  to  $i2,ooo.  The  last  declaration  of  con- 
sequence made  by  the  league  previous  to  the  writing  of  this  sketch  was  to 
pledge  itself  to  pay  salaries  to  those  Irish  members  of  parliament  who  are 
faithful  to  the  interests  of  Ireland,  but  whose  own  means  are  not  enough  to 
support  them  while  attending  exclusively  to  legislative  duties.  ^ 

The  Civil  Service  Reform  association  was  organised  on  the  26th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1882,  having  for  its  immediate  object  the  passage  of  laws  opening  appoint- 
ment in  the  civil  service  of  the  United  States  to  those  who  might  satisfactorily 
pass  a  competitive  examination.  It  was  constituted  in  affiliation  with'  the  more 
general  association  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Shortly  after  its  formation  Con- 
gress passed  the  so-called  "Pendleton  bill,"  by  which  the  principal  object  of 
the  association  was  accomplished,  and  a  little  later  the  legislature  of  New  York 
enacted  a  similar  law  with  regard  to  this  state.  The  society  subsequently  be- 
came a  member  of  the  National  Civil  Service  Reform  league,  and  Dr.  E.  M. 
Moore  was  chosen  as  the  representative  vice-president  and  member  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  the  league.  At  its  first  meeting  the  association  chose  the 
following- named  officers,  who  have  been  twice  reelected,  and  who  are  the 
present  incumbents :  President,  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore ;  vice-presidents,  C.  E.  Eitch, 
Oilman  H.  Perkins,  James  L.  Angle,  Max  Landsberg,  Louis  Ernst,  Patrick 
Barry,  A.  S:  Mann ;  secretary.  Porter  Farley ;  treasurer,  F.  W.  Elwood  ;  ex- 
ecutive committee,  Theodore  Bacon,  L.  P.  Ross,  J.  P.  Varnum,  D.  D.  Sully, 
John  Fahy,  S.  P.  Moore,  Wm.  F.  Peck. 

The  Lincoln  club  is,  to  a  great  extent,  political  in  its  nature,  but  its  activi- 
ty is  not  confined  to  election  campaigns,  nor  do  party  politics  engross  its 
attention,  for  lectures,  prepared  by  its  members  and  by  outsiders,  are  frequently 
delivered  before  it,  and  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  club  is  to  familiarise 
its  members  with  the  principles  of  civil  government.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  in  October,  1 879,  and  was  attended  by  some  twenty  members.  Pomeroy 
P.  Dickinson  was  elected  to  the  presidency,  an  office  which  he  held  two  years. 
The  membership  increased  so  rapidly  that  in  1880  the  club  rooms  on  State 
street  were  found  inadequate,  and  a  move  was  made  to  the  supervisors'  room 
in  the  court-house,  which  they  occupied  until  February,  1882,  when  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  the  use  of  the  large  hall  on  the  corner  of  West  Main 
street  and  Plymouth  avenue,  which  they  still  occupy.  The  officers  for  the 
year  are :  President,  William  E.  Werner ;  vice-president,  W.  F.  Kislingbury ; 
recording  secretary,  C.  C.  Werner ;  corresponding  secretary,  J.  F.  Tallinger ; 
financial  secretary,  Frederick  A.  Frick;  treasurer,  Williarn  H.  Higgins. 

The  Riverside  Rowing  club  is  exclusively  amateur,    and  was   organised 

I  The  sketch  of  the  National  league  was  kindly  furnished  by  Edmond  Redmond. 


Rochester  Canoe  Club.  227 

September  7th,  1869,  for  the  promotion,  and  encouragement  of  social  and 
friendly  intercourse,  physical  culture,  and  improvement  in  the  art  of  rowing. 
The  club-house  is  on  the  river,  at  the  foot  of  Griffith  street.  At  the  annual 
meeting  held  Wednesday,  April  2d,  1884,  the  following  officers  were  elected 
for  the  ensuing  year:  President,  Robert  Mathews;  vice-president,  F.  W.  El- 
wood  ;  captain,  D.  D.  Sully ;  secretary,  James  Montgomery  ;  treasurer,  Thomas 
H.  Husband;  executive  committee,  Frank  C.  Fenn,A.  E.  Perkins. 

The  Rochester  Canoe  club.  —  The  idea  of  forming  a  canoe  club  in  this  city 
originated  with  George  H.  Harris  and  M.  B.  Turpin,  who,  after  many  attempts, 
succeeded  in  gathering  together  a  few  persons  interested  in  aquatic  sports  and 
perfecting  an  organisation.  At  a  meeting  held  September  29th,  1882,  a  con- 
stitution was  adopted,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected :  President,  Geo. 
H.  Harris ;  vice-president,  M.  B.  Turpin ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  J.  M.  An- 
gle ;  captain,  A.  E.  Dumble ;  first  officer,  F.  W.  Storms.  The  object  of  its 
originators,  as  expressed  in  article  second  of  the  constitution,  is  "to  unite  ama- 
teur canoeists  for  purposes  of  health,  pleasure,  exploration,  historical  research, 
and  for  the  preservation  of  maps,  drawings,  details  and  objects  of  interest  to 
canoemen."  The  club  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condition,  having  a  large  and 
enthusiastic  membership,  many  canoes,  and  commodious  quarters  at  the  New- 
port House,  on  Irondequoit  bay.  The  officers  for  the  year  are :  Captain,  F. 
W.  Andrews;   mate,  Edward  Gilmore ;  purser,  J.  M.  Angle. 

There  are  of  course  a  legion  of  other  clubs  and  societies  of  various  kinds  in 
this  city,  which  might  be  mentioned  in  this  chapter.  Many  of  them  are  de- 
scribed or  alluded  to  in  different  parts  of  this  work  —  such  as  the  chapters  on 
"Rochester's  German  Elemen^"  and  "the  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester"  —  render- 
ing unnecessary  a  recapitulation  of  them  here ;  in  the  case  of  others  the  most 
painstaking  inquiries  on  the  part  of  the  editor  were  met  with  evasions  which 
seemed  to  indicate  a  wish  for  obscurity;  while  others,  still,  appeared  so  transi- 
tory in  their  existence,  or  so  circumscribed  in  their  scope,  as  to  exclude  them 
from  a  work  of  this  nature. 


228  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

the  ERIE  CANAL. 

Its  Origin  —  Vague  Ideas  of  Gouverneur  Morris  —  Definite  Conception  of  Jesse  Hawley  —  Legis- 
lative Action  in  1808  —  l)e  Witt  Clinton  Appears  —  Canal  Commissioners  Appointed  in  1816  —  My- 
ron Holley  and  llis  Great  Services  —  Important  Meeting  at  Canan<laigua  —  Opposition  at  Albany  — 
Work  Begun  July  4tli,  1817  —  The  Canal  Completed  October  24tli,  1825  — The  Grand  Celebration  — 
Enlargement  of  the  Canal  —  Great  Convention  in  this  City  —  Canal  Statistics  —  Tlie  (lenesee  Valley 
Canal. 

WHO  proposed  the  Erie  canal?  The  answef  to  that  question,  apparently 
so  easy  to  be  given,  is  impossible  of  attainment.  Like  many  other  of 
the  great  events  in  the  world's  history,  the  project  of  the  Erie  canal  was  not  a 
definite,  episodical  enterprise,  but  a  growth,  a  development  from  intangible, 
almost  inappreciable  beginnings  in  the  minds  of  men.  The  time  of  its  concep- 
tion is;  naturally,  equally  indefinite,  but  if  any  period  must  be  set  let  it  be  that 
of  the  last  year 'of  the  last  century.  Taking  that  as  the  date,  Gouverneur 
Morris  may  be  said  to  be  the  originator  of  the  idea,  but  his  thoughts  were  so 
vague  in  the  matter  that  he  himself  would  have  been  the  last  person  to  claim 
the  real  parentage  of  the  scheme.  In  1800,  while  on  a  tour  to  Niagara  falls, 
he  became  impressed  with  the  navigable  capacities  of  the  country  and  wrote  to 
a  European  correspondent :  "  One-tenth  part  of  the  expense  borne  by  Britain  in 
the  last  campaign  would  enable  ships  to  sail  from  London  through  the  Hudson 
river  into  Lake  Erie."  In  1803  he  spoke  to  Simeon  De  Witt,  then  surveyor- 
general  of  the  state,  of  the  possibility  of  tapping  Lake  Erie,  but  the  probability 
is  that  he  had  in  mind  a  project  for  building  a  series  of  locks  around  Niagara 
falls,  thus  enabling  vessels  to  pass  into  Lake  Ontario  and  get  from  there  into  the 
Hudson  by  improving  the  natural  watercourses  between  the  mouth  of  the  Os- 
wego river  and  the  Mohawk,  from  whence  a  serjes  of  short  canals  should  take 
them  into  the  Hudson. 

Jesse  Hawley,  afterward  a  resident  of  Rochester,  was  the  first  to  place  the 
subject  conspicuously  and  clearly  before  the  people,  in  a  number  of  essays  that 
appeared  in  1807-08  over  the  signature  of  "Hercules"  in  a  Pittsburg  paper  and 
in  the  Genesee  Messenger,  published  at  Canandaigua.  In  these  he  marked  out 
a  route  nearly  the  same  as  that  subsequently  adopted,  except  that  he  proposed 
to  use  the  Mohawk  river  as  one  of  the  connecting  links.  While  these  articles 
of  Mr.  Hawley's  awakened  public  interest  in  the  subject,  it  is  doubtful  if  they 
were  the  immediate  cause  of  legislation.  Benjamin  Wright,  of  Rome,  N.  Y.,  in 
a  long  letter  to  the  New  York  Observer  in  1866,  claims  the  honor  of  that  for 
his  father,  Judge  Wright,  a  member  of  thcvAssembly  in  1808,  who,  he  says, 
being  interested  in  an  article  on  "Canals"  just  then  published  in  Rees's  Cyclo- 
pedia, engaged  Joshua  Forman,  a  member  from  Onondaga  county,  in  the  work, 
the  result  being  that  on  the  4th  of  February,  1808,  Mr.  Forman  introduced  a 
resolution,  which  Mr.  Wright  seconded  and  which  was  adopted,  that 


The  Erie  Canal.  229 


"A  joint  committee  be  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  ex- 
])loring  and  causing  an  accurate  survey  to  be  made  of  the  most  eligible  and  direct  route 
for  a  canal  to  open  a  communication  between  the  tide-waters  of  the  Hudson  river  and 
I^ake  Erie,  to  the  end  that  Congress  may  be  enabled  to  appropriate  such  sums  as  may  be 
necessary  to  the  accomplishment  of  that  great  national  object." 

For  the  expenses  of  this  survey  an  appropriation  of  $600  was  made,  and 
in  the  following  June  Surveyor-General  De  Witt  appointed  James  Geddes  to 
do  the  work.  In  opposition  to  the  spirit  of  Mr.  Forman's  resolution,  and  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  Joseph  Ellicott,  the  agent  of  the  Holland  Land  company, 
had  in  letters  to  the  surveyor-general  traced  a  practicable  route  from  Lake 
ICrie  to  the  Genesee  river,  with  the  assurance  likewise  that  it  could  be  extended  to 
the  Seneca  river,  the  instructions  to  Mr.  Geddes  were  such  as  to  distinctly 
favor  the  route  involving  the  navigation  of  Lake  Ontario  for  a  great  propor- 
tion of  the  distance.  Mr.  Geddes  in  1809  made  his  report,  which  seems  to 
have  detailed  almost  every  conceivable  plan  but  the  right  one,  and  to  have 
favored,  for  this  part  of  the  state,  a  ridiculous  system  of  communication  "  up 
the  valley  of  Mud  creek  and  across  the  country  to  the  Genesee  river,  thence 
up  Black  creek  to  the  Tonnewanta  swamp  and  down  the  Tonnewanta  creek  to 
the  Niagara  river  and  up  the  same  to  Lake  Erie."  The  way  in  which  the 
work  was  done  may  be  seen  from  his  statement  that  "  almost  everything  re- 
specting this  space  has  been  supplied  by  conjectures  formed  from  appearances 
on  the  map."  Nothing  further  was  done  in  the  matter  by  the  legislature  till 
1 8 10,  when  a  resolution  was  adopted  appointing  "seven  commissioners  to  ex- 
plore the  whole  route  for  inland  navigation  from  the  Hudson  river  to  Lake  On- 
tario and  to  Lake  Erie." 

De  Witt  Clinton  now  comes  to  the  front  as  the  most  earnest  advocate  of  the 
canal  pohcy,  and  his  speech  in  the  Senate  in  favor  of  that  resolution  wa,s  the 
beginning  of  a  line  of  conduct  which  earned  for  him  the  enduring  title  of  "  the 
father  of  the  Erie  canal."  The  commissioners  thereby  appointed  were  Gouv- 
erneur  Morris,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  De  Witt  Clinton,  Simeon  De  Witt, 
William  North,  Thomas  Eddy  and  Peter  B.  Porter.  The  commissioners  did 
their  work  with  thoroughness,  Mr.  Clinton  going  through  this  region,  fording 
the  river  about  where  the  jail  now  stands  and  going  down  to  Hanford's  Land- 
ing to  lodge  for  the  night.  In  181 1  the  members  made  a  report,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Morris,  "proposing  a  project  which,  although  the  signature  of  all  the 
commissioners  was  attached,  was  entertained  seriously  by  no  other  member  of 
the  board."  It  was,  in  effect,  Mr.  Hawley's  original  plan,  "to  bring  the  waters 
of  the  lake,  on  one  continued  uninterrupted  plane,  with  an  inclination  of  six 
inches  in  every  mile,  to  a  basin  to  be  formed  near  the  Hudson,  from  whence 
there  was  to  be  a  descent  by  a  great  number  of  locks."  A  bill  was  immedi- 
ately passed  increasing  the  number  of  commissioners  by  adding  Robert  R.  Liv- 
ingston and  Robert  Fulton  and  authorising  them  to  apply  to  Congress  for 
cooperation   and  aid,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  national  work.  This  applica- 


230  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tion  was  transmitted  to  Congress  in  December,  1811,  by  President  Madison, 
but  it  was  fruitless,  and  an  appeal  to  different  states  resulted  in  best  wishes  from 
some,  disapproval  from  others  and  money  from  none.  In  18 12  the  commis- 
sioners made  a  second  report  to  the  legislature,  and  a  bill  was  passed  author- 
ising them  to  borrow  five  millions  of  dollars  for  the  construction  of  the  canal, 
but  the  war  with  England,  which  broke  out  at  that  time,  so  engrossed  the  minds 
of  people  that  nothing  was  done  and  in  18 14  the  bill  was  repealed  —  a  fortu- 
nate measure,  as  every  cent  borrowed  on  account  of  the  canal  was  obtained  of 
our  own  citizens,  instead  of  having  the  loan  placed  abroad  at  a  discount.  At 
the  close  of  181 5  a  large  public  meeting  was  held  in  New  York,  as  an  out- 
come of  which  De  Witt  Clinton,  as  chairman  of  a  committee  then  appointed, 
draughted  the  document  known  as  "the  New  York  Memorial,"  which  caused 
petitions  favorable  to  the  construction  of  the  canal  to  be  poured  in  from  all 
quarters  upon  the  legislature. 

Still  that  body,  averse  to  action,  did  nothing  in  18 16  except  to  create  a 
board  of  canal  commissioners  whose  duties  were  "to  construct  canals  from  the 
Hudson  river  to  Lakes  Erie  and  Champlain."  The  board  consisted  of  Stephen 
Van  Rensselaer,  De  Witt  Clinton,  Joseph  Ellicott,  Samuel  Young  and  Myron 
Holley.  The  last  named  gentleman  then  resided  in  Lyons,  but  a  few  years 
after  he  moved  to  this  neighborhood  and  identified  himself  with  the  interests  of 
Rochester,  though  he  lived  outside  of  the  city  limits  in  a  beautiful  place  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  river,  just  north  of  the  Ridge  road,  which  for  many  years  after 
his  death  was  known  as  the  "Holley  farm."  One  of  the  most  pure-minded  and 
public-spirited  of  our  citizens,  he  devoted  his  life  to  the  enlightened  service  of 
his  fellow-men,  and  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  this  great  medium  of  commerce, 
which  place  him  beside  De  Witt  Clinton  as  one  of  the  benefactors  of  the  state, 
were  only  a  portion  of  the  good  deeds  which  he  did  for  the  commonwealth. 
On  the  8th  of  January,  18 17,  a  meeting  was  held  at  Canandaigua,  of  citizens 
from  most  of  the  towns  of  Ontario  county  (which  then  included  part  of  the  site 
of  Rochester.)  Few  unofficial  meetings  have  been  more  imposing  than  that 
one,  from  the  character,  talent  and  eminence  of  those  attending  it.  Colonel 
Troup  was  the  chairman,  Colonel  Rochester  the  secretary,  and  the  first  address 
was  made  by  Gideon  Granger,  then  lately  postmaster-general.  After  that  John  ■ 
Greig  offered  a  series  of  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously  adopted,  drawn 
up  by  Mr.  Holley  and  exhibiting  with  great  force  the  transcendent  advantages 
that  would  result  from  a  direct  navigation  between  the  .Hudson  and  Lake  Erie. 

To  the  action  of  this  meeting  may  be  ascribed,  in  great  part,  the  wise  and 
liberal  policy  that  was  finally  adopted  by  the  legislature,  but  before  that  was 
accomplished  the  most  exasperating  opposition  had  to  be  overcome.  Governor 
Tompkins  urged  the  subject  upon  the  attention  of  the  two  houses,  and  a  law 
was  passed  in  April  authorising  the  commencement  of  the  canals.  The  strug- 
gle against  it  in   the  Senate  was  very  bitter  and  it  would   have  been  defeated 


The  Erie  Canal.  231 


but  for  Martin  VanBuren,  who,  though  a  violent  political  opponent  of  Mr.  Clin- 
ton, had  the  sagacity  to  perceive  the  advantage  which  would  accrue  to  the 
state,  to  his  party  and  to  himself  by  the  adoption  of  the  measure  and  who 
therefore  spoke  strongly  in  its  favor.  But  the  danger  was  not  yet  over,  for  the 
members  of  the  council  of  revision  were  divided  on  the  subject,  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Taylor  —  who  was  then  acting  governor,  as  Governor  Tompkins  had 
become  vice-president  of  the  United  States  in  the  previous  month  —  being  in- 
tensely hostile  to  it,  so  that  it  required  the  vote  of  Chancellor  Kent,  who 
changed  his  mind  at  the  last  moment,  to  ratify  the  act  of  the  legislature  and 
thus  make  it  into  a  law  on  the  1 5  th  of  April.  It  was  a  splendid  victory  for  New 
York's  great  statesman,  who  could  afford  to  disregard  the  jeers  that  both  before 
and  after  that  were  thrown  out  against  "Clinton's  big  ditch."  The  bill  which  so 
narrowly  escaped  defeat  was,  after  all,  not  so  complete  as  it  should  have  been  and 
merely  authorised  the  commissioners  to  connect  by  canals  and  locks  the  Mohawk 
and  Seneca  rivers.  It  established  a  board  of  commissioners  of  the  canal  fund, 
with  power  to  contract  loans,  the  interest  on  which  was  to  be  paid  out  of  a  fund 
consisting  of  a  small  tax  on  salt  made  at  the  springs  belonging  to  the  state, 
part  of  the  duties  accruing  from  sales  at  auction,  donations  of  lands  from  indi- 
viduals or  companies  to  be  benefited  by  the  canal  (such  as  tracts  of  100,000 
acres  from  the  Holland  Land  company,  1,000  from  Gideon  Granger,  1,000 
from  John  Greig,  as  agent  of  the  Hornby  estate,  etc.),  the  proceeds  of  some 
lotteries,  a  tax  on  steamboat  passengers  and  a  future  tax  of  $250,000  on  lands 
lying  within  twenty-five  miles  of  the  canal.'  The  last-named  tax  was  never 
levied,  the  steamboat  tax  was  not  collected  and  no  assistance  was  ever  derived 
from  the  lotteries.  Work  was  begun  on  the  4th  of  July,  1817,  on  the  middle 
section,  from  Utica  to  the  Seneca  river,  which  was  all  that  the  commissioners 
had  power  to  do  at  the  beginning.  As  the  labor  progressed,  it  became  a  mat- 
ter of  uncertainty,  first,  as  to  whether  the  canal  should  be  completed  at  all ; 
secondly,  as  to  whether  it  should  go  by  the  overland  route  or  by  the  Oswego 
route,  as  it  was  called,  that  is  by  way  of  Lake  Ontario,  with  locks  around 
Niagara  falls ;  or,  thirdly,  where  it  should  cross  the  Genesee,  if  it  crossed  it  at 
all.  A  limited  appropriation  was  granted  by  the  legislature  in  18 19,  enabling 
the  commissioners  to  extend  their  operations  over  lines  not  previously  surveyed 
and  let  out,  and  Mr.  Holley  took  advantage  of  that  to  send  an  engineer  in  July 
of  that  year  to  Rochester  to  decide  as  to  where  the  Genesee  should  be  crossed 
and  to  survey  the  line  eastward  from  that  point  to  Montezuma,  which  was  the 
end  of  the  middle  section.  This  was  done  in  September,  as  has  been  noted  in 
another  chapter,  and  it  effectually  settled  the  question  as  between  Rochester, 
Carthage  and  Black  creek  for  the  crossing  of  the  river,  but  it  did  not  at  all  de- 
cide the  fate  of  the  overland  route.  The  canal  board  was  understood  to  be 
divided  on  the  question,  and  a  meeting  was  held  in  this  city  at  the  counting- 
room  of  John  G.  Bond  to  give  expression  to  the  popular  feeling  on  the  subject. 


232  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

A  paper  which  was  there  drawn  up  by  Enos  Pomeroy  was  circulated  far  and 
wide,  with  the  signatures  of  Roswell  Hart,  Ira  West,  Charles  J.  Hill,  John  G. 
Bond,  Samuel  J.  Andrews,  Benjamin  Blossom  and  several  others.  It  was 
headed  "Canal  in  Danger,"  and  besides  urging  the  completion  of  the  work  on 
the  northern  route  it  advocated  the  election  of  Governor  Clinton  and  his  friends 
to  the  legislature.  It  may  have  had  effect  in  both  ways,  for  Daniel  D.  Tomp- 
kins was  defeated  by  a  small  majority  at  the  polls  in  his  effort  to  "change  back" 
and  to  surrender  the  vice-presidency  for  the  governorship  which  he  had  pre- 
viously resigned,  and  "the  Rochester  hand-bill"  was  always  thought  to  have 
had  much  to  do  with  his  discomfiture.  In  October,  1819,  the  middle  section 
was  finished,  and  the  commissioners  then,  by  a  majority  vote,  gave  out  con- 
tracts from  Rochester  to  Palmyra.  In  spite  of  that  the  danger  was  not  entirely 
past,  for  when  the  legislature  met  in  1820  a  desperate  effort  was  made  by  the 
friends  of  the  Oswego  route  to  stop  work  upon  the  western  section  until  the 
eastern  section  was  completed  and  the  Champlain  canal  also  was  finished.  The 
scheme  failed,  and  from  that  time  the  success  of  the  overland  route  in  a  con- 
tinuous line  from  the  Hudson  to  Lake  Erie  was  assured. 

As  the  work  progressed,  all  the  towns  along  the  route  took  advantage  of 
the  new  mode  of  transportation  opened  to  them,  for  water  was  let  into  the 
different  sections  and  even  parts  of  sections  as  fast  as  they  were  completed. 
Rochester  was  among  the  foremost  in  using  the  channel,  especially  for  the  ship- 
ment of  flour,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  statement  that  from  April  26th  to  May 
6th,  1823,  10,000  barrels  of  it  were  shipped  from  here  for  Albany  and  New 
York.  It  must,  however,  have  been  taken  off  at  some  point  west  of  Albany, 
for  it  was  not  till  November  of  that  year  that  boats  from  here  entered  the  basin 
at  that  place,  along  with  the  first  boats  that  passed  through  the  Champlain 
canal,  then  just  completed.  The  task  of  cutting  through  the  mountain  ridge 
at  the  point  where  Lockport  now  stands,  and  constructing  the  admirable  locks 
which  have  given  its  name  to  that  city,  was  a  formidable  one,  taking  up  all  of 
1824  and  most  of  1825.  On  the  24th  of  October  in  the  latter  year  the  guard 
gates  at  Lockport  were  raised,  the  long  level  east  of  that  place  was  filled  and 
the  grandest  work  on  this  continent,  up  to  that  time,  was  finished.  The  ex- 
pense of  constructing  it  was  a  little  over  seven  millions  of  dollars.  Its  entire 
length  was  originally  363  miles,  of  which  the  western  section,  from  Montezuma 
to  Buffalo,  embraced  158,  with  twenty-one  locks  and  a  fall  of  106  feet.  Of 
the  various  commissioners  who  held  office  during  the  work,  not  all  were  "act- 
ing commissioners,"  and  Myron  HoUey,  who  had  by  his  speeches,  his  writings 
and  his  votes  dope  more  than  all  the  others  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the 
course  that  was  substantially  the  same  as  that  originally  proposed  by  Jesse 
Hawley,  was  very  properly  the  one  who  had  almost  the  entire  charge  of  the 
work  on  this  section.  Of  the  nine  engineers  employed  on  the  whole  canal, 
three  were  residents  of  this  city  in  1838,  if  not  before,  viz.:  Nathan  S.  Roberts, 


The  Erie  Canal.  233 


David  S.  Bates  and  Valentine  Gill.  The  second  named,  Judge  Bates,  died  to- 
ward the  close  of  that  year,  after  having  been  the  chief-engineer  of  all  the 
canals  in  the  state  of  Ohio  (at  least  of  all  those  constructed  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death)  and  of  the  ship  canal  around  the  falls  at  Louisville,  Ky. 

Of  course  a  monster  celebration  had  to  take  place  on  the  completion  of  the 
work,  and  to  make  the  knowledge  of  it  as  nearly  instantaneous  as  was  possible 
in  those  days  large  cannon  were  stationed  at  short  distances  all  the  way  from 
Buffalo  to  Sandy  Hook.  On  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  October  the  first  sig- 
nal gun,  at  our  neighbor  city,  announced  that  the  mooring  lines  had  been  cast 
off  from  the  leading  boat  of  the  flotilla  that  was  to  bear  Governor  Clinton,  the 
canal  commissioners  and  other  prominent  citizens  from  Lake  Erie  to  the 
metropolis  of  America  and  the  waters  of.  the  Atlantic  ocean.  Instantly  the 
next  gun  responded  and  then  the  others,  in  succession  so  rapid  that  in  one 
hour  and  twenty  minutes  the  final  report  gave  the  news  to  listening  ears  in 
the  streets  of  New  York.  The  opening  ceremonies  at  Buffalo  were  attended 
by  a  committee  from  this  place,  of  which  Jesse  Hawley  was  the  chairman 
and  that  gentleman  made  on  the  occasion  a  brief  and  appropriate  address,  to 
which  Oliver  Forward  responded  on  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Buffalo.  The 
triumphal  procession  stopped  at  all  principal  points  on  the  line  of  the  voy- 
age, which  ended  on  the  4th  of  November,  with  a  crowning  celebration 
at  New  York.  The  proceedings  here,  on  the  27th  of  October,  were  ushered 
in  by  a  drizzling  rain,  but  in  spite  of  that  eight  companies  of  handsomely  uni- 
formed militia  turned  out  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  formed  in  line  on 
thetowpath,  with  an  immense  concourse  of  spectators  scattered  over  all  avail- 
able points.  As  the  boats  from  the  west  appeared  in  sight  they  were  greeted 
with  a  fusillade  of  musketry  from  the  companies,  and  when  they  reached  the 
aqueduct  they  found  the  entrance  guarded  by  the  boat  Young  Lion  of  the 
West.  Those  on  board  of  this  sentinel  craft  hailed  the  Seneca  Chief,  which  was 
in  the  van  of  the  procession,  and  a  colloquy  took  place,  in  these  words :  — 

"Who  conies  there?" 

"  Your  brethren  of  the  west,  from  the  waters  of  the  great  lakes." 

"  By  what  means  have  they  been  diverted  from  their  natural  course  ?  " 

"  By  the  channel  of  the  grand  Erie  canal." 

"By  whose  authority  and  by  whom  was  a  work  of  such  magnitude  accomplished  ?" 

"  By  the  authority  and  enterprise  of  the  patriotic  people  of  the  state  of  New  York." 

"  All  right !     Pass." 

The  Young  Lion  then  gave  way  and  the  Seneca  Chief  was  allowed  to  enter 
Child's  basin,  at  the  end  of  the  aqueduct.  As  the  boats  passed  into  the  basin, 
they  were  greeted  with  a  salute  from  heavy  artillery  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain Ketchum,  and  from  field-guns  commanded  by  Captain  Jacob  Gould.  The 
Rochester  and  Canandaigua  committees  of  congratulation  then  took  their  places 
under  an  arch  surmounted  by  an  eagle,  and  the  Seneca  Chief,  having  the  com- 
mittees on  board,  being  moored.  Gen.  Vincent  Mathews  and   John  C.  Spencer 


234  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

offered  the  congratulations  of  the  citizens  of  the  respective  villages.  Appro- 
priate reply  was  made,  and  then,  disembarking,  a  procession  was  formed,  which 
marched  to  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  where  Rev.  Joseph  Penney  offered 
prayer,  and  Timothy  Childs  pronounced  an  able  and  eloquent  address.  The 
company  then  marched  to  the  Mansion  House,  kept  by  Christopher,  and  enjoyed 
a  sumptuous  dinner.  Gen.  Mathews  presided,  assisted  by  Jesse  Hawley  and 
■Jonathan  Child.  Among  many  toasts  were  the  following  :  By  his  excellency — 
"Rochester,  —  in  1810  I  saw  it  without  a  house  or  an  inhabitant.  In  1825  I 
see  it  the  nucleus  of  an  opulent  and  populous  city,  and  the  central  point  of  nu- 
merous and  transcendent  blessings."  And  by  the  lieutenant-governor  — "  The 
village  of  Rochester,  —  it  stands  upon  a  rock,  where  the  most  useful  of  streams 
laves  its  feet.  Its  age  promises  to  attain  the  acme  of  greatness. "  At  half-past 
seven  the  visitors  reenibarked,  and  the  squadron  departed  joined  by  the  Young 
Lion  of  the  West,  with  the  following  citizens  of  Rochester  as  a  committee,  for 
New  York  :  Elisha  B.  Strong,  Levi  Ward,  Wm.  B.  Rochester,  Abelard  Reynolds, 
Elisha  Johnson,  General  E.  S.  Beach,  A.  Strong,  and  B.  F.  Hurlbut.  Of  this 
number  none  are  now  living,  Mr.  Reynolds  being  the  last  to  pass  away,  after 
being  the  sole  survivor  for  many  years. 

Even  at  the  outset  the  canal  was  considered  to  be  too  small  for  the  business 
that  was  likely  to  be  done  through  it,  and,  as  time  wore  on,  the  inadequacy  of 
its  original  dimensions,  which  were  forty  feet  in  width  by  four  in  depth,  became 
apparent  to  all.  On  the  2 1st  of  September,  1835,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
court-house  in  Rochester,  at  which  the  mayor,  Jacob  Gould,  presided,  with  E. 
Darwin  Smith  as  secretary,  when  a  memorial  and  a  series  of  resolutions,  drawn 
up  by  Myron  Holley,  were  adopted,  favoring  the  enlargement.  These  were,  as 
had  been  directed,  forwarded  to  the  canal  board,  which,  at  its  meeting  a  month 
later,  decided  on  increasing  the  dimensions  to  seventy  feet  by  seven,  but  to  do 
it  by  means  of  the  surplus  tolls  alone.  This  was  felt  to  be  too  slow  a  process, 
and  another  meeting  was  held  here  on  the  30th  of  December,  1836,  presided 
over  by  James  Seymour,  with  S.  G.  Andrews  as  secretary,  and  addressed  by 
Dr.  Brown,  General  Gould  and  Henry  O'Rielly.  As  the  outcome  of  this  a 
canal  convention  was  held  here  on  the  i8th  of  January,  1837,  one  of  the  largest 
conventions  that  ever  took  place  in  Western  New  York,  with  Nathan  Dayton, 
of  Lockport,  as  president,  with  a  long  array  of  vice-presidents  and  secre- 
taries. After  stirring  speeches  from  a  great  number  of  eminent  men,  urging 
the  procurement  of  a  loan  anticipating  the  revenue,  so  that  the  work  could  be- 
gin at  once,  the  following  persons  were  appointed  as  a  central  executive  com- 
mittee at  Rochester,  to  take  all  proper  measures  for  placing  the  subject  fully 
before  the  people,  and  by  memorials  before  the  legislature :  Henry  O'Rielly, 
James  Seymour,  Jonathan  Child,  E.  Darwin  Smith,  S.  G.  Andrews,  Thomas 
H.  Rochester,  Horace  Gay,  Frederick  Whittlesey,  Orlando  Hastings,  Everard 
Peck,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn,  Thomas  Kempshall  and  Joseph  Field.     This  com- 


The  Erie  Canal,  235 


mittee,  in  conjunction  with  one  at  Buffalo,  presented  a  bill  to  the  legislature, 
authorising  the  expenditure  of  half  a  million  dollars  annually,  in  addition  to 
the  surplus  revenue,  for  the  enlargement  and  the  improvement  of  the  canal, 
but  it  was  rejected. 

In  1838,  however,  the  legislature,  mindful  of  the  wishes  of  the  people  by 
whom  it  had  been  elected,  passed  a  bill  appropriating  four  millions  of  dollars 
annually  for  the  purpose.  This  gave  ample  means  for  the  desired  improve- 
ment, and  for  this  great  increase  of  the  effectiveness  of  ,the  canal,  by  means  of 
which  boats  can  carry  four  hundred  tons,  whereas  at  the  outset  one  was  thought 
to  be  heavily  laden  if  it  had  forty  tons,  the  state  is  more  indebted  to  Myron 
Holley  than  to  any  one  else.  The  need  of  a  new  and  larger  aqueduct  to  take 
the  place  of  the  old  one  in  this  city  was  more  keenly  felt  than  anything  else, 
and  work  upon  it  was  begun  the  year  before  this  appropriation  bill  was  passed. 
The  structure,  though  not  much  larger  than  the  old  one,  except  as  to  width,  is 
far  more  substantial,  and  of  more  elegant  workmanship.  It  cost  $600,000,  and 
the  material,  which  is  of  gray  limestone,  mostly  from  the  Lockport  quarries,  is 
of  so  durable  a  nature  as  almost  to  defy  the  tooth  of  time.  In  preparing  the 
foundation  for  the  abutments  and  piers,  and  to  give  a  free  passage  for  the  floods 
of  the  river  under  the  new  arches,  30,000  cubic  yards  of  rock  were  blasted  and 
removed  out  of  the  bed  of  the  Genesee  river. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  recount  further  the  history  of  the  canal,  to  tell 
of  the  many  good  things  done  for  it,  and  of  the  many  bad  things  done  to  it 
and  by  means  of  it  —  of  how  its  waters  have  flowed 'along,  burdened  with  cor- 
ruption, jobbery  and  peculation,  but  all  the  time  have  borne  upon  their  bosom 
a  freightage  so  rich  as  to  more  than  compensate  for  all  the  treasure  taken 
wrongfully  away  from  it,  or  lost  by  the  neglect  of  those  who  should  have  pre- 
served it  from  the  ravages  of  time,  and  the  encroachments  of  selfish  or  design- 
ing persons.  Of  all  the  manufacturers  along  its  banks,  there  were  few  indeed 
who  did  not  divert  the  water  for  their  own  purposes,  and  those  few  paid  to  the 
state  an  amount  of  money  so  small  as  to  be  not  worth  consideration  in  com- 
parison with  the. loss  to  which  the  canal  was  subjected.  The  quantity  of  water 
thus  taken  is  incalculable,  certainly  flowing  up  into  the  billions  of  gallons  an- 
nually, and,  as  it  was  generally  drawn  off  at  a  time  when  the  dryness  of  the 
season  so  affected  the  water-courses  that  nothing  could  be  gained  from  those 
sources,  the  result  was  that  boats  were  frequently  stranded  and  delayed  for 
days  at  a  time. 

From  the  very  beginning  the  citizens  of  Rochester  took  the  liveliest  inter- 
est in  the  canal,  in  other  ways  than  those  detailed  above.  In  1827  the  regula- 
tions of  the  village  charter  forbade  masters  of  boats  to  suffer  any  horn  or  bugle 
to  be  blown  within  the  village  limits  on  the  Sabbath,  and  a  few  years  later  a 
Sabbath-keeping  line  of  canal-boats  was  started,  which  received  much  en- 
couragement and  aid  from  Aristarchus  Champion,  who,   in  connection  there- 

•       16 


236  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

with,  put  in  operation  the  "Pioneer,"  or  six-day  Hne  of  stages.  Statistics  of 
the  year  1834  show  that  our  citizens  then  owned  stock  in  the  various  trans- 
portation lines  on  the  canal  to  the  amount  of  $74,000  and  that  about  one-sixth 
of  the  tolls  paid  throughout  the  state  were  received  at  this  point.  Rochester 
has  had  but  one  canal  commissioner  since  the  time  of  Myron  Holley  —  John 
D.  Fay,  whose  administration  during  his  first  term  gave  such  satisfaction  that, 
after  being  elected  in  1867,  he  was  chosen  again  in  1870.  To  all  citizens  of 
this  generation  a  sketch  of  the  Erie  canal  would  seem  incomplete  without  a 
mention  of  Henry  L.  Fish,  whose  efforts  to  preserve  and  protect  it  from  harm 
and  wastefulness  have  been  unremitting  and  untiring,  both  in  many  public 
capacities  and  by  frequent  contributions  to.  the  local  press. 

The  following-figures  will  be  of  interest :  The  cost  of  the  first  construction 
was  $7,143,789,  of  the  enlargement  $44,465,414,  making  a  total  of  $51,609,- 
203.  When  it  was  enlarged  the  line  was  straightened  somewhat,  shortening 
the  length  by  twelve  and  a  half  miles,  so  that  it  is  now  three  hundred  and  fifty 
and  a  half  miles  long,  with  seventy-two  locks,  whose  total  lockage  is  nearly  six 
hundred  and  fifty-five  feet.  The  maximum  burden  of  boats  is  two  hundred 
and  forty  tons.  Of  what  was  done  on  the  canal  in  the  way  of  freightage  fifty 
years  ago  the  following  comparative  table  will  convey  some  impression  :  Total 
tolls  for  1833,  $1,290,136.20;  for  1834,  $1,179,744.97;  for  1835,  $1,375,821.- 
26  ;  for  1836,  $1,440,539.87  ;  of  these  the  amount  collected  in  Rochester  was, 
in  1833,  $168,452.37;  in  1834,  $164,247.28;  in  1835,  $176,170.33;  in  1836, 
$190,036.59.  With  a  uniformity  of  progression  almost  unbroken,  the  tolls 
continued  to  increase  for  twentyvfive  years  after  the  opening  of  the  canal,  but 
the  decline  then  began,  and  although  it  was  gradual  at  first  it  eventually  dropped 
to  so  low  a  point  that  the  abolition  of  tolls  and  the  introduction  of  the  free 
canal  system  last  year  kept  but  little  money  from  coming  into  the  state  treas- 
ury, while  the  change  was  generally  beneficial  to  the  boatmen  and  those  in  the 
forwarding  business.  In  1865  the  tolls  received  at  this  point  were  $102,350.- 
85,  in  1870  they  were  $33,018.37,  in  1875  $6,240.92,  in  1880  $11,797.82,  in 
1 88 1  $7,192.27  and  in  1882  $5,070.04.  A  few  words  with  regard  to  the  im-, 
portance  of  keeping  in  operation  the  Erie  canal,  as  a  means  of  transportation 
from  the  west  to  the  Atlantic  sea-board,  will  not  be  out  of  place.  The  state- 
ment has  often  been  made  that  the  expense  of  preserving  the  great  waterway 
was  greater  than  any  income  which  could  be  derived  from  it,  and  that  true 
policy,  therefore,  dictated  its  abandonment.  No  conclusion  could  be  more  fal- 
lacious. The  object  in  the  mind  of  its  creators  was  not  to  put  money  into  the 
treasury  but  to  benefit  the  people,  and  this  it  has  ever  done,  never  more  so 
than  in  those  years  when  the  aggregate  of  tolls  was  rapidly  decreasing,  never 
more  so  than  at  this  present  time,  when  the  canal  is  free  and  the  state  derives 
no  income  at  all  from  the  commerce  between  its  banks.  If  every  boat  were  to 
be  rotting  at  the  dock  and  no  moving  craft  were  henceforth  to  disturb  the 
tranquillity  of  its  .waters,  the  necessity  of  its  retention  would  still  be  paramount, 


The  Genesee  Valley  Canal.  237 

and  our  legislators,  should  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  every  proposition  for  its  close. 
As  long  as  it  is  in  existence  the  farmer  can  get  his  produce  to  the  great  mart 
of  this  hemisphere  at  a  living  rate  of  transportation,  or  sell  it  here  at  a 
price  that  will  enable  him  to  support  his  family  in  comfort  ;  let  the  Erie  canal 
become  a  thing  of  the  past,  competition  dies,  and  the  rates  of  transportation 
are  at  the  merciless  whim  of  railroad  corporations,  which  would  crush  out 
all  incentive  to  agricultural  production  and  paralyse  half  the  industries  of 
our  city. 

While  the  Erie  canal  was  in  process  of  construction,  and  after  its  completion 
as  far  west  as  this  point  had  opened  the  channel  of  communication  between 
Rochester  and  the  state  capital,  the  necessity  of  connecting  the  great  water- 
way with  the  fertile  section  of  country  through  which  the  Genesee  flowed  be- 
came evident  to  the  minds  of  all  who  had  commercial  relations  with  the  farmers 
of  the  happy  valley.  To  more  than  those,  for  Gov.  Clinton,  ever  mindful  of 
the  interests  connected  with  the  great  enterprise  inseparably  associated  with  his 
name,  became  impressed  with  the  idea  at  an  early  day,  and  strongly  advocated 
it  in  a  message  to  the  legislature  in  1824.  Of  course  nothing  was  done  about 
the  matter  at  that  session,  or  at  any  other  till  1828,  when  a  survey  was  ordered, 
which  was  made  under  the  direction  of  Judge  Geddes.  For  some  reason  it 
was  not  satisfactory,  and  the  affair  was  dropped  till  1834,  when  another  act 
was  passed,  authorising  a  re-survey,  which  was  made  under  the  direction  of 
Frederick  C.  Mills,  who  gave  as  the  estimate  of  cost  $1,890,614.12  for  a  canal 
to  extend  from  Rochester  to  Olean,  on  the  Alleghany  river,  a  route  of  one 
hundred  and  seven  miles.  On  the  6th  of  May  a  law  was  passed  for  its  con- 
struction, but  no  contract  was  let  till  1837,  when  two  miles  were  given  out  in 
June,  and  twenty-eight  were  let  in  November.  The  work  progressed  very 
slowly,  so  that  it  was  not  till  1856  that  the  canal  was  finished  and  opened  to 
Olean.  The  business  which  was  expected  to  be  done  by  this  line  was  never  so 
great  as  had  been  anticipated,  owing,  perhaps,  to  the  tardiness  of  its  completion 
and  equally  to  the  decline  of  the  milling  interests  here  and  the  impetus  given 
to  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  western  flour  soon  after  the  canal  went  into 
operation.  The  Rochester  engineers  engaged  upon  the  work  were  Frederick 
C.  Mills,  Henry  S.  Dexter,  J.  B.  Stillson,  Daniel  Marsh,  S.  V.  R.  Patterson, 
George  D.  Stillson,  Burton  W.  Clark  and  Daniel  McHenry.  Many  contractors 
residing  here  have  from  time  to  time  undertaken  to  keep  the  canal  in  repair, 
but  it  has  not  been  either  pleasant  or  profitable  to  them,  the  heavy  freshets  and 
other  causes  combining  to  make  the  labor  greater  than  the  emolument.  Finally, 
after  dragging  along  at  a  loss  to  the  state  and  almost  everybody  connected  with 
it,  the  canal  was  abandoned  by  the  authorities  at  the  close  of  navigation  in 
1878;  offers  were  soon  made  to  purchase  it  and  after  the  consideration  of  all 
propositions  it  was  finally  sold  to  the  Genesee  Valley  Canal  railroad  company, 
the  deed,  signed  by  Alonzo  B.  Cornell  as  governor  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
bearing  date  the  6th  of  November,  1880. 


238  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  FORCES  OF  NATURE. 

The  Electric  Telegraph  ^  Construction  of  the  O'Rielly  Lines  —  Transformation  into  the  Western 
Union  —  Other  Telegraph  Companies  Here  —  The  Telephone  —  Gas  and  Electric  Light  —  Coal  —  Its 
Introduction  as  Fuel  in  Rochester  —  Insurance  Companies  Here,  Past  and  Present. 

BEFORE  the  perfecting  of  the  Morse  system  in  1844  there  was  little  confi- 
dence felt  that  the  electric  telegraph  would  ever  be  of  any  practical  im- 
portance for  business  purposes ;  in  fact,  it  was  impossible  to  get  capitalists  to 
purchase  stock  in  an  enterprise  so  novel  and  extraordinary  as  the  telegraph 
was  then  considered  to  be.  Now,  when  the  entire  globe  is  encircled  by  tele- 
graphic lines,  which  bring  into  intimate  relations  the  Old  and  New. worlds,  it  is 
curious  to  note  that  forty  years  ago  there  was  but  one  lightning  line  in  opera- 
tion by  which  the  important  news  of  the  day  was  flashed  from  the  Atlantic 
coast  to  the  Alleghany  mountains,  to  the  far-away  Mississippi  valley.  This 
line,  which  ultimately  connected  all  sections  of  the  United  States  within  a  radius 
of  8,000  miles,  was  projected,  organised  and  constructed  by  Henry  O'Rielly, 
of  this  city,  to  whose  earnest  and  untiring  efforts  is  largely  due  the  success  of 
modern  telegraphy.  The  lines  which  he  then  built,  one  after  another,  and 
which  were  in  their  continuity  the  longest  range  of  lines  in  the  world,  were 
styled  by  him  the  "Atlantic,  Lake  and  Mississippi  range,"  but  were  popularly 
known  as  the  "O'Rielly  lines,"  a  name  originally  given  in  derision,  but  gener- 
erally  accepted  in  good  faith.  By  that  term  they  are  alluded  to  in  the  south- 
ern newspapers  of  1846  and  1847.  ^^  the  construction  of  these  lines  Mr. 
O'Rielly  was  pecuniarily  assisted  by  a  few  friends  in  Rochester  arid  elsewhere, 
prominent  among  whom  were  Samuel  L.  Selden  and  Henry  R.  Selden,  both 
of  whom  were  afterward  his  courisel  in  successfully  resisting  the  attempts  of 
the  Morse  patentees  to  violate  the  contract  which  they  had  made  with  him, 
and  to  obtain  an  injunction  against  him.  These  lines  were  afterward  consoli- 
dated, and,  with  the  addition  of  some  others,  formed  the  basis  of  that  gigantic 
monopoly,  the  Western  Union  telegraph  company. 

The  first  office  opened  in  this  city  for  the  transmission  of  messages  was 
that  of  the  New  York,  Albany  &  Buffalo  telegraph  company,  which  began 
business  in  this  city  in  the  winter  of  1844-45.  The  first  press  dispatch 
received  here  was  sent  on  the  1st  of  June,  1846,  and  appeared  in  the  Democrat 
of  the  next  day.  It  came  from  Albany,  and  consisted  of  a  long  and  quite  full 
report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  constitutional  convention  then  sitting  in  that 
city.  The  first  location  of  the  office  here  was  in  the  basement  of  Congress  Hall, 
but  it  was  soon  removed  to  the  Reynolds  arcade  —  first  to  the  north  end  of  the 
west  gaUery,  then  to  number  8  on  the  ground  floor,  and  finally,  toward  the 
close  of  1850,  to  number  1 1,  where  it  remains  at  the  present  writing.  At  this 
time  the  manager  of  the  company  was  George  E.  Allen,  of  Utica,  and  the  first 


v- 

:Ssi 

--immii^(ild£m^*<«Wff^'^'' ^\' '  ^    „  ""        —        -= 

^=^ 

'                -      ^r- 

'^^^^-^^^^^ 

j^ 

^i  i,         ^^^^fc 

fc- 

-i^B 

^^OHHHH^^HH 

t                   H 

ft'                            t, 

i=  - 

: z _ 

ZdJI-Jij'  EB.HilU  Sim£.HsvYiirH. 

=--s^^=.^.^==.^,s^..^^= 

M(A^€<y^    QM. 


Telegraph  and  Telegraph  Companies.        239 

operator  was  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Barnes.  Mr.  Allen  remained  in 
charge  of  the  office  until  1852,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  S.  S.  Pellett,  who 
had  formerly  occupied  the  position  of  line  repairer  and  assistant  operator.  Mr. 
Pellett  resigned  in  December,  1852,  and  was  succeeded  by  A.  Cole  Cheney, 
who  remained  until  May,  188 1,  when  A.  J.  Stoddard  became  the  head  of  the 
office.  In  November,  1883,  George  D.  Butler,  who  had  been  connected  with 
the  office  since  1865,  was  appointed  manager,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Stoddard.  In  i860  the  New  York,  Albany  &  Buffalo  tele- 
graph company  was  consolidated  with  the  Western  Union,  and  some  three 
years  afterward  the  instruments  were  removed  to  quarters  on  the  third  floor, 
over  the  east  gallery,  as  more  room  was  required  to  transact  the  increased 
business  of  the  company.  A  few  years  later  the  Atlantic  &  Pacific,  which  had 
an  office  here  for  about  a  year,  was  absorbed  in  the  omnivorous  company, 
which  a  short  time  afterward  also  swallowed  the  American  Union,  another  of 
our  short-lived  concerns.  In  i88i  the  Western  Union  passed  into  the  control 
of  Jay  Gould.  During  the  past  few  years  the  business  has  grown  to  enormous 
proportions,  having  increased  during  the  last  year  over  thirty-three  per  cent. 

The  American  Rapid  telegraph  company  opened  April  1st,  1 881,  in  the 
Reynolds  arcade.  In  October  last  this  company  was  consolidated  with  the 
Bankers',  Merchants'  &  Southern  telegraph  company.  The  whole  system,  em- 
bracing about  20,000  miles  of  line,  extends  from  New  Orleans  east  and  north 
to  the  New  England  states,  and  westward  to  Denver,  Colorado.  When  the 
company  began  business  six  wires  only  were  in  use;  now  twenty- two  are  in 
constant  operation,  together  with  a  district  system  of  calls,  with  signal  boxes 
throughout  the  city  in  many  of  the  principal  business  houses.  Eugene  J.  Chap- 
man is  manager.  Four  day  and  one  night  operator  are  employed,  besides 
fifteen  messenger  boys. 

The  district  telegraph  is  a  valuable  city  institution.  It  went  into  operation 
on  the  1st  of  August,  1883,  has  now  connection  with  several  hundred  boxes, 
and  employs  forty  or  fifty  boys,  who  may  be  summoned  at  any  moment,  be- 
sides which  signals  may  be  sent  for  a  carriage,  a  physician,  the  police,  or  the 
fire  department.      Its  office  is  in  the  Arcade. 

The  first  office  opened  in  this  city  for  the  transmission  of  oral  messages 
was  that  of  the  Bell  telephone  company,  which  began  business  in  January, 
1879,  in  rooms  on  the  south  side  of  Main  street  bridge.  About  the  same  time 
the  Edison  company  opened  a  similar  office  in  the  tower  of  the  Powers  block, 
which  was  under  the  management  of  George  A.  Redman,  but  it  kept  open  only 
about  a  year,  as  their  rights  were  purchased  by  the  Bell  company,  and  the  two 
lines  consolidated  in  June,  1880.  The  first  officers  of  the  Bell  company  were 
as  follows:  General  manager,  Edward  J.  Hall,  jr.;  secretary  and  treasurer. 
Barlow  C.  Palmer ;  local  manager,  Alfred  Hall ;  general  superintendent,  J.  M. 
Culberson ;  consulting  electrician,  B.  F.  Blackall.     The  officers  for  the  present 


240  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

year  are  as  follows :  Manager,  William  Mallett ;  superintendent,  li.  F.  Black- 
all.     The  office  is  on  Main  street  bridge. 

It  is  impossible  to  determine  with  any  certainty  the  exact  date  of  the  intro- 
duction of  illuminating  gas  into  this  city.  A  few  private  generators  were  in 
use  before  the  organisation  of  the  Rochester  Gas-light  company,  which  came 
into  existence  on  the  24th  of  March,  1848,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  gas 
on  the  13th  of  December  in  the  same  year.  The  first  officers  of  this  company 
were  as  follows:  President,  Lewis  Brooks;  secretary,  Levi  A.  Ward  ;  engineer, 
Henry  Cartwright;  directors  —  F.  F.  Backus,  Joseph  Field,  F.  Whittlesey, 
William  Pitkin,  Lewis  Brooks,  S.  C.  Jones,  Jos|ph  Hall,  L.  A.  Ward  and  D. 
R.  Barton.  The  first  consumer  was  C.  A.  Jones.  The  present  officers  are  : 
President,  Patrick  Barry;  vice-president,  Thomas  C.  Montgomery;  superin- 
tendent, secretary  and  treasurer,  Matt  Cartwright.  The  office  and  works  are 
on  the  north  side  of  Mumford  street,  near  the  river. 

The  Citizens'  Gas  company,  which  supplies  consumers  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  only,  was  incorporated  in  1872,  with  the  following  officers:  President, 
George  J.  Whitney ;  secretary,  William  H.  Bowman ;  treasurer,  George  K. 
Mumford ;  superintendent,  Matt  Cartwright.  The  works  of  the  company  are 
on  the  flats  below  Vincent  place  bridge,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city. 
Forty-five  miles  of  pipe  are  in  use.  The  present  officers  are :  President, 
Mortimer  F.  Reynolds ;  vice-president,  George  E.  Mumford  ;  secretary,  treas- 
urer and  superintendent,  William  H.  Ward;  engineer,  James  H.  Walker. 

A  company  for  the  manufacture  of  gas  from  petroleum  was  organised  here, 
about  three  years  ago,  and  came  into  existence  under  the  name  of  the  Munici- 
pal Gas  company.  Most  of  the  directors  have  always  been  non-resident. 
About  twenty-eight  or  thirty  miles  of  pipe  have  been  laid  in  the  city.  The 
office  is  now  on  State  street,  and  the  present  officers  are :  President,  John  P. 
Townsend ;  secretary,  Charles  F.  Pond ;  treasurer,  John  P.  Scholfield ;  super- 
intendent and  engineer,  Frank  P.  Chase. 

The  Brush  Electric  light  company  began  business  in  this  city  in  July,  1881. 
The  officers  of  the  company  for  that  year  were  as  follows :  President,  George 
C.  Buell;  vice-president,  William  L.  Halsey ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  George 
E.  Jennings;  superintendent,  Frank  E.  Gilmore.  At  the  time  of  the  organi- 
,  sation  of  the  company  the  generators  were  located  on  North  water  street,  but 
during  the  past  year  they  w6re  removed  to  the  lower  falls,  where  better  facili- 
ties were  offered  for  obtaining  power,  which  is  now  equal  to  2,700  horse  power. 
There  are  in  use  at  present  475  electric  lamps,  295  of  which  are  used  by  tho 
city  in  lighting  the  streets.  The  company  are  intending  to  introduce  shortly 
the  Swan  incandescent  light.  The  officers  for  the  year  are  :  President,  George 
E.  Mumford ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  A.  Erickson  Perkins ;  superintendent, 
George  A.  Redman. 

Under  the  name  of  the  Rochester  Electric  light  company,  the  Weston  sys- 


The  Use  of  Coal.  241 


tem  was  introduced  here  in  November,  1881,  and  has  now  160  lights  in  use  in 
stores  and  places  of  entertainment  in  the  city.  Its  present  officers  are:  Presi- 
dent, H.  Austin  Brewster ;  vice-president,  L.  P.  Ross ;  secretary  and  treasurer, 
F.  M.  McFarlin ;  general  superintendent,  C.  H.  Babcock.  The  Fuller  light 
and  the  Maxim  incandescent  light  are  used  in  the  Powers  block,  the  generator 
being  in  the  cellar  of  the  building,  and  the  power  being  obtained  from  the  en- 
gines already  stationed  there.  The  Edison  light  is  used  in  the  Eastman  dry 
plate  works  on  State  street. 

The  Use  of  Coal. — With  regard  to  the  use  of  coal  as  fuel,  it  is  difficult  to 
fi.x  a  precise  time  for  its  introduction,  but  the  following  will  tell  the  story  as 
accurately  as  may  be :  In  1847  Jonathan  Child  brought  Lehigh  coal  here  for 
foundry  use.  In  the  course  of  the  next  year  Nathaniel  T.  and  Henry  E. 
Rochester  went  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Child,  and  the.  firm  opened  a  house 
for  the  sale  of  coal  and  iron.  The  coal  was  brought  here  from  Philadelphia, 
by  way  of  Albany,  and  mostly  in  large  lumps,  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
but  the  debris  that  was  left  after  they  were  disposed  of  was  sold  to  house- 
keepers to  be  used  as  fuel  in  stoves.  This  soon  became  so  generally  recognised 
as  adapted  to  that  end  that  the  firm  began  the  practice  of  breaking  the  large 
pieces  into  smaller  ones  of  a  suitable  size  and  selling  then!  for  heating  pur- 
poses, and  in  a  short  time  they  were  known  as  regular  retailers  of  Lehigh  and 
Blossburg  coal.  In  1850  Roswell  Hart  opened  an  office  for  the  sale  of  coal, 
exclusively,  and  was  therefore  the  pioneer  in  the  business,  as  not  connected 
with  any  other  branch  of  trade.  At  the  outset  he  sold  only  bituminous  coal, 
but  before  the  year  was  over  he  brought  up  by  tide-water,  from  Philadelphia, 
some  three  hundred  tons  of  anthracite,  and  toward  the  close  of  185  i  it  began 
to  come  here  by  rail  from  Scranton  and  Pittston.  There  have  been,  in  other 
years,  companies  here  which  were  engaged  in  the  mining  of  coal,  but  the 
only  firm  now  engaged  directly  in  that  is  one  that  is  understood  to  be  con- 
fined to  the  production  of  bituminous  coal.  Having  thus  detailed  the  local 
operations  in  the  material  now  mainly  used  for  making  fire,  let  us  turn  our  in- 
quiries to  the  means  provided  for  insuring  against  losses  by  that  element. 

In  the  matter  of  local  insurance  companies  our  city  has  always  been  behind 
Buffalo,  which  has  had  them  for  many  years  and  now  boasts  of  four.  The 
present  prosperous  company  mentioned  below  is  not,  however,  the  only  one  of 
the  kind  that  ever  existed  here,  though  most  of  the  others  were  abandoned 
within  a  few  years  after  their  incorporation.  The  first  to  be  formed  was  the 
Monroe  fire  insurance  company,  which  was  incorporated  March  9th,  1825,  with 
a  capital  of  $250,000;  it  must  have  expired  almost  immediately,  for  it  was 
"revived"  on  the  17th  of  April,  1826,  and  that  is  the  last  that  is  known  of  it. 
Equally  short  Ijved  was  the  Mutual  Protection  insurance  company,  incorporated 
on  the  7th  of  May,  1844,  but  the  Farmers'  &  Merchants'  insurance  company 
of  Western  New  York  was  a  little  more  tenacious,  for  after  being  incorporated 


242  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

on  the  29th  of  October,  1850,  it  was  changed  to  the  Rochester  insurance  com- 
pany on  the  20th  of  March,  1852,  and  led  a  torpid  existence  for  two  years 
after  that.  In  January,  185 1,  the  Commercial  fire  insurance  company  was 
organised,  with  a  proposed  capital  of  $100,000,  but  it  never  did  any  business, 
and  the  attempts  to  start  two  other  companies,  the  Union  and  the  Flour  City,  were 
equally  fruitless.  One  company,  however,  was  very  successful  and  continued 
for  a  long  term  of  years  —  the  Monroe  County  Mutual,  which  was  organised 
on  the  2 1st  of  March,  1836.  A.  M.  Schermerhorn  was  its  first  president,  Ly- 
man B.  Langworthy  was  its  last,  and  Levi  A.  Ward  was  its  secretary  and 
treasurer  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  It  took  no  risks  in  the  city,  but  in- 
sured farm  property  exclusively,  in  five-year  policies,  the  total  amount  of  in- 
surance being  nearly  $100,000,000.  Its  affairs  were  managed  with  the  greatest 
economy,  as  its  expenses,  including'  salaries,  never  came  to  $500  a  year,  and 
its  integrity  may  be  known  by  its  freedom  from  litigation,  as  it  never  had  a 
contested  lawsuit.  Its  charter  would  have  expired  in  1876,  but  the  company 
decided  to  close  up  in  February,  1865,  as  some  of  the  great  New  York  com- 
panies had  reduced  the  rates  to  so  low  a  point  as  to  render  the  business  un- 
profitable and  make  competition  impossible.  The  secretary  was  directed  to 
pay  the  small  balance  on  hand  to  the  Female  Charitable  society. 

The  Rochester  German  insurance  company  was  organised  February  22d, 
1872,  entirely  of  Germans,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  doing  a  local  business. 
Louis  Bauer  was  the  first  president,  and  Rudolph  Vay  the  first  secretary.  In 
the  early  part  of  1873  the  capital  was  increased  to  $200,000,  so  that  the  com- 
pany could  branch  out  and  do  an  agency  business.  About  this  time  Louis 
Ernst  became  president.  He  resigned  in  1875  and  was  succeeded  by  Frederick 
Cook,  who  still  occupies  the  office.  The  company's  business  now  covers  a  terri- 
tory of  twenty  six  states  and  it  has  over  350  local  agents.  The  company,  from 
a  very  small  business,  has  grown  to  that  extent  that  its  income  exceeds  $500,- 
000,  and  its  gross  assets  are  an  excess  of  $600,000,  of  which  $ioo,OQO  is  in- 
vested in  government  registered  bonds  and  $200,000  in  bond  and  mortgage 
on  real  estate  in  this  city,  besides  which  it  owns  various  state  bonds,  Pullman 
palace  car  stock  and  other  securities.  Its  directors  are :  J.  J.  Bausch,  Louis 
Bauer,  Nicholas  Brayer,  Fred'k  Cook,  John  Dufner,  Sam'l  Dubelbeis,  Louis 
Ernst,  Fred'k  Goetzmann,  Mathias  Kondolf,  John  Lutes,  George  C.  Maurer, 
Jacob  Nunnold,  Chas.  Rau,  William  Vicinus,  Albrecht  Vogt,  John  Weis,  John 
G.  Wagner,  Louis  Wehn,  Casper  Wehle,  Peter  Pitkin.  The  officers  are  :  Presi- 
dent, Frederick  Cook ;  vice-president,  John  Lutes ;  secretary,  H.  F.  Atwood  ; 
counsel,  Eugene  H.  Satterlee. 


The  Presbyterian  Churches.  243 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  CHURCHES  OF  ROCHESTER. 

Earliest  Organisation  of  Religious  Societies  in  the  Settlement  —  The  Presbyterian  Churches  —  The 
Episcopal  Churches  —  The  Friends,  or  Quakers  —  The  Baptist  Churches  —  The  Methodist  —  The 
Roman  Catholic  —  The  Unitarian —The  German  Lutheran,  Evangelical  and  Reformed  —  The  Congre- 
gational—  The  Jewish  —  The  Universalist — The  Second  Advent  —  Other  Churches. 

IN  the  following  complete  sketch  of  the  Rochester  churches  the  editor  is 
greatly  indebted  to  several  reverend  gentlemen  for  the  labor  tliat  they  have 
bestowed  upon  the  various  portions  of  the  chapter,  and  for  the  research  with 
which  they  have  compiled  their  different  articles  from  sources  of  information 
that  extended  over  a  wide  field  of  reading  and  investigation.  The  article  on 
the  Presbyterian  churches  was  prepared  by  Rev.  F.  DeW.  Ward,  D.  D.,  of 
Geneseo ;  that  on  the  Episcopal  churches  was  mainly  compiled  from  a  manual 
prepared  last  year  by  Rev.  Henry  Anstice,  D.  D. ;  that  on  the  Baptist  churches 
was  in  great  part  furnished  by  Rev.  C.  J.  Baldwin,  D.  D. ;  that  on  the  Metho- 
dist churches  was  prepared  by  Rev.  K.  P.  Jervis,  of  Victor  ;  that  on  the  Cath- 
olic churches  mainly  by  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  under  the  supervision  of  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  McQuaid,  D.  D. ;  on  the  Lutheran  churches  by  Rev.  Alexander  Rich- 
ter,  on  the  German  Evangelical  by  Rev.  Charles  Siebenpfeiffer,  on  the  Jewish 
churches  by  Rev.  Max  Landsberg,  D.  D.  ;  in  the  other  cases  the  sketches  have 
been  generally  obtained  from  the  pastors  of  the  different  congregations.  The 
arrangemerit  of  the  various  denominations  is  in  accordance  with  the  order  of 
their  foundation  of  a  distinct  society  in  this  place — except  where  the  original 
society  has  become  extinct. 

THE   PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCHES. 

The  First  is  the  oldest  religious  society  of  Rochester,  dating  back  to 
August  22d,  181 5,  the  entire  population  of  the  place  being  at  that  time  but 
331.  The  organisation  was  effected  by  a  commission  appointed  by  the  pres- 
bytery of  Geneva,  consisting  of  ministers  Daniel  Tuller  and  Reuben  Parmelee, 
with  elders  Samuel  Stone  and  Isaac  B.  Barnum.  The  membership  was  six- 
teen. The  elders  chosen  were  Oliver  Gibbs,  Daniel  West,  Warren  Brown 
and  Henry  Donnelly,  with  Elisha  Ely  as  clerk.  The  first  place  of  worship  was 
a  plain  wooden  building  on  State  (then  Carroll)  street,  where  is  now  the  Amer- 
ican express  office.  The  year  1824  saw  completed  the  new  stone  edifice  on 
the  ground  where  now  stands  the  city  hall.  The  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  this 
property  to  the  city  were  put  into  the  commanding  and  commodious  sanctuary 
which  graces  the  corner  of  Plymouth  avenue  and  Spring  street. 

The  pastors  are  as  follows :  Rev.  Comfort  Williams  was  installed  January 
17th,  1816,  and  resigned  June  6th,  1821.  Comfort  street,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river,  perpetuates  his  name  and  place  of  abode. Rev.  Joseph  Penney, 


244  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

D.  D.,  a  native  of  Ireland  and  graduate  of  Dublin  university,  came  to  America 
in  1819,  accompanied  by  that  eminent  instructor  Rev.  John  Mulligan,  LL.  D. 
He  was  installed  pastor  April  3d,  1822,  and  resigned  April  i6th,  1833.  After 
two  years  as  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in  Northampton,  Massachusetts, 
he  was  elevated  to  the  presidency  of  Hamilton  college,  which  position  he  held 
during  four  years  and  finally  returned  to  Rochester,  where  after  a  long  and 
lingering  illness  he  died,  March  22d,  i860,  and  is  entombed  with  his  wife  and 
several  children  in  Mt  Hope.  Possessed  of  masculine  intellect,  large  scholar- 
ship, commanding  presence,  a  warm  heart  and  exceptional  ability  of  utterance. 
Dr.  Penney  has  left  an  ineffaceable  impression  in  this  city  and  region.  His  por- 
trait, painted  by  the  skillful  artist  Gilbert,  at  public  expense,  long  adorned  the 
walls  of  the  Athenaeum,  of  which  institution,  under  the  name   of  the  Franklin 

institute,  he  was  a  leading  patron. Rev.  Tryon  Edwards,  D.  D.,  a  native  of 

Hartford,  Connecticut,  graduate  of  Yale  and  Princeton,  was  pastor  between  July 

1834,  and  July  26th,    1844;    pastor  at  Gouverneur,  N.  Y. Rev.    Malcolm 

N.  McLaren,  D.  D.,  native  of  Albany,  graduate  of  Union  college  and  Princeton 
seminary,  held  the  pastorate  from  1845-47,  and  then  accepted  a  call  to  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.  His  last  days  are  passing  in  Auburn,  N.  Y. Rev.  Joshua  Haw- 
ley  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.,  native  of  Lewis,  N.  Y.,  graduate  at  Princeton  college  and 
seminary,  occupied  the  pulpit  from  1848  to  i860.  After  several  years  as  profes- 
sor in  his  alma  mater  he  accepted  a  call  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  where  he  now  re- 
sides.    He  is  author  of  a  late  volume,  entitled  Wisdom  of  Holy  Scriptures. 

Rev.  Calvin  Pease,  D.  D.,  native  of  Canaan,  Connecticut,  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Vermont,  of  which  institution  he  was  for  several  years  president,  was 
installed  as  pastor  of  the  First  in  1861  and  closed  his  life  when  on  a  visit  to 
Burlington,  1863.  A  committee  of  the  church,  comprising  the  late  Judge  Gar- 
diner and  others,   was,  by  appointment  at  the  funeral.      His  residence  in  the 

city  was  brief  and  his  death  a  great  affliction  to  the  entire   community. 

Rev.  Casper  Maurice  Wines,  native  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  graduate  of 
Washington   college,  Pennsylvania,   and  Princeton  seminary,   was   pa.stor  from 

1866  to  1868  and  is  now   an   Episcopal   rector  in  Cleveland,    Ohio. Rev. 

J.  Lovejoy  Robertson,  native  of  Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  graduate  of  Northwood 
college,  Ohio;  commenced  his  pastorate  December  7th,  1 870,  which  he  contin- 
ued to  1877.     He  is  now  pastor  at  Cortland,  N.  Y. Rev.  Charles  Edward 

Robinson,  D.  D.,  native  of  Ludlowville,  N.  Y.,  .graduate  of  Hamilton  and  of 
Auburn,  was  installed  pastor  in  1878.  He  has  seen  very  many  happy  results 
from  his  labors  in  and  out  of  the  pulpit.^ 

The  officers  for  1 884  are  :  Pastor,  Charles  E.  Robinson,  D.  D. ;  elders  —  Seth 
H.  Terry,  George  C.  Buell,  Charles  J.  Hayden,  Charles  H.  Webb,  A.  G.  Bas- 

1  During  the  interim  of  pastors,  the  pulpit  has  been  supplied  by  Professors  Gmclit  and  Robinson, 
former  missionaries  Dr.  Beadle,  of  Syria  ;  Dr.  Ward,  of  India;  Dr.  Lindley,  of  Africa;  Rev.  Mr. 
Rankin,  of  China,  and  others. 


The  Presuyterian  Churches.  245 

sett,  Newell  A.  Stone,  David  M.  Hough  and  Henry  Goold.  Sabbath- school 
superintendent,  David  M.  Hough. 

The  Second,  or  "Brick."  —  During  ten  years  the  Presbyterians  of  Roch- 
ester remained  in  one  body  and  worshiped  in  the  same  sanctuary.  The 
population  had  advanced  from  331  to  about  5,000.  After  repeated  and  earnest 
consultation  it  was  determined  to  organise  another  society  to  meet  the  wants 
of  the  rapidly  advancing  population.  Thus  came  into  being  the  Second 
Presbyterian  church  of  Rochester,  in  November,  1825,  having,  as  the  first 
trustees,  Timothy  Burr,  Ashbel  W.  Riley,  Lyman  Granger,  Richard  Gors- 
line  and  Henry  Kennedy.  The  place  of  worship  was  the  wooden  building  on 
State  street,  vacated  by  the  First,  when  they  (the  First)  took  possession  of  their 
new  edifice.  Here  were  services  held  till  the  completion  of  their  brick  edifice 
on  the  corner  of  Fitzhugh  and  Ann  streets,  in  the  year  1828.  Many  revivals 
of  religion  occurred  during  the  occupancy  of  that  building.  It  was  a  Zion,  of 
which  it  could  be  said  of  many  hundreds  "this  and  that  man  was  born  in  her; 
and  the  Highest  himself  did  exalt  her."  In  the  year  1859  measures  were  taken 
to  erect  an  edifice,  larger,  .safer,  more  commodious  and  more  answerable  to 
pressing  demands  than  this  of  more  than  thirty  years'  age.  Louis  Chapin, 
Charles  J.  Hayden  and  William  Otis  were  the  building  committee,  and  A.  J. 
Warner  was  the  architect.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  building  was  laid  July 
3d,  i860,  with  an  address  by  Byron  Sunderland,  D.  D.,  of  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  dedication  was  June  30th,  1861,  the  sermon  being  preached  by  Samuel  W. 
Fisher,  D.  D.,  president  of  Hamilton  college.  The  name  "Brick  church"  was 
given  in  1833.  Its  membership  at  the  commencement  was  twenty-five,  most 
.  of  them  bringing  letters  from  the  First.  The  first  elders  were  Timothy  L.  Bacon, 
Silas  Hawley  and  Linus  Stevens. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows  :  Rev.  William  James,  D.  D.,  native  of 
Albany  and  graduate  of  Princeton  college  and  seminary,  was  installed  July  24th, 
1826,  sermon  by  Rev.  Chaunccy  Cook,  and  resigned  October  14th,  1830;  a 
man  of  singular  pulpit  power  and  piety  of  heart,  the  latter  causing  his  exultant 
exclamation  on  his  dying  bed  (February  i8th,  1868)  "It  is  all  joy,  joy."     His' 

religious  character  is  resplendent  in  his  published  volume  Grace  for  Grace. 

Rev.  William  Wisner,  D..D.,  native  of  Warwick,  N.  Y. ;  left  the  practice  of  law 
and  after  a  course  of  theological  training  became  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  Leaving  that  field,  where  his  labors  had  been  emi- 
nently successful,  to  succeed  Dr.  James  as  pastor  of  the  Brick,  he  was  installed 
July  28th,  183 1,  and  dismissed  September  22d,  1835.  During  his  ministry  of 
four  and  a  half  years  there  were  added  to  the  church  202  by  letter  and  ,372  on 
profession  of  faith.  Dr.  Wisner  was  moderator  of  the  "general  assembly"  in 
1840  and  died  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  January  7th,  1871. — —Rev.  George 
Beecher,  son  of  Lyman  Beecher,  D.  D.,  was  installed  June  i8th,  1838,  remained 
two  years,  removed  to  Chilicothe,  Ohio,  where  he  accidentally  shot  himself  July 


246  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

1st,  1843.     His  memoirs  was  written  by  his  sister  Catherine. Rev.  James 

Boyian  Shaw,  D.  D.,  native  of  New  York  city,  was  one  of  the  first  children  upon 
whom  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Spring  laid  his  hand  in  baptism.  After  a  brief  period 
at  Attica  and  Dunkirk  he  accepted  a  unanimous  call  to  the  Brick  church  and 
was  installed  pastor  February  i6th,  1841,  increasing  during  these  forty-three 
years  in  the  love  of  his  attached  people  and  esteem  of  the  entire  community. 
He  was  moderator  of  the  general  assembly  in  1865  and  represented  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  the  established  church  of  Scotland  in  1873. 

The  officers  for  1884  are:  —  Pastor,  James  Boyian  Shaw,  D.  D. ;  elders  — 
David  Dickey,  Harvey  C.  Fenn,  Louis  Chapin,  Jesse  W.  Hatch,  Truman  A. 
Newton,  Joel  G.  Davis,  Edward  Webster,  George  N.  Storms,  Lansing  G.  Wet- 
more,  Ch.  F.  Weaver. 

The  Third. — When  it  was  purposed  to  organise  a  second  Presbyterian 
church  the  enterprise  encountered  two  serious  obstacles.  The  membership  of 
the  First  was  small  and  there  was  a  natural  reluctance  to  part  with  even  a 
score  of  their  number,  but,  the  organisation  being  determined  upon,  then  came 
the  question  of  locality.  Residents  upon  the  east  side  of  the  river,  then  called 
Brighton,  presented  many  and  strong  arguments  in  favor  of  their  part  of  the 
village.  Being  outvoted  they  at  once  determined  upon  an  organisation  nearer 
their  own  homes.  In  December,  1826,  a  religious  society  was  incorporated 
which  ultimately  took  the  title  of  the  "Third  Presbyterian  church  of  Roch- 
ester." The  first  services  were  held  in  a  school-house  on  the  corner  of 
Mortimer  and  Clinton  streets.  This  becoming  too  strait  for  the  increasing 
congregation,  a  building  was  erected  on  the  same  street,  size  twenty-four  by 
sixty,  the  timber  standing  in  the  native  forest  on  Monday  morning  and  services 
held  on  the  next  Lord's  day.  As  if  to  add  to  its  celebrity,  within  its  walls 
originated  a  movement,  which  was  afterward  adopted  by  the  American  Bible 
society,  of  supplying  everybody  in  the  United  States,  with  a  copy  of  the  Word 
of  God ;  also  that  honest-hearted  but  abortive  effort  to  prevent  by  law  of  Con- 
gress the  transportation  of  the  mails  and  to  close  all  post-offices  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  coupled  with  the  e.stablishment  of  a  Sabbath-keeping  line  of  boats  on  the 
canal  and  a  "pioneer  line"  of  coaches  on  the  road.  These  all  had  their  origin 
in  the  heart  of  that  stalwart  Christian,  Josiah  Bissell,  jr.,  with  the  open  purse  of 
that  prince  in  the  realms  of  money  liberality,  the  late  Aristarchus  Champion. 
On  the  28th  of  February,  1 827,  a  formal  organisation  was  perfected  by  the  en- 
rollment of  nineteen  persons  with  letters  from  the  First  and  Second  churches  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  temporary  but  honored  place  of  worship  ere 
long  gave  place  to  one  more  commodious  and  substantial  on  the  corner  of  North 
Clinton  street,  which  from  pecuniary  necessity  in  1834  was  turned  over  to  the 
Second  Baptists,  and  an  edifice  was  erected  in  1837  on  the  south  side  of  Main 
street,  which  was  consumed  by  fire  in  the  autumn  of  1858.  Then  came  the 
erection  of  that  imposing  structure  on   the   corner  of  Lancaster  and  Temple 


J'',y-'/i  .f'/7'/^,/A,v;v;,  //,«.';.,./ 


The  Presbyterian  Churches.  247 

streets,  at  an  expense  of  $38,000,  which  has  been  lately  sold  to  the  Unitarians 
and  land  purchased  on  the  corner  of  East  avenue  and  Meigs,  where  will  soon 
be  the  fifth  place  of  worship  on  different  sites.  From  small  beginnings  we  see 
now  one  of  the  largest  and  most  influential  Presbyterian  churches  in  Western 
New  York. 

The  pastors  and  ministers  have  been  as  follows:  —  Rev.  Joel  Parker,  D.  D., 
native  of  Bethel,  Vermont,  graduate  of  Hamilton  college  and  Auburn  seminary, 
was  the  first  installed  pastor.  His  salary  was  "half  of  brother  Josiah  Bissell's 
biscuit,  as  long  as  he  had  one,"  or,  more  financially  expressed,  $150  for  the  first 
six  months  and  $800  per  annum  afterward.  After  three  years'  faithful  and  suc- 
cessful service  Dr.  Parker  removed  to  New  York,  thence  to  New  Orleans,  to 
I'hiiadclphia,  again  to  New  York,  and  finally  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  where  lie  closed 

a  life  of  eminent  ability  and  usefulness. Rev.  Luke  Lyons  took  charge  in 

1 83 1,  but  soon  left  to  aid  in  establishing  a  new  organisation  on  Court  street, 

long  ago  extinct ;  he  died  in  Illinois. Rev.  William  C.  Wisner,  p.  D.,  native 

of  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  graduate  of  Union  college,  studied  theology  under  his  father, 
Rev.  William  Wisner,  D.  D.,  of  Ithaca.  After  two  years  of  able  service  he 
assumed  the  pastorate  of  the  First  church  of  Lockport,  which  he  held  for  many 
years  with  results  that  give  him  a  place  of  honor  accorded  to  few.      Like  his 

father,  he  was  moderator  of  the  general  assembly  in    1855. Rev.  William 

Mack,  D.  D.,  graduate  of  Princeton  seminary,  served  the  church  for  three  years 

in    1835—37;   went  to  Columbus,  Tennessee,  where  he  died. Rev.  Albert 

Gallatin  Hall,  D.  D.,  native  of  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  was  himself  a  member  of  the 
Third  church,  over  which  he  was  destined  to  preside  as  pastor  from  February, 
1840,  to  his  death  in  1871.     Besides  being  a  power  for  good  in  the  city,  he  was 

a  representative  man  in  the  entire  Presbyterian  body. Rev.  George  Patton, 

graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  Newburg  theological  seminary, 
and  after  fifteen  years'  ministration  at  Seneca,  N.Y.,  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
Third  in  the  autumn  of  1872. 

The  officers  for  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  George  Patton,  D.  D. ;  elders — Thomas 
15.  Hu.sband,  John  Voorhes,  Joseph  Harris,  William  F.  Cogswell,  Edward  F. 
Harris,  David  Copeland  and  Charles  Pomeroy.  Sunday-school  superintendent, 
S.  D.  Bentley. 

The  Central.  —  In  March,  1836,  a  colony  left  the  First  church,  and  formed 
a  new  organisation  having  these  as  its  characteristic  features :  First,  a  mis- 
sionary church,  established  upon  principles  of  high  Christian  consecration 
and  devotedness ;  second,  free,  and  embracing  a  Bethel  interest ;  third,  open 
for  discussion  on  all  subjects  of  morals,  etc.,  such  as  temperance,  slavery  and 
the  like;'  fourth,  its  secular  as  well  as  religious  affairs  to  be  in  the  hands  of  the 
church  exclusively.  In  August,  1836,  thirty-nine  members  of  the  First  church 
were  organised  by  the  presbytery  of  Rochester  under  the  corporate  name  of 
the  "  Bethel  Presbyterian  church  of  Rochester; "  In  1 841  the  name  was  changed 


248  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

to  the  "Washington  street  church,"  and  in  the  spring  of  1858  to  the  "Cen- 
tral Presbyterian  church,"  which  it  now  bears.  The  first  edifice  was  on  Wash- 
ington street  adjoining  the  canal,  and  the  present  is  on  North  Sophia  street. 
The  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Finney,  in  1842,  led  to  the  conversion 
of  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  who  distributed  themselves  among  eight 
city  churches.  During  the  year  1844  ten  heads  of  families,  with  noble  gener- 
osity, left  the  Brick  church  for  this.  The  absence  of  a  pastor  between  1842 
and  1845  had  reduced  the  membership  to  less  than  two  hundred. 

The  pastors  and  ministers  have  been  as  follows :  Rev.  George  Smith  Board- 
man,  D.D.,  native  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  gradu*ate  of  Union  college  and  of 
Princeton  seminary,  first  pastor  in  1837,  continuing  to  1842,  when  he  wont  to 
Cherry  Valley  and  to  Cazenovia,  supplying  various  churches  to  the  end  of  his 
useful  life. Rev.  Milo  Judson  Hickok,  D.D.,  native  of  New  Haven,  Ver- 
mont, graduate  of  Middlebury  college  and  of  Union  seminary,  came  to  Roch- 
ester in  1845,  labored  with  great  ability  in  the  service  of  the  Washington  street 
church;  went  to  Scranton,  Penn.,  where  he  was  pastor  fourteen  years  and  be- 
ing disabled   by  paralysis  closed  his  days  at   Marietta,    Ohio.     A   master  in 

thought,  erudition  and   earnestness. Rev.   P'rank  Field  EUinwood,  D.D., 

native  of  Clinton,  N.  Y.,  graduate  of  Hamilton  college  and  of  Auburn  and 
Princeton  seminaries,  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Central  in  November,  1854, 
remaining  to  1865,  when  ill  health  drove  him  from  the  flock.      He  is  one  of  the 

secretaries  of  the   board  of  foreign  missions. Rev.  Samuel  M.  Campbell, 

D.D.,  native  of  Campbelltown,  N.  Y.,  and  graduate  of  Auburn  seminary  ;  came 
to  the  city  and  was   installed   pastor,  March   ist,  1866,  remaining  fifteen  years, 

when  he  removed  to  Minneapolis. Rev.  Theodore  W.   Hopkins,  native  of 

Cincinnati,  Ohio  ;  graduate  of  Yale  college  and  Rochester  theological  seminary  ; 
pastor  elect,  but  not  installed. 

The  oflScers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  Theodore  W.  Hopkins;  elders  — 
William  A.  Hubbard,  Heman  Glass,  Lewis  H.  Ailing,  Charles  Forbes,  William 
Ailing  (clerk),  Henry  Churchill,  John  N.  Harder,  David  Cory,  l-'rank  M.  ICl- 
lery,  Alonzo  L.  Mabbett,  George  W.  Sill  and  Darius  L.  Covill.  Sunday-school 
superintendents,  Thomas  Dransfield  and  Mrs.  D.  L.  Covill. 

Calvary.  —  Early  in  the  year  1847  '^^v-  Richard  De  l^^orest  purchased  a 
lot  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  city,  on  which  he  erected  a  small  building, 
containing  one  room.  He  then  went  through  the  neighborhood,  giving  in- 
formation that  a  Sabbath-school  would  be  commenced  on  the  next  Lord's 
day,  followed  by  preaching  in  the  afternoon.  Forty  scholars  were  present  at 
the  former  and  a  crowd  at  the  latter.  This  prepared  the  way  for  a  formal  ec- 
clesiastical organisation  under  the  name  of  "St.  Paul  street  Congregational 
church."  Soon  after  a  church  edifice  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  South 
avenue  and. Jefferson  street  and  dedicated  to  divine  worship  November  3d,  1850, 
the  sermon  being  preached  by  President  Mahan,  of  Oberlin,  Ohio.      Pecuniary 


The  Presbyterian  Churches.  249 

adversities  compelling  a  sale  of  the  property,  it  was  purchased  by  L.  A.  Ward 
with  a  view  to  its  becoming  Presbyterian,  which  it  has  since  been.  On  the  ish 
of  June,  1856,  it  came  into  connection  with  the  presbytery  of  Rochester,  with 
the  corporate  title  of  "Calvary  Presbyterian  church  of  Rochester."  Enlarge- 
ments and  improvements  have  taken  place  at  different  times,  till  it  is  now  one 
of  the  most  commodious  in  the  region  of  this  locality. 

The  pastors  and  ministers  have  been  as  follows :  Rev.  Richard  De  Forest, 
native  of  New  York  city  and  graduate  of  Auburn  theological  seminary,  was  the 
founder  of  this  church,  and  pastor  while  Congregational  in  polity.  Energetic; 
earnest  and   useful,   his   name   will   be  ever  held  in  grateful  memory.      He  is 

buried  in  Mount  Hope. Rev.    Charles  Ray,   a  native   of  Calcutta,   India, 

where  his  parents  (Rev.  Edward  and  Sarah  Ray)  were  missionaries.  He  grad- 
uated at  Union  college  and  Princeton  seminary  and  was  installed  as  the  first 
Presbyterian  pastor,  .in  July,  1856,  and  after  two  years  resigned  and  has 
employed  his  learning  and  labor  in  various  departments  and  places  to  the  pres- 
ent time. Rev.  Bellville  Roberts  spent  four  years  of  earnest  effort   in   the 

pastorate  of  this  church,  witnessing  many  happy  results  from  his  faithful  minis- 
tration.  Rev.  Alfred  Yeomans,  D.  D.,  native  of  North   Adams,  Mass.,  son 

of  Rev.  Dr.  John  Yeomans,  moderator  of  the  general  assembly  in  i860,  grad- 
uated at  Princeton  college  and  seminary.  His  pastorate  covered  but  one  year, 
when  continued  ill-health  compelled  his  resignation.  He  is  now  pastor  of  a 
church  at  Orange,- N.  J.,  as  successor  of  his  brother,  the  late  E.   D.   Yeomans, 

formerly  of  St.  Peter's,  Rochester. Rev.  Herbert  W.  Morris,  D.  D.,  a  native 

of  Wales,  look  the  pastoral  charge  of  Calvary  in  1867,  giving  to  the  people  of 
his  charge  the  results  of  intense  study  and  the  accumulations  of  research,  much 
of  which  is  made  permanent  in  volumes  that  have  few  equals  in  Christendom. 

Dr.  Morris  resides  in  Rochester. Rev.   Edward  Bristol,   native  of  Buffalo, 

N.  Y.,  converted  at  fifteen,  engaged  at  once  in  evangelistic  work  in  the  Lafay- 
ette street  church,  of  which  the  late  Rev.  Grosvcnor  W.  Heacock,  D.  D.,  was 
the  devoted  and  lifelong  pastor ;  after  twenty-five  years  in  the  city  missions  and 
alms  house,  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  a  general  evangelist  and  finally  became 
pastor  of  Calvary  in  1878. 

The  officers  in  1 884  are  :  Pastor,  Rev.  Edward  Bristol ;  elders  —  F.  S.  Steb- 
bins,  J.  B.  Reeves,  Judson  Knickerbocker,  Thomas  Oliver,  Frank  T.  Skinner. 
Superintendent  of  Sabbath-school,  F.  T.  Skinner. 

St.  J'etcr's. —  In  May,  1852,  Levi  A.  Ward,  a  member  of  the  First  church, 
commenced  the  construction  of  a  new  church  edifice  upon  a  lot  of  land  owned 
by  him  on  Grove  street,  opposite  his  own  residence.  Grove  place.  His  desire 
was  to  meet  the  public  demand  in  that  locality  and  to  establish  an  order  of 
worship  in  which  the  entire  congregation  shall  more  largely  unite  than  is 
customary  in  the  denomination.  An  edifice  was  erected  at  an  expense  of 
$35,000  and   dedicated    October  25th,    1853,  sermon  by  Rev.  Dr.  Mcllvaine, 


2SO  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

pastor  of  the  First,  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Mall  of  the  Third  and  Rev.  Dr. 
F.  De  Wilton  Ward,  of  Geneseo,  brother  of  the  founder.  On  the  13th  of 
December,  1853,  a  special  meeting  of  the  presbytery  of  Rochester  (O.  S.)  was 
held,  when  twenty-eight  persons,  members  of  different  churches  in  the  city, 
presented  certificates  and  were  constituted  "St.  Peter's  church  of  the  city  of 
Rochester."  Its  special  features  are  a  form  of  worship  but  no  liturgy  —  no. 
printed  prayer  except  that  left  by  Christ  himself  Gown  and  bands  arc  used 
by  the  clergymen,  as  is  customary  in  all  the  churches  in  Scotland  and  many 
older  ones  in  America.  The  deed  of  the  church  property  was  executed  and 
delivered  to  the  trustees  by  the  founder,  March  27th,  1867.  The  first  edifice 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  March  i8th,  1868,  but  was  immediately  rebuilt  at  an 
expense  of  about  $50,000. 

The  pastors  and  ministers  have  been  as  follows  :  Rev.  Richard  H.  Richard- 
son, D.  D.,  native  of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  graduate  of  Princeton  college  and 
seminary,  held  the  pastorate  for  one  and  a  half  years  and  holds  a  similar  posi- 
tion in  Trenton,  N.   J. Rev.  Joseph  H.  Towne,  D.  D.,  presided  over   this 

church  two  years. Rev.   John  Townsend   Coit,  D.  D.,   native  of  Buffalo 

and  graduate  of  Yale  and  Andover,  commenced  his  pastorate  of  St.  Peter's, 
June  1st,  i860.  Three  years  passed  profitably  away,  when,  upon  a  visit  to  his 
former  parishioners  at  Albion,  he  was  called  suddenly  to  the  heavenly  world. 
A  tablet  to  his  memory  has  been   placed  upon   the  right  of  the  pulpit,  with  a 

fitting  inscription. Rev;  Edward  Dorr  Yeomans,  D.  D.,  son  of  the  late  Dr. 

Yeomans,  moderator  of  the  general  assembly  in  Rochester,  was  a  native  of 
North  Adams,  Mass.,  graduated  at  Princeton  seminary,  preeminent  in  varied 
scholarship.  His  pastorate  of  St.  Peter's  began  in  May,  1863,  when  he  removed 
to  Orange,  N.  J.,  and  died  of  apoplexy,  August  27th,  1868.  A  beautiful  tab- 
let in  bronze  is  within  the  church.  —  Rev.  James  M.  Crowell,  D.  D.,  a  native 
of  Philadelphia,  and  graduate  of  Princeton  college  and  seminary,  was  pastor 
from  May  5th,  1869,  to  December,  1870.  He  is  now  secretary  of  the  Ameri- 
can Sunday  school  union  in   his  native  city. Rev.  Herman  Camp  Riggs, 

D.  D.,  native  of  Groton,  N.  Y.,  graduated  at  Union,  and  Union  theological 
seminary.  Came  to  Rochester  from  Rutherford  Park,  N.  J.  ;  was  installed 
over  St.  Peter's  June  8th,  1878. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  Herman  Camp  Riggs,  D.  D. ;  ciders 
—  M.  K.  Woodbury,  J.  E.  Pierpont,  E.  F.  Hoyt,  E.  E.  Sill,  T.  W.  Crissey, 
R.  E.  White,  H;  W.  Brown,  S.  A.  Merriman  ;  deacons  —  M.  K.  Woodbury  and 
Hf  W.  Brown.     Sunday-school  superintendents,  S.  A.  Merriman  and  J.  Morgan. 

Westminster. — This  first  Protestant  church  west  of  the  Erie  and  Valley 
canals  sprang  from  the  union  of  two  Sunday-schools,  one  started  by  the 
Brick  church  and  the  other  by  the  Central.  These  had  been  under  the 
superintendency  of  John  H.  Thompson,  William  S.  Bishop  and  Henry  Churchill. 
From   May,    1861,   to    May,    1862,   Rev   Anson  Gleason,   long  a   missionary 


The  Presbyterian  Churches.  251 

among  the  Mohican  Indians,  labored  with  characteristic  zeal  in  this  field. 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Shepherd  was  a  local  missionary  of  the  young  people's  society 
of  the  Central  in  the  same  locality.  After  considerable  time  and  much  effort 
funds  were  obtained  to  erect  a  building  for  worship,  which  was  dedicated  Jan- 
uary 26th,  1871.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  Campbell,  of  the 
Central,  which  had  generously  dismissed  eighty-two  persons  to  this  new  body. 
In  common  with  many  church  edifices  of  the  city,  this  received  substantial  and 
timely  pecuniary  aid  from  the  late  Aristarchus  Champion,  who  resided  in  that 
vicinity. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows :  Rev.  Henry  Morey,  graduate  of  Union 
college  and   Princeton  seminary,  was   installed  April  27th,  1871,  and   resigned 

in  October,  1874;   now  an  evangelist. Rev.  Corlis  B.  Gardner,  graduated 

at    Rochester,   and  at  Auburn  seminary,  was   installed   February  4th,    1875. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Corlis  B.  Gardner;  elders  —  B.  H.  Hill, 
J.  B.  Whitbeck,  H.  K.  Van  Tyne,  E.  M.  Doane,  W.  F.  Parry,  W.  J.  C.  Hansen. 

Memorial.  —  The  name  of  this  church  suggests  the  time  and  manner  of 
its  coming  into  being.  The  funds  contributed  by  the  Brick  church  during  the 
memorial  years  of  1869—70  were  devoted  to  a  new  organisation  on  Hudson 
and  Wilson  streets,  in  the  eastern,  as  Calvary  was  in  the  southern,  and  West- 
minster in  the  western  limits  of  the  city.  A  church  chapel  was  built  in  1870. 
A  church  organisation  was  effected  on  January  17th,  1872,  by  a  commission 
of  presbytery,  fifty-four  persons  enrolling  their  names  as  members,  thirty- 
seven  by  letter  and  seventeen  upon  confession  of  their  faith.  To  meet  the 
wants  of  the  growing  congregation,  the  original  brick  chapel  was  enlarged 
into  the  present  commodious  Gothic  structure  and  dedicated,  free  from  debt, 
August  1 8th,  1 88 1.  The  entire  expense  of  lot  and  structure  was  about  $20,000. 
The  average  attendance  is  350,  with  a  constant  increase. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows :   Rev.  Gavin  L.  Hamilton,  installed  in 

1870,  and  continued  his  labors  to  the  last  Sabbath  in   1874. Rev.  Charles 

Pierrepont  Coit,  native  of  Hastings,  N.  Y.,  graduated  at  Rochester  university 
and  Auburn  seminary,  organised  and  built  up  a  church  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y. ; 
installed  as  pastor  of  the  Memorial  church  January  2d,  1875. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  Charles  P.  Coit;  elders  —  Edward 
W.  Warner,  George  H.  Rudman,  Aaron  P.  Lawrence,  David  C.  Rudman, 
Stephen  W.  Millichamp  and  Wilson  F.  Smith.  Sunday-school  superintendent, 
Aaron  P.  Lawrence. 

North  Presbyterian  church.  —  A  commission  of  Rochester  presbytery  or- 
ganised this  church  on  Tuesday  evening,  February  12th,  1884.  Thirty-nine 
persons  presented  letters  from  various  churches,  and  thirty-one  after  the  usual 
examinations  as  to  personal  experience  and  purposes.  These  seventy  were 
then  con.stituted  the  "North  church  of  Rochester."  Three  persons  were  then 
elected  and  formally  ordained  elders :   Isaac  Bower,  George  W.  Davison  and 

17 


252  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Frank  H.  Clement.  This  church  began  as  a  Sabbath-school,  conducted  by 
earnest  workers  of  the  Central  church,  under  the  efficient  leadership  of  William 
A.  Hubbard,  in  1869.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  a  school-room,  then  in 
a  chapel  erected  in  1874,  and  it  is  expected  that  ere  long  an  edifice  will  be 
built  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  increasing  congregation  and  Sunday-school. 
The  nearest  Presbyterian  place  of  worship  is  that  of  the  ]5rick,  which  is  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  distant. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  Peter  Lindsay,  graduate  of  Auburn 
seminary,  who  began  his  labors  on  the  third  Sabbath  of  December,  1883; 
elders  —  Anson  W.  Pond,  George  W.  Davidson  and  Frank  H.  Clement. 

Reformed  Presbyterian  church.  —  An  organisation  with  this  corporate  title 
dates  to  the  year  1835,  with  a  membership  of  twenty-nine.  The  first  place  of 
meeting  was  the  High  school  building,  on  the  corner  of  Temple  and  Lancaster 
streets.  Subsequently  an  edifice  was  erected  on  the  intersection  of  Stillson 
and  Main  streets,  which,  after  long  occupancy,  was  sold  for  business  purposes, 
and  the  proceeds  put  into  a  structure  larger  and  more  commodious  on  North 
St.  Paul  street,  near  Andrews. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows :  Rev.  John  F"isher,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  preacher  of  marked  ability ;  he  lived  but  a  short  time,  and  is  buried  in  Mt. 

Hope. Rev.  G.  B.  McKee  was  installed  in   1835,  and  resigned  in    1842; 

his  remains  also  repose  in  Mt.  Hope. Rev.  David  Scott,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, graduate  of  the  University  of  Glasgow,  came  to  America  in  1829,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  McKee  in  1844,  resigned  in  1862,  and  died  at  Alleghany,  Penn- 
sylvania, March  29th,  1 87 1,  after  an  honored  and  useful  life  of  seventy-seven 

years. Rev.  R.  D.  Sproule,  native  of  Alleghany,   Pennsylvania,  graduate 

of  Jefferson  college  and  Alleghany  seminary,  was  installed  in  1863,  and  after 
a  successful  ministration  resigned,  and  is  now  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
in  Providence,  R.  V. Rev.  John  Graham,  native  of  New  York  city,  gradu- 
ate of  the  University  of  Penn.sylvania,  and  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  sem- 
inary;  installed  over  the  church  June  26th,  1881. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  John  Graham  ;  elders —  Hugh  Rob- 
inson, Robert  Aiton,  James  Campbell,  Robert  Wilson,  Abram  Ernisse  and 
Robert  K.  Toas. 

First  United  Presbyterian  church.  —  The  way  being  prepared  by  the 
preaching  of  Rev.  John  Van  Eaton  in  1843,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1849, 
an  organisation  was  perfected  under  the  title  of  the  "First  Associate  Reformed 
church  of  Rochester."  On  the  20th  of  May,  1858,  the  Associate  Reformed 
Presbyterian  church,  and  the  Associate  Presbyterian  church  of  North  America, 
effected  an  organic  union  under  the  corporate  title  of  the  "  United  Presbyterian 
church  of  North  America,"  hence  the  present  name  of  the  "First  United  Pres- 
byterian (U.  P.)  of  Rochester."  The  first  place  of  worship  was  a  school-house 
that  stood  near  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  church  on  Fitzhugh  street,  then  an  edifice 


The  Presbyterian  Churches.  253 

on  Troup  street  and  Plymouth  avenue,  which,  being  consumed  by  fire  Septem- 
ber 8th,  1850,  purchase  was  made  January  1st,  1851,  of  the  'church  edifice  on 
tile  corner  of  Court  and  Stone  streets.  Worship  was  there  lield  till  the  build- 
ing was  sold  and  purchase  was  made  from  the  Free  Will  Baptists  of  their  build- 
ing on  Allen  street,  near  I'^itzhugh,  which  has  become  too  strait,  and  must  ere 
long  give  place  to  a  larger  and  more  commodious  building  in  order  to  meet 
the  wants  of  the  growing  congregation  and  demands  of  the  enlarging  church. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows:  Rev.  John  Van  Eaton,  D.  D.,  native  of 
Xenia,  Ohio,  and  graduate  of  Miami  university  and  Oxford  seminary,  com- 
menced the  pastorate  of  this  church  of  his  founding  in  1849.  Driven  away 
by  the  ill  health  of  himself  and  family  he  went  to  York,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was 
pastor  for  twenty-six  years;  a  man  of  unwonted  ability  ;  his  death  on  March 
5th,  1880,  was  a  cause  of  great  grief  to  his  parishioners  and  community  at  large. 
A  useful  volume  on  several  of  the  minor  prophets,  published  since  his  death, 

illustrates  his  scholarship  and  ministerial  fidelity. Rev.  W.  P.  McAdams 

was  pastor  three  years  and  then  retired  to  private  life. Rev.  Thomas  Boyd 

occupied  the  pulpit  for   four  and  a  half  years  and  is  now  pastor  of  Bethel  and 

Beulah   churches  in   Pennsylvania. Rev.  James  Patterson  Sankey,  U.  D., 

native  of  Londonderry,  Ohio,  graduate  of  PVanklin  college,  located  at  New 
Athens,  Ohio,  and  Allegheny  United  Presbyterian  theological  seminary,  located 
at  Allegheny  City,  Penn.,  was  placed  in  charge  of  this  church  by  the  presby- 
tery of  Caledonia,  June  30th,  1864.  A  pastorate  of  twenty  years,  with  no  in- 
timation by  the  people  that  he  should  leave,  but  wholly  in  the  other  direction, 
is  the  highest  proof  of  his  usefulness  and  of  his  well-deserved  favor  in  his 
parish  and  by  the  entire  city. 

The  officers  in  1884  are:  Pastor,  Rev.  James  P.  Sankey,  D.  D.  ;  elders  — 
Robert  Sterritt,  Thomas  Lisle,  James  Hutchison  and  John  Bamber.  Sunday- 
school  superintendent,  the  pastor. 

Several  ministers  and  missionaries  have  gone  from  the  Presbyterian  churches 
of  Rochester :  Jonathan  S.  Green,  Sandwich  islands ;  F.  De  Wilton  Ward, 
D.  D.,  India;  Henry  Cherry,  India  ;  T.  Dwight  Hunt,  Sandwich  islands;  James 
Ballentine,  L.  Merrill  Miller,  D.  D.,  Ogdensburgh  ;  Henry  E.  Peck,  Charles  G. 
Lee,  P'rederick  M.  Starr,  Everard  Kempshall,  D.  D.,  Elizabeth,  N.  J. ;  William 
N.  McCoon,  Charles  R.  Clarke,  California;  Henry  B.  Chapin,  Ph.D.,  N.  Y.  ; 
Robert  Proctor,  George  Dutton,  M.  L.  R.  P.  Hill,  G.  Parsons  Nichols,  D.  D., 
Binghamton  ;  Horace  H.  Allen,  Daniel  Ames,  Charles  R.  Burdick,  Peter  H. 
Ikirkhardt,  Elisha  M.  Carpenter,  Nathan  M.  Chapin,  Lemuel  Clark,  Darwin 
Chichester,  Hiram  W.  Congdon,  Philo  G.  Cook,  Henry  Cooper,  David  Dickey, 
Morvatt  Evarts,  William  C.  F"rench,  D.  D.,  Cleveland,  John  K.  Fowler,  Mer- 
ritt  Galley,  Corlis  B.  Gardner,  Alanson  C.  Hall,  Augustus  F.  Hall,  Gavin  L. 
Hamilton,  Parsons  C.  Hastings,  Ph.  D.,  Alvan  Ingersoll,  Thomas  H.  Johnson, 
George   W,    Mackie,   David    E.    Millard,    Enoch  K.  Miller,   Henry  T.   Miller, 


254  History  or  the  City  of  Rochester. 

David  H.  Palmer,  James  H.  Phelps,  James  S.  Pierpont,  Augustus  C.  Shaw, 
D.  D.,  John  Spink,  A.  D.  White,  WiiUam  C.  Wisner,  D.  D.,  Edwin  S.  Wright, 
D.  D.,  Worthington  Wright,  Albert  G.  Hall,  D.  D.,  Hezekiah  B.  Pierpont, 
Richard  De  Forest,  T.  Reaves  Chiprnan,  Samuel  Hayliss,  Jonathan  Copeland, 
Gavin  Langmuir,  D.  D.,  Charles  H.  Wood,  Charles  Ray,  C.  M.  Torrey,  Dillis 
D.  Hamilton,  George  S.  Bishop,  George  Kemp  Ward,  John  Middleton,  I'red- 
erick  J.  Jackson,  Willis  C.  Gaylord,  Theodore  B.  Williams,  David  F.  Stewart, 
Edward  C.  Ray,  Eugene  G.  Cheeseman,  James  W.  White.^ 

Of  others  not  ministers  who  have  gone  as  foreign  missionaries,  Henry  A. 
De  Forest,  M.  D.,  Syria ;  Mrs.  Delia  Stone  Bishop  Sandwich  islands ;  Mrs.  A. 
De  Forest,  Syria;  Mrs.  Maria  Ward  (Chapin)  Smith,  Syria  ;  Mrs.  Janet  Cam- 
eron, Africa. 

The  total  membership  of  the  eleven  Presbyterian  churches  of  Rochester  in 
the  spring  of  1884  was  4,585;  total  Sunday-school  membership,  4,620 ;  total 
contributions  to  the  church  boards  and  miscellaneous  charities  for  the  year 
ending  April,  1884,  $18,416;  congregational,  general  assembly  and  other 
church  purposes,  $50,423  ;  sum  total,  $68,839. 

THE   EPISCOPAL   CHURCHES. 

St.  Luke's  church. — The  organisation  of  this  parish  was  effected  through 
the  efforts  of  Rev.  H.  U.  Ondcrdonk  on  the  14th  of  July,  18 17.  At  that 
date  the  original  corporators —  S.  Melancton  Smith,  Moses  P.  Belknap,  Wil- 
liam Y.  Greene,  Jesse  Moore,  A.  G.  Dauby,  John  P.  Comparet,  Anson  House, 
Daniel  Hibbard,  Jacob  Howe,  Elisha  Johnson,  Jonah  Brown,  Caleb  Ham- 
mond, Jabez  Wilkinson,  Joseph  Thompson,  William  Atkinson,  Samuel  J.  An- 
drews, John  C.  Rochester,  John  Mastick,  Silas  O.  Smith,  Roswell  Babbit,  Enos 
Stone,  Oliver  Culver,  John  P.  Sheldon,  Daniel  Tinker,  Lewis  Jenkins,  H.  Mont- 
gomery, Joseph  Spencer  and  Joseph  Griffin  —  held  a  meeting  in  a  school-house 

1  Rev.  A.  G.  Hall,  U.  D.,  Rev.  W.  C.  Wisner,  1).  D.,  Rev.  R.  De  Forest,  Rev.  Henry  E.  I'eck, 
Rev.  C.  Gardner  have  been  (the  last  is)  Rochester  city  pastors. 

Note.  —  The  First,  lirick,  Central  and  St.  Peter's  are  four  of  the  most  expensive  and  imposing 
edifices  in  the  city.  The  Third,  having  sold  theirs  to  the  Unitarians,  are  arranging  to  builil  upon  the 
corner  of  East  avenue  and  Meigs  street.  The  other  four  are  commodious,  equal  to  the  present  wants 
of  their  localities,  but  will,  in  due  time,  give  place  to  others  of  larger  iliinensions  ami  more  cmnmand- 
ing  appearance. 

Rev.  George  G.  Sill,  native  of  Silltown,  Conn.,  came  to  Rochester  in  1815,  was  licensed  and  or- 
dained by  the  presbytery  of  Rochester,  from  1825  to  1845,  preached  in  Rochester  and  neighborhood, 
edited  the  Rochester  ObseiTer  (the  first  religious  newspaper  in  Western  New  York),  compiled  an<l 
published  a  verse  book  of  .Scripture  for  Sunday-schools,  and  died  at  Lyme,  Conn.,  May  20th,  1859. 

In  the  year  1830  Rev.  Charles  G.  Finney  made  his  first  visit  to  Rochester,  preaching  in  the  First, 
Second  and  Third  churches,  with  heaven-endowed  power  and  marvelous  results.  To  this  master  in 
logic,  eloquence  and  fearlessness  of  spirit  Rochester  is  greatly  indebted,  under  God,  for  its  moral  and 
religious  eminence. 

As  Presbyterianism  was  first  to  occupy  the  ground  when  Rochester  was  but  a  "clearing,"  sur- 
rounded by  dense  forests,  so  it  has  ever  held  its  own  in  numbers,  character  and  influence,  making  itself 
felt  for  good,  the  city,  land  and  world  over. 


The  KriscoPAL  Churches.  255 

owned  by  Samuel  J.  Andrews  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  when  Colonel  N. 
Rochester  and  Sanuicl  J.  Andrews  were  elected  wardens;  Silas  O.  Smith,  Ros 
well  Babbit,  John  Mastick,  Lewis  Jenkins,  Elisha  Johnson,  John  C.  Rochester, 
William  Atkinson  and  Oliver  Culver  were  chosen  vestrymen.  Occasional  ser- 
vices were  held  for  the  parish  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Onderdonk,  Norton  and  Welton, 
in  the  school-house  on  the  lot  adjoining  the  present  church  site.  In  1818  Bishop 
Hobart  made  his  first  visit  to  the  infant  parish,  and  in  the  building  then  occu- 
pied by  the  First  Presbyterian  society  administered  the  rite  of  confirmation  to 
four  persons.  In  1820  the  first  church  edifice  was  erected  on  lot  number  85, 
which  was  given  by  the  proprietors  of  the  One-hundred-acre  tract.  It  was  a 
long  wooden  structure,  in  size  thirty-eight  by  forty-six  feet,  and  contained  about 
forty  pews.  The  funds  for  the  erection  of  this  building  were  provided  by  a 
subscription  in  which  the  following  entries  appear :  N.  Rochester,  in  lumber, 
$200  ;  William  Cobb,  in  blacksmithing,  twenty-five  dollars  ;  William  Haywood, 
in  hats,  twenty  dollars ;  Ebenezer  Watts,  in  tinware,  ten  dollars ;  E.  Peck  & 
Co.,  in  books  and  stationery,  twenty  dollars;  Jehiel  Barnard,  in  tailoring,  five 
dollars ;  H.  Scrantom,  in  flour,  seven  dollars ;  Abner  Wakelee,  in  shoes,  ten 
dollars  ;  Jacob  Gould,  in  goods,  ten  dollars.  The  following  additional  subscrip- 
tions were  contributed  toward  the  erection  of  a  steeple  or  cupola ;  A.  Reynolds, 
in  goods  or  brick,  five  dollars  ;  D.  D.  Barnard,  in  cider  and  apples,  five  dollars  ; 
Timothy  Bosworth  in  combs,  five  dollars  ;  Ephraim  Moore,  "  in  pork  out  of  my 
shop,"  five  dollars.  The  little  church  was  occupied  for  the  first  time  on  Christ- 
mas day,  1820.  Rev.  Francis  H.  Cuming,  deacon,  first  served  as  rector,  hav- 
ing entered  upon  his  duties  on  the  first  Sunday  of  December,  1820,  and  some 
two  months  later  the  church  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Hobart. 

In  1823  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  church  had  been  such  that  the 
building  could  no  longer  accommodate  the  largely  increased  attendance.  Con- 
sequently, in  September.  1823,  the  vestry  entered  into  a  contract  with  H.  T. 
McGcorgc  to  build  a  stone  church  fifty-five  feet  by  seventy-three,  at  a  con- 
tract price  of  $9,000.  The  actual  cost,  however,  was  $10,400.  The  old  frame 
structure  was  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  lot  and  work  begun  on  the  new  build- 
ing in  the  latter  part  of  1823.  The  church  was  opened  for  public  worship  Sep- 
tember 4th,  1825,  and  on  the  30th  of  September,  1826,  the  ceremony  of  con- 
secration was  performed  by  Bishop  Hobart. 

After  a  successful  rectorship  of  eight  years,  Mr.  Cuming,  in  March,  resigned, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Henry  J.  Whitehouse,  who  was  instituted  by  Bishop 
Hobart,  August  29th,  1830.  Dr.  Whitehouse  resigned,  May  1st,  1844,  after  a 
successful  pastorate  of  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  subsequently  acquired  a  national 
reputation  as  bishop  of  Illinois.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Pitkin, 
who  took  charge  of  the  parish  July  14th,  1844.  In  consequence  of  ill  health 
Dr.  Pitkin  resigned  the  rectorship  July  12th,  1847.  I"  the  following  October 
a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Henry  W.  Lee,  which  he  accepted  and  was  insti- 


2$6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tilted  by  Bishop  De  Lancey  on  the  i6th  of  P'ebriiary,  1848.  While  rector  of 
this  church  he  was  honored  with  the  titles  of  D.  D.  and  LL.  D.,  and  his  pros- 
perous ministry  of  seven  years  terminated  December  24th,  1854,  in  consequence 
of  his  election  to  the  bishopric  of  Iowa,  and  previous  consecration  to  that 
office  October  18th,  1854.  Rev.  Benjamin  Watson  was  chosen  his  successor 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  on  the  29th  of  the  following  April.  Dr.  Watson 
having  resigned  July  23d,  1859,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  R.  B.  Cla.xton, 

D.  D.,  who  was  elected  rector  on  the  ist  of  October,  and  instituted  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey  on  the  20th  of  the  following  February.  Dr.  Claxton  resigned  on 
the  1st  of  October,  1865,  to  accept  the  chair  of^professor  of  pulpit  eloquence 
and  pastoral  care  in  the  divinity  school  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in 
Philadelphia.  On  the  23d  of  April,  1866,  Rev.  Henry  Anstice  was  called  to 
the  rectorship  and  on  the  second  Sunday  of  May  entered  upon  his  duties. 
During  the  first  year  of  his  ministry  the  interior  of  the  church  was  thoroughly 
remodeled  and  refitted,  the  congregation  in  the  meantime  worshiping  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  church.  Saint  Luke's  was  reopened  for  divine  service  March 
lOth,  1867,  and  the  institution  of  the  rector  by  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  took 
place  on  the  14th  of  the  same  month.  The  officers  for  the  present  year  are  as 
follows:  Rector,  Rev.  Henry  Anstice,  D.  D. ;  wardens  —  G.  H.  Perkins,  James 
Brackett ;  vestrymen  —  J.  A.  Eastriian,  William  Eastwood,  E.  W.  Williams, 
Clinton  Rogers,  Lorenzo  Kelly,  Alfred  Ely,  A.  J.  Johnson,  Byron  Holley. 

St.  Paul's  church. — This,  the  second  Episcopal  parish  in  Rochester,  was 
organised  May  28th,  1827,  at  a  meeting  presided  over  by  Rev.  Francis  H. 
Cuming,  rector  of  St.  Luke's.  William  Atkinson  and  Giles  Boulton  were 
elected  wardens,  and  Elisha  Johnson,  Elisha  B.  Strong,  Jared  N.  Stcbbins,  S. 
M.  Smith,  Enos  Stone,  Samuel  J.  Andrews,  Daniel  Tinker  and  A.  B.  Curtiss, 
vestrymen.  Rev.  Sutherland  Douglas  was  the  first  rector,  having  been  called 
in  April,  1828,  and  resigning  on  account  of  ill  health  in  August  of  the  follow- 
ing year.  The  brick  church  edifice,  then  in  process  of  erection,  was  completed 
and  consecrated  by  Bishop  Hobart  in  August,  1830.  Rev.  Chauncey  Colton 
became  rector  in  November  of  that  year,  resigning  in  December,  1831,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  V.  D.  Johns,  who  preached  but  once  and  was 
in  turn  succeeded  by  Rev.  Burton  H.  Hickox.  Mr.  Hickox  remained  from 
1832  to  1835,  when  Rev.  Orange  Clark.  D.  D.,  was  called.  Dr.  Clark  con- 
tinued as  rector  for  a  period  of  four  years  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  Washing- 
ton Van  Zandt,  in  1839,  who  remained  but  one  year  and  six  months. 

About  this  time  the  parish  became  involved  financially,  and  a  mortgage  of 
$10,000  was  foreclosed,  which  led  to  the  dissolution,  of  Saint  Paul's  and  the 
formation  of  a  new  corporation  to  buy  the  property  under  the  name  of  "  Grace 
church."  During  the  long  vacancy  which  ensued,  occasional  services  were 
supplied  by  professors  from  Geneva,  until  June  12th,  1842,  when  Rev.  William 

E.  Eigenbrodt  became  rector,  remaining  until  December,  1843.     On  the  25th 


The  Episcopal  Churches.  257 

of  July,  1847,  tlie  church  building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Services  were  held 
in  the  old  High  school  on  Clinton  street,  until  Christmas  of  that  year.  The 
new  church  edifice  was  consecrated  as  Grace  church  December  17th,  1848.  Un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  bishop  the  parish  had  been  served  for  three  months  by 
Rev.  Stephen  Douglas  and  later  by  Rev.  John  V.  Van  Ingen,  D.  D.  The  lat- 
ter was  elected  rector  in  1848.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Maunsell  Van 
Rensselaer,  who  was  elected  in  September,  1854,  and  whose  term  of  office  ex- 
tended to  Easter,  1859.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Israel  Foote,  who  entered 
upon  the  rectorship  August  1st,  1859.  Dr.  Foote,  after  an  incumbency  of 
twenty-three  years,  resigned  the  rectorship,  to  take  effect  April  17th,  1882,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Piatt,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  who  was  called  to  the  rec- 
lorsliip  September  i6tli,  1882. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  are  as  follows:  Rector,  W.  H.  Piatt, 
D.  D.,  LL.  D. ;  wardens —  A.  G.  Yates,  William  H.  Sanger;  vestrymen  —  H.  H. 
Warner,  E.  F.  Woodbury,  Frank  W.  Elwood,  W.  C.  Dickinson,  H.  M.  Ells- 
worth, James  L.  Hatch,  C.  H.  Amsden  and  A.  Erickson  Perkins. 

Trinity  church. — The  movement  to  establish  this  parish  was  inaugurated 
in  1836  by  Rev.  Henry  J.  Whitehouse,  then  rector  of  St.  Luke's.  Services 
were  held  by  Rev.  Vandevoort  Bruce,  who  became  rector  January  26th, 
1846,  in  a  school-house  on  Brown  square,  and  later  in  school  number  5  at 
the  corner  of  Center  and  Jones  streets.  The  corner-stone  of  a  church  building 
on  the  corner  of  Frank  and  Center  streets  was  laid  June  13th,  1846,  and 
opened  for  divine  service  on  Christmas  eve  of  that  year.  Mr.  Bruce  resigned 
the  rectorship  of  the  parish  May  12th,  1847,  ^"d  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Charles  D.  Cooper,  in  October  of  the  same  year.  During  his  administration 
the  debt  was  entirely  paid  and  the  church  consecrated  by  Bishop  De  Lancey 
]<"ebruary  15th,  1848.  Mr.  Cooper  resigned  December  loth,  1849,  after  an 
incumbency  of  fifteen  years,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  Robert  J.  Parvin,  who 
assumed  the  rectorship  February  1st,  1850,  and  resigned  August  12th,  1852. 
Rev.  Addison  B.  Atkins  became  rector  October  1st,  1852,  remaining  about  two 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  George  N.  Cheney,  who  took  charge  of  the 
parish  October  ist,  1854,  remaining  until  May  ist,  1863,  when,  in  con.sequence 
of  impaired  health,  he  resigned.  During  this  year  the  church  was  enlarged 
and  improved  and  Rev.  John  W.  Clark  was  called  to  the  rectorship.  He 
entered  upon  his  duties  on  the  6th  of  December,  1863,  but  remained  only  a 
short  time,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  V.  Van  Ingen,  D.  D.,  who  labored 
in  the  parish  until  July  ist,  1868.  After  a  vacancy  of  eight  months  Rev. 
Charles  H.  W.  Stocking  took  charge  of  the  parish  on  the  ist  of  March,  1869. 
Mr.  Stocking  remained  until  December,  1871,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  M. 
R.  St.  J.  Dillon-Lee,  January,  1872.  He  officiated  until  October,  1873,  and 
was  followed  by  Rev.  C.  J.  Machin,  who  remained  until  January,  1875.  Rev. 
W.  W.  Walsh   assumed   the   rectorship  May   ist,    1875,  and  is  the  present  in- 


258  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

cumbent.  On  the  17th  of  April,  1880,  the  church  property  was  sold  and  soon 
after  the  present  site  of  the  church  and  rectory  was  purchased.  Ground  was 
broken  for  the  erection  of  a  new  house  of  worship  on  the  23d  of  June,  1880, 
the  corner-stone  being  laid  by  Bishop  Coxe  on  the  29th  of  July,  and  the 
church  opened  for  divine  service  on  the  31st  of  July  in  the  following  year. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows :  Rector,  Rev.  Warren  W.  Walsh ;  war- 
dens—  George  Arnold,  William  H.  Cross;  vestrymen  —  H.  W.  Davis^  F.  G. 
Ranney,  F.  S.  Upton,  John  H.  Bishop,  John  A.  Van  Ingen,  James  H.  Kelly, 
William  Boyd,  John  G.  Mason. 

Christ  church. — This  parish  was  organised  on  the  7th  of  May,  1855,  by 
a  number  of  parishioners  of  St.  Luke's,  with  a  few  from  St.  Paul's.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  Palmer's  block,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected : 
Wardens — Silas  O.  Smith  and  David  Hoyt ;  vestrymen — Andrew  J.  15rackett, 
D.  B.  Beach,  D.  M.  Dewey,  John  P^airbanks,  J.  M.  Winslow,  Charles  R.  Babbit, 
Delos  Wentworth  and  Edward  M.  Smith.  The  present  site  of  the  church  was 
purchased  in  June,  1855,  and  the  building  erected  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same 
year.  Rev.  Henry  A.  Neely  was  the  first  rector,  and  entered  upon  his  duties 
October  ist,  1855.  Mr.  Neely  continued  rector  until  1862,  when  he  resigned, 
becoming  chaplain  of  Hobart  college,  afterward  taking  charge  of  Trinity  chapel. 
New  York,  and  subsequently  being  consecrated  bishop  of  Maine  on  the  25  th  of 
January,  1867.  Rev.  Anthony  Schuyler,  D.  D.,  was  his  successor  and  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  the  rectorship  October  ist,  1862,  remaining  until  1868. 
Rev.  Walton  W.  Battershall  became  rector  January  1st,  1869,  continuing  in  this 
relation  until  August  ist,  1874.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Joseph  L.  Tucker, 
February  17th,  1875.  Mr.  Tucker's  ministry  was  terminated  by  his  resigna- 
tion, to  take  effect  October  15th,  1877.  The  present  rector.  Rev.  W.  D'Or- 
ville  Doty,  was  called  October  isth,  1877,  and  assumed  the  rectorship  on  the 
2d  of  December,  of  the  same  year. 

The  officers  for  the  present  year  are  as  follows:  Rector,  Rev.  W.  D'Orville 
Doty,  D.  D. ;  wardens  —  J.  Moreau  Smith,  D.  M.  Dewey;  vestrymen  —  J.  H. 
Nellis,  S.  V.  McDowell,  E.  W.  Osburn,  John  A.  Davis,  J.  A.  Biegler,  A.  C. 
Walker,  W.  J.  Ashley  and  F.  A.  Ward. 

Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd.' — During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Dr.  Clax- 
ton,  of  St.  Luke's,  a  mission  of  that  parish  was  established  and  a  building  erected 
in  which  services  were  held  for  the  first  time  July  31st,  1864.  The  parish  was 
organised  into  an  independent  church  by  Rev.  Henry  Anstice,  rector  of  St. 
Luke's,  March  29th,  1869.  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  who  had  been  ministering  in  the 
congregation  for  twenty  months  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Anstice,  was,  on  nomina- 
tion by  the  latter,  elected  the  first  rector.  Upon  his  resignation  in  September, 
1869,  Rev.  J.  Newton  Spear  was  called,  but  he  soon  resigned  on  account  of  ill 
health.  Rev.  James  S.  Barnes  next  entered  on  the  field.  May  ist,  1870,  but 
left  within  six  months.      Rev.  Frederick  W.  Raikes  accepted  the  charge  Decern- 


The  Episcopal  Churches.  259 

ber  iSth,  1870,  and  after  a  ministry  of  two  years  resigned  April  1st,  1873.  He 
was  followed  by  Rev.  Benjamin  W.  Stone,  D.  D.,  who  after  an  incumbency  of 
eight  years  resigned  April  1st,  1881.  Rev.  Byron  Holley,  jr.,  followed  immedi- 
ately as  minister  of  the  church  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  reniaining  in  this  position 
until  June  19th,  1882.  Rev.  James  Stoddard  assumed  the  care  of  the  parish 
August  1st,  1883. 

The  officers  for  the  current  year  are  :  Rector,  Rev.  James  Stoddard  ;  ward- 
ens—  George  Cummings,  John  W.  Attridge ;  vestrymen  —  Thomas  Baxen- 
dale,  Andrew  Erhardt,  J.  N.  LeLievre,  Thomas  Attridge,  George  R.  Hoare, 
Edward  P.  Hart  and  William  Smiley. 

Church  of  the  Epiphany.  —  The  parish  of  the  Epiphany  is  the  outgrowth 
of  cottage  service  held  in  the  winter  of  1866-67,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Anstice,  rector 
of  St.  Luke's.  The  corner-stone  of  a  chapel  was  laid  July  23d,  1868,  and  the 
first  public  services  therein  were  held  February  28th,  1869,  Rev.  W.  W.  Raj'- 
mond  being  then  the  assistant  minister  of  St.  Luke's.  He  was  followed  by 
Rev.  George  S.  Baker,  August  14th,  1870,  and  to  his  ministry  is  largely  due 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  enterprise.  Rev.  C.  M.  Nickerson  succeeded 
Mr.  Baker  November  ist,  1875.  The  parish  was  organised  into  an  independent 
parish  by  Dr.  Anstice,  September  13th,  1876,  and  on  his  nomination  Rev.  Mr. 
Nickerson  was  elected  the  first  rector,  who  remained  in  the  parish  until  Janu- 
ary 1st,  1 88 1.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Amos  Skeele,  who  was  called 
March  21st,  1881. 

The  present  officers  are :  Rector,  Amos  Skeele ;  wardens  —  George  E. 
Mumford,  John  Clements;  vestrymen  —  J.  H.  Stedman,  Jonas  Jones,  H.  C. 
White,  E.  W.  Tripp,  George  H.  Perkins,  J.  C.  Smith,  W.  S.  Oliver  and  Alfred 
L.  Davis. 

St.  James's  church.  —  The  corner-stone  of  this  Episcopal  church  was  laid 
on  the  1 8th  of  July,  1875.  The  missionary  committee  having  charge  of  the 
enterprise  were  John  Morris,  John  Southall,  Charles  S.  Cook  and  William  H. 
Wilkins.  The  first  service  was  held  June  5th,  1876,  at  which  time  the  church 
was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Coxe,  and  Rev.  James  H.  Dennis  began  his  work 
in  the  field.  The  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  congregation  to  incorporate 
themselves  was  held  August  17th,  1876,  at  which  Rev.  James  H.  Dennis  was 
elected  the  first  rector. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  Rector,  Rev.  J.  H.  Dennis;  wardens  — 
John  Morphy,  John  Nicholson;  vestrymen  —  E.  J.  Shackleton,  Dr.  Hermance, 
J.  Cox,  jr.,  E.  E.  Havill,  William  Sweeting,  E.  Baldwin,  J.  McCullum. 

St.  Andrew's  church.  —  This  parish  had  its  origin  in  the  work  of  a  general 
city  mission  supported  by  the  four  older  parishes  of  the  city  in  1866.  In 
1867  the  parish  of  Christ  church  took  the  mission  under  its  special  care, 
and  during  1870  it  was  in  charge  of  Rev.  Daniel  Flack,  then  the  assistant 
at  Christ  church,  of  which   Rev.  W.  W.  Battershall  was  rector.     A  lot  was 


26o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

secured  at  the  corner  of  Munger  and  Ashland  streets,  and  the  corner-stone  of 
a  permanent  structure  was  laid  on  the  19th  of  July,  1873.  Rev.  David  A. 
Bonnar  was  elected  rector,  and  preached  the  first  sermon  in  the  completed  por- 
tion of  the  new  church.  In  1877  ^^^  church  property  passed,  through  fore- 
closure of  judgment,  into  the  possession  of  William  B.  Douglas.  The  bishop 
and  standing  committee  having  authorised  the  formation  of  a  new  parish  in  the 
field  formerly  occupied  by  St.  Clement's,  the  organisation  of  St.  Andrew's  was 
effected  February  7th,  1879.  The  first  rector  of  the  parish  was  Rev.  A.  S. 
Crapsey,  who  was  elected  June  1st,  1879.  The  edifice  was  consecrated  by 
Bishop  Coxe  May  i6th,  1880.  The  officers  at  present  are  as  follows:  Rector, 
Rev.  A.  S.  Crapsey;  wardens  —  William  B.  Douglas,  John  J.  Luckett;  vestry- 
men —  Henry  S.  Crabbe,  William  Dove,  Thomas  A.  Evans,  Samuel  L.  Selden, 
Arthur  C.  Smith,  Frederick  Suter,  George  Yeares. 

FRIENDS   OR   QUAKERS. 

A  monthly  meeting  of  Friends  was  held  at  Farmington,  Ontario  county, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  23d  of  the  "eighth  month,"  1821.  Permission  was  granted 
allowing  Friends  of  Rochester,  Riga  and  Henrietta  to  hold  a  preparative 
meeting  at  Rochester,  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  first  meeting  was 
held  at  Rochester  on  the  i8th  of  the  tenth  month,  1 821,  and  Isaac  Colvin  was 
appointed  clerk  for  the  day.  The  meetings  were  to  be  held  on  the  first  and 
fifth  days  of  each  week  under  the  care  of  the  following  committee  :  Stephen 
Durfee,  David  Baker,  Sunderland  Patterson,  Nathaniel  Walker,  Asa  Douglass 
and  Peter  Harris.  James  Whippo  and  Mead  Atwater  were  designated  to  pro- 
pose some  Friend  as  clerk.  Aldrich  Colvin  and  Erastus  Spaulding  were  ap- 
pointed to  provide  some  suitable  house  for  worship  and  discipline.  The  com- 
mittee above  named  reported,  and  Thomas  Congdon  was  appointed  clerk  on 
the  20th  of  the  twelfth  month,  1821.  The  committee  also  reported  upon  a  lot 
and  in  favor  of  building  a  meeting- house,  the  total  cost  for  a  lot  four  rods  by 
eight  rods,  including  building  the  meeting-house,  being  $1,050,  and  of  buying 
a  burying-ground  —  village  lot  175  Frankfort,  sixty-six  feet  front  by  two  hun- 
dred feet  deep,  owned  by  Aldrich  and  Isaac  Colvin — which  could  be  had  for 
$80.  Harvey  Frink  was  appointed  clerk  for  one  year.  On  the  14th  of  the 
eleventh  month,  1822,  the  first  meetings  were  held  at  Aldrich  Colvin's  house. 
The  house  of  worship,  to  be  used  also  for  a  school-house,  was  built  on  the  east 
side  of  North  Fitzhugh  street,  near  Allen,  and  completed  in  the  autumn  of 
1822,  at  a  cost  of  $350. 

A  division  or  separation  took  place  in  the  New  York  yearly  meeting  of 
Friends  in  the  year  1829  —  and  one  branch  was  styled  "orthodox"  and  the 
other  was  called  by  many  "Hicksites,"  and  those  names  still  exist.  Among 
the  names  of  early  members  of  the  society,  prior  to  the  division,  who  belonged 
to  the  Rochester  meeting,  we  find,  in  addition   to  those  already  mentioned : 


The  Baptist  Churches.  261 

John  Russell,  Win.  Lawton,  Abram  Staples,  Zaccheus  Aldridge,  Wm.  Rath- 
bone,  Silas  Cornell,  Joseph  Cox  and  wife  Dorothy,  Ezra  Scofield,  Samuel 
Fairwcll,  Darius  Shadbolt,  Benjamin  Fish,  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Bills,  John 
Ireland,  Hugh  Pound,  Henry  Case,  Wm.  Griffin,  Elihu  F.  Marshall,  Silas  An- 
thony, Jonathan  Warner,  Gilbert  Titus,  Jacob  Thorn,  Barnabas  Colman,  Abram 
Wilson,  Lars  Larson,  Wm.  Green,  Philip  Lyell,  Oley  Johnson,  Daniel  Batty, 
Job  Batty,  Seth  Macy,  Wm.  Macy,  Jacob  Bell,  John  Edgeworth,  David  Bell. 
After  the  separation  the  Hicksite  branch  occupied  the  original  meeting-house, 
while  the  Orthodox  Friends  built  a  new  one  on  Jay  street.  The  society,  as  it 
would  seem,  has  accomplished  its  usefulness  and  fulfilled  its  destiny,  and  the 
names  of  George  Fox  and  William  Penn  still  remain  bright- and  shining 
lights  of  the  Christian  religion.  There  are  but  very  few  of  the  members  of  the 
society  left  here,  and  those  are  of  advanced  years.  Mary  T.  and  Pamelia  S. 
P'rost,  sisters  of  Harvey  Frink,  who  was  clerk  of  the  Rochester  meeting  in 
1822,  still  reside  in  the  city;  they  maintain  their  interest  in  the  society,  and 
have  a  fresh  remembrance  of  the  events  that  transpired  in  the  early  settlement 
of  Rochester,  over  seventy  years  ago.  A  few  days  since  they  visited  Lake 
View,  the  early  residence  of  Erastus  Spaulding,  who  was  one  of  the  committee 
to  procure  a  suitable  house  for  worship  in  1821.  • 

THE   BAPTIST   CHURCHES. 

The  First  Baptist  church  was  organised  in  the  year  1818,  and  was  then 
called  "the  First  Baptist  church  of  Brighton."  It  had  twelve  constituent 
members,  none  of  whom  are  now  living.-  The  numbers  increased  gradually 
for  the  next  twelve  years,  and  161  were  connected  with  its  membership  in 
1830.  During  the  winter  of  1830-31,  when  the  great  revival  interest  existed 
in  this  city  under  the  wonderful  labors  of  that  eminent  divine.  Rev.  Charles  G. 
Finney,  some  193  persons  were  added,  and  in  1832  some  368  members  were 
enrolled.  The  large  emigration  to  the  western  states  and  the  formation  of  the 
Second  Baptist  church,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  which  followed,  reduced 
the  membership  so  that  in  1835  only  244  remained.  Its  numerical  increase 
was  soon  resumed,  however,  for  in  1844  the  church  contained  530  members. 
P'rom  1 866  to  1 870  its  progre.ss  was  steady,  numbering  at  last  760,  the  largest 
figures  reached  in  its  history.  In  the  year  i866,  185  new  members  were  added. 
In  1871  and  1872  three  new  Baptist  churches — Memorial  (on  Lake  avenue). 
Rapids  and  East  avenue  were  organised;  taking  many  of  the  members  of  the 
church,  which,  with  other  dismissals,  reduced  the  membership  to  545,  which 
has  gradually  increased  to  the  present  time,  1884.  The  church  has  now  en- 
rolled on  its  membership  some  610  members. 

Nine  pastors  and  two  temporary  settlements  have  served  this  church  :  Rev. 
E.  M.  Spencer,  *i  in  the  year  1819;   Rev.  Eleazer  Savage,  1824  to  1826,  three 

1  Four  of  ihe  above  list  are  dead  —  as  indicated  by  asterisks — and  seven  are  living.  Some  of  tliem 
are  now  occupying  very  prominent  positions  as  presidents  of  theological  seminaries,  or  as  editors  or 
publishers  of  denominational  papers. 


262  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

years;  Rev.  O.  C.  Comstock,  D.  D.,*  1827  to  1834,  eight  years;  Rev.  Phar- 
cellus  Church,  D.  D.,  1835  to  1848,  fourteen  years;  Rev.  J.  A.  Smith,  D.  D., 
1849  to  1854,  five  years;  Rev.  Jacob  R.  Scott,  D.  D.,*  1855  to  1858,  three 
years;  Rev.  Richard  M.  Nott,*  1859  to  1865,  seven  years;  Rev.  G.  W.  North- 
rop, D.  D.,  supplied  the  pulpit  one  year;  Rev.  Henry  E.  Robbins,  D.  D., 
1867  to  1872,  six  years;  Rev.  A.  H.  Strong,  D,  D.,  supplied  one  year;  Rev. 
Charles  J.  Baldwin,  1874- to  1884,  ten  years.  The  clerks  of  the  church  have 
been  as  follows:  Myron  Strong,  for  four  years;  H.  B.  Sherman,  for  six  years; 
E.  S.  Treat,  for  seven  years  ;  David  Burbank,  one  year  ;  Dr.  H.  W.  Dean,  three 
years  ;  J.  A.  Stewart,  seven  years.  The  following  deacons  (some  of  them  of 
honored  memory)  have  passed  away :  Amos  Graves,  Ira  Sperry,  Isaac  Tinney, 
Oren  Sage,  Geo.  S.  Shelmire,  John  Watts,  John  Jones,  H.  L.  Achilles,  Edwin 
Pancost,  H.  P.  Smith,  E.  F.  Smith,  Myron  Strong,  H.  N.  Langworthy,  H.  W. 
Dean,  A.  G.  Mudge. 

The  present  deacons  are:  Alvah  Strong,  William  N.  Sage,  L.  R.  Satterlee, 
J.  O.  Pettingill,  S.  A.  Ellis,  A.  H.  Cole,  Matthew  Massey,  Cyrus  F.  Paine  and 
A.  H.  Mixer.  The  first  two  —  Alvah  Strong  and  William  N.  Sage  —  have 
been  members  of  the  church  nearly  fifty-four  years.  The  present  board  of  trus- 
tees consists  of  Ezra  R.  Andrews,  president ;  Z.  F.  Westervelt,  G.  D.  Hale, 
J.  W.  Warrant,  C.  A.  Morse,  B.  P.  Ward,  Lewis  Sunderlin,  A.  L.  Barton  and 
T.  De  Puy.  Charles  T.  Converse  is  the  present  treasurer.  Between  $300,000 
and  $400,000  have  been  contributed  for  benevolence  and  building  of  houses 
of  worship  during  the  past  fifty  years. 

The  Sabbath-school  superintendents  have  been  :  Myron  Strong,  one  year ; 
Rev.  E.  Savage,  one  year ;  Rev.  Zenas  Freeman,  two  years ;  H.  L.  Achilles, 
two  years ;  EUery  S.  Treat,  one  year  ;  George  Dawson,  one  year ;  Edwin  Pan- 
cost,  seven  years ;  William  N.  Sage,  ten  years ;  James  T.  Griffin,  two  years ; 
A.  R.  Pritchard,  five  years;  L.  R  Satterlee,  three  years;  A.  G.  Mudge,  six 
years ;  S.  A.  Ellis,  four  years ;   A.  H.  Cole,  ten  years. 

The  church  first  met  after  its  organisation  in  a  small  school-house  (number 
I )  located  where  Rochester  Free  academy  now  stands.  It  was  then  removed 
to  the  old  court-house  and  sometimes  met  in  the  jury  room.  In  1827  the 
church,  being  a  feeble  band  and  considered  of  no  political  importance,  was  turned 
out  by  the  sheriff  in  obedience  to  the  directions  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 
The  members  removed  to  Col.  Hiram  Leonard's  ball-room  over  a  stable  in  the 
rear  of  the  old  Clinton  House  and  there-remained  until  1828,  when  they  pur- 
chased of  the  Rochester  Meeting-House  company  a  wooden  structure  on  State 
street,  in  which  previously  the  First  and  Second  Presbyterian  churches  had 
worshiped.  This  was  located  near  where  the  American  express  company's  build- 
ing now  stands,  on  State  street.  Five  members  of  the  church  —  Deacon  Oren 
Sage,  Deacon  Myron  Strong,  Zenas  Freeman,  H.  L.  Achilles  and  Eben  Griffith 
—  gave  their  notes  for  $1,500  for  the  purchase  and  then  spent  about  $1,000  in 


The  Baptist  Churches.  263 

improving  the  same,  and  the  church  there  remained  until  they  moved  to  their 
building  on  Fitzhugh  street  in  the  year  1839. 

The  first  building  on  Fitzhugh  street  was  built  of  stone,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$18,000.  It  was  considered  a  model  of  beauty,  as  well  as  of  convenience,  at 
that  time.  But  opinion  changed  very  much  in  subsequent  years.  That  build- 
ing was  enlarged  in  the  year  1852,  by  extending  it  thirty  feet  and  adding  gal- 
leries, at  an  expense  of  some  $10,000.  It  remained  in  this  shape  till  the  year 
1868,  when  the  necessity  for  more  room  for  the  Sabbath-school  and  social 
meetings  of  the  church  was  so  manifest  that  additional  land  was  purchased,  and 
the  rear  part  of  the  present  structure  was  erected,  at  an  expense  of  $53,034.- 
75.  In  the  year  1875  the  foundations  of  the  front  building  were  laid,  and 
during  the  following  year  the  entire  building  was  completed,  at  an  expense  of 
$74,836. 1 1,  which,  with  cost  of  ground  and  rear  part,  makes  the  entire  amount 
$140,000  invested  in  the  present  building.  This  is  a  model  of  beauty,  and 
one  of  the  finest  church  structures  in  the  state. 

The  Second  Baptist  church  was  organised  March  I2th,  1834.  For  two 
years  prior  thereto  the  subject  had  been  variously  agitated  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  forming  another  church,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.  It  was  not  until  the  26th  day  of  February,  1834,  that  the  project 
was  fully  begun,  and  on  that  date  letters  of  dismission  were  granted  to  fifty- 
six  persons,  who  formed  the  constituent  members  of  the  new  church.  At  this 
time  a  proposition  was  made  by  the  Third  Presbyterian  church  to  sell  their 
house  of  worship,  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  and  Clinton  streets, 
where  the  Washington  hall  block  now  stands.  It  was  a  stone  and  wooden 
structure  with  a  steeple  and  belfry.  The  first  meeting  of  the  new  church  and 
society  was  held  on  April  8th,  1 834,  when  the  following  trustees  were  elected  : 
H.  L.  Achilles,  S.  Lewis  (first  class) ;  Daniel  Haight,  John  Culver  (second 
class) ;  D.  R.  Barton  (third  class).  On  the  17th  of  April  following,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  previous  arrangements,  the  Third  Presbyterian  church  transferred 
their  meeting-house  to  the  new  church  for  the  sum  of  $6,600,  nearly  the  whole 
amount  being  subscribed  by  about  twenty  members.  On  the  night  of  Decem- 
ber loth,  1859,  this  house  of  worship  was  consumed  by  fire. 

After  much  consideration  the  site  of  the  present  church  edifice,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  North  avenue  and  Franklin  and  Achilles  streets,  was  purchased  April 
lOth,  i860,  for  $5,400,  the  present  edifice  being  erected  thereon  at  an  ex- 
pense of  $40,000;  it  is  capable  of  seating  1,200  people.  It  was  furnished  and 
dedicated  in  1862.  In  the  interim,  service  had  been  held  in  Palmer's  block 
(East  Main  street),  and  part  of  the  time  in  the  Third  Presbyterian  church.  In 
1848  the  church  suffered  a  loss  of  several  members,  in  the  organisation,  by 
Rev.  Charles  Thompson,  of  the  Tabernacle  Baptist  church,  which  was  then 
organised,  and  by  whom  an  edifice  was  erected  on  St.  Paul  street,  near  An- 
drews, where  the  Jewish  synagogue  now  stands.     The  organisation  did  not 


264  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

prove  strong  enough  to  live,  and,  after  a  brief  struggle,  the  church  was  sold  to 
the  Hebrews.  In  November,  1871,  ninety-eight  members  were  lost  by  the 
forming  of  the  East  avenue  Baptist  church,  which  had  been  conducted  as  a 
mission  school  for  several  years  by  the  Second  Baptist  church.  The  Second 
Baptist  church  has  now  a  membership  of  642  members.  Rev.  S.  W.  Duncan, 
D.  D.,  is  the  present  pastor.  Of  the  constituent  members  onh'  three  survive  — 
Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Barton,  Mrs.  Dorcas  Miller  and  Mrs.  Emeline  Sheik,  all  resi- 
dents of  this  city.  The  ordinance  of  baptism  was  first  administered  July  13th, 
1834,  Ebenezer  Titus  and  Martha,  his  wife,  being  the  candidates. 

The  church  has  had  eleven  pastors,  and  of  these  but  four  are  now  living:^ — 
Rev.  G.  D.  Boardman,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  T.  Edwin  Brown,  D. 
D.,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Gilmore,  professor  in  the  University  of 
Rochester,  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Dr.  Duncan.  The  first  pastor  was 
Rev.  li^lon  Galiisha,  who  took  the  pastorate  in  May  following  tlie  organisation 
of  the  church,  for  a  period  of  three  years.  He  died  at  Brockport  January  4th, 
1856.  Rev.  Elisha  Tucker  was  installed  the  second  pastor,  January  1st,  1837. 
He  resigned  in  1841,  removed  to  New  York,  and  died  in  1853.  The  third  pas- 
tor was  Rev.  V.  R.  Hotchkiss,  who  came  from  Pulteney,  Vermont,  April  26th, 
1842,  and  remained  until  October  1st,  1845,  when  he  accepted  a  call  to  a 
church  in  Fall  River,  Mass.  Rev.  Charles  Thompson  became  the  fourth  pastor 
of  the  church,  January  i8th,  1846,  and  remained  but  a  short  interval,  when  he 
organised  the  Tabernacle  church  of  Rochester.  The  fifth  pastor  was  Rev. 
Henry  Davis,  who  remained  but  a  year,  from  1849  to  1850.  Rev.  G.  W. 
Howard,  D.  D.,  commenced  his  labors  as  the  sixth  pastor  of  the  church  in  the 
autumn  of  185  i  ;  after  a  pastorate  of  six  years  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and 
then  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  died  in  1863.  Dr.  G.  D.  Boardman  assumed 
the  pastoral  charge  in  October,  1856,  occupying  the  same  for  eight  years,  when 
he  was  called  to  preside  oyer  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Philadelphia,  where 
he  is  still  successfully  ministering.  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Gilmore  was  installed  as 
the  ninth  pastor  on  October  9th,  1865,  but  resigned  in  1867  to  accept  a  pro- 
fessorship in  the  university.  The  tenth  pastor  was  the  Rev.  T.  Edwin  Brown, 
D.  D.,  who  came  from  the  Tabernacle  Baptist  church  of  Brooklyn,  and  assumed 
the  pastoral  charge  on  November  ist,  1869.  He  resigned  in  February,  1882, 
to  accept  a  call  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  which  now 
enjoys  his  successful  ministry.  His  term  of  service,  covering  a  period  of  thir- 
teen years,  is  the  longest  single  pastorate  in  the  history  of  the  church. 

The  present  and  eleventh  pastor  is  the  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Duncan,  D.  D., 
formerly  pastor  of  the  Ninth  street  Baptist  church  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  who 
accepted  the  unanimous  call  of  the  church  in  June,  1883.  In  1836  Rev.  Jirah 
D.  Cole  supplied  the  pulpit  during  the  pastor's  absence.  From  May  ist,  1864, 
to  September  30th,  1865,  Rev.  E.  G.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  now  president  of  Brown 
university,  and  formerly  of  the  Rochester  theological  seminary,  was  a  stated 


The  Bafhst  Churches.  265 

supply.  Among  the  early  members  of  the  church  was  Rev.  E.  Vining,  "  whose 
beautiful  and  useful  life  had  so  impressed  itself  upon  his  brethren,  that  the  Mon- 
roe Baptist  asssociation  erected  by  special  vote  and  contribution,  a  tombstone 
in  Mount  Hope  cemetery  to  mark  his  resting-place."  Among  those  who 
have  been  members  of  the  church,  and  at  times  assisted  in  its  pulpit  services, 
are  Rev.  E.  G.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Dr.  Buckland,  (who  supplied  the  pulpit 
in  1874-75);  Rev.  Dr.  S.  S.  Cutting,  Rev.  Eleazer  Savage;  aLso,  among  the 
present  members.  Rev.  Dr.  Howard  Osgood  and  President  M.  B.  Anderson, 
LL.  D.  There  have  been  ordained  to  the  ministry  from  the  members  of  the 
church  Rev.  George  Otis  Hackett,  August  24th,  1844;  Rev.  Niles  Kinney,  N. 
W.  Benedict,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  Wayland  Benedict.  Mrs.  Louisa  Hooker  Van 
Meter,  a  misionary  to  Burmah,  was  also  a  member  of  the  church,  having  been 
baptised  in  1828. 

The  present  deacons  are :  A.  Mosely,  Thomas  Johnston  and  M.  G.  Seeley, 
chosen  in  November,  1866;  Professor  Otis  H.  Robinson,  chosen  in  November, 
1874;  D.  G.  Weaver,  Charles  H.  Stanton,  Charles  Covell,  W.  W.  Gilbert  and 
William  H.  Caldwell,  chosen  in  November,  1878.  The  present  trustees  are: 
C.  B.  Woodworth,  chairman ;  James  Marden,  secretary ;  Martin  A.  Culver, 
Daniel  Harris,  C:  H.  Stanton  and  J.  B.  Moseley.  The  following  are  the  present 
church  officers:  Rev.  S.  W.  Duncan,  D.  D.,  pastor;  M.  G.  Seeley,  clerk;  D. 
G.  Weaver,  treasurer'  of  general  benevolent  fund ;  Prof  O.  H.  Robinson, 
treasurer  of  poor  fund  ;  W.  W.  Jacobs,  treasurer. 

The  church  started  with  a  Sunday-school  as  an  essential  element.  Its 
growth  has  been  no  less  satisfactory  than  that  of  the  church.  On  the  6th  of 
March,  1834,  Henry  L.  Achilles,  as  superintendent,  opened  a  Sunday-school 
in  connection  with  the  new  church,  and  four  days  afterward  the  latter  was  con- 
stituted, The  number  of  scholars  is  not  known  ;  but  in  October,  1834,  a  report 
was  made  to  the  Sunday-school  Union  (which  was  then  in  existence  in  this 
city),  showing  that  the  school  had  twenty-three  teachers  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  scholars,  and  possessed  a  library  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  vol- 
umes. In  nine  years  the  school  had  increased  to  five,  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  scholars  and  fifty-two  teachers,  and  it  was  then  the  largest  Sunday-school 
in  the  city,  Nathan  Britton  being  the  superintendent.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  about  three  hundred  and  eighty  scholars  and  forty  teachers  connected 
with  the  school.  A  new  library  of  one  thousand  volumes  was  recently  pur- 
chased. The  present  officers  are :  Prof  W.  C.  Stevens,  superintendent ;  W. 
W.  Jacobs,  assistant  superintendent ;  T.  B.  Ryder,  assistant  superintendent ; 
Mrs.  M.  A.  Harris,  superintendent  of  infant  department ;  Miss  Lucy  McMaster, 
assistant  in  infant  department ;  H.  F.  Seymour,  secretary  and  treasurer  ;  Edwin 
O.  Banker,  librarian  ;  Rev.  Howard  Osgood,  D.  D.,  teacher  of  Bible  class. 

The  First  German  Baptist  church.  —  In  1 848-49  several  German  Baptists 
from   New  York  city  and  other  places  came  to  Rochester  and  commenced 


266  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

holding  religious  meetings  in  .private  dwellings  and  in  number  i  school-house 
on  Fitzhugh  street.  At  first  these  meetings  were  conducted  by  a  colporteur  of 
the  American  Tract  society,  and  after  a  time  by  Rev.  E.  Roos,  of  Warrensville, 
Penn.,  who  labored  here  nine  months.  After  this  the  services  were  conducted 
by  others  at  different  intervals  until  October,  1850,  when  Rev.  A.  Henrich 
came  to  this  city  from  Buffalo,  and,  because  of  his  efficiency  and  success  in  col- 
lecting and  cementing  these  scattered  elements,  he  may  be  styled  the  founder 
of  the  first  German  Baptist  church  of  Rochester.  On  the  29th  of  June,  185  i, 
this  body  was  regularly  organised  and  recognised  by  the  proper  judicatories, 
Rev.  A.  Henrich  being  ordained  as  first  pastor.  Among  the  constituent  mem- 
bers were  John  Doppler,  Jacob  Bopser,  Conrad  Steppler  and  Joseph  Richard, 
all  of  whom  have  gone  to  their  reward  except  the  last  named.  In  October, 
1858,  Mr.  Henrich  removed  to  Anthony,  Penn.,  and  then  Rev.  Prof  A. 
Rauschenbusch,  of  the  German  branch  of  the  Rochester  theological  seminary, 
supplied  the  pulpit  for  about  six  months,  when  Rev.  Gerhard  Koopmann,  then 
of  the  senior  class  of  the  theological  seminary,  accepted  a  call  from  the  church 
and  was  their  pastor  for  a  brief  time.  He  was  succeeded  in  1863  by  Rev. 
Henry.  Schneider,  who  was  succeeded  in  1865  by  Rev.  Ernest  Tschirch. 

In  1851,  when  the  church  was  organised,  services  were  held  in  a  hall  on 
Ann  street  (now  Allen  street).  A  few  years  after  this,  purchase  was  made  of 
the  old  public  school  number  10,  on  Andrews  street,  east  of  North  Clinton 
street,  for  $2,000.  In  1870  this  stone  building,  was  taken  down  and  the 
present  inviting  brick  edifice  erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  being  worth  now, 
lot  inclusive,  some  $14,000.  Mr.  Tschirch  did  much  in  paying  for  said  edifice 
by  collecting  among  the  German  and  American  Baptist  churches.  He  left  the 
church  in  1874  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  with  only  $1,000  debt  on  the  new 
house  of  worship.  From  this  time  Rev.  Prof  H.  M.  Schaffer  of  the  theological 
seminary  supplied  the  pulpit  for  one  year.  In  1875  Rev.  Peter  Ritter,  the  present 
pastor,  accepted  a  call  from  the  church.  His  labors  among  the  Germans  of  this 
city  have  been  abundantly  blessed,  and  about  289  persons  have  been  added  to 
the  church  since,  he  took  charge  of  it,  230  of  them  by  baptism.  Through  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  Rit'ter  the  debt  of  $1,000  has  been  paid  and  the  mortgage  dis- 
charged July  2d,  1883.  In  the  past  eight  years  about  one  hundred  persons 
have  been  dismissed  by  letter  to  unite  with  other  Baptist  churches. 

Last  year  the  church  bought  a  large  building  spot  on  Sanford  street,  near 
South  avenue,  for  $1,200,  on  which  there  is  a.  chapel.  It  is  well  located  for 
growth  and  usefulness  in  this  city.  Services  and  Sunday-school  are  held  there 
every  Sunday,  also  religious  meetings  during  the  week  by  the  German  students 
of  the  theological  seminary.  The  students  also  preach  and  conduct  Sunday- 
schools  in  other  parts  of  the  city  and  suburbs.  This  church  is  ecclesiastically 
connected  with  the  Monroe  Baptist  association,  and  with  the  eastern  conference 
of  German  Baptists.     Present  number  of  communicants,  289;  whole  number 


The  Baptist  Churches.  267 . 

of  Sunday-school  scholars,  including  mission,  428;  Rev.  P.  Ritter,  pastor; 
George  Fischer,  Sunday-school  superintendent;  William  Trump,  and  R.  Wid- 
nier,  deacons;  George  Fischer,  treasurer;  John  Strobel,  clerk;  Wm.  N.  Sage, 
R.  Widmer,  Wm.  Trump,  John  Strobel  and  John  Arend,  trustees. 

The  East  Avenue  Baptist  church  grew  out  of  a  mission  Sunday-school, 
which  was  established  in  1847  by  Dr.  Giustiniani,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Ger- 
man population  of  the  city  of  Rochester.  This  was,  at  first,  a  union  school 
and  met  on  Cherry  street.  In  1863  it  was  reorganised  as  the  Bethlehem  mis- 
sion school,  under  the  especial  supervision  of  the  Second  Baptist  church,  and 
met  for  years  in  McClellan  hall,  corner  of  east  Main  and  Scio  streets,  S.  G. 
Phillips  being  its  efficient  superintendent.  In  1870  the  Sunday-school  removed 
to  a  commodious  chapel  on  the  corner  of  East  avenue  and  Anson  park,  where 
a  church  was  soon  organised  with  sixty-eight  constituent  members,  of  whom 
fifty-four  came  from  the  Second  Baptist  church.  For  more  than  a  year  after 
its  organisation,  the  pulpit  of  the  new  church  was  supplied  by  Professors  Buck- 
land  and  Strong  of  the  theological  seminary,  while  Professor  Gilmore  of  the 
university  acted  as  pastor.  In  1873  Rev.  Henry  L.  Morehouse,  formerly  of  East 
Saginaw,  Mich.,  became  pastor,  and  this  relation  continued  till  July  ist,  1879. 
After  a  brief  interval  the  pastorate  was  assumed  (February  ist,  1880)  by  Rev. 
W.  H.  Porter,  of  Ontario,  who  filled  the  position  nineteen  months.  Since  his  res- 
ignation the  church  has  been  under  the  efficient  care  of  Prof  T.  Harwood  Pat- 
tison  of  the  theological  seminary,  who  has  both  supplied  the  pulpit  and  acted 
as  pastor.  Rev.  Henry  C.  Peepels,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  has,  however,  recently 
accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  and  enters  upon  his  duties  Sep- 
tember 1st,  1884.  The  church  has,  also,  recently  sold  its  property  on  East  ave- 
nue and  purchased  lots  on  the  corner  of  Park  avenue  and  Meigs  street,  where 
it  is  about  to  erect  a  neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship.  The  present 
membership  of  the  church  is  366.  The  Sunday-school,  of  which  Deacon  W. 
P.  Andrus  is  superintendent,  reports  an  average  attendance  of  211. 

The  Lake  Avenue  Baptist  church  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  mission  school, 
planted  by  the  First  Baptist  church.  It  had  a  precarious  existence  for  several 
years,  being  without  a  house  of  its  own  and  being  obliged  to  meet  in  halls  or 
school-houses.  In  1865  a  substantial  brick  chapel  was  built,  fronting  on  Lake 
avenue,  at  the  intersection  of  Jones  avenue  and  Ambrose  street.  In  commemo- 
ration of  the  peace  that  followed  the  war  of  the  rebellion  it  was  called  the  Me- 
morial chapel.  The  lot  on  which  it  stands  was  the  free-will  offering  of  Deacon 
Oren  Sage,  of  the  First  church,  who  also  contributed  liberally  to  the  funds  re- 
quired for  building  the  chapel.  It  continued  as  a  mission  thereafter  for  six 
years.  In  1871  a  church  was  organised,  having  107  constituent  members,  most 
of  whom  took  letters  of  dismission  from  the  First  church  for  this  purpose. 
There  have  been  in  its  thirteen  years'  history  only  two  pastors.  During  the 
summer  a  call  was  given  to  Rev.  Ebenezer  Nisbet,  D.  D.,  to  be  the  first  pastor. 

18 


268  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

This  was  accepted  and  he  entered  upon  his  labors  November  1st,  1871..  After 
a  pastorate  of  four  years  Dr.  Nisbet  resigned,  and  A.  J.  Barrett,  of  the  senior 
class  in  the  Rochester  theological  seminary,  was  engaged  as  stated  supply.  In 
March,  1876,  Mr.  Barrett  accepted  a  unanimous  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  and  on  June  ist  of  that  year  was  ordained  to  the  Christian  ministry, 
so  that  he  has  now  entered  upon  his  ninth  year  of  service.  No  year  has 
passed  without  some  addition  by  baptism,  the  average  for  the  eight  years  past 
being  thirty-two  a  year.  The  present  membership  (June  1st,  1884)  is  463.  The 
brick  chapel  was  found  too  small  to  accommodate  the  church,  and  in  1882  plans 
were  drawn,  subscriptions  were  taken  and  the  work  of  building  commenced. 
A  new  stone  structure  has  been  completed,  eighty-eight  feet  by  fifty-two.  This 
will  eventually  be  the  Sunday-school  room,  though  now  occupied  as  a  church. 
The  main  edifice  is  to  be  built  soon,  a  portion  of  the  money  having  already  been 
subscribed.  The  Sunday-school  has  had  a  remarkable  growth.  When  it  entered 
the  new  brick  chapel,  in  1865,  it  numbered  128.  In  1876  it  reported  to  the 
association  an  average  of  228.  In  December,  1876,  Deacon  D.  A.  Woodbury 
was  elected  superintendent.  Under  his  efficient  administration  the  average 
attendance  now  reaches  over  400,  503  having  been  reached  on  one  Sunday  in 
March.  The  church  pays  all  its  obligations  as  fast  as  they  mature,  it  has  money 
in  the  bank  and  is  not  disturbed  by  any  internal  dissensions. 

THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL   CHURCHES. 

The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church. —  In  18 16,  as  some  of  our  surviving 
pioneers  remember,  the  first  Methodist  preaching  was  heard  ringing  through 
the  forest,  and  that  loud  singing  which  in  the  old  times  rang  out  as  a  slogan,  an- 
nouncing where  the  Wesleyan  regiment  was  rushing  into  battle,  echoed  near  at 
hand  the  solemn  thunder  of  our  upper  falls.  The  next  year,  1817,  a  class  was 
organised  by  Rev.  Elisha  House,  and  the  society  was  thus,  according  to  our 
forms,  located  for  permanent  residence  and  work.  Three  years  of  class-meet- 
ings, with  such  Sunday  and  week-day  preaching  as  could  be  secured  in  private 
residences  and  in  the  open  air,  developed  the  little  society  to  such  proportions 
that  a  regular  legal  incorporation  was  effected  on  the  20th  day  of  September, 
1820,  with  Frederick  Clark,  Nathaniel  Draper,  Abelard  Reynolds,  Daniel  Rowe 
and  Elam  Smith  as  trustees.  In  the  following  June  the  First  Methodist  church 
building  was  commenced,  a  small  brick  structure,  on  the  west  side  of  South 
St.  Paul  street,  nearest  the  southern  line  of  the  ground  on  which  the  opera 
house  now  stands.  The  young  society  was  not  wealthy,  and  it  was  not  till 
July,  1826,  that  the  building  was  fully  completed  and  dedicated.  The  rapid 
increase  of  membership  from  seventy  when  the  church  was  dedicated  to  four 
hundred  three  years  later,  compelled  an  enlargement  of  accommodations,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1830  initiatory  measures  were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a  spacious 
building,  in  a  more  central  location,  and  a  large  lot  was  secured  on  the  corner 


The  Methodist  Ei'iscoi'al  Churches.  269 

of  West  Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets,  where  the  Baker  block  now  stands..  Here, 
during  the  next  year,  an  immense  tabernacle,  104  by  80  feet  was  built  of  stone. 
It  was  dedicated  and  occupied  in  the  fall  of  183 1,  barely  five  years  after  the 
"east-side"  dedication.  But  a  sad  fate  awaited  the  great  "half-acre."  It  had 
been  used  by  its  congregation  but  little  more  than  three  years  when,  one  cold 
night  (the  Sth)  of  January,  1835,  it  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire.  Though 
the  society,  already  deeply  in  debt,  was  left  with  no  insurance,  it  was  heroic- 
ally resolved  to  rebuild  immediately,  and  within  a  year  the  house  was  so  far 
restored  that  a  large .  basement  was  ready  to  be  used  for  worship,  Sunday- 
school,  etc.  In  January,  1839,  this  second  house  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Levings,  of  the  Troy  conference. 

These  current  years,  with  all  their  financial  difficulties,  were  yet  in  a  high 
degree  prosperous.  The  congregations  and  the  Sunday-school  were  large.  It 
was  estimated  that  a  great  revival  during  the  incumbency  of  Rev.  Glesen 
Fillmore,  1830  to  '32,  resulted  in  about  nine  hundred  conversions.  Nine  hun- 
dred members  were  reported  in  1834.  The  average  number  of  members  after 
the  separation  of  the  East-side  church  in  1836  was  about  three  hundred.  We 
had  a  strong  officiary,  including  such  men  as  Nehemiah  Osburn,  Ezra  Jones, 
Willis  Kempshall,  Elijah  K.  Blythe,  Samuel  Richardson,  James  Henderson  and 
others,  and  the  business  of  the  church  was  faithfully  and  well  conducted.  Soon 
after  the  dedication  of  the  reerected  church,  the  trustees  sold  to  the  city  a 
large  strip  from  the  church  lot,  on  the  north  side,  as  a  site  for  fire  engine  house 
number  6,  and  at  length,  after  a  long  conflict  with  that  malignant  anti-Christian, 
Giant  Debt,  it  was  found  necessary  to  sell  out  and  abandon  the  old  corner.  In 
1854  a  lot  on  the  same  side  of  Fitzhugh  street,  about  midway  between  Main 
and  Ann  streets,  was  purchased,  and  the  next  year  the  present  edifice  was 
erected.  During  this  transition  the  congregations  assembled  in  the  old  city 
hall  building,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Powers  Hotel.  Early  in  1856  the 
basement  room  of  the  new  church  was  dedicated  and  occupied  thenceforward 
for  nearly  five  years  for  auditorium  and  all  other  purposes.  Since  the  dedica- 
tion of  its  audience  room,  February  7th,  1861,  the  society  has  enjoyed  a  good 
degree  of  prosperity,  spiritual  and  financial.  Faithful  men  have  ministered  in 
its  pulpit.  Its  Sunday-school,  so  long  conducted  by  James  Vick,  of  fragrant 
memory,  has  been  among  the  foremost  in  the  city.  Its  offerings  for  the  vari- 
ous organised  charities  of  the  church  have  been  liberal.  Pastor  MuUer  com- 
puted that  up  to  his  day  the  society  had  paid  for  ordinary  and  extraordinary 
expenses  and  donations,  from  the  very  date  of  its  first  election,  not  less  than 
$4,400  per  annum.  This  must  be  considered  a  very  honorable  showing.  The 
membership,  notwithstanding,  all  reductions  by  death,  removals  and  colonisa- 
tions, has  grown  to  529  at  the  last  conference  report.  The  church  edifice  has 
been  several  times  repaired,  repainted  and  refurnished  —  most  notably  in  1871, 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  William  Lloyd,  when  a  new  orgari  was  purchased, 
and  a  sufficient  sub-scription  raised  to  pay  off  all  existing  indebtedness. 


270  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  complete  list  of  pastors,  with  dates  of  their  appointment,  is  as  follows : 
1820,  Oren  Miller;  1821,  Reuben  Aylesworth;  1822,  Elisha  House;  1823, 
Micah  Seager;  1 824,  Dana  Fox ;  1825-26,  John  Dempster,  D.  D. ;  1827-28, 
Zechariah  Paddock,  D.  D. ;  1829,  Gideon  Laning;  1830-31,  Glesen  Fillmore, 
D.  D.;  1832,  Robert  Burch;  1833,  Glesen  Fillmore,  D.  D.;  1834,  Elijah  He- 
bard;  1835-36,  John  Copeland;  1837,  Wilber  Hoag;  1838,  Jonas  Dodge; 
1839,  Glesen  Fillmore,  D.  D,;  1840-41,  Thomas  Carlton,  D.  D. ;  1842,  Moses 
Crow,  D.  D. ;  1843,  Samuel  Luckey,  D.  D. ;  1844-45,  Schuyler  Seager,  D.  D. ; 
1846-47,  John  Dennis,  D.  D. ;  1848-49,  John  G.  Gulick  ;  1850,  John  Copeland  ; 
1851-52,  Augustus  C.  George,  D.  D.;  1853,  Henry  Hickok ;  1854-55,  Jona- 
than Watts;  1856-57,  Daniel  D.  Buck,  D.  D. ;  1858-59,  Israel  H.  Kellogg; 
1860-61,  Jabez  R.  Jaques,  D.  D.;  1862-64,  Sanford  Van  Benschoten,  D.  D. ; 
1865-67,  James  E.  Latimer,  D.  D.;  1868-69,  George  C.  Lyon;  1870-71, 
William  Lloyd;  1872-74,  D.  H.  Muller,  D.  D.;  1875-76,  C.  A.  Van  Anda, 
D.  D. ;    1879-B1,  George  C.  Jones;    1882-83,  Charles  W.  Gushing,  D.  D. 

The  Asbury  church.  —  The  Second  Methodist  Episcopal  church  society 
in  Rochester  was  organised  on  the  26th  day  of  September,  1836,  just  six- 
teen years  after  the  first,  by  the  election  of  William  Algood,  Jonah  Brown, 
Philander  Davis,  Elihu  H.  Grover,  John  McGonegal,  William  G.  Russell, 
and  John  Stroup  as  trustees.  Meetings  had  been  held  all  along  in  the 
old  brick  church  on  South  St.  Paul  street,  though  the  stone  church  on  the 
corner  of  West  Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets  was  the  headquarters  of  the  one 
society.  The  pastor  was  John  Copeland,  to  whom  Rev.  Daniel  P.  Kidder  had 
been  appointed  assistant,  especially  for  the  supply  of  this  second  congregation. 
The  new  organisation  adopted  as  its  style  "the  East  Side  society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  in  Rochester."  Becoming,  with  his  parents,  connected 
as  a  member  of  this  society  within  a  month  after  its  organisation,  the  writer 
very  distinctly  remembers  many  incidents  of  its  early  history.  Nathaniel  Draper 
was,  during  much  of  the  time,  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  Joseph 
Eggleston  was  one  of  its  most  hearty  vocal  members.  His  exhortations  to 
Christians  and  the  unconverted  to  "bul-lieve"  were  frequent  and  emphatic. 

In  the  autumn  of  1841  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  new  church,  and  a  lot 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Clinton  streets  was  purchased  with  that 
purpose.  Work  was  begun  in  the  spring,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the  following 
year,  1842,  the  basement  was  finished  and  occupied  for  meetings.  At  this  time 
the  new  synagogue  and  the  society  began  to  be  known  as  the  St.  John's  church, 
a  name  which  it  retained  for  nearly  eighteen  years.  The  auditorium  was  com- 
pleted and  the  house  dedicated  by  Rev.  John  Dempster,  in  February,  1844. 
A  full  and  carefully  prepared  business  history  of  the  society  presented  by  Dr. 
Austin  Mandeville,  at  the  farewell  service  Sunday  morning  March  9th,  1884, 
recounts  the  financial  difficulties  encountered  during  many  years,  all  of  which 
grew  from  the  rash  undertaking  to  build  a  house  before  any  adequate  provision 


The  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches.  271 

had  been  made  for  paying  the  expense  of  its  erection.  The  result  of  all  was 
that  a  mortgage  necessarily  given  by  the  trustees  was  at  length  foreclosed  at 
law  and  all  title  to  the  property  was  lost  to  the  society.  Greatly  discouraged 
by  this  failure,  most  of  the  members  withdrew  and  joined  a  new  society,  which 
was  organised  by  a  due  election  of  trustees  on  the  first  day  of  February,  i860, 
and  entitled  "the  Asbury  society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Roches- 
ter." The  trustees  of  this  society  purchased  the  St.  John's  church  property 
and  changed  its  name  to  correspond  with  their  corporate  style.  ,  In  the  spring 
of  1866  the  building  was  left  for  a  season  by  the  congregatiort,  which  worshiped 
in  Washington  hall,  on  the  opposite  corner.  After  considering  the  question 
of  sale  and  new  building,  or  radical  repairs,  it  was  decided  to  remodel  and  re- 
furnish the  old  church,  which  was  accordingly  done  at  an  expense,  including  a 
new  pipe-organ,  of  about  $14,000.  The  work  was  completed  and  the  church 
reopened  in  May,  1867.  With  such  advantages  the  society  has  hopefully  and 
very  successfully  continued  its  religious  work  through  the  past  seventeen  years, 
with  an  active  membership  gradually  increasing  from  250  to  about  400.  The 
natural  business  changes  of  the  city,  some  considerable  disturbance  always  ex- 
perienced from  too  much-frequented  streets,  and  the  growing  desire  for  a  house 
of  worship  more  commodious  in  its  arrangements  and  more  ecclesiastically 
orthodox  in  its  architecture,  recently  determined  the  society  to  dispose  of  its 
old  house  and  remove  to  a  point  a  little  further  east,  on  the  corner  of  East  ave- 
nue and  Union  street.  The  sale  and  purchase  have  been  completed  and  most 
interesting  farewell  services  were  helcf  on  Friday,  March  7th,  and  Sunday, 
March  9th,  1884. 

The  pastors  of  "East-side,"  "St.  John's"  and  "Asbury"  have  been  :  1836, 
D.F.Kidder;  1837,  John  Parker  ;  1838-39,  W.  H.  Goodwin  ;  1840-41,  Manly 
Tooker;  1842,  Samuel  Luckey,  D.  D. ;  1843,  F.  G.  Hibbard,  D.  D. ;  1844- 
45,  J.  M.  Fuller,  D.  D.  ;  1846-47,  Schuyler  Seager,  D.  D.  ;  1848^49,  D.  D. 
Buck,  D.  D. ;  1850-51,  W.  H.  Goodwin,  D.  D.  ;  1852-53,  John  Mandeville ; 
1854-55,  John  Raines;  1856-57,  Jonathan  Watts  ;  1858-59,  Thos.  Tousey ; 
i860,  Thomas  Stacey;  1861-62,  D.  W.  C.  Huntington,  D.  D. ;  1863-64,  J. 
E.  Latimer,  D.  D. ;  1865,  Geo.  Van  Alstyne;  1866-68,  D.  W.  C.  Hunting- 
ton, D.  D. ;  1869-71,  F.  G.  Hibbard,  D.  D. ;  1872-73,  L.  D.Watson,  D.  D.; 
1874-75,  C.  Eddy;  1876-78,  D.  W.  C.  Huntington,  D.  D. ;  1879-80,  R.  M. 
Stratton,  D.  D. ;    1881,  C.,  W.  Winchester ;    1882-83,  R-  C.  Brownlee. 

The  North  Street  church.  —  Early  in  1849  several  members  of  St,  John's  M. 
E.  church,  who  resided  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  city,  considered  that  the 
growing  population  in  their  neighborhood  needed  the  presence  and  labors  of  a 
vigorous  Christian  organisation  nearer  at  hand  than  the  central  churches,  and, 
with  the  concurrence  and  leadership  of  Dr.  S.  Luckey,  held  several  preliminary 
meetings  for  consultation  on  the  subject.  As  a  result  they  rented  an  old  build- 
ing on  Joiner  street,  which  had  been  occupied  by  colored  people  for  religious 


272  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

meetings,  and  appointed  Sunday  services  with  the  approbation  of  their  pastor, 
Rev.  Dr.  Bucli.  On  the  8th  day  of  April  the  pastor  met  with  them  and  preached 
in  the  afternoon,  and  arranged  two  classes,  numbering  twenty-eight  persons,  as 
the  begining  of, a  new  society.  At  the  ensuing  conference  Rev.  S.  W.  Alden  was 
appointed  by  the  bishop  to  take  pastoral  charge  of  the  classes,  in  connection  with 
a  recently  organised  third  Methodist  church  in  the  west  part  of  the  city.  In 
April  following,  a  hall  was  rented  at  the  corner  of  North  and  Delavan  streets 
for  their  meetings,  and  on  the  17th  day  of  said  month  (1850)  Philander  Davis, 
James  Hubbell,  A.  B.  Judson,  S.  H.  Moulder  and  John  Patterson  were  elected 
as  the  first  trustees.  At  the  conference  following,*a  first  pastor  was  appointed 
to  "North  street  church;"  very  soon  the  question  of  building  a  suitable  house 
of  worship  was  considered,  and  during  the  deliberations  and  preparatory  efforts 
came  the  proposal  of  Aristarchus  Champion,  a  public-spirited  member  of  the 
Congregational  church,  to  donate  the  sum  of  $10,000  to  any  church  which 
would  agree  to  raise  an  equal  sum  for  building  several  small  preaching-houses 
in  parts  of  the  city  which  were  least  conveniently  located  for  attendance  at  the 
central  churches.  This  proposal  being  accepted  by  Dr.  Luckey,  in  behalf  of  the 
Methodist  church,  the  North-street  congregation  became  the  first  beneficiaries 
and  were  thus  enabled  to  erect  the  building  which,  completed  and  dedicated 
the  2d  day  of  November,  1853,  has  been  from  that  date  their  pleasant  home. 
About  twelve  years  later  a  fine  improvement  was  made  in  the  windows,  in  fres- 
coing the  walls,  and  in  other  finishing.  Eight  years  later  a  new  roof  was  put 
upon  the  church  and  the  pews  were  changed  to  a  more  modern  pattern. 
About  the  same  time  a  convenient  parsonage  (number  4  Concord  avenue)  was 
finished,  and  thus  the  essential  furnishings  of  the  society  for  comfortable  life  and 
for  aggressive  work  were  happily  completed. 

The  pastors  of  North  street  church  have  been  :  1849,  S.  W.  Aldcn ;  1850, 
S.  L.  Congdon;  1851,  S.  Van  Benschoten  (supply);  1852-53,  Alpha  Wright; 
1854-55,  John  Mandeville  ;  1856-57,  J.  N.  Brown  ;  1858-59,  Nathan  Fellows ; 
i860,  S.  Luckey,  D.  D. ;  1861,  M.  Wheeler;  1862-63, 1-  H.  Kellogg  ;  1864-65, 
A.  H.  Shurtleff;  1866-68,  D.  Leisenring ;  1869-71,  J.  N.  Brown;  1872-74, 
R.  D.  Munger;  1875-77,  E.  L.  Newman;  1878-80,  L.  T.  Foote;  1881-82, 
E.  T.  Green;   1883,  R.  F.  Kay. 

The  Corn  Hill  church. — The  society  now  owning  and  occupying  the 
edifice  known  as  the  Corn  Hill  church,  on  Edinburg  street,  was  originally 
composed  of  about  thirty  members  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
who  held  religious  meetings  for  some  time  in  the  old  orphan  asylum  building 
on  Adams  street.  The  8th  day  of  June,  1852,  a  legal  organisation  was  effected 
by  the  election  of  C.  H.  Bicknell,  Geo.  Harrison,  Heman  Lyon,  C.  C.  Lee,  W. 
P.  Stanton  and  Henry  Wray,as  trustees.  A  small  colony  from  the  First  church, 
which  had  organised  as  the  Third  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Rochester, 
and,  with  pastors  regularly  appointed  by  the  bishops,  worshiped  for  some  time  in 


The  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches.  273 

a  little  tabernacle  on  Caledonia  avenue,  was  induced  to  surrender  its  incorpora- 
tion and  come  into  the  new  Corn  Hill  society,  about  doubling  its  membership, 
and  arrangements  were  at  once  initiated  for  erecting  a  suitable  church  building. 
A  portion  of  the  Champion  grant  was  appropriated  to  the  society,  and  its  church 
was  completed  and  dedicated  in  June,  1854.  Twenty  years  later  (1874)  the 
building  was  remodeled  and  the  front  towers  added,  with  other  improvements, 
at  an  expense  of  several  thousand  dollars,  and  on  April  26th  it  was  reopened  with 
interesting  services,  attended  by  several  of  the  former  pastors.  In  connection 
with  the  services  Henry  Wray  and  wife  conveyed  to  the  society,  as  a  free  gift, 
the  premises  on  Tremont  street,  for  some  years  occupied  by  the  successive 
pastors  as  a  parsonage.  Through  all  the  years  of  its  history  the  society  has 
been  eminent  for  its  liberality  and  its  industrious  methodical  activity.  The 
Sunday-school  (for  several  years  under  the  vigorous  and  judicious  superinten- 
dency  of  N.  L.  Button)  has  been  large  and  prosperous. 

The  pastors  appointed  to  Corn  Hill  have  been  as  follows  :  1853-54,  A.  C. 
George,  D.  D. ;  1855,  ]■  W.  Willson  ;  1856,  J.  A.  Swallow  (supply) ;  1857,  S. 
Seager,  D.  D.  ;  1858,  J.  Ashworth ;  1859,  S.  Luckey,  D.  D.  ;  i860,  I.  Gib- 
bard,  D.  D.  ;  i86i,  J.  Mandeville;  1862-63,  A.  N.  Fisher;  1864-66,  W.  B. 
Holt;  1867-69,  G.  W.  Paddock;  1870-71,  R.  O.  Willson;  1872,  W.  R.  Ben- 
ham;  1873-75,  A.  D.  Wilbor,  D.  D. ;  1876-78,  A.  N.  Fisher;  1879-81,  A. 
J.  Kenyon;    1882-83,  L.  A.   Stevens, 

The  Alexander  Street  church.  —  Through  several  years  previous  to  1850 
religious  services  were  regularly  held  in  what  was  then  known  as  the  "  Mount 
Hor  "  or  "  Sand  Hill  school-house  "  in  the  town  of  Brighton,  conducted  prin- 
cipally by  Rev.  A.  H.  Jervis,  a  local  preacher  from  the  First  M.  E.  church 
of  Rochester.  A  congregation  was  thus  gathered  and  for  some  time  held 
together  and  during  part  of  the  time  a  Sunday-school  exercise  was  added. 
After  some  suspension  of  these  services  a  meeting  was  called  in  the  school- 
house  on  the  1 2th  day  of  October,  1852,  to  effect  the  legal  organisation  of  a  relig- 
ious society,  and  Gideon  Cobb,  B.  Langdon,  Godfrey  Tallinger,  Daniel  Stock- 
ing and  Talcott  Brown  were  elected  trustees.  The  name  of  Alexander  street 
was  adopted  in  view  of  the  proposed  location  of  a  church  soon  to  be  erected. 
The  house,  the  third  aided  by  the  Champion  donation,  was  built  in  1853  and 
dedicated  by  Bishop  Janes.  Twenty  years  later  (in  1873)  it  was  enlarged  and 
greatly  improved,  and  since  that  date  the  society  has  enjoyed  a  steadily  increas- 
ing prosperity.      In    1879  a  commodious  and  beautiful  parsonage  was  erected. 

The  following  ministers  have  been  pastors  of  Alexander  street  church  :  1854, 
Alpha  Wright;  1855,  Thomas  Stacey;  1856-57,  Elijah  Wood  ;  1858-59,  John 
G.  Gulick;  1860-61,  Israel  H.  Kellogg;  1862-64,  John  Raines;  1865-66, 
Edwin  J.  Hermans;  1867,  Henry  Van  Benschoten,  D.  D.  ;  1868,  Andrew 
Sutherland;  1869-70,  De  Witt  C.  Huntington,  D.  D.  ;  1871,  John  D.  Requa ; 
i872-74,John  A.  Copeland;  1875-76,  Thomas  J.  Leake  ;  1877,  A.  N,  Damon  ; 
1878-80,  John  E.  Williams;    1881-83,  Lemuel  T.  Foote. 


274  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  Frank  Street  church,  corner  of  Smith  street,  was  organised  Dec.  i6th, 
1852,  taking  as  its  name  "the  Sixth  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  the  city  of 
Rochester."  Sylvanus  J.  Bartlett,  Wm.  Collins,  Jeremiah  Hegeman,  James  H. 
Hinman,  Joel  P.  Millner,  Melancton  C.  Whitmore  and  Samuel  S.  Wood  were 
elected  trustees.  District  school- house  number  6  stood  upon  the  corner  where 
the  church  now  stands,  and  the  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  "Third 
church"  had  preached  and  maintained  a  Sunday-school  there.  The  newly 
formed  society,  receiving  its  share  of  aid  from  the  Champion  donation,  deter- 
mined to  purchase  the  school-house  property  and  build  its  church  there.  In 
May,  1854,  the  work  was  begun  and  the  church  was  dedicated  in  November 
by  Dr.  Jesse  T.  Peck.  For  five  years  following,  the  society  was  tormented 
and  its  property  threatened  by  a  balance  of  indebtedness  incurred  in  building. 
At  times,  and  much  of  the  time,  there  seemed  no  reasonable  hope  that  it  could 
ever  be  disposed  of  The  annual  conference  in  1859  authorised  the  pastor  who 
might  be  appointed  at  Frank  street  to  visit  the  churches  through  the  confer- 
ence and  solicit  aid  for  his  society.  This  work  was  done  by  Rev.  William 
Manning  until  the  whole  amount  needed  was  received.  Large  repairs  and  im- 
provements have  since  been  made.  The  society  has  held  its  ground  with  a 
membership  increasing  from  thirty  at  the  beginning  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
at  the  last  report.  No  Protestant  church  in  Rochester  has  a  wider  urban  and 
suburban  district  as  its  legitimate. parish  than  Frank  street. 

The  pastors  appointed  to  Frank  street  society  have  been  :  1853—54,  S.  B. 
Rooney^  1855,  S.  Van  Benschoten,  D.  D.  ;  1856-57,  S.  L.  Congdon  ;  1858,  T. 
B.  Hudson  ;  1859-60,  Wm.  Manning;  1861-62,  R.  Hogoboom ;  1863-65,  D. 
W.  C.  Huntington,  D.D.  ;  1866-67,  G.  W.  Chandler ;  1868-70,  J.  Dennis, 
D.D. ;  1 87 1,  C.  P.  Hard;  1872-73,  J.  J.  Landers  ;  1874-75,  T.  J.  Bell ;  1876- 
78,  T.  J.  Bissell;  1879,  A.  F.  Morey ;  1880-82,  G.  W.  Coe ;  1883,  M.  C. 
Dean. 

The  Hedding  church. — The  same  religious  spirit  which  impelled  faith- 
ful men  in  1849  to  initiate  the  North  street  society  inspired  twenty- two 
years  later  a  few  zealous  persons  to  undertake  the  planting  of  a  mission 
still  further  north,  with  intent  to  reach  a  large  outlying  population  who  were 
not  very  likely  to  be  drawn  together  even  as  far  away  from  their  homes  as 
North  street.  After  several  tentative  efforts  a  chapel  was  erected  on  the  corner 
of  North  St.  Paul  and  Scrantom  streets,  which  was  dedicated  the  24th  of  De-. 
cember,  1876,  and  named  Hedding  church.  This  enterprise,  like  almost  all 
such  endeavors,  has  required  much  energy  and  patient  hopefulness  on  the  part 
of  some  determined  workers  to  push  it  through  to  a  measure  of  success  and 
encouraging  promise.  But  this  end  was  unquestionably  attained  when  in  De- 
cember last  the  entire  indebtedness  of  the  society  was  cancelled. 

The  following  pastors  have  been  appointed  to  this  work: —  1876,  H.  O. 
Abbott;  1878-79,  S.  C.  Smith;  1880,  E.  M.  Sasseville ;  1881-82,  I.  H.  Kel- 
logg;  1883,  G.  W.  Loomis. 


The  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches.  2;$ 

The  Genesee  Street  church.  —  In  the  year  1878  a  Christian  lady,  Mrs. 
A.  E.  Tanner,  gathered  in  her  home  on  Genesee  street  the  children  of  her 
immediate  neighborhood  in  a  weekly  meeting  for  religious  instruction.  It  was 
was  very  soon  judged  best  to  connect  the  mission  with  some  responsible  church, 
and  Corn  Hill  society  assumed  the  charge,  appointing  Samuel  Whybrew  class 
leader,  and  Harper  Day  Sunday-school  superintendent.  In  1879  a  lot  suitable 
for  a  church  building  was  conveyed  by  Mrs.  James  D.  Bashford,  to  the  trustees 
of  Corn  Hill,  it  being  in  large  part  a  donation  from  her.  In  1880  Mr.  Whybrew 
added  a  gift  of  $100,  and  the  question  of  building  was  considered  until  a  corner- 
stone was  laid  September  14th,  1882.  May  20th,  1883,  the  house  was  com- 
pleted and  dedicated  by  Dr.  J.  T.  Gracey.  The  structure  is  a  neat  frame  building 
in  what  is  sometimes  called  "Gothic  style,"  having  seating  capacity  for  200 
persons  and  costing  with  its  furnishing  about  $2,500.  In  October,  1883,  Rev. 
P.  T.  Lynn  was  appointed  the  first  pastor  of  Genesee  street  (as  assistant  of  Rev. 
L.  A.  Stevens  of  Corn  Hill),  by  whose  vigorous  management  the  society  has 
been  greatly  advanced  in  all  its  interests.  The  membership  has  been  much 
more  than  doubled  and  the  Sunday-school  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of  effi- 
ciency. 

The  German  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  —  In  1848  the  Rev.  John  Sawter, 
a  member  of  the  New  York  conference,  commenced  preaching  in  the  German 
language  to  a  small  congregation  in  his  own  house  on  Davis  street,  opening 
also  a  Sunday-school.  The  next  year  a  hall  was  rented  on  the  corner  of  North 
avenue  arid  Delaware  street,  and  a  society  was  duly  organised.  Dr.  Luckey 
having  presented  the  trustees  with  a  lot  (corner  of  North  and  Tyler  streets),  a 
modest  chapel  was  soon  erected,  where  the  society  worked  and  prospered  until, 
in  1869,  it  became  fully  self-sustaining.  Before  that,  in  i860,  the  church 
building  had  been  much  improved  and  a  parsonage  built  (number  33  Concord 
avenue).  About  that  date  a  parochial  week-day  school  was  opened,  which 
flourished  for  a  season,  but  it  was  proved  by  a  short  history  to  be  impracticable 
as  a  permanent  institution.  The  growing  congregation,  becoming  straitened 
for  accommodations,  determined  as  early  as  1870  to  remove  and  build  a  better 
church,  and  lots  on  North  avenue  near  Hudson  street  were  secured  for  that 
purpose.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  August  30th,  1874,  and  the  house  was 
completed  at  an  expense  of  about  $15,000  and  dedicated  by  Bishop  Janes,  June 
6th,  1875.  Unfortunately  the  society  ware  largely  involved' in  debt  by  their 
ambitious  enterprise,  and  for  a  season  the  burden  proved  very  inconvenient. 
In  1880  the  East  German  conference  resolved  to  aid  by  collections  in  its  other 
churches  to  discharge  these  obligations.  Nearly  one-half  of  the  amount  was 
thus  secured. 

The  pastors  have  been  as  follows:  John  Sawter,  John  Graw,  Jacob  Kindler,  C. 
H.  Afflerbach,  A.  C.  Hertel,  F.  G.  Gratz;  1859-60,  C.  Blinn ;  1861-63,  John 
G.  Lutz;    1863-65,  F.  G.  Gratz;    1866-68,  Jacob  Kolb  ;    1869-71,  Paul  Quat- 


276  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

lander;  1872-73,  J.  W.  Freund ;  1874-76,  Julius  Seidel ;  1877-79,  G.  Moyer; 
1880-82,  F.  Rey;    1883,  J.  J.  Messmer. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  —  A  few  Christians  of  African 
descent,  meeting  in  a  school-house  on  Ford  street  in  the  year  1827,  organised 
a  Methodist  society  in  connection  with  the  so-called  Zion  church.  A  legal  in- 
corporation was  first  secured  in  1836,  the  trustees  being  Charles  Dixon,  Wil- 
liam Earles  and  Alfred  Williams.  Their  house  of  worship,  on  the  corner  of 
Favor  and  Spring  streets,  was  built  in  1831.  Another  society  was  afterward 
formed,  which  occupied  a  small  building  on  Joiner  street.  But  it  was  found 
impossible  to  sustain  two  churches,  and  the  second  was  abandoned.  The  pas- 
tors have  been :  Isaac  Stewart,  Henry  Johnson,  John  P.  Thompson,  Dempsey 
Kennedy,  W.  S.  Bishop,  John  A.  Williams,  C.  Thomas,  James  H.  Smith,  Wil- 
liam Sandford,  William  Abbott  and  Thomas  James. 

From  1820  until  1840  Rochester  was  within  the  Genesee  conference,  from 
1848  till  1872  in  the  East  Genesee  conference,  from  1872  till  1876  in  the  West- 
ern New  York  conference,  from  1876  till  1884  in  the  Genesee  conference. 
From  1820  until  1832  Rochester  was  within  the  Genesee  district,  from  1832  till 
1846  in  the  Rochester  district.  From  1846  till  1858  the  societies  were  divided 
between  two  districts,  as  indicated  below.  From  1858  till  1884  all  have  been 
in  the  Rochester  district. 

The  presiding  elders  have  been  as  follows:  Genesee  district — 1820-21, 
Gideon  Draper ;  1822-25,  Goodwin  Stoddard  ;  1826,  Micah  Seager ;  1827-28, 
Asa  Abel;  1829-31,  Loring  Grant.  Rochester  district — 1832,  Glesen  Fill- 
more, D.  D.  ;  1833,  Abner  Chase ;  1834,  Samuel  Luckey,  D.  D. ;  1835,  Abner 
Chase;  1836-39,  Manly  Tooker;  1840-41,  John  Copeland;  1842-45,  John  B. 
Alverson;  1846-49,  Samuel  Luckey,  D.  D. ;  1850-53,  John  Dennis,  D.  D.  ; 
1854-57,  John  G.  Gulick;  1858,  Augustus  C.  George,  D.  D. ;  1859-62,  Wil- 
liam H.  Goodwin,  D.  D.  ;  1863,  John  Mandeville  ;  1864-67,  John  Dennis,  D. 
D. ;  1868-71,  Kasimir  P.  Jervis;  1872-75,  King  D.  Nettleton ;  1876-79,  John 
N.  Brown ;  1880-83,  John  T.  Gracey,  D.  D.  West  Rochester  district —  1846- 
47,  Glesen  Fillmore,  D.  D. ;  1852-54,  John  Copeland  ;  1855-57,  Augustus  C. 
George,  D.  D.  Dansville  district — 1848-49,  Freeborn  G.  Hibbard,  D.  D. 
Lima  district —  1850,  Freeborn  G.  Hibbard,  D.  D;    1857,  John  Copeland.^ 

Only  a  sacred  and  inspired  history  may  presume  to  end  itself  in  prophecy. 
But  it  is  essential,  to  a  full  view  of  any  undertaking  to  understand  its  status  in 
a  prospective  outlook.  It  is  proper,  therefore,  to  state  in  addition  that  the  two 
older  Methodist  societies  are  in  the  very  initiatory  work  of  building  large  and 
more  elegant  churches.  Asbury  has  already  removed  into  temporary  chapel 
accommodations  upon  the  ground  where  its  new  sanctuary  is  to  grow,  and  the 
First  (Fitzhugh  street)  church  more  than  a  year  ago  commenced  a  subscription 
for  such  a  house  of  worship  as  its  honor,  the  proprieties  of  its  environment, 
and  perhaps  its  safety,  have  made  necessary. 

iTlic  German  ami  llic  African  sociulics  arc  iiol  inclnilcd. 


The  Catholic  Churches.  277 

the  catholic  churches  in  rochester. 

Rochester  was  formerly  under  the  ecclesiastical  administration  of  the  bishops 
of  New  York.  The  first  of  these  was  Rt.  Rev.  John  Connolly,  who  came  to 
New  York  in  1817.  There  is  no  evidence  that  he  ever  visited  Rochester.  His 
successor,  Bishop  Dubois,  came  to  Rochester  in  1834  to  dedicate  the  second 
church.  Bishops  Hughes  and  McCloskey  also  visited  Rochester  officially.  In 
1847  the  diocese  of  Buffalo  was  erected,  and  Rev.  John  Timon,  a  member  of 
the  Congregation  of  the  Missions,  was  appointed  its  first  bishop.  In  March, 
1868,  the  diocese  of  Rochester  was  formed,  having  the  counties  of  Monroe, 
Livingston,  Ontario,  Wayne,  Seneca,  Yates,  Cayuga  and  Tompkins  as  its  limits. 
Rev.  ]?ernard  J.  McQuaid  was  consecrated  bishop  of  the  new  diocese  on  the 
1 2th  of  July,  1868,  and  took  possession  of  his  see  on  the  i6th  of  the  same 
month. 

St.  Patrick's  church.  — The  first  priest  who  exercised  the  ministry  in  Roches- 
ter, of  whom  we  have  any  record,  was  Rev.  Patrick  McCormick,  in  1818— 19. 
He  acted  under  the  administration  of  Rt.  Rev.  John  Connolly,  first  bishop  of 
New  York,  who  took  possession  of  his  sec  in  1817  and  died  in*  1825.  Rev. 
Mr.  McCormick  was  succeeded  by  Patrick  Kelly,  in  18 19,  remaining  until 
1823.  It  was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  first  Catholic  church  was  built  in 
1 82 1,  on  the  corner  of  Piatt  and  Frank  streets.  The  first  pastors  of  Rochester 
did  not  confine  their  labors  to  Rochester  and  its  immediate  neighborhood,  but 
sought  out  the  scattered  Catholics  in  a  territory  many  miles  in  extent.  Rev, 
Michael  McNamara  came  to  Rochester  in  1825,  remaining  as  the  pastor  of  St. 
Patrick's,  its  first  church,  until  1832.  He  died  at  Chili,  August  30th,  1832. 
During  his  administration,  the  second  church,  eighty  feet  by  fifty-five  feet  of 
stone,  was  built.  A  wood-cut  of  this  church  is  in  O'Rielly's  history.  During 
its  erection  the  congregation  rented  the  lower  story  of  D.  B.  Crane's  school 
house,  on  Buffalo  street,  opposite  the  bath-house,  for  $1.25  per  Sunday. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1829,  the  congregation  was  organised  as  a  church 
corporation  under  the  law  of  1813.  On  the  same  day  the  following  trustees 
were  elected :  William  Tone,  John  Sheridan,  Robert  Elliott,  Stephen  Conroy, 
William  Grennan,  Patrick  Rigney,  Patrick  Grace,  William  Morony  and  Richard 
Storey.  In  1832  Rev.  John  F.  McGerry  was  appointed  to  succeed  Father 
McNamara.  In  1833  Rev.  Bernard  O'Reilly  replaced  Father  McGerry,  who  in 
1834  returned  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  St.  Patrick's.  In  1835  Father  O'Reilly 
resumed  the  pastorship,  which  he  held  until  1 849,  when,  as  vicar-general  of  the 
new  diocese  of  Buffalo,  he  took  up  his  residence  with  the  bishop  of  Buffalo. 
In  1 850  he  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Hartford.  In  January,  1 856,  he  sailed  from 
Liverpool  in  the  Pacific  and  was  lost  at  sea.  The  first  election  for  trustees 
under  this  pastor  was  in  1835,  when  the  following  were  elected  :  William  Tone, 
Patrick  Kearney,  Patrick  O'Maley,  George  A.  Wilkin,  Hugh  Bradley,  Joseph 
Fluett,  Bernard  Klem,   James  McMullen  and  Garret  A.  Madden.     Only  the 


278  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

last  named  still  lives.  Father  O'Reilly  had  Rev.  P.  Foley  as  assistant  pastor  in 
1 834,  who  made  an  attempt  to  organise  the  congregation  of  St.  Mary's  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river.  Rev.  Mark  Murphy,  an  eminent  linguist,  was  assist- 
ant to  Father  O'Reilly  in  1840-41.  In  1849  Rev.  William  O'Reilly,  having 
been  his  assistant  from  1845,  succeeded  his  brother  as  pastor  of  St  Patrick's, 
remaining  until  1854.  Rev.  Michael  O'Brien  was  pastor  from  1854  to  1859. 
Rev.  Martin  Kavanagh  held  the  office  for  a  year  and  was  replaced  by  Rev. 
M.  O'Brien,  who  continued  in  office  until  1865. 

In  May,  1864,  the  pastor  and  Michael  Lester  and  James  H.  Tone,  as  trus- 
tees, contracted  for  the  building  of  the  present  church,  it  being  the  third  stone 
church  on  the  same  site.  A  large  temporary  building  having  been  erected  on  the 
lot  of  the  academy,  religious  services  were  held  in  it  until  March,  1 869.  In  1865 
Rev.  James  M.  Early  was  appointed  pastor  and  continued  the  work  begun  by  his 
predecessor.  On  the  17th  of  March,  1869,  the  church  was  so  far  advanced  that 
the  congregation  moved  into  it.  In  November,  1870,  it  was  solemnly  blessed  by 
Most  Rev.  John  McCloskey,  archbishop  of  New  York,  now  cardinal.  Eighteen 
archbishops  and  bishops,  and  over  one  hundred  priests  were  present.  In 
April,  1876,  Rev.  Mr.  Early  offered  his  resignation  as  pastor  and  withdrew  from 
the  diocese.  He  was  immediately  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  F.  O'Hare,  who 
in  seven  years  paid  off  an  indebtedness  of  $70,000  which  he  found  on  the 
church  and  school  when  he  assumed  office.  The  lay  trustees  for  the  year  1884 
are  John  E.  Waters  and  Dr.  Richard  Curran. 

The  early  phases  of  the  school  connected  with  St.  Patrick's  parish  are  diffi- 
cult to  trace,  as  the  records  are  imperfect  and  most  of  the  parties  connected  with 
it  then  have  passed  away  or  are  lingering  for  the  call  of  the  last  roll.  There 
was  a  school  in  the  basement  of  the  church  as  far  back  as  1832,  Mr.  Hughes 
being  one  of  the  pioneer  teachers,  and  Patrick  Quin  was  the  pedagogue  between 
1843  and  1848.  For  a  long  time  the  sexes  were  taught  in  the  same  classes, 
but  in  1843  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  took  charge  of  the  female  portion  of  the 
scholars,  and  since  then  the  girls  have  been  taught  separately.  In  March, 
1857,  the  new  school- house  on  Brown  street  was  opened  for  the  reception  of 
boys,  under  the  charge  of  the  "Brothers  of  the  Christian  schools."  Brother 
Rodblphus  was  the  first  director.  In  the  spring  of  1871  the  foundations  of  the 
new  building,  next  adjoining  and  west  of  the  old  one,  were  laid,  and  the  work 
continued  without  interruption,  so  that  in  September,  1871,  ample  school  accom- 
modations were  afforded  to  all  the  children  of  the  parish.  This  school,  graded 
after  the  manner  of  the  public  schools  (save  the  coeducation  of  the  sexes),  is 
free  to  all  the  children  of  the  parish,  and  is  supported  by  the  congregation. 
The  Christian  Brothers  left  Rochester  in  the  summer  of  1872  and  their  places 
were  supplied,  in  part,  by  laymen.  D.  B.  Murphy,  James  Rowan  and  Wm.  E. 
Ryan  had  successively  charge  of  the  first  and  second  grades  of  boys  till  July, 
1882.     In  the  meantime  the  Sisters  of  St.   Joseph  supplied  the   places  of  the 


The  Catholic  Churches.  279 

other  lay  teachers.  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis  was  superintendent  of  this  school  from 
1876  to  1882.  The  school  reopened  in  September,  1882,  with  fifteen  Sisters  of 
St.  Joseph  in  full  charge  of  all  the  children,  under  the  guidance  and  direction 
of  Rev.  James  P.  Kiernan  as  superintendent.  There  are  at  present  about  700 
children  in  average  daily  attendance  at  this  .school,  which  continues  to  be  a  free 
school,  and  to  which  neither  the  state  nor  the  city  contributes  a  single  cent,  but 
which  the  people  of  the  congregation,  for  conscience  sake,  though  taxed  for 
the  education  of  their  neighbors'  children  in  the  public  schools,  support  by 
their  own  private  contributions. 

St.  Joseph's  Church  (German)  is  located,\on  Franklin  street.  The  first  Ger- 
man Catholic  who  settled  in  Rochester  was  John  Klem,  in  the  year  1816. 
He  came  from  Havaria.  He  once  traveled  to  New  York  city  to  have  his  child 
baptised  and  to  receive  his  Easter  communion.  He  died  in  1856.  The  Ger- 
man Catholics  of  the  city  attended,  for  a  time,  St.  Patrick's  church.  About  the 
year  1836  Rev.  John  Raffeiner  visited  Rochester.  He  found  quite  a  number 
of  German  Catholics  in  the  city.  He  attended  to  their  spiritual  wants  and  ex- 
horted them  to  build  a  church,  especially  as  St.  Patrick's  was  too  small  for  all 
the  Catholics  of  the  city.  Soon  after  Rev.  Joseph  Prost,  a  Redemptorist  father, 
passed  through  Rochester.  He  also  urged  them  to  build  a  church..  On  his  re- 
turn from  Ohio  he  found,  to  his  surprise,  a  church  prepared.  They  had  bought 
the  negroes'  church  on  Ely  street,  for  $1,600.  Father  Prost,  with  the  permis- 
sion of  Bishop  Dubois  of  New  York  and  of  his  superior,  remained  in  the  city 
and  took  charge  of  the  German  Catholics.  After  some  difficulties  with  the 
trustees,  he  left.  The  church  was  attended  for  about  two  years  by  several 
priests,  among  whom  we  may  mention  Rev.  J.  N.  Neumann,  then  a  secular 
priest,  afterward  a  Redemptorist,  and  finally  bishop  of  Philadelphia.  In  1839 
Rev.  J.  Saendel  passed  through  the  city  with  Indians,  on  his  way  to  lower 
Canada.  He  remained  in  Rochester  about  one  year.  He  afterward  joined  the 
Trappist  order.  The  old  church  was  called  St.  Mary's,  on  Ely  street.  The  new 
church  of  stone  on  Franklin  street  was  begun  in  1841,  and  finished  in  1843,  by 
the  Redemptorist  fathers.  The  succeeding  pastors,  or  rather  rectors,  were  the 
following  reverend  fathers,  all  Redemptorists :  Fr.  H.  Tshenhens,  1841  to  the 
fall  of  1841  ;  Francis  Beraneck,  1841-46;  Alexander  Czvikovicz,  1846-51; 
Joseph  Breska,  1851-54;  John  De  Dyker,  1854-58  ;  Max  Leingruber,  1858-60; 
Thad.  Anwander,  1860-62;  Lorenz  Holzer,  1862-65;  George  Ruland,  1865- 
74;  Thad.  Anwander,  1874-77  ;  Peter  Zimmer,  1877-79;  Stephen  Schneider, 
1879-80;  Jos.  Frohhch,  1880  till  now.  The  assistant  fathers  (in  1884)  are: 
Rev'ds  V.  Holscher,  J.  Saftig  and  H.  Dressmann.  There  are  also  three  lay 
brothers.  The  pastoral  residence  (convent)  was  built  about  1850;  it  was  en- 
larged in  1876. 

The  first,  school  connected  with  the  parish  was  established  by  Rev.  Joseph 
Prost,  about  1837,  with  one  male  teacher.     There  are  now  two  large  school 


28o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

buildings  of  brick ;  one  was  built  in  185 1,  and  the  other  in  1862.  The  Sisters 
of  Notre  Dame  were  brought  to  the  city  by  Mother  Caroline,  from  Milwaukee, 
October.  15th,  1854.  They  had  about  175  in  the  school  in  the  first  year. 
Now  (in  1884)  there  are  about  560  children  attending  St.  Joseph's  school. 
The  boys  are  under  the  care  of  three  Brothers  of  Mary ;  the  girls  are  taught 
by  the  Sisters.  The  Sisters'  convent  is  near  the  church,  on  Andrews  street. 
The  Brothers'  house  is  near  the  pastoral  residence,  on  Franklin  street. 

St.  Mary's  church  is  located  on  South  street,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
largest  parishes  in  the  city,  both  in  territory  and  in  population.  Its  boundaries 
are,  on  the  west,  the  Genesee  river ;  on  the  north,  Andrews  street,  University 
avenue  and  East  Main  street;  on  the  east,  the  New  York  Central  railroad, 
and  on  the  south  it  includes  the  towns  of  Brighton  and  Henrietta.  The  Eng- 
lish-speaking people  attending  this  church  number  about  4,000.  It  seats 
1,500  comfortably.  It  is  built  of  brick,  in  Romanesque  style  of  architecture. 
The  early  struggles  of  this  parish  are  well  remembered  by  the  old  inhabitants. 
The  first  church  they  occupied  was  bought  from  the  Methodists,  on  St.  Paul 
street,  opposite  Ely,  in  1834.  Father  Carroll  was  pastor  in  1851.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  placing  the  parish  on  a  firm  basis,  in  spite  of  the  poverty  and 
small  number  of  the  people.  Father  Creedon  succeeded  him,  and  continued 
the  work  successfully  for  about  one  year.  Rev.  Thomas  McEvoy  purchased 
the  present  site  on  South  street,  and  commenced  his  laborious  work  of  build- 
ing, which  bore  him  to  the  grave  when  success  had  crowned  his  efforts.  He 
went  to  New  York  to  make  preparations  for  the  dedication,  and  died  suddenly 
before  returning.  Rev.  Daniel  Moore  became  his  successor  in  1858,  and  Rt. 
Rev.  John  Timon,  bishop  of  Buffalo,  consecrated  St.  Mary'sv  church  on  the 
23d  of  August  in  that  year.     Rev.  Thomas  Flaherty  was  appointed  pastor  in 

1 86 1,  when  Father  Moore's  patriotism  placed  him  as  chaplain  in  the  army. 
Very  Rev.  Father  McMannis,  vicar-general  of  Rochester,  became  pastor  in 

1862.  By  earnest  pleading  with  Bishop  Timon,  he  was  permitted  soon  to 
return  again  to  his  beloved  people  of  Geneva,  where  he  has  remained  ever 
since,  multiplying  monuments  to  his  zeal  for  religion  and  the  welfare  of  the 
people.  Father  Early  succeeded  Father  McMannis,  and  remained  until  1865. 
Father  McGowan  took  charge  of  the  church  until  1866.  In  this  year,  April 
2Sth,  Rev.  Dr.  Barker  became  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  and  remained  until  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent.  Rev.  J.  P.  Stewart,  on  May  7th,  1871. 

The  old  parochial  school  in  the  basement  of  the  church  was  entirely  unsuited 
to  the  work  for  which  it  was  intended.  Bishop  McQuaid  closed  it,  and  aided 
the  pastor  in  every  way  to  supply  this  necessary  want.  Generosity  and  zeal 
soon  completed  the  building.  In  1873  the  magnificent  parochial  school  oppo- 
site the  arsenal,  on  South  street,  was  thrown  open  to  the  children  of  the  parish. 
It  has  eight  well-furnished  and  ventilated  rooms,  which  by  sliding  doors  between 
may  be  formed  into  large  halls.      The  children  are  taught  by  the  Sisters  of 


The  Catholic  Churches.  281 

Mercy.  The  convent  is  next  north  of  the  church.  The  Sisters  visit,  console 
and  instruct  the  poor  and  sici<  of  the  city.  They  train  young  girls  in  their 
industrial  school  and  show  them  how  to  make  a  living  by  sewing  or  domestic 
work,  and  obtain  good  girls  to  do  house  work  for  worthy  ladies  in  Rochester 
and  the  vicinity.  A  "  children's  home,"  or  creche,  is  attached,  for  the  assist- 
ance of  industrious  parents  who  desire  their  children  to  be  cared  for  during  the 
day.  This  fine  building  was  purchased  from  N.  H.  Galusha  in  1882,  and 
$6,000  was  spent  in  preparing  it  for  its  present  work  of  charity. 

St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  church  (German)  is  located  on  the  corner  of  King 
and  Maple  streets.  When  the  members  of  St.  Joseph's  congregation  began  the 
building  of  the  present  St.  Joseph's  church  a  number  of  members  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river  were  dissatisfied  with  the  location  of  the  new  church.  Conse- 
quently, they  separated  and  started  a  church  on  the  corner  of  King  and  Maple 
streets,  in  1842.  After  some  trouble  the  first  church,  a  frame  one,  was  built. 
Simon  Zeug  and  J.  loegele  were  the  first  trustees.  Bishop  Hughes,  of  New 
YorK,  paid  a  visit  to  Rochester  in  December,  1842,  to  settle  some  disputed 
points.  They  accepted  his  decision,  and  in  June,  1843,  the  church  was  opened 
in  harmony  with  Catholic  discipline.  The  deed  of  the  property  was  given  to 
Bishop  Hughes.  The  old  church  being  too  small,  the  congregation  built 
another  of  brick  in  1859.  It  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Young,  of  Erie,  August 
iSth,  1859.  This  year  (1884)  the  same  church  is  being  enlarged  by  about 
thirty  feet.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Ivo  Levitz,  a  Franciscan  father.  He 
was  pastor  from  1843  to  1846.  The  succeeding  pastors  were:  Rev.  Count 
Anthony  Berenyi,  from  1846  to  1848  ;  Leonard  Schneider,  1848-49;  R.  Fol- 
lenius,  1849-51;  Fr.  X.  Krautbauer  (now  bishop  of  Green  Bay),  1851-58; 
Stephen  Richer,  from  May,  1858,  to  September,  1858;  again  Father  Kraut- 
bauer till  April,  1859;  Rev.  Joseph  Sadler  (who  built  the  new  church),  1859-65. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Francis  H.  Sinclair,  D.  D.,  who  has  been  so  since 
October,  1865.  The  assistant  pastor  is  Rev.  Aloys  Wcissteiner.  The  trustees 
in  the  present  year  are  Joseph  Gradl  and  George  Spahn.  The  pastoral  resi- 
dence of  brick,  three  stories  high,  was  built  in  1856. 

The  first  school  connected  with  the  parish  was  established  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  old  church  in  1842.  The  second  was  established  in  the  old 
church  itself  in  1859,  after  the  building  of  the  brick  church.  The  present  one 
was  built  of  brick,  three  stories  high,  in  1867.  The  first  year  there  were  about 
eighty  pupils  attending.  In  1884  there  are  500  children  attending  the  school; 
the  boys  are  under  the  care  of  three  Brothers  of  Mary,  the  girls  are  taught  by 
four  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame.  On  the  south  side  of  the  church  is  the  convent  of 
the  Sisters,  a  fine  brick  building.  On  the  east  side  of  the  school  is  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Brothers,  a  frame  building. 

St.  Mary's  French  church  is  located  on  Pleasant  street,  near  St.  Paul,  and 
is   generally   called  the    "  church   of   Our    Lady  of  Victory."      The   P^rench 


282  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Catholics  of  this  city  organised  in  the  old  German  church  on  Ely  street.  The 
congregation  was  formed  in  1848  and  called  "St.  Mary's  French  church." 
The  new  church,  of  brick,  was  built  by  Father  De  Regge  in  1868,  on  Pleasant 
street.  At  that  time  (1868)  the  name  of  the  church  was  changed  to  "Our 
Lady  of  Victory,"  but  the  incorporation  name  retains  the  old  title.  This  church 
on  Ely  street  was  attended  first  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  of  St.  Joseph, 
viz.,  by  Rev.  Fr.  Mason  from  1848  to  1849,  and  by  Rev.  E.  van  Campenhandt 
from  1849  to  1852.  The  first  resident  pastor  was  Rev.  A.  Saunier,  1852-54. 
The  first  trustees  were  Antoine  Langie  and  Ambroise  Dupont.  The  succeed- 
ing pastors  were :  Rev.  P.  Bricoh,  1854-57  (from*St.  Joseph's  church);  B.  F. 
Lefevre,  1858-59;  A.  Pierard,  1859-61;  C.  J.  Magne,  1861-62;  P.  Matricon, 
1862  ;  A.  Amatore,  1862-63  ;  Le  Breton,  1863;  H.  De  Regge,  1863-69  ;  J. 
Dole,  1869-78;  H.  De  Regge  (administrator),  1878-79;  A.  Notebsert,  since 
1879,  the  present  pastor.  The  present  trustees  are  J.  A.  Remarque  and  Frank 
Forest.  The  residence,  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  northeast  corner,  was  built 
in  1870.     It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high; 

The  church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  is  on  Plymouth  avenue.  The 
congregation  was  organised  in  1849.  ^t  had  formed  a  part  of  St.  Patrick's. 
The  first  church,  a  frame  edifice,  was  built  in  1849.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
Another  church  of  brick  was  then  built  in  1864.  This  also  was  greatly  dam- 
aged by  fire  in  1872.  In  the  same  year  the  present  church  of  brick  was  en- 
larged and  finished.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  John  Fitzpatrick,  1849-52. 
The  first  trustees  were  James  Hayes  and  Patrick  Condon.  The  succeeding 
pastors  were:  Rev.  P.  Bradley,  1852;  Thos.  O'Brien,  1852-58;  F.  McKeon, 
1858-59;  Wm.  Stephens,  1859-60;  Peter  Bede,  1860-66;  Patricio  Byrnes, 
1866-75  ;  M.  M,  Meagher,  since  1875.  The  assistant  priest  is  at  present  Rev. 
John  Hopkins.  The  present  trustees  are  Wm.  C.  Barry  and  John  Jaeger.  The 
pastoral  residence,  of  brick,  on  the  side  of  the  church,  was  built  in  1870. 

The  school-house  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  on  the  north  side  of  the  church, 
was  built  in  1871.  About  250  pupils  attended  the  first  year.  At  present  there 
are  in  attendance  about  450  children.  They  are  taught  by  eight  Sisters  of  St. 
Joseph  from  Nazareth  convent. 

St.  Bridget's  church  is  between  Gorham  and  Hand  streets.  This  congre- 
gation was  separated  from  St.  Mary's  church  and  organised  in  1854.  The 
first  church  (now  school-house),  of  brick,  was  dedicated  November  5th,  1854. 
The  new  church,  on  Gorham  street,  was  begun  in  1872  and  finished  in  1875  by 
Rev.  James  F.  O'Hare.  The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  A.  Saunier, 
from  1854  to  1856.  The  succeeding  pastors  were  :  Rev.  Thos.  Flaherty,  1856  ; 
D.  D.  Moore,' 1856-58;  Peter  Barker,  1858-59;  Fr.  McKeon,  1859-60;  Wm. 
F.  Payne,  1860-67;  Nicholas  Byrnes,  1867-71  ;  James  F.  O'Hare,  1871-76; 
James  O'Connor,  since  1876.  The  present  trustees  are  James  Fee  and  Mi- 
chael Stupp.  The  pastoral  residence,  of  brick,  was  buih  in  1857  and  enlarged 
in  1880. 


The  Catholic  Churches.  283 

'  The  old  church  on  Hand  street  was  converted  into  a  school  in  1875,  and  the 
school  opeiied  the  same  year.  About  250  pupils  attended  the  school  the  first 
year.  At  present  there  are  about  320  children  attending.  They  are  taught  by 
eight  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  from  Nazareth  convent. 

St.  Boniface's  church  (German)  is  on  Grand  street.  This  congregation  sep- 
arated from  St.  Joseph's  church  and  was  organised  in  the  year  i860,  under  the 
care  of  the  Redemptorist  fathers.  In  the  year  following  the  present  building 
(a  temporary  church  and  school)  was  opened.  It  was  enlarged  in  1870.  It 
is  a  brick  building.  The  first  story  is  used  for  the  school  and  the  residence  of 
the  teachers.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  J.  Klein,  from  1861  to  1865.  The 
first  trustees  were  Henry  Oberlies,  Christ.  Rommel,  Charles  Schlereth,  John 
Beikirch,  Engelbert  Demmer,  Lorenz  Waldert  and  Caspar  Schwalbach.  The 
succeeding  pastors  were:  Rev.  J.  F.  Payer,  from  1865  to  1875,  and  Rev.  Her- 
mann Renker,  since  1875.  The  present  trustees  are  M.  Bidenbach  and  J. 
Burkhardt.  The  pastoral  residence  is  a  small  frame  house  on  the  south  side 
of  the  church. 

The  first  school-house  was  opened  in  i86f  with  about  100  pupils,  in  the 
first  story  of  the  present  building.  Now  (1884)  there  are  about  300  children 
attending  St.  Boniface's  school.  They  are.  taught  by  three  Sisters  of  Notre 
Dame. 

The  Holy  Family  church  (German)  is  on  the  corner  of  Jay  and  Ames 
streets.  The  parish  of  the  Holy  Family  was  separated  from  St.  Peter  and 
Paul's  parish  and  organised  in  1862.  The  old  church  was  of  brick.  It  is  in 
the  rear  of  the  new  church.  It  forms  a  part  of  the  pastoral  residence  and  of 
the  sacristy.  The  new  church,  of  brick,  was  built  in  1864.  The  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  Nicholas  Sorg,  from  1864  to  1866.  The  first  trustees  were  Peter 
Esse  and  John  Behm.  The  succeeding  pastors  were :  Rev.  Charles  Wagner, 
from  1866  to  1867;  Rev.  Leopold  Hofschneider,  from  1867  to  1884,  and  the 
present  pastor.  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  since  May  4th,  1884.  The  present  trustees 
are  K.  Halbleib  and  E.  De  Tambel.  The  pastoral  (temporary)  residence  is  in 
the  rear  of  the  church,  a  part  of  the  old  church. 

The  first  school  was  opened  with  the  old  church  in  1862.  It  was  a  frame 
building  on  the  north  side  of  the  church.  The  present  beautiful  building  was 
erected  in  1882.  It  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  school-houses  of  the  city. 
In  the  first  year  about  120  pupils  attended  the  school.  At  present  (1884) 
there  are  420  children   educated  in  this  school  by  five  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame. 

Most  Holy  Redeemer's  church  (German)  is  on  Hudson  street,  corner  of 
Clifford.  This  church  was  separated  from  St.  Joseph's  church  and  organised 
in  1867.  It  was  under  the  care  of  the  Redemptorist  fathers  until  1869.  The 
first  church,  of  brick  (now  school-house),  was  dedicated  July  23d,  1868.  The 
new  church  of  brick,  with  two  towers,  was  commenced  in  1876  and  finished  in 
1877.     The  first  resident  pastor  is  the  present  one.  Rev.  F.  Oberhalzer,  since 

19 


284  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

1869.  The  first  trustees  were  J.  Leckinger  and  J.  Armbruster.     The  present 
trustees  are  James  Hoff  and  Fr.  Herbst.    •  The  pastoral  residence  was  built  in 

1870.  It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high. 

The  first  school-house  was  opened  in  1868.  It  formed  a  part  of  the  old 
church.  It  was  enlarged  in  1877,  when  the  old  church  was  converted  into  a 
."ichool-house.  About  130  pupils  attended  the  school  the  first  year.  At  pres- 
ent there  are  about  500  children.  They  are  taught  by  one  male  teacher  and 
five  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame. 

St.  Michael's  church  (German)  is  on  North  Clinton  street.  This  congrega- 
tion formed  a  part  of  St.  Joseph's  and  of  Holy  Redeemer's  parish.  It  was 
organised  in  May,  1873.  The  Redemptorist  fathers  of  St.  Joseph  had  charge 
over  it  until  1874.  The  church  (at  present  church  and  school-house)  was  built 
in  1873-74.  It  was  dedicated  in  March,  1874.  It  is  a  large  brick  building. 
It  will  be  turned  into  a  school-house  as  soon  as  the  new  church  now  in 
contemplation 'has  been  built.  The  first  pastor  is  Rev.  Fridolin  Pascalar  since 
1874,  appointed  in  the  fall  of  1873.  The  first  trustees  were  M.  Hoefer,  and 
Valentine  Krieg,  The  present  trustees  are  Anthony  Englert  and  Jos.  Froh- 
licher.  The  first  pastoral  residence  was  a  small  stone  house  on  Clinton  street. 
The  new  residence,  of  brick,  on  the  southeast  side  of  the  present  church,  was 
built  in  1878. 

The  school  connected  with  this  parish  was  opened  in  1874.  For  this  pur- 
pose a  part  of  the  church  (the  rear)  and  a  frame  building  on  Clinton  street  are 
used.  About  250  pupils  attended  the  school  the  first  year.  At  present  there 
are  about  475  children.     They  are  taught  by  seven  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame. 

The  church  of  the  Holy  Apostles  is  on  L)'ell  avenue.  A  new  congrega- 
tion is  being  organised  under  the  title  of  "Holy  Apostles."  The  members 
fornied  a  part  of  St.  Patrick's  cathedral.  Rev.  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  formerly 
of  Livonia,  has  been  appointed  the  first  pastor  of  this  church.  May  ist,  1884. 

THE   UNITARIAN   CHURCH. 

The  First  Unitarian  Congregational  society.  —  An  effort  was  made  as  early 
as  1829  to  found  a  Unitarian  society  in  Rochester.  The  first  preaching  here 
was  a  few  weeks  before,  in  December,  1828,  by  Rev.  William  Ware,  then  of 
New  York.  He  was  immediately  followed  by  Rev.  James  D.  Green,  who  or- 
ganised a  society.  The  same  year  the  old  wooden  building  which  St.  Luke's 
(Episcopal)  church  had  abandoned  was  purchased  and  moved  to  the  north  side 
of  Buffalo  (now  West  Main)  street,  just  west  of  Sophia.  It  was  occupied  only 
a  year  or  two,  when  it  was  sold  together  with  a  lease  of  the  ground  it  stood  on 
for  $200,  and  the  society  disbanded.  In  the  next  ten  years  there  was  liberal 
preaching  of  a  desultory  sort,  at  a  place  called  Masonic  Hall  on  Exchange 
street,  in  a  school-house  (used  also  by  the  "Christians"  as  a  church)  on  the 
present  site  of  Plymouth  church,  and  in  "  Carthage,"  as  the  settlement  on  the 


The  Unitarian  Church.  285 

east  bank  of  the  river  near  the  lower  falls  was  called.     This  work  was  chiefly 
done  by  that  heroic  and  honored  citizen,  Myron  Holley. 

In  1 841  the  work  of  reorganisation  was  begun  in  earnest.  Rev.  Mr.  Storer, 
of  Syracuse,  commenced  the  work,  and  a  goodly  number  of  noble  men  and 
women  rallied  to  his  call.  Dr.  Matthew  Brown  was  made  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  and  George.  F.  Danforth,  clerk.  The  meetings  were  held 
in  the  Christian  church,  before  referred  to,  and  a  number  of  ministers  were 
heard  for  a  short  time  who  have  since  won  distinction  in  the  denomination.  In 
1842  Rev.  Rufus  Ellis  came  and  remained  a  year.  Under  his  leadership  the 
society  built  a  very  comfortable  church  on  the  present  site  of  St.  Paul's  (Ger- 
man) church,  Fitzhugh  street,  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000.  Soon  afterward  Rev. 
F.  W.  Holland  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  remained  until  1848.  The 
ministers  who  followed  Mr.  Holland  were :  Rev.  Rufus  H.  Bacon,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Doherty,  Rev.  W.  H.  Channing,  Rev.  Thomas  Hyer,  Rev.  James  Richardson, 
Rev.  James  K.  Hosmer,  Rev.  Mr.  Fitzgerald.  The  latter  had  preached  only 
one  Sunday  when  the  church  burned.  This  occurred  November  loth,  1859. 
Shortly  afterward  services  were  suspended.  In  1865  Rev.  F.  W.  Holland 
returned  to  Rochester,  gathered  the  society  together,  and,  raised  the  necessary 
funds  to  build  a  new  church.  The  building  was  erected  on  the  east  side  of 
Fitzhugh  street,  at  a  cost,  including  the  lot,  of  about  $12,000;  and  was  occu- 
pied until  its  sale  to  the  United  States  government  in  1883.  Mr.  Holland  re- 
mained in  charge  three  years.  Rev.  Clay  McCauley  followed  for  one  year; 
then  Rev.  E.  H.  Danforth  for  six  months.  In  1870  Rev.  N.  M.  Mann  became 
the  pastor  and  still  remains  in  charge. 

Upon  the  sale  of  the  Fitzhugh  street  property,  the  society  purchased  the 
beautiful  andcomhiodious  stone  church  and  chapel  of  the  Third  Presbyterian 
church,  occupying  both  corners  of  Lancaster  and  Temple  streets.  The  build- 
ings have  been  thoroughly  restored  and  made  attractive  without  and  within. 
The  society  is  out  of  debt,  as  has  been  its  rule  since  1865,  and  is  in  a  prosper- 
ous condition.  The  following  gentlemen  constitute  the  present  board  of  trus- 
tees (March,  1884):  J.  A.  Hinds,  chairman;  Porter  Farley,  secretary;  S.  L. 
Brewster,  Samuel  Wilder  and  C.  C.  Morse. 

During  the  early  part  of  1884  the  pastor  of  the  church  was  excluded  from 
the  pulpit  by  an  illness  which  lasted  through  several  weeks.  For  the  first  Sun- 
day morning  his  place  was  kindly  taken  by  Prof  True,  a  member  of  the  faculty 
of  the  theological  seminary,  who  preached  most  acceptably  to  the  congrega- 
tion, recalling  (without  his  mentioning  it)  the  time  when  Prof  Robinson,  of  the 
same  institution  —  who  is  now  the  president  of  Brown  university  — '■  occupied 
the  desk  during  an  extended  vacancy  in  the  pastorate.  After  Prof  True  the 
society  had  the  ministration,  for  seven  consecutive  Sundays,  of  Dr.  Landsberg, 
the  rabbi  of  the  Jewish  temple,  whose  sermons,  as  well  as  his  conduct  of  the 
services,  will  long  be  remembered  with  gratification,  not  only  by  the  regular 


286  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

attendants  of  the  church,  but  by  the  many  visitors,  of  more  than  one  creed, 
who  attended  the  exercises.  This  informal  union  of  the  two  religions,  and  the 
occupancy  of  a  Christian  pulpit  for  a  long  time  by  one  of  the  same  race  with 
the  founder  of  the  Christian  faith,  produced  a  profound  impression,  not  only  in 
this  city  but  elsewhere.  Remarks  unfavorable  were  made  at  first,  but  criticism 
soon  sank  to  silence,  as  it  was  seen  that  this  might  be  the  forerunner  of  the 
establishment  of  a  universal  church. 

THE   LUTHERAN   CHURCHES. 

Zion's  First  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  church.  —  This  is  the  mother  of 
the  Lutheran  churches  in  this  city,  the  other  three  being  emphatically  her 
daughters.  The  first  official  minutes  of  Zion's  First  German  Evangelical  Luth- 
eran church  begin  in  1839  and  contain  as  an  introduction  a  short  sketch  of  the 
past  history  of  the  church.  In  1832  Rev.  Miiller  preached  to  a  few  families 
(Ebersold,  Rohr,  Engel,  Schwarz,  Schneeberger)  in  the  basement  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  church.  In  1833  Rev.  C.  F.  Welden,  now  living  in  Philadelphia 
as  pastor  emeritus,  came  and  preached  occasionally.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
W.  A.  Fetter,  of  Rush,  where  at  that  time  was  a  German  Lutheran  congrega- 
tion. Under  his  administration,  in  1836,  the  corner-stone  for  a  church  build- 
ing, where  the  present  church  is  now  located,  northeast  corner  of  Grove  and 
Stillson  streets,  was  laid.  In  May,  1838,  Rev.  J.  Miihlhauser  took  charge  of 
the  congregation.  The  church  was  dedicated  December  14th,  1838.  The  names 
of  the  first  officers  found  in  the  minutes  are :  Chr.  Traugott,  C.  Lauer,  G.  C. 
Drehmer,  J.  Schonmaier,  Jacob  Maurer,  J.  Ebersold,  J.  Rohr,  John  Maurer,  H. 
Diener,  B.  Heidt,  G.  EUwanger,  R.  Heidt,  George  Maurer.  The  list  of  com- 
municants goes  back  to  October,  1834;  of  the  first  catechumens  and  of  the 
marriages  to  April,  183S  ;  of  baptisms  to  September,  1834.  March  iSth,  1851, 
the  congregation  resolved  to  build  a  new  church  on  the  old  site.  The  new 
church  was  dedicated  January  29th,  1852  ;  galleries  were  put  in  in  1856  ;  the 
church  was  enlarged  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  rapidly  growing  congregation 
in  1872,  and  is  now  forty-eight  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  and  six  feet  long, 
with  a  steeple  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  high.  In  1883  two  doors,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  main  entrance,  were  broken  through  in  the  front,  with  stone 
stairs  and  iron  railings,  and  the  vestibule  was  changed,  a  necessary  convenience 
for  the  numerous  congregation  and  a  decided  improvement  in  the  appearance 
of  the  building. 

The  large  old  school-house  at  the  corner  of  North  avenue  and  Franklin 
street,  now  used  as  a  planing-mill,  was  sold  in  1881  and  a  building  for  school 
purposes  erected  in  the  rear  of  the  church.  The  pre.sent  teachers  of  the  paro- 
chial school  are  C.  G.  Schneider  (German,  and  organist)  and  Miss  Maggie 
Hoppe  (English).  The  commodious  parsonage,  number  46  Stillson  street,  very 
near   the   church,  was  purchased  by  the  congregation  and  fitted  up  with  all 


The  Lutheran  Churches.  287 

modern  conveniences  in  1881.  The  pastors  have  been  as  follows:  J.  Miihl- 
hauser,  1838  to  1848;  J.  G.  Kempe,  until  1862;  A.  Uebelacker,  until  i868; 
F.  von  Rosenberg,  until  1874;  C.  F.  W.  Hoppe,  until  1881  ;  Rev.  A.  Richter, 
the  present  pastor,  since  July,  188 1.  The  present  officers  are:  Church  coun- 
cil —  Chr.  Seel,  N.  Conrad,  J.  Traugott,  elders ;  J.  Christ,  treasurer ;  A. 
Scheuer,  secretary;  M.  Schlegel,  F.  Bundschuh,  J.  Kleinow,  R.  Kuhn,  C.  G. 
Kallusch,  deacons;  trustees  —  J.  G.  Wagner,  president ;  F.  Schlegel,  secretary  ; 
J.  Rohr,  treasurer ;  Wm.  Wagner,  J.  Margrander,  J.  A.  Krautwurst,  J.  Korner. 
We  might  add  that  chiefly  under  the  auspices  of  Zion's  church  and  its  pastor  a 
"  Lutheran  proseminary,"  for  the  education  of  boys  and  young  men  as  German 
Lutheran  ministers,  was  opened  in  October,  1883  ;  now  located  on  South  ave- 
nue, bidding  fair  for  the  future.  A  branch  Sunday-school  was  started  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  city  in  March,  1884,  which  numbers  already  nearly  one 
hundred  scholars.  The  services  are  held  under  the  supervision  of  the  pastor 
of  Zion's  church  in  the  chapel  of  the  Calvary  Presbyterian  church,  on  South 
avenue,  corner  of  Hamilton  place. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  of  the  Reformation,  on  Grove  street, 
between  North   avenue  and  Stillson  street,  the  only  English   Lutheran  church 
in  the  city,  received  its  name  from  the  anniversary  day  on  which  it  was  organ- 
ised, October  31st,  1868.     The  founder  and  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Reuben  Hill. 
The  first  services  were  held   in  Zion's  church,  in  the  evenings  when  there  was 
no  German  service.     As  soon  as  the  organisation  was  started,  services  were 
held  regularly  in  the  third  story  of  Zion's  old  school-house  on  North  avenue, 
at  present  a  planing-mill.     The  first  board  of  trustees  consisted  of  C.  C.  Meyer, 
John  B.  Snyder,  John  S.  Kratz,  Wm.  Steinhauser,  J.  W.  Maser.     The  present 
building  was  dedicated  in  the  fall  of  1873.     In  1874  Rev.  R.  Hill  was  called  to 
AUentown,  Pennsylvania.     He  was  immediately  succeeded  by  Rev.  Charles  S. 
Kohler,  who  still  continues  in  the  pastoral  office.     At  present  the  officers  are 
Church  council  —  S.  J.   Kuenzi,  J.  W.  Maser,  elders ;    Charles  J.  Wichmann 
P.  Schaeffer,  secretary ;  A.  H.  Weniger,  treasurer ;  B.  Shorer,  Jacob  Hoehn,  J 
Suter,  deacons  ;  trustees — L.  P.  Beck,  president ;  J.  M.  Miller,  secretary ;  J.  M 
Lauer,  treasurer;  J.  S.  Kratz,  John  F.  Dinkey.    Sunday-school  superintendent,  J 
M.  Miller ;  organist.  Miss  Annie  S.  Kuenzi ;  leader  of  choir,  Wm.  J.  Steinhauser, 

St.  John's  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  is  located  on  the  corner  of 
St.  Joseph  street  and  Buchan  park.  November  4th,  1874,  Zion's  church  re- 
solved to  establish  a  branch  Sunday-school  and  mission'  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  city.  In  1 873  Rev.  E.  Heydler  was  called  as  assistant  pastor  of  Zion's,  at 
the  same  time  to  take  care  of  the  mission.  The  congregation  was  organised 
through  Rev.  E.  Heydler  in  August,  1873  Names  of  the  first  officers :  Church 
council  —  M.  Nothacker,  H.  Knapp,  F.  Seith,  elders ;  A.  Schnell,  M.  Lang,  C. 
Maas,  deacons ;  trustees  —  F.  C.  Lauer,  J.  Krautwurst,  J.  Wellner,  F.  Schmitt, 
A.  Burkhardt.     The  corner-stone  on  the  lot  which  was  pi-esented  by  the  mother 


288  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

church  was  laid  June  14th,  1874.  The  church  was  dedicated  June  21st,  1875, 
and  is  sixty-five  feet  by  one  hundred  and  nineteen.  If  inside  and  outside  com- 
plete and  finished,  it  would  make  a  building  of  very  fine  appearance.  A 
spacious  and  recently  enlarged  frame  building  in  the  rear  of  the  church  is  for 
the  use  of  the  parochial  school,  the  teachers  of  which  are:  C.  F.  Frank  (Ger- 
man, and  organist)  and  Mrs.  B.  Hysner  (English).  The  present  officers  are : 
Church  council  —  J.  Glatt,  J.  C.  Bachman,  elders;  A.  Schnell,  F.  Schmanke,  F. 
Gunkler,  J.  Franz,  J.  Grab,  deacons;  trustees,  M.  Menn,  H.  Herdle,  J.  Miller, 
C.  Bauer.  Rev.  E.  Heydler  was  pastor  until  1877.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
J.  Miihlhauser.     The  pulpit  is  at  present  vacant* 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Concordia  church,  corner  of  Helena  and 
Putnam  streets,  was  organised  in  September,  1877,  by  Rev.  E.  Heydler.  After 
his  death,  in  1882;  Rev.  C.  N.  Conrad  was  elected  his  successor.  The  church 
is  to  be  enlarged  this  year.  A  large  parochial  school  is  connected  with  it.  For 
want  of  requested,  but  not  sufificiently  furnished  information,  we  are  unable  to 
give  the  same  particulars  as  of  the  other  churches. 

THE   GERMAN   UNITED    EVANGELICAL   CHURCHES. 

Trinity.  —  Of  the  three  churches  that  belong  to  the  denomination  calling 
itself  by  the  name  above  given,  the  German  United  Evangelical  Trinity  church, 
on  Allen  street,  is  the  oldest.  It  began  in  1842,  consisting  of  members  that  were 
dissatisfied  with  the  exclusiveness  of  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Zion's 
church.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  C.  T.  Soldan,  who  began  his  labors  in  1842. 
In  1845  Rev.  C.  Biel  became  his  successor.  Then  followed  Rev.  T.  F.  Illiger, 
in  1846.  After  the  congregation  had  assembled  in  different  places  for  worship, 
the  church  on  Allen  street  was  built,  in  1847.  ^ev.  A.  Barkey  officiated  from 
1847  to  1849,  when  Rev.  C.  Haass  took  charge  of  the  congregation.  He  was 
followed  in  1852  by  Rev.  C.  Clausen,  who  served  the  congregation  over  eight 
years,  extending  with  his  predecessors  the  field  and  influence  of  the  church. 
In  1 861  Rev.  P.  Conradi  was  called  to  the  pulpit.  After  ten  months'  service 
he  left  his  charge  and  formed  a  new  church,  taking  a  large  number  of  the  mem- 
bers with  him.  In  1862  Rev.  C.  Siebenpfeiffer  became  pastor  of  the  remaining 
flock.  Under  his  pastorate  the  congregation  grew  rapidly,  so  that  the  church 
had  to  be  provided  with  galleries.  The  parochial  school,  which  heretofore  had 
always  one. teacher  with  about  one  hundred  scholars,  employed  three  teachers 
for  about  three  hundred  scholars.  After  1870  the  church  became  too  small, 
and,  the  members  not  agreeing  about  a  site  for  a  new  church,  being  divided 
about  east  or  west  of  the  river,  a  new  swarm  left  the  old  hive,  taking  with  them 
to  the  east  side  the  pastor.  In  1874  Rev.  B.  Pick  was  ordained  pastor  of  the 
mother  flock  till,  in  1881,  Rev.  O.  Bueren  followed  him  and  in  1883  Rev.  Emil 
Heuckell,  the  present  pastor.  The  church  was  at  different  times  ornamented 
and  has  a  parsonage.     The  church  records  show  that  since  its  foundation  till 


The  Evangelical  Association.  289 

April  last  4,970  persons  were  baptised,  1,373  confirmed,  1,915  couples  married, 
1,590  persons  buried  and  the  Lord's  supper  served  to  16,918,  communicants. 
The  congregation  is  now  doing  well  again  and  promises  to  grow  and  to  be  use- 
ful. It  numbers  about  300  families.  The  Sunday-school  was  for  many  years 
under  the  charge  of  the  late  Mr.  Parsons  and  after  him  of  Thomas  Dransfield. 
It  was  conducted  in  the  English  language,  but  is  now  Germani  Much  good 
was  doubtless  the  result  of  the  labors  of  the  friends  of  the  school. . 

The  German  United  Evangehcal  Salem  church  is  located  on  Franklin  street, 
near  St.  Paul  street.  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  church  buildings  in  the  city. 
It  was  built  in  1873,  costing,  together  with  the  parochial  school  and  Sunday- 
school  building,  nearly  $70,000.  It  seats  1,100  persons. .  The  Salem  congre- 
gation was  formed  in  1873,  consisting  of  a  part  of  the  members  of  the  German 
church  on  Allen  street  and  of  many  families  on  the  east  side  that  awaited  with 
eagerness  the  organisation  of  a  church  of  this  denomination  east  of  the  river. 
The  congregation  and  church  were  built  up  under  the  management  of  Rev. 
Charles  Siebenpfeiffer,  who  is  still  the  officiating  clergyman.  The  church  has 
been,  growing  steadily,  and  comprises  now  about  450  families  and  about  200 
persons,  the  number  of  names  in  the  roll  being  over  600.  During  the  existence 
of  this  church  1,795  children  have  been  baptised,  798  persons  confirmed,  606 
couples  married  and  838  persons  buried.  The  Sunday-school  was  for  six  years 
conducted  by  Thomas  Dransfield,  who  has  helped  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  church  materially.  Noyv  the  Sunday-school  is  superintended  by  the  pastor, 
assisted  by  D.  S.  Poppen.  Miss  Lottie,  Weitzel  has  charge  of  the  infant  class. 
There  are  now  500  Sunday-school  scholars.  During  the  first  years  of  the 
church  the  parochial  school  numbered  nearly  300  children,  but  since  the  interest 
in  such  schools  is  declining  there  are  now  about  100.  Mr.  Poppen  is  teacher 
of  the  school  and  at  the  same  time  the  organist  and  the  leader  of  the  choir. 

The  German  United  Evangelical  St.  Paul's  church  was  started  in  1862  by 
Rev.  Philip  Conradi,  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  German  church  on  Allen  street. 
He  took  with  him  about  half  of  the  membership  to  organise  St.  Paul's  congre- 
gation. In  the  same  year,  the  church  building  was  erected.  It  stands  on  Eitz- 
hugh  street  and  is  a  nice  building  in  a  quiet, place.  In  1865  Rev.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man became  pastor  of  the  church,  and  two  years  later  Rev.  F.  Heinle,  who  was 
succeeded  in  1873  by  Rev.  A.  Grotrian.  The  pastor  who  has  now,  and  has  had 
since  1883,  charge  of  the  church  is  A.  Zeller.  The  congregation  numbers  about 
300  families  and  has  a  Sunday-school  and  a  day-school. 

THE  EVANGELICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

The  First  church  of  the  Evangelical  association, (German)  was  organised 
about  the  year  1849  by  J.  G.  Marquardt.  The  following  are  the  names  of  pas- 
tors who  have  served  this  church  since  its  organisation  :  J.  G-  Marquardt,  1849- 
50;  John    Schaaf,    1851;   Martin   Lauer,    1852-53  ;  Jacob  Wagner,  1854-55; 


290  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Martin  Lauer,  1856-57;  Levi  Jacoby,  1858 ;  Aug.  Klein,  1859-60;  S.Weber, 
1861  ;  Adolf  Miller,  1862-63;  P-  J-  Miller,  1864-65;  Geo.  Eckardt,  1866-67; 
Andrew  Holzworth,  1868-69;  M.  Lehn,  1870-71;  G.  F.  Buesh,  1872-74; 
Albert  Unholz,  1875-77;  E.  A.  Weier,  1878-80;  C.  A.  Wiesseman,  1881-83. 
Henry  Koch,  the  present  pastor,  took  charge  of  the  parish  in  March,  1 884. 
The  present  officers  are :  John  Nagel,  Fred  Klein,  John  Boiler,  George  Fisher, 
John  Loeffler.  The  church  has  a  membership  of  232.  Its  location  is  on  St. 
Joseph  street,  at  the  corner  of  Nassau  street.  In  connection  with  the  church 
is  a  Sunday-school,  which  numbers  20D  scholars  and  thirty  teachers.  The 
present  officers  of  the  Sunday-school  are:  J.  Btoller,  superintendent:  George 
Fisher,  vice-superintendent ;  Ernst  Meyer,  secretary  ;  John  Loeffler,  treasurer ; 
Theodore  Fisher,  librarian. 

THE   GERMAN   REFORMED   CHURCH. 

In  1848  several  German  Roman  Catholics  established,  under  Rev.  De  L. 
Giustiniani,  a  free  German  Catholic  congregation.  For  a  short  time  they  wei-e 
accustomed  to  meet  in  Minerva  hall.  In  March,  1849,  Rev.  Frederick  Bogan 
became  the  pastor  of  the  congregation,  followed  by  Dr.  Winkelmann,  and  he, 
in  turn,  was  followed  by  Rev.  William  Wier.  In  1850  they  bought  a  church 
in  Court  street  for  $2,200,  but  they  left  the  church  in  the  same  year,  for  the 
Scotch  Presbyterian  society  purchased  it  from  this  congregation.  Then,  under 
severe  circumstances,  the  society  erected  a  church  on  Cherry  street.  On  the 
1 2th  of  March,  185  i,  they  reorganised  themselves  and  were  incorporated  by 
the  name  of  the  German  Mission  church,  under  Rev.  Robert  Kohler.  In  1852 
the  name  was  again  changed  to  the  German  Reformed  Immanuel  church,  and 
the  society  connected  themselves  with  the  German  Reformed  church  in  the 
-United  States.  In  1867  the  congregation  sold  the  church  on  Cherry  street 
and  erected  a  new  one  on  Jefferson  street,  now  called  Hamilton  place.  The 
following  are  the  names  of  the  succeeding  pastors,  with  the  date  of  their  ordi- 
nation:  J.  J.  Stern,  March  i6th,  1853;  A.  Schroeder,  September  15th,  1854; 
T.  Grosshush,  December,  1857;  Mr.  Brasch,  in  1865  ;  Mr.  Claudius,  in  1867; 
C.  Kuss,  in  1869;  H.  C.  Heyser,  in  1874;  Carl  Gundlach,  October  6th,  1878. 
Mr.  Gundlach  is  the  present  incumbent.  The  Sunday-school  superintendent 
is  Nicholas  Kraus.     There  are  230  members  of  the  congregation. 

THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCHES. 

The  first  society  of  this  denomination  was  organised  in  November,  1836, 
under  the  title  of  the  "  Free  Congregational  church,"  with  Rev.  John  T.  Avery 
as  the  first  pastor,  so  far  as  is  known,  his  name  appearing  as  such  in  1838,  when 
O'Rielly's  history  was  published.  It  may  be  presumed  that  this  organisation 
soon  after  ceased,  for  the  directory  of  1841  makes  no  mention  of  any  Congre- 
gational society  as  then  in  existence.      On  the  30th  of  August,  in  that  year. 


The  Jews.  291 

however,  the  State  street  Congregational  society  was  organised,  its  meetings 
being  held  in  Teoronto  hall,  and  of  this  Rev.  Shiibael  Carver  was  the  pastor  in 
1845,  'f  "ot  before.  In  1847  ^^v.  Henry  E.  Peck  assumed  the  pastorate  of 
the  little  congregation,  preaching  in  the  small  upper  room  of  the  Teoronto  block 
for  more  than  a  year,  when,  in  1848,  a  church  was  erected  nearly  opposite,  by 
the  society,  assisted  by  a  few  benevolent  outsiders.  Mr.  Peck'  preached  in  the 
new  church  for  less  than  four  years,  when  he  was  elected  to  a  professorship  in 
Oberlin  college  and  on  the  lith  of  January,  1852,  his  resignation  of  the  pas- 
torate was  accepted.  The  succeeding  ministers  at  the  State  street  church  were 
Mr.  Miner  and  Mr.  Harper,  under  the  latter  of  whom  the  last  service  was  held, 
on  the  30th  of  August,  1856,  on  the  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  Deacon  Leon- 
ard Hitchcock.  The  church  was  then  abandoned  and  the  building  has  since 
been  used  as  a  warehouse. 

Another  Congregational  society  was  organised  here  in  1847  ^n*^  l^^ld  its 
meetings  on  the  corner  of  South  St.  Paul  and  Jefferson  streets,  with  Rev.  Rich- 
ard De  Forest  as  the  first  pastor,  after  whom  were  Rev.  Wm.  Dewey  and  Rev. 
D.  D.  Francis.  The  last-named  was  there  in  1855,  and  the  church  society  be- 
came extinct  a  very  few  years  later. 

Plymouth  church.  —  In  September,  1852,  a  subscription  was  begun  for  the  . 
erection  of  a  new  church  edifice  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  to  be  located  at  the 
corner  of  Troup  and  Sophia  streets  (now  Plymouth  avenue).  After  a  consid- 
erable sum  had  been  pledged,  a  meeting  of  the  subscribers  was  held  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1853,  when  it  was  decided  to  give  to  the  edifice  the  name  of  "the  Ply- 
mouth church  of  Rochester,"  and  to  devote  it  to  Congregational  worship.  In 
June,  1853,  a  building  committee  was  appointed  by  the  subscribers,  consisting 
of  A.  Champion,  E  Lyon,  F.  Clarke,  W.  A.  Reynolds  and  W.  Churchill.  The 
corner-stone  of  the  building  was  laid  September  8th,  1853,  and  the  society  was 
incorporated  by  act  of  the  legislature  passed  April  iSth,  1854.  A.  Champion, 
F.  Clarke,  E.  Lyon,  C.  J.  Hill,  W.  W.  Ely,  A.  G.  Bristol,  E.  H.  Hollister,  C.  A. 
Burr  and  E.  Darrow  were  constituted  the  first  board  of  trustees.  The  church 
was  dedicated  August  21st,  1855.  Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards  was  the  first  pastor, 
his  term  being  from  February,  1856,  to  November,  1862.  Rev.  D wight  K. 
Bartlett  was  the  second  pastor,  from  February,  1865,  to  February,  1873.  Rev. 
Myron  Adams  is  the  present  and  third  pastor;  having  begun  his  service  as  such 
in  May,  1876.  In  the  summer  of  1877  extensive  irhprovements  were  made  in 
the  church  building.  The  roof  was  substantially  slated,  and  the  interior  deco- 
rated, recarpeted  and  upholstered.  The  present  trustees  are :  D.  C.  Hyde,  S. 
F.  Hess,  L.  P.  Ross,  W.  S.  Ely,  B.  H.  Clark,  W.  S.  Osgood,  J.  W.  Robbins  and 
J.  Farley,  jr. 

THE  JEWS   OF   ROCHESTER. 

According  to  estimate  there  are  about  2,500  Jewish  inhabitants  in  the  city 
of  Rochester.      It  is  impossible  now  to  ascertain  when  they  first  settled  here, 


292  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

but  It  is  known  that  some  few  made  this  city  their  home  as  early  as  1840.  In 
the  year  1848  the  necessity  was  first  felt  of  organising  a  society  to  supply  their 
religious  wants.  Twelve  foreigners,  all  natives  of  Germany,  met  in  a  house  at 
the  corner  of  Clinton  street  and  Clinton  place  and  formed  a  Jewish  congrega- 
tion. Their  names  are :  M.  Rothschild,  Joseph  Wile,  S.  Marks,  Joseph  Katz, 
G.  Wile,  Henry  Levi,  Jacob  Altman,  Joseph  Altman,  A.  Adier,  E.  Wollf,  A. 
Weinberg  and  J.  Ganz.  For  six  months  the  young  society  held  its  meetings 
at  the  same  place,  lintil  a  hall  was  rented  for  that  purpose  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Front  streets,  where  a  permanent  organisation  was  formed  and  called 
Berith  Kodesh  (Holy  Covenant).  A  burial  lot  was  purchased  by  the  society  at 
Mt  Hope,  on  May  23d,  1848,  and  the  first  board  of  trustees  was  elected  on 
October  8th,  of  the  same  year.  The  first  president  was  Mayer  Rothschild. 
The  congregation  was  incorporated  on  October  i6th,  1854.  In  the  year  1856 
the  site  of  the  present  temple  was  purchased  of  Louis  Deane.  The  building, 
formerly  a  Baptist  church,  was  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  congregation  and 
was  thus  used  until  1876,  when  the  building  now  in  use  was  erected  at  an  ex- 
pense of  $25,000  and  dedicated  on  September  iSth,  1876.  The  first  rabbi  of 
the  congregation  was  Mr.  Tusky.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Isanc  Mayer  from 
1856  to  1859.  Then  Dr.  Sarner  was  elected,  who  held  his  position  but  nine 
months.  From  i860  to  1863  there  was  no  rabbi;  in  the  latter  year  Dr.  Gins- 
burg  received  a  call  and  remained  till  1868.  After  another  intermission  of 
two  years  and  six  months  Dr.  Max  Landsberg,  the  present  rabbi,  was  engaged, 
on  December  26th,  1870.  He  entered  upon  his  functions  in  March,  1871, 
and  has  filled  his  position  ever  since. 

The  congregation  Berith  Kodesh  was  at  first  strictly  orthodox.  The  first 
move  in  the  way  of  reform  was  made  in  1862,  when  an  organ  was  purchased, 
and  in  i863the  first  slight  alterations  were  made  in  the  ritual.  In  1869  it  was 
resolved  to  introduce  family  pews  in  place  of  the  old  system  by  which  the 
sexes  were  kept  strictly  separate  during  the  services.  When  the  change  was 
made  M.  Greentree,  with  a  few  others,  resigned,  and  in  1 870  founded  the  con- 
.gregation  EtzRaanon  (Green  Tree)  and  erected  a  building  on  Franklin  park. 
From  this  time  the  Berith  Kodesh  made  constant  and  rapid  progress,  materially 
and  spiritually.  It  counts  one  hundred  and  thirty  members  with  their  families, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  children  visit  the  Sabbath-school  for  religious 
instruction,  of  which  the  rabbi  is  the  superintendent,  while  a  number  of  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen  from  the  congregation  serve  as  teachers.  Since  Decem- 
ber, 1883,  a  new  ritual  has  been  introduced  at  the  services,  almost  entirely 
consisting  of  English  prayers,  and  Berith  Kodesh  is  the  first  Jewish  congrega- 
tion in  this  country  in  which  services  were  conducted  mostly  in  the  vernacular. 

The  other  Jewish  congregations  in  Rochester,  all  strictly  orthodox,  are  the 
following:  Beth  Israel  (House  of  Israel),  founded  in  1879,  which  owns  a  build- 
ing at  54  Chatham  street;  Bene  David  {Sons  oi  David),  organised  in   1882, 


The  Universalis'!-  Churches.  293 

whose  place  of  worship  is  at  5  Hermann  street;  Beth  Aulom  (Eternal  House), 
a  number  of  members  who  seceded  from  the  Etz  Raanon  in  1883  and  worship 
at  the  former  Free  Methodist  church,  corner  of  Atwater  and  Leopold  streets, 
and  Etz  Chayim  (Tree  of  Life),  under  which  name  the  remaining  members  of 
Etz  Raanon  reorganised  in  1883,  and  continued  to  worship  in  the  former 
place  on  Franklin  park. 

THE   UNIVERSALIST   CHURCHES. 

The  First  Universalist.  —  Universalist  meetings  were  held  in  Rochester 
before  it  became  a  city,  and  the  first  ministers  of  this  faith  were  Rev.  Messrs. 
Sampson,  Henry  Roberts,  Wm.  Andrews,  T.  P.  Abell,  Russell  Tomlinson, 
Jacob  Chase  and  Charles  Hammond.  Early  meetings  of  this  society  were 
held  in  a  church  which  it  purchased  on  the  corner  of  Court  and  Stone  streets. 
After  this  property  was  sold,  the  Sabbath-school  was  held  in  the  basement  of 
the  Universalist  church  until  the  arrival  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Montgomery  in  1845, 
when  the  services  were  resumed  in  Minerva  hall,  which  were  continued  until 
the  erection  of  a  church  on  Clinton  street.  This  building  has  been  recon- 
structed and  enlarged  and  was  dedicated  March  22d,  1871,  Rev.  Dr.  Saxe 
preaching  the  discourse.  Among  the  founders  and  early  members  of  this 
church  were  Joseph  Wood,  Isaac  Hellems,  Schuyler  Moses,  J.  J.  Van  Zandt, 
J.  F.  Royce  and  N.  Bingham.  Rev.  Dr.  Montgomery  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  church  in  December,  1845,  and  officiated  for  eight  years.  Rev.  J.  H.  Tuttle 
served  the  church  six  years  and  was  succeeded  March  ist,  i860,  by  the  present 
pastor,  Rev.  Asa  Saxe,  D.  D.  The  present  trustees  are  I.  F.  Force,  N.  S. 
Phelps  and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Chace,  with  S.  E.  Brace  treasurer,  and  Heman  W. 
Morris  clerk.  There  is  a  Sunday-school  connected  with  this  church  number- 
ing about  four  hundred,  of  which  George  H.  Roberts  was  the  first  superin- 
tendent, who  was  succeeded  by  the  late  J.  J.  Van  Zandt  and  he  by  the  present 
superintendent,  William  It.  Cook,  who  has  held  the  position  for  fifteen  years. 
This  church  established  a  mission  Sunday-school  in  the  ninth  ward  in  1873, 
which  has  since  developed  into  the  Second  Universalist  church.  Location, 
South  Clinton  street,  near  Main. 

The  Second  Universalist  chiirch  has  grown  from  a  mission  Sunday-school 
established  by  the  First  church  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1874.  The  mission 
school  was  held  in  McDade's  hall  for  a  few  years,  then,  having  outgrown  that 
room,  its  present  neat  and  commodious  chapel  was  erected  by  the  munificence 
of  James  Sargent  and  others.  Rev.  L.  B.  Fisher  was  called  to  be  the  first 
pastor  of  this  church,  beginning  his  work  in  October,  1883.  On  January  13th, 
1884,  a  church  organisation  was  formed^  with  forty- five  members  and  the  fol- 
lowing board  of  trustees :  A.  M.  Brown,  F.  H.  Cross,  James  S.  Graham, 
Thomas  Gliddon,  Charles  Howlett. 


294  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


THE   ADVENT   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

On  June  22d,  1843,  the  first  Advent  meeting  ever  held  in  Rochester  con- 
vened in  a  large  tent  erected  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  north  of  Main  street, 
near  the  stone-ware  pottery.  Elder  J.  V.  Hines  conducted  the  services,  which 
resulted  in  the  gathering  together  of  several  hundred  believers.  He  was 
assisted  in  maintaining  the  services,  under  the  name  of  Advent  meetings,  from 
that  time,  by  Elders  Fitch,  Barry,  Galusha,  Pinney  and  others,  until  1850, 
when  Elder  J.  B.  Cook  was  called  as  pastor,  who  remained  until  1853.  From 
this  time  the  interest  fluctuated  until  1867,  when  Elders  Pratt  and  Grant 
organised  the  "First  Christian  church  of  Rochester,"  with  a  membership  of 
two  hundred  and  Elder  H.  L,  Pratt  as  pastor.  He  retired  in  1870  and  the 
pulpit  was  supplied  with  such  men  as  Wm.  Fenns,  H.  L.  Hastings  and  other 
able  and  talented  ministers,  In  1871  Elder  J.  H.  Whitmore  was  called  to  the 
pastorate,  which  position  he  held  until  April,  1874.  During  his  ministrations 
the  definite-time-agitators  gained  a  footing  and  created  a  division,  which  nearly 
destroyed  the  society  and  caused  the  resignation  of  the  pastor.  Under  the 
ministry  of  his  successor,  Elder  E.  F.  Sergisson,  the  interest  revived  somewhat, 
and  it  continued  under  Mrs.  L.  M.  Stoddard,  who  followed  him  in  1879  and 
who  acted  as  pastor  for  about  three  years.  During  her  ministry  the  church 
removed  to  the  hall  it  now  occupies,  over  155  East  Main  street,  corner  of.North 
avenue.  After  the  resignation  of  Mrs.  Stoddard,  Elders  Dr.  Porter  W.  Taylor 
and  Wm.  Ingmire  acted  as  pastors  until  March  2Sth,  1883,  when  the  present 
incumbent,  Elder  George  W.  Wright,  assumed  the  pastorate.  The  church  at 
the  present  time  numbers  one. hundred  and  seven  members,  and,  as  an  evidence 
of  its  prosperity,  is  negotiating  for  a  lot  upon  which  to  build  ,a  church  edifice. 
Honorable  mention  should  be  made  of  A.  G.  Andrews,  who  was  present  at 
the  first  tent  meeting  held  in  1 843  and  who  remains  to-day  an  active  member 
of  the  church  in  Rochester. 

THE   REFORMED   CHURCH    IN   AMERICA. 

The  First  Reformed  church  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  was  organised  in  1852. 
Its  denominational  connection  is  with  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  church  in  America, 
which  is  Presbyterian  in  doctrine  and  government.  -  Its  pastors  were  :  Rev.  A. 
B.  Veenhuizen,  of  East  Williamson,  N.  Y. ;  C.  Wust,  of  Lodi,  N.  J. ;  A.  Krie- 
kaard,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.;  P.  B.  Bahler,  lately  deceased.  Rev.  Peter  De 
Bruyn,  the  present  pastor,  has  served  the  church  for  the  past  ten  years.  The 
statistics  of  1884  show  a  membership  of  nearly  three  hundred,  a  Sunday-school 
of  two  hundred  and  sixty  scholars.  During  the  year  $456.69  were  contributed 
for  benevolent  and  religious  purposes,  while  the  sum  of  $2,759.94  was  brought 
up  for  regular  congregational  expenses.  The  services  are  mostly  conducted  in 
the  Dutch  language,  since  the  majority  of  the  people   are   native  Hollanders. 


The  Christadelphian  Church.  295 

The  society  is  prosperous  and  united,  and  hopeful  for  the  future.     The  church 
and  chapel  are  located  on  the  corner  of  Harrison  and  Oregon  streets. 

There  is  another  church  here  named  the  Ebenezer  church,  the  society 
belonging  to  the  denomination  or  sect  known  as  the  "True  Dutch  Reformed," 
but  the  building,  which  is  on  Chatham  street,  is  not  now  open  for  service. 

THE   CHRISTADELPHIAN    CHURCH. 

The  Christadelphian  Ecclesia,  or  "  called-out-ones"  took  upon  themselves 
this  distinctive  name  March  6th,  1870.  At  that  time  they  numbered  about 
forty-five  members.  They  increased  in  numbers  to  upward  of  sixty.  Some 
have  died  and  some  have  moved  away,  so  that  at  the  present  time  those  who 
claim  to  be  Christadelphians  number  about  forty-seven.  Those  out  of  the  city 
who  continue  to  meet  in  Rochester  make  the  number  still  over  sixty.  They 
claim  to  be  a  revival  of  that  sect  every  where  spoken  against  in  the  first  cen- 
tury, and  they  acknowledge  no  authority  in  matters  of  faith  and  practice  other 
than  that  of  the  "mind  of  Chri.st"  expressed  in  the  "written  word."  They 
claim  to  be  called  out  to  "God's  kingdom  and  glory"  and  to  be  associated  with 
Christ  at  his  return,  in  the  readjustment  of  human  affairs  by  giving  to  the 
world  a  righteous  administration.  They  believe  in  one  God,  the  Father,  whom 
no  man  hath  seen,  and  who  only  hath  immortality  underived  and  inherent,  and 
in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  his  son,  who  through  his  sufferings,  death  and  resur- 
rection opened  up  a  "new-made  way  of  life"  to  all  who  believe  and  obey  his 
requirements.  They  believe  that  in  the  "fullness  of  time,"  which  they  regard 
as  not  far  distant,  a  theocracy  will  be  established  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel 
in  the  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  those  who  shall  be  associated  with 
him  as  kings  and  priests  of  the  age ;  that  all  believing  Jews  will  then  be  re- 
stored to  their  land,  and  that  Jerusalem,  rebuilt  in  splendor  and  glory,'  will  be 
the  metropolis  of  the  world.  They  meet  every  first  day  of  the  week  to  break 
bread  and  drink  wine  in  remembrance  of  Jesus,  the  Captain  of  their  salvation. 
They  have  no  paid  ministers.  Any  members  that  are  qualified  to  interest  and 
instruct  are  expected  to  do  so  as  opportunity  offers,  and  are  appointed  for  that 
and  other  leading  duties,  and  are  called  "serving  brethren."  These,  at  the 
time  of  organisation  in  1870,  were  James  McMillan,  Orrin  Morse,  Augustus 
Sintzenich'  and  J.  C.  Tomlin,  secretary.  The  serving  brethren  at  the  present 
time,  besides  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  Dr.  J.  H.  Thomas,  who  delivered  free 
lectures  every  Sunday  evening,  are  Charles  Morse,  George  Ashton,  J.  Walsh, 
E.  Eames  and  J.  Tomlin. 


296  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

the  early  schools  of  ROCHESTER.  1 

Huldah  M.  Strong's  School,  in  1813  —  Limited  Educational  Resources  —  Meagerness  of  State 
Appropriation  —  Old  District  Number  i,  and  First  Male  Teacher  — Mill  Street  a  Fashionable  Quarter 
of  Rochester —  Maria  Allyn's  School  in  1820  —  Fairchild  and  Filer's  Latin  and  English  School  —  Ly- 
man Cobb's  School,  Spelling-Book  and  Dictionary  —  The  Manual  Labor  School  —  The  Rochester  High 
School  —  The  Schools  of  Misses  Mack  and  Miss  Seward,  West  Side  of  the  River  —  Rochester  Female 
Academy  —  Seward  Female  Seminary  —  Other  Institutions  of  Learning. 

♦ 

THE  settlement  of  families  and  the  formation  of  society  in  Rochester,  be- 
ginning about  1 8 10,  progressed  so  rapidly  that  in  18 13  the  need  of  schools 
for  the  children  was  apparent.  The  welfare  of  the  young  town,  as  related 
either  to  schools  or  churches  or  to  associations  for  moral,  social  and  material 
advancement,  was  not  neglected.  Church  organisations  and  public  worship 
began  with  the  first  settlement,  and  church  buildings  were  erected  in  18 16  and 
1817.  The  Rochester  Female  Missionary  society  was  formed  in  1818;  the 
Monroe  County  Agricultural  society  in  1821,  the  first  year  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  county,  and  the  Monroe  County  Bible  society  was  organised 
the  same  year.  The  Rochester  Female  Charitable  society  and  the  Rochester 
Sunday-school  Union  were  formed  in  1822  ;  the  Franklin  Institute,  a  literary 
society,  in  1826,  and  the  Rochester  Athenaeum,  also  a  literary  society,  in  1829. 
The  first  school — properly  the  forerunner  of  all  organisations  for  the  intel- 
lectual and  moral  advancement  of  a  community  —  began  in  1813.  The  first 
teacher  was  Miss  Huldah  M.  Strong,  sister  of  Mrs.  Abelard  Reynolds,  and  who 
in  1 8 16  married  Dr.  Jonah  Brown.  The  location  of  the  school,  as  stated  in  an 
article  on  schools  published  in  the  Monroe  county  directory  for  1 869-70,  was 
in  Enos  Stone's  barn,  transformed  to  a  school-house.  Subsequently  the  school 
was  removed  to  a  room  over  Jehiel  Barnard's  clothing  store,  near  the  corner 
of  Buffalo  street  (now  West  Main)  and  Carroll,  now  State  street.  There  is  not 
much  doubt  that  these  are  the  facts  as  to  the  matter,  as  Mrs.  Abelard  Rey- 
nolds in  former  times,  as  is  well  remembered,  often  spoke  of  the  school  as 
having  been  commenced  in  a  barn.  At  its  opening  it  numbered  fourteen  or 
fifteen  pupils.  It  was  a  small  number  for  the  great  following  it  was  to  have 
of  schools  and  school  children  in  Rochester.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
its  numbers  increased,  and  its  usefulness  and  final  success  gave  great  satisfac- 
tion to  the  citizens.  ' 

In  looking  back  by  the  aid  of  history  to  that  time,  now  seventy-one  years 
ago,  we  perceive  that  it  was  not  only  an  early  period  in  educational  work  in 
Rochester  but  also  in  the  entire  state  of  New  York.  School  funds  and  state 
aid  to  schools  and  colleges  were  then  extremely  limited.     Until  the  year  1795 

•     1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  George  S.  Riley. 


The  First  School  in  Rochester.  297 

very  little  attention  and  no  legislative  aid  whatever  had  been  extended  to  edu- 
cation in  this  state.  Although  a  beginning  was  made  in  that  year,  it  was  a 
small  beginning;  $50,000  annually,  for  five  years  and  no  longer,  was  appro- 
priated by  the  legislature.  Up  to  181 2  all  that  legislation  had  effected  for  the 
advancement  of  education  was  the  formation  of  a  school  fund,  the  gradual  ac- 
cumulations of  which  had  in  1812  — which  was  the  year  Rochester  began  to 
grow  —  amounted  to  only  $151,000,  yielding  but  $24,000  annually  to  be 
divided  among  the  then  forty-six  counties  of  the  state. 

The  first  school  in  Rochester,  therefore,  had  to  be  wholly  and  voluntarily 
maintained  by  its  citizens  ;  and  it  is  creditable  to.  Rochester  at  that  time  that 
the  school  received  a  good  degree  of  local  public  attention  and  substantial 
support.  Most  of  the  young  children  of  the  place,  of  both  sexes,  and  of  all 
sects,  were  gathered  in  the  school.  Not  long  after  its  removal  to  Jehiel  Bar- 
nard's store  the  school-room  was  inadequate,  and  one  teacher  insufficient,  for 
the  needs  of  the  rapidly  growing  town.  During  the  autumn  of  1813  the  citi- 
zens resolved  to  establish  a  school  district  and  build  a  school-house.  The  build- 
ing was  completed  soon  afterward.  Its  dimensions  were  about  eighteen  by 
twenty-four  feet  and  one  story  in  height.  Its  location  was  on  South  Fitzhugh 
street,  where  the  Free  academy  now  stands.  From  that  time  schools  and 
school-teachers  rapidly  increased.  In  1815  or  early  in  18 16  the  population 
had  so  increased  near  the  high  falls  of  the  river  that  a  school-building  was 
erected  at  the  corner  of  Mill  and  Piatt  streets.  Schools  were  also  opened  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  there  was  no  faltering  in  providing  schools  and 
school-buildings  wherever  needed.  There  were  then  superior  men  in  Roches-  ' 
ter,  many  of  whom  afterward  attained  widespread  reputation  for  ability  and 
philanthropy,  and  they  early  perceived  the  need  and  earnestly  advocated  the 
policy  of  liberal  appropriations  by  the  state  for  educational  purposes.  The 
conjoint  efforts  of  like  public-spirited  gentlemen  in  other  parts  of  the  state,  and 
later  like  efforts  of  the  advocates  of  free  schools,  finally  established  a  state 
policy  in  reference  to  the  support  of  schools  and  created  a  public  interest  in 
education  greatly  in  contrast  with  the  inattention  and  illiberality  of  former 
times.  The  expenditure  of  the  city  of  Rochester  in  1883  for  education  ex- 
ceeded $200,000,  and  the  expenditure  of  the  state  of  New  York  the  same  year 
exceeded  twelve  and  one-half  million  of  dollars. 

The  building  first  and  specially  erected  in  Rochester  for  school  uses  was 
known  as  "  district  school-house  number  i."  .Its  construction  was  aided  by 
the  generous  gift  of  its  site,  as  narrated  in  the  article  on  "public  schools." 
Aaron  Skinner  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  teacher  in  the  new  school-house, 
and  the  first  male  teacher  in  Rochester.  Thomas  J.  Patterson,  formerly  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  this  congressional  district,  has  stated  that  he  came  to 
Rochester  in  his  boyhood  and  resided  with  his  kinsman,  Dr.  O.  E.  Gibbs,  and 
attended   school  in  the  winters  of  1813-14   and    1815,  and  that  his  teachers 


298  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

were  Mr.  Dodge  and  Caleb  Hammond,  then  a  medical  student  here.  A  rela- 
tive of  the  late  Moses  King  states  that  Mr.  King,  who  survived  till  1881,  always 
claimed  to  be  the  first  male  teacher  in  Rochester.  If  the  last-named  three 
gentlemen  were  not  employed  as  teachers  here  anterior  to  Aaron  Skinner, 
they  all,  doubtless,  taught  schools  in  Rochester  about  the  same  period.  Mr. 
King  unquestionably  taught  the  first  school  in  Frankfort  —  as  the  northwest 
quarter  of  the  town  was  then  and  is  now  called  —  and  it  is  recorded  in  an' 
early  history  of  Monroe  county  that  "in  1816  a  spelling- match  occurred  on  a 
Saturday  afternoon  in  the  old  first  school-house.  The  teacher  was  Dr.  Ham- 
mond, then  a  student  with  Drs.  Elwood  and  Coleman.  The  school  was  joined 
by  the  Frankfort  school  taught  by  Moses  King.  The  scholars  chose  sides, 
standing  as  the  spelHng  proceeded,  but  whoever  spelled  a  word  incorrectly  had 
to  take  a  seat.  Two  boys,  brothers,  were  the  last  up  and  kept  the  floor  till 
dark,  when  to  the  younger  was  adjudged  the  prize." 

Among  those  who  at  later  periods  were  teachers  in  old  "  district  number  i  " 
were  General  Jacob  Gould,  in  the  winter  of  1819-20;  Mr.  Bailey,  about  1822, 
and  afterward  Mr.  Wilder,  formerly  a  Vermont  lawyer.  There  were  also 
employed  there,  though  it  is  not  probable  that  they  could  now  be  named  in 
correct  successive  order  as  to  the  periods  of  their  services,  Thomas  A.  Filer, 
D.  B.  Crane,  Zenas  Freeman,  Ellery  S.  Treat,  Clarendon  Morse,  Dr.  Ackley, 
Mr.  Spoor  and  others.  Most  of  the  early  teachers  in  different  periods  changed 
and  interchanged  between  the  different  schools,  public  and  private  of  the  time. 
The  original  building  was  also  used  for  religious  services  till  church  buildings 
were  erected.  Some  time  prior  to  1820  it  was  enlarged,  and  about  1823  it 
was  still  more  enlarged  or  improved.  It  was  finally  supplanted  by  a  large 
brick  structure  in  which  E.  S.  Treat  was  the  first  teacher.  After  a  few  years 
the  first  brick  structure  was  also  superseded .  by  the  present  large  and  ornate 
Free  academy  building,  the  original  cost  of  which  was  about  $80,000  and  the 
whole  expenditure  for  which,  including  alterations  and  improvements,  exceeds 
$160,000. 

The  school  early  established  at  the  corner  of  Mill  and  Piatt  streets  was 
doubtless  the  one  aforementioned  as  the  school  in  Frankfort  which  joined  the 
school  in  old  district  number  i,  in  the  spelling-match  of  1816.  At  a  much  later 
period  the  now  so-called  "Brown  square  old  stone  school-house"  was  erected 
and  a  school  opened  there.  Moses  King  was  at  different  times  teacher  in  both 
of  the  schools'.  In  the  Mill  street  school  Jeremiah  Cutler — who  came  to 
Rochester  in  1821,  and  in  1824  entered  the  county  clerk's  office,  where  he  was 
employed  for  fifty-nine  years,  till  his  death  in  1883  —  was  a  teacher  previous 
to  1824.  Two  others  of  the  early  teachers  were  a  Mr.  Barry  and  a  Mr.  Lock- 
wood.  The  then  young  sons  and  daughters  of  Lyman  B.  Langworthy,  Gard- 
ner McCracken,  Warham  Whitneyj  Dr.  Matthew  Brown,  Hamlet  Scrantom 
and  other  prominent  residents  of  the  vicinity  were  pupils.      One  of  the  earliest. 


Maria  Allyn's  School  in  1820.  299 

if  not  the  first,  female  teacher  in  this  school  was  Miss  Crane,  afterward  Mrs. 
Fisher  BuUard,  who  taught  there  as  early  as  1818-19.  This  was  before  Jere- 
miah Cutler  and  Mr.  Lockwood  were  teachers  there  ;  before  Miss  Maria  Allyn's 
hereinafter-mentioned  feniale  academy  on  Mill  street  had  been  established,  and 
while  the  old  school-house  was  surrounded  by  the  primitive  forest,  and  the 
swift  currents  of  an  old  watercourse  sped  along  past  the  school-house  over  the 
rocks  downward  a  hundred  "feet  to  the  river.  The  old  yellow-painted  school- 
building  remained  in  its  place  till  within  a  few  years.  Mills,  foundries  and  fac- 
tories constructed,  and  various  manufacturing  industries  in  many  instances  con- 
ducted by  former  pupils  of  the  school  who  have  arrived  at  manhood,  together 
with  the  tracks  and  traffic  of  the  New  York  Central  railroad,  have  completely 
transformed  Mill  street  and  vicinity  to  the  uses  of  manufactures  and  commerce. 
,  In  the  Brown  square  school,  Reuben  Johnson,  Mr.  Mclntire,  Ziba  Crawford, 
Mr.  Kinney  and  Mr.  Boothby  were  early  teachers.  Mrs.  Latham  Gardner,  form- 
erly Miss  Parsons,  was  also  a  teacher  there.  In  both  of  these  schools  large 
numbers  of  the  young  people  residing  in  their  vicinity  were  instructed.  One 
of  the  female  .teachers  in  Brown  square  school  had  an  admirable  way  of  sub- 
duing insubordinate  pupils  with  music.  It  is  regretful  that  her  name  is  not 
known  to  the  writer,  so  that  it  might  be  mentioned  here.  A  few  years  after- 
ward, about  1840,  before  the  existence  of  the  board  of  education,  Patrick  Barry, 
then  an  alderman,  was  made  chairman  of  a  committee  of  the  common  council 
to  provide  for  and  introduce  instruction  in  vocal  music  in  all  the  public  schools 
of  Rochester.  Was  the  goodly  method  of  the  teacher  aforementioned  the  har- 
monic prelude  and  forerunner  of  the  praiseworthy  work  accomplished  by  Mr. 
Barry,-  the  good  fruits  of  which  were  soon  apparent  in  all  the  schools  ?  The 
"Brown  square  old  stone  school-house"  is  the  best  remembered  school-build- 
ing in  the  northwestern  part  of  Rochester.  It  was  erected  in  the  day  and  gen- 
eration of  Dr.  Matthew  Brown,  Warham  Whitney  and  Darius  Perrin.  It  was 
sold  to  and  demolished  by  Darius  Perrin  about  thirty  years  ago,  or  soon  after 
the  redivision  of  the  city  into  school  districts  under  the  then  new  and  special 
legislation  for  public  schools  for  Rochester  in  1838-39-40. 

There  was  also  a  young  ladies'  academy  established  on  Mill  street,  near  the 
site  of  the  old  New  York  Central  railroad  depot,  about  1820.  Its  founder  and 
chief  teacher  was  Miss  Maria  Allyn,  ^ho  came  from  a  noted  family  of  New 
London,  Connecticut.  Her  brother  commanded  the  good  ship  Bellerophon,  on 
whicli  LaFayette  sailed  to  America  in  1824.  A  sister  married  Prof.  Olmsted, 
of  Yale  college,  and  another  sister  was  the  wife  of  J.  E.  Williams,  the  then 
wealthiest  resident  of  New  London.  Miss  Allyn's  fine  education,  personal  at- 
tractiveness and  fitting  accomplishments  gave  her  high  social  position  in  Roch- 
ester and  secured  for  her  school  great  prestige  and  complete  success.  All  the 
higher  branches  of  education  were  taught  by  the  gifted  principal.  At  that  time 
Mil!  street  was  one  of  the  pleasant  and  fashionable  parts  of  the  village,  and 

20 


300  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

among  the  residents  of  the  street  and  vicinity  were  James  K.  Livingston,  Wm. 
Pitkin,  Dr.  Backus,  Dean  Mumford,  Warham  Whitney,  Matthew  Brown,  Judge 
Parker,  Wm.  Cobb,  Seth  Saxton,  John  G.  Vought  and  other  equally  prominent 
citizens  of  that  period.  The  school  was  favored  by  these  gentlemen  and  by 
other  like  patrons  residing  in  other  parts  of  the  then  village  and  neighboring 
places.  Daughters  of  Isaac  W.  Stone,  John  W.  Strong,  Nathaniel  Rochester, 
William  Fitzhugh,  Charles  Carroll,  Mr.  Pierson  of  Avon,  Samuel  J.  Andrews, 
Warham  Whitney,  Levi  Ward,  Enos  Stone,  and  of  other  well-known  gentle- 
men, were  pupils  of  the  school.  Pleasant  memories  relating  to  its  distinguished 
principal  and  preceptress  are  retained  to  this  late  day  and  have  recently  been 
expressed  to  the  writer  by  a  number  of  the  attendants  of  the  school  who  are 
yet  residents  of  Rochester. 

Another  notable  school,  to  be  mentioned  both  for  its  early  establishment  and 
long  continuance,  was  at  the  north  corner  of  North  Clinton  and  Mortimer 
streets,  fronting  on  Mortimer  .street,  on  property  now  belonging  to  and  south 
of  the  dwelling-house  of  D.  A.  Watson.  The  building  was  constructed  for  the 
school  as  early  as  1 8 1 8.  The  teacher  for  a  number  of  years  was  Lyman  Cobb, 
the  author  of  Cobb's  spelling  book  and  Cobb's  dictionary  of  the  English  lan- 
guage. Anterior  to  this,  however,  was  the  school  in  Enos  Stone's  barn,  here- 
inbefore mentioned  ^nd  the  first  school  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  James 
S.  Stone,  son  of  Enos  Stone,  born  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in  i8iO  and 
now  residing  near  Charlotte,  has  recently  informed  the  writer  that  he  clearly 
remembers  attending  the  school  in  the  barn ;  that  it  was  located  on  the  north 
side  of  Main  street,  between  North  St.  Paul  and  Water  streets,  that  he  was  a 
quite  young  pupil,  too  young  to  remember  much  about  the  school  except  its 
location  as  above  stated,  that  the  barn-door  seemed  very  wide  and  that  the  first 
teacher  was  a  lady,  He  has  no  distinct  recollection  of  her  name,  but  believes 
the  teacher  was  Huldah  M.  Strong.  Mr.  Stone  also  states  that  afterward  Lyman 
Cobb  kept  a  school  in  the  same  barn  building  before  the  school  on  Clinton  and 
Mortimer  streets  was  opened  and  that  he  attended  it.  He  also  subsequently 
attended  Lyman  Cobb's  Clinton  street  school.  Many  of  the  attendants  of  the 
latter  school  were  the  children  of  the  prominent  families  of  the  east  side  of  the 
village.  Among  the  pupils  was  Alvah  Strong,  afterward  founder  of  the  Roches- 
ter 2?rt?7j'  Democrat,  Julius  T.  Andrews  and  Darius  Perrin.  Mr.  Cobb  was  a 
good  teacher  and  his  school  was  successful,  but  his  spelling-book  and  dictionary, 
though  good  books  of  their  kind  and  much  used,  did  not  extinguish  Webster's 
like  works.  Thurlow  Weed  and  Leonard  Stillson,  then  young  printers  in 
Rochester  and  in  the  employ  of  Everard  Peck,  did  the  press  work  in  1826  for 
one  of  the  editions  of  Cobb's  spelling-book.  Mr.  Stillson,  now  nearly  eighty 
years  of  age,  came  to  Brighton  in  18 17  and  now  resides  in  that  town. 

In  the  old  Clinton  street  school  building,  religious  services  were  held  on  Sun- 
days and  frequently  on  secular  evenings.     In  it  the  Third  Presbyterian  church 


Fairchild  and  Filer's  Latin  and  English  School.  301 


was  organised,  in  1827,  and  Josiah  Bissell  made  his  famous  offer  and  engage- 
ment to  construct  a  building  suitable  for  the  religious  services  of  the  church 
in  six  days.  The  building  was  duly  completed,  although  the  timber  "of  which 
it  was  constructed  was  growing  in  the  adjacent  forest  on  the  Monday  morn- 
ing preceding  the  Saturday  night  on  which  it  was  completed.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  church,  which  was  formed  by  residents  of  both 
the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  river,  was  also,  but  some  years  previously,  organ- 
ised in  this  school-house. 

There  was  also  about  the  year  1820  an  English  and  Latin  school  established 
in  a  school  building  near  St.  Luke's  church,  by  Fairchild  and  Filer.  These  gen- 
tlemen stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  community  and  their  school  was  well 
attended.  In  evidence  of  the  good  reputation  of  these  gentlemen  and  of  their 
school,  and  also  as  an  additional  indication  of  the  enterprise  of  Rochester  in 
making  spelling-books,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  Elihu  F.  Marshall,  of  the  old 
firm  of  Marshall  &  Dean,  booksellers  on  Exchange  street,  about  this  time  pub- 
lished Marshall's  spelling-book  and  that  he  for  many  months  kept  an  advertise- 
ment in  the  Rochester  Telegraph  (Everard  Peck,  editor  and  proprietor)  contain- 
ing lengthy  recommendations  of  the  spelling-book  from  Welcove  Esleeck,  super- 
intendent of  common  schools  of  the  state  of  New  York,  dated  Albany,  March 
22d,  1 82 1,  and  from  Fairchild  and  Filer,  dated  October  2d,  1822.  A  prelude  to 
their  recommendation,  which  was  of  course  written  by  Mr.  Marshall,  states  that 
"Ph.  P.  Fairchild  and  Thomas  A.  Filer  are  teachers  of  a  Latin  and  English 
school  of  the  highest  respectability  in  the  village  of  Rochester."  There  are  no 
surviving  old  school-boys  of  that  period  who  do  not  remember  Fairchild  and 
Filer's  school,  and  some  of  them  were  their  pupils. 

About  this  period,  or  a  short  time  preceding  it.  Rev.  Comfort  Williams,  pas- 
tor of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  Rev.  F.  H.  Cuming,  rector  of  St. 
Luke's  church,  respectively,  opened  schools,  that  of  Comfort  Williams  being 
located  for  a  considerable  time  on  the  east  side  of  Exchange  street,  nearly  op- 
posite the  Clinton  House,  and  at  another  time  at  his  house  on  what  is  now  Mt. 
Hope  avenue.  Mr.  Cuming's  school  occupied  the  chapel  or  a  wooden  build- 
ing in  rear  of  St.  Luke's  church.  Mortimer  F.  Reynolds  says  that  he  attended 
Comfort  Williams's  school  when  it  was  kept  at  Mr.  W.'s  house,  and  recited  his 
daily  lessons  to  Mr.  Williams.  Very  few  if  any  persons  besides  Mr.  Reynolds 
remain  in  Rochester  who  attended  these  schools,  and  but  little  information  in 
addition  to  what  he  states  in  regard  to  them  has  been  obtained. 

There  was  a  quite  early  school  for  young  children  established  and  for  a 
number  of  years  continued  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Jay  streets  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Grifiin,  an  English  lady  who  came  to  Rochester  in  1822  and  afterward  was  mar- 
ried to  Jacob  Anderson,  now  of  Exchange  street.  Her  school  was  a  good  one 
and  was  largely  attended.  A  number  of  the  former  pupils  of  the  Mill  and  Piatt 
streets  school  were  at  different  times  pupils  of  her  school.     Besides  the  promi- 


302  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

nent  families  in  Frankfort  heretofore  named,  Mr.  Dalzeil,  Mr.  Alcott,  and  Mr. 
Draper  of  Gates  were  her  patrons.  Mrs.  Griffin  at  a  later  period  moved  her 
school  to  Allen  street,  near  State  street,  and  about  the  year  1 830  it  was  again 
removed  to  the  west  side  of  Exchange  street  near  Spring.  In  her  school  in 
Allen  street,  sons  and  daughters  of  John  Haywood,  Seth  Saxton  and  other  resi- 
dents of  that  vicinity  were  pupils.  The  school  on  Exchange  street  was  discon- 
tinued on  the  marriage  of  Mrs.  Griffin  to  Mr.  Anderson. 

In  about  the  year  1824  a  school  was  opened  at  the  corner  of  Buffalo  and 
Front  streets  by  Rev.  Mr.  Mulligan,  a  handsome  and  accomplished  Irish  gentle- 
man and  scholar,  who  came  to  this  country  and  to  Rochester  at  the  desire  of 
his  cordial  friend.  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Penney,  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
church.  Dr.  Penney  often  aided  Mr.  Mulligan  in  teaching  in  the  various  de- 
partments of  the  school  and  they  together  gave  it  great  reputation  and  success. 
Many  of  the  best  known  families  in  Rochester  and  vicinity  were  its  patrons. 
Both  gentlemen  deserved  and  received  great  praise  for  their  efforts  to  advance 
higher  education.  Mr.  Mulligan  was  afterward  called  to  Scottsville  as  a  pastor 
and  teacher,  and  Dr.  Penney  in  after  years  was  elected  president  of  Hamilton 
college  and  removed  there. 

Also  among  the  good  schools  established  in  Rochester  about  .1824  was  that 
of  Zenas  Freeman,  on  the  north  side  of  Main  street,  nearly  midway  between 
St.  Paul  and  Clinton  streets,  and  there  was  also  at  a  later  time,  on  the  same  side 
of  the  street,  the  school  of  Mr.  White.  Mrs.  Charlotte  B.  Rosebrugh,  sister  of 
the  late  William  C.  Bloss,  and  now,  although  at  a  quite  advanced  age,  daily 
performing  the  duties  of  post-mistress  of  Brighton,  informs  the  writer  that  she  re- 
turned from  attending  school  in  Massachusetts  in  1824,  and  in  1824—25  attended 
Zenas  Freeman's  school  in  Main  street,  to  perfect  herself  in  rhetoric  and  other 
like  studies  and  that  the  school  was  considered  one  of  the  best  in  Rochester. 
J.  M.  Winslow  was  a  pupil  in  1827  and  says  that  D.  K.  Cartter,  now  chief- 
justice  of  the  District  of  Columbia;  Nelson  Sage,  the  Wolcott  brothers,  of  Mt. 
Hope  avenue ;  Seth  Green  and  sisters,  T.  C.  Bates,  Wm.  Howe,  A.  W.  Car- 
penter and  sister,  Alexander  Petrie,  nephew  of  Elisha  Johnson,  and  many  oth- 
ers then  and  since  then  well  known  in  Rochester  were  also  pupils.  The  late 
Judge  E.  Darwin  Smith,  then  a  law  student  in  Ebenezer  Griffin's  law  office,  was 
teacher  of  book  keeping  and  writing  in  this  school. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Main  street,  near  the  corner  of  St.  Paul  street,  there 
was  a  school  as  early  as  182 1.  It  was  attended  in  that  year  by  Alvah  Strong, 
then  a  quite  young  boy.  Mr.  Strong  is  probably  the  only  survivor  of  the 
pupils  of  that  year.  His  father  arrived  here  in  1 82 1  and  sent  him  immediately 
to  that  school,  and  therefore  he  distinctly  remembers  its  locality  and  the  year. 
There  was  also  an  early  school  on  Andrews,  near  the  southeast  corner  of 
Andrews  and  St.  Paul  streets,  in  a  building  yet  remaining  there,  and  the  school 
is  well  remembered  by  a  few  surviving  patrons  and  pupils.     It  is  probable  that 


Prominent  Early  Schools  and  Teachers.  303 

both  of  these  schools  were  at  different  periods  taught  by  Nathaniel  Draper,  and 
Mr.  Lockwood,  previously  teacher  in  the  Piatt  and  Mill  streets  school,  taught 
in  the  Andrews  street  school  during  one  year. 

In  the  southwesterly  part  of  Rochester,  called  Corn  Hill,  there  was  a  school 
established  about  1820.  The  school-building  was  on  Adams  street  and  usually 
about  fifty  scholars  attended.  A  Mr.  Blake  was  the  teacher  about  1823—24. 
Ex- Mayor  Michael  Filon  was  then  a  quite  young  attendant  of  the  school  and 
narrates  interesting  incidents  as  to  Mr.  Blake's  methods  of  teaching  and  disci- 
pline. At  a  much  later  period  Dr.  Bell  established  a  school  also  on  Adams 
street  which  is  remembered  by  many  of  the  young  people  of  the  vicinity  now 
of  mature  age. 

At.  the  corner  of  Plymouth  avenue  and  Troup  street,  where  Plymouth 
church  now  stands,  was  a  school-building  and  a  succession  of  schools  and 
teachers  which  make  the  place  distinguished  as  related  to  school  uses.  The 
building  was  also  used  for  religious  assemblies  and  worship.  The  school- 
teachers, male  and  female,  who  in  various  periods  taught  the  schools,  are 
exceedingly  numerous  and  of  great  diversity  of  qualifications.  There  were 
girls  in  most  of  the  schools  ;  and  there  were  but  few  boys  reared  in  that  quarter 
of  the  town  while  the  building  remained  there,  or  previous  to  about  1850,  who 
did  not  at  some  time  attend  the  schools.  Filer,  Tateham,  Curtis,  Morse, 
McKee,  Cook,  Miles,  Foster  and  almost  all  other  teachers  well  known  in  Roch- 
ester previous  to  the  year  above  mentioned  are  by  all  the  oldest  inhabitants 
declared  to  have  been  at  some  period  teachers  there  ;  but  the  lack  of  records, 
and  the  proverbial  indefiniteness  of  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  as  to 
names  and  dates  render  it  now  nearly  impossible  to  ascertain  the  names  of  all 
of  the  teachers  or  give  those  that  are  remembered  in  the  order  in  which  they 
taught  there.     The  building  was  finally  consumed  by  fire. 

Two  other  schools  in  the  third  ward,  also  largely  attended,  were  those  of 
Mr,  Mctcnlf  and  Mr.  Brayton,  in  St.  Luke's  chapel,  and  in  Child's  building  on 
Exchange  street,  opposite  Spring.  In  these  schools  T.  C.  and  H.  F.  Mont- 
gomery, John  and  Henry  Livingston,  Nathaniel  Rochester,  J.  H.  Schermerhorn, 
Norton  and  J.  W.  Strong  and  most  of  the  then  older  boys  of  the  third  ward 
and  of  other  parts  of  Rochester  who  were  at  the  time  in  pursuit  of  higher  edu- 
cation, were  pupils.  There  were,  about  the  same  period,  two  schools  in  the 
western  part  of  Rochester  which  were  continued  for  many  years  —  one  on 
North  Ford  street,  near  the  Erie  canal,  and  the  other  on  South  Ford  street,  at 
the  corner  of  Spring  street.  They  were  also  largely  attended.  Among  the 
teachers  in  the  South  Ford  street  school  were  Samuel  Blake,  Orson  Benjamin, 
Nathaniel  Fitch,  and  in  1828  Jeremiah  Cutler  had  a  temporary  vacation  from 
the  county  clerk's  office  and  was  the  teacher.  Among  his  pupils  was  William 
N.  Sage,  who,  twenty-eight  years  afterward,  was' elected  county  clerk  and  Mr. 
Cutler  was  his  deputy  clerk. 


304  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Following  these  were  the  famous  schools  on  Buffalo  street,  near  the  old 
"  Buffalo  pump."  One  of  these  schools  was  in  "  Crane's  school-building  "  then 
so  called.  This  was  St.  Luke's  church  original  wooden  building,  which  had 
been  moved  from  Fitzhugh  street,  first  to  the  rear  of  the  church  lot  and,  a  few 
years  afterward,  to  Buffalo  street.  The  other  school  was  in  the  old  Exchange 
Hotel,  a  stone  building,  which  was  a  short  distance  east  of  St.  Luke's  church 
building  and  where  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  society  building  now  stands. 
Many  and  also  famous  were  the  teachers  who  taught  in  the  two  schools  while 
they  both  existed,  and  especially  those  who  taught  in  the  church  building 
before  and  after  the  school  in  the  Exchange  Hotel  building  was  discontinued. 
Among  these  teachers  the  names  of  Crane,  Ford,  Freeman,  Benedict,  Brittan, 
Treat,  Kelsey,  Breck  are  renowned  in  the  estimation  of  the  old  pupils.  During 
the  many  years  that  one  or  both  of  the  schools  continued,  the  pupils  who 
attended  them  were  from  every  part  of  Rochester  and  the  surrounding  country, 
and  were  in  the  aggregate  a  great  multitude  of  boys  and  girls.  There  were 
also  many  female  teachers  in  these  schools,  one  of  whom,  Miss  Fanny  Smith, 
married  Mr.  Freeman,  and  another.  Miss  Charlotte  H.  Rawson,  became  the 
second  wife  of  Dr.  Matthew  Brown.  Miss  Crane,  sister  of  Mrs.  Bullard,  also 
taught  in  one  of  the  Buffalo  street  schools. 

In  about  the  same  period  of  time  Phelps  Smith,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding 
his  sister  in  a  good  work,  erected  near  the  rear  end  of  his  dwelling-house,  and 
at  the  rear  or  westerly  end  of  his  lot  on  North  Washington  street,  a  school- 
house  of  hewed  logs.  It  was  about  twenty  feet  square.  An  alley,  yet  remain- 
ing there,  led  from  Buffalo  street  to  the  rear  end  of  the  lot  and  school-house. 
This  commendable  enterprise  of  Mr.  Smith  was  rewarded  with  success,  and  Miss 
Smith's  school  flourished.  The  children  of  Lyman  B.  and  W.  A,  Langworthy, 
of  Deacon  Oren  Sage  and  of  many  other  residents  of  the  vicinity  attended  the 
school.  Three  of  the  pupils  are  now  Dr.  H.  H.  Langworthy  and  William  N. 
Sage,  of  Rochester,  and  John  T.  Langworthy,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  first  assist- 
ant controller  of  the  currency.  Miss  Smith  subsequently  married  Martin  Clapp, 
who  nearly  sixty  years  ago  was  the  builder  of  the  United  States  Hotel,  which 
is  yet  standing  on  the  north  side  of  West  Main  street  near  the  corner  of  Eliza- 
beth street,  \yithin  a  few  years  after  its  completion  it  was  successively  used 
for  a  hotel,  for  the  Tonawanda  railroad  depot,  for  a  manual  labor  institute,  for 
Misses  Blacks'  and  also  Miss  Seward's  female  seminaries  and  then  for  the  Uni- 
versity of  Rochester.  It  is  of  the  experiment  in  the  United  States  Hotel 
building  of  a  manual  labor  school  for  Rochester,  about  the  year  1828,  that 
brief  mention  is  next  to  be  made.  The  school  was  designed  for  the  higher 
education  of  young  men,  and  for  a  time  it  had  a  goodly  number  of  students. 
A  few  hours  each  day  school  exercises  were  suspended  and  the  students  applied 
themselves,  and  whatever  mechanical  skill  they  had  or  could  acquire,  to  making 
barrels  for  the  flour  mills  of  Rochester.     Rev.  Gilbert  Morgan,  an  accomplished 


Prominent  Early  Schools  and  Teachers.  305 

scholar,  was  the  principal.  The  standard  of  scholarship  in  ,  the  institution  was 
high.  Although  it  was  a  laudable  effort  to  assist  young  men  of  limited  means 
to  obtain  an  education,  and  much  interest  was  manifested  in  the  institution  by 
many  citizens,  it  did  not  succeed,  and  Mr.  Morgan  subsequently  engaged  for  a 
time  in  teaching  in  the  High  school  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Afterward 
he  removed  from  Rochester  to  South  Carolina,  where  he  continued  to  reside  for 
many  years.      His  decease  occurred  but  a  year  or  two  ago. 

During  the  period  from  about  1830  to  1834  there  were  two  notable  schools 
established  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  for  the  higher  education  of  young 
ladies.  The  first  was  the  school  of  the  Misses  Black,  which  was  commenced 
about  1830,  in  the  Sill  building  on  the  west  side  of  South  Fitzhugh  street,  near 
the  corner  of  West  Main  street,  and  afterward  removed  to  the  United  States 
Hotel  building.  The  Misses  Black  were  English-Canadian  ladies.  One  or  both 
of  them  had  been  educated  at  Miss  Willard's  famous  Troy  female  seminary. 
Both  were  well  qualified  as  teachers  and  were  in  all  respects  accomplished 
ladies.  Their  school  was  attended  by  many  then  young  ladies  who  in  after  years 
graced  society  in  Rochester  and  in  other  places.  Some  of  the  peculiarities  of 
the  school  in  matters  of  etiquette  and  methods  of  instruction  were  English 
rather  than  American,  but  the  school  was  a  flourishing  one  while  it  continued 
and  was  satisfactory  to  its  patrons.  Marriage,  again,  as  in  so  many  schools 
having  female  teachers,  occasioned  an  interruption  to  the  Misses  Blacks'  school. 
The  elder  Miss  Black  early  in  1833  married  a  Canadian  gentleman  and  returned 
to  Canada  to  reside. 

The  other  school  above  alluded  to  and  immediately  succeeding  the  Misses 
IMacks'  school  was  that  of  Miss  Sarah  T.  Seward,  afterward  Mrs.  Gen.  Jacob 
Gould,  who  was  also  a  graduate  of  the  Troy  female  seminary,  and  who  came 
to  Rochester  from  Lebanon  Springs  in  this  state  early  in  March,  1833,  and 
almost  immediately  opened  a  school  in  the  United  States  Hotel  building.  There 
had  also  come  from  the  Troy  female  seminary  Miss  Sayles,  afterward  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam S.  Bishop.  Miss  Sayles  became  the  assistant  of  Miss  Seward,  as  she  had 
been  of  the  Misses  Black.  Miss  Seward's  school  speedily  achieved  great  suc- 
cess. After  continuing  in  the  United  States  Hotel  for  one  year  it  was  removed 
to  the  large  stone  building  at  the  corner  of  Plymouth  avenue  and  Spring  street, 
the  present  site  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  During  its  continuance  at 
that  place  for  nearly  two  years,  and  till  its  removal  to  Alexander  street  in  the 
autumn  of  1835,  it  continued  to  flourish,  and  there  followed  an  awakening  of 
the  people  of  Rochester  to  an  appreciation  of  the  value  of  higher  female  edu- 
cation. As  the  result  of  this  awakening,  two  new  female  academies  were  pro- 
jected and  new  buildings  for  them  were  erected  in  1835  a"d  1836.  Auspicious 
and  favoring  circumstances  attended  both  institutions  and  both  were  meritorious. 
One  was  Miss  Seward's  Alexander  street  female  seminary,  the  building  for 
which  was  completed  and  the  school  opened  in  October,  1835.     The  other  was 


3o6        ■  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  Rochester  female  academy,  of  Fitzhugh  street,  whose  building. was  com- 
menced in  1835  and  completed  and  the  school  opened  in  May,  1836. 

The  Fitzhugh  street  academy  wa^  projected  by  leading  public-spirited  citi- 
zens, many  of  whom  attended  a  meeting  to  promote  its  establishment,  held  at 
the  office  of  Jonathan  Child  in  January,  1835. ,  Authentic  records  of  the  ac- 
tion of  this  meeting  and  the  good  results  which  flowed  from  it  and  of  the  action 
of  subsequent  like  meetings  are  contained  in  a  book  of  records  which  has  been 
carefully  preserved  at  the  academy.  In  the  following  February  a  plan  of  pro- 
cedure was  adopted.  Sixty-seven  gentlemen  agreed  to  divide  among  them- 
selves and  take  200  shares  of  stock  of  $20  value  p^  share  and  thus  raise  $4,000 
"to  purchase  a  suitable  lot  and  erect  thereon  a  building  for  a  female  seminary 
in  Rochester."  The  lot  was  soon  afterward  purchased  from  Anion  Bronson  for 
$300,  subject  to  a  mortgage  to  Everard  Feck  of  $660,  and  a  contract  was  made 
with  Nehemiah  Osburn  for  the  construction  of  a  building  for  $2,890.  In  Sep- 
tember, 183s,  trustees  were  appointed.  They  were  Jonathan  Child,  Moses 
Chapin,  Elijah  F.  Smith,  James  K.  Livingston  and  William  P.  Stanton.  In 
thewinter  of  1835—36  the  trustees  employed  Miss  Julia  H.  Jones  as  principal 
and  the  Misses  Araminta  D.  and  Julia  Doolittle  as  assistant  teachers  for  the 
commencement  of  a  school  in  May,  1836.  The  school  was  duly  and  most  au- 
spiciously opened  at  the  appointed  time  and  it  was  exceedingly  flourishing  and 
successful. 

The  institution  was  not  incorporated  until  1837.  The  trustees  named  in 
the  act  of  incorporation  were  James  Seymour,  Jonathan  Child,  Elijah  F.  Smith, 
James  K.  Livingston,  Moses  Chapin  and  Henry  B.  Williams.  After  the  resig- 
nation of  Miss  Jones,  Miss  A.  D.  Doolittle  became,  by  appointment  of  the 
trustees,  the  principal  and  continued  in  charge  of  the  institution  till  1855,  when 
she  resigned.  Mrs.  Curtis  succeeded  Miss  Doolittle  in  that  year  and  was  the 
principal  of  the  school  till  1858.  In  April.  1858,  Rev.  James  Nichols  and  his 
wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Nichols,-  came  to  Rochester  from  Geneseo  and  assumed  the 
direction  of  the  institution.  The  death  of  Mr.  Nichols  in  1864  left  Mrs.  Nichols, 
aided  only  by  her  abilities  and  experience  as  a  teacher  and  by  well  chosen  as- 
sistants, to  conduct  the  various  departments  of  the  school.  Under  her  wise 
direction  it  has  continued  to  the  present  day  to  maintain  high  standing  among 
the  best  schools  of  the  city  and  of  Western  New  York.  The  good  work  it  has 
accomplished  during  the  nearly  fifty  years  of  its  existence  is  of  inestimable 
value.  Nearly  four  thousand  pupils  have  been  instructed  in  its  halls,  many  of 
whom  were  advanced  to  a  high  degree  of  proficiency  in  knowledge  and  excel- 
lency of  character. 

Miss  Seward's  Alexander  street  seminary,  a  boarding  and  day  school,  so 
called,  was  established  in  1835.  The  school  building  which  Miss  Seward  caused 
to  be  erected  in  that  year  was  large,  having  sixty-four  feet  front.  It  was  at- 
tractive in  appearance,  and  the  handsome  grounds  around  the  building  were 


c:;I^^^^^^^>^-«J^~-^t^    ^,    ^^yl^c^cJ^nyz^'zC^ 


,%  -l-lynPKaM':!  S^;.s  N^w  Y:ii-7o. 


Prominent  Schools,  1825  to  1835.  307 

four  or  five  acres  in  extent.  All  the  appointments  were  complete  and  appro- 
priate to  a  boarding-school  for  young  ladies.  The  sum  expended  by  Miss  Sew- 
ard and  her  friends  for  the  grounds,  buildings,  scientific  apparatus  and  other 
requisites  to  a  large  institution  for  higher  female  education  exceeded  $12,000. 
The  ability  and  skill,  as  teachers,  of  Miss  Seward  and  her  assistants  were  justly 
appreciated  not  only  in  Rochester  but  throughout  the  state  and  to  some  extent 
in  other  states.  The  first  year  after  its  establishment  the  school  numbered 
nearly  a  hundred  pupils,  many  of  whom  were  from  various  parts  of  New  York 
and  from  other  states  and  from  Canada,  and  Miss  Seward's  seminary  took  front 
rank  with  the  best  like  institutions  in  the  country.  It  was  incorporated  in  1838. 
On  the  marriage  of  Miss  Seward  to  General  Jacob  Gould  in  September,  1841, 
Jason  W.  Seward,  a  brother  of  Miss  Seward  and  president  of  the  corporation, 
assumed  direction  of  the  institution.  It  continued  its  good  work  under  his 
guidance,  aided  by  Miss  Seward's  former  assistants,  till  1848,  when  it  was  finally 
discontinued,  or  superseded  by  the  Tracy  female  institute.  In  1856  the  grounds 
were  sold  to  Freeman  Clarke  and  the  buildings  removed  to  give  place  to  the 
mansion  of  Mr.  Clarke,  who  now  resides  there.  The  foregoing  brief  histories  of 
the  Fitzhugh  street  and  Alexander  street  academies  are  here  given  somewhat 
out  of  the  proper  order  as  to  the  relative  time  of  their  establishment  among  the 
early  schools  of  Rochester,  because  the  two  academies  were  so  immediately  the 
successors  of  the  schools  of  the  Misses  Black  and  Miss  Seward  on  the  west  side 
of  the  city  that  their  histories  inevitably  combine  and  will  ever  flow  together  in 
any  narrative  of  the  origin  and  continuance  of  those  schools. 

In  now  reverting  to  other  schools  of  the  period  from  1825  to  1835  which 
have  interesting  histories,  the  school  of  Richard  Dunning  may  be  mentioned 
next.  Early  in  1827  a  long,  substantial,  one-story  wooden  building  capable 
of  accommodating  one  hundred  and  fifty  pupils  was  erected  on  Stone  street 
near  Main  street  by  Czar  Dunning,  a  well  known  dry  goods  merchant  of  Roch- 
ester, who  came  here  in  18 17,  and  his  brother  Richard,  who  was  then  studying 
for  the  ministry.  It  was  the  purpose  to  conduct  the  school  on  the  Lancasterian 
or  monitorial  plan,  then  a  somewhat  popular  method  of  conducting  schools, 
and  the  enterprise  therefore  attracted  much  attention.  About  eighty  pupils 
attended.  Richard  Dunning  had  previously  been  to  Boston,  specially  to  learn 
the  methods  of  like  schools  there.  The  monitorial  plan  did  not  prove  success- 
ful in  this  school  or  in  other  schools  in  Rochester  where  it  was  subsequently 
attempted.  In  the  autobiography  of  Richard  Dunning  —  which  his  son.  Czar 
Dunning,  who  is  named  after  the  old  merchant  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Roch- 
ester, has  permitted  the  writer  to  examine  —  it  is  stated,  as  an  additional  reason 
for  the  failure  of  the  school,  that  "although  some  of  its  patrons  were  wealthy, 
among  whom  were  Josiah  Bissell,  James  Seymour,  the  banker,  and  E.  D. 
Smith,  a  large  proportion  were  persons  of  limited  means,  so  that  many  tuition 
bills  remained   unpaid   and  the  school  had  finally  to  be  discontinued."     It   is 


3o8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

probable  that  the  High  school  on  Lancaster  street,  which  was  also  commenced 
in  the  same  year,  diverted  many  pupils  and  diminished  the  substantial  patron- 
age and  encouragement  that  Mr.  Dunning's  school  would  have  secured  but  for 
this  circumstance.  Soon  after  the  discontinuance  of  the  school,  the  building 
was  disposed  of  for  other  uses  by  Czar  Dunning,  whose  public  spirit  and  lib- 
erality from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  matter  were  praiseworthy.  The 
teacher,  Richard  Dunning,  soon  afterward  became  a  clergyman.  Czar  Dun- 
ning a  few  years  afterward  removed  to  New  York,  where  he  largely  increased 
his  wealth  as  a  merchant.     Both  are  now  deceased.       ' 

On  Lancaster  street,  quite  near  to  Main  street,  a  school  was  opened  about 
1825  and  continued  for  many  years.  A  goodly  number  of  the  former  pupils 
who  are  yet  residents  of  Rochester  well  remember  it.  Schuyler  Moses  says  it 
was  the  beginning  of  the  present  district  number  1 1  public  school,  now  at  the 
corner  of  Chestnut  and  James  streets,  and  that  when  it  was  removed  from  Lan- 
caster street  it  was  immediately  continued  on  Chestnut  street.  The  most,  if 
not  the  best,  remembered  teacher  while  it  was  on  Lancaster- street  was  Mr. 
Shafer.  Although  a  pretty  good  teacher,  as  the  old  pupils  say,  he  had  very 
striking  peculiarities  and  one  thing  besides  the  ruler  that  often  struck  the  pupils 
with  amazement  was  that  he  would  occasionally  smoke  his  pipe  during  school 
hours.  Nathaniel  and  George  H.  Thompson,  Henry  S.  and  Charles  W.  ITcb- 
ard,  Seth  Green,  John  Gorton  and  John  Woollard  were  attendants  and  relate 
many  reminiscences  of  the  teacher  named.  Some  of  them  have  recently  ad- 
mitted in  a  half-confidential  manner  that  they  had  personal  experiences  of  Mr. 
Shafer's  striking  peculiarities  which  they  will  ever  remember.  At  a  later  period 
Mr.  Shafer  was  a  teacher  in  other  early  schools. 

The  Rochester  High  school  was  incorporated  in  1827.  For  twenty-five 
years  and  till  its  destruction  by  fire  in  1852  it  was  the  chief  educational  insti- 
tution in  Rochester.  It  was  located  on  grounds  between  Lancaster  and  Chest- 
nut streets  now  in  part  occupied  by  the  structures  belonging  till  recently  to  the 
Third  Presbyterian  church,  but  now  to  the  Unitarian  church.  There  are  few 
original  records  relating  to  the  school  preserved  to  the  present  time  excepting 
the  brief  and  formal  reports  required  to  be  made  annually  to  the  regents  of 
the  university  at  Albany.  As  to  any  other  records  it  is  the  testimony  of  mem- 
bers of  Dr.  Dewey's  family  that  whatever  records  of  the  institution  were  made 
were  kept  in  the  school  building  and  were  destroyed  in  the  fire  that  consumed 
the  building.  Few  records  of  any  kind  have  been  accessible  to  aid  in  prepar- 
ing a  sketch  of  its  history.  The  recollections  of  it  retained  by  all  the  older 
inhabitants  are  nevertheless  enduring.  It  is  well  remembered  by  them  that 
the  school  and  the  school  building  were  the  largest  of  any  in  Rochester  at  the 
time ;  that  Dr.  Dewey  was  for  a  long  period  the  principal  of  the  institution 
and  Miss  Mary  B.  Allen  the  chief  teacher  in  the  female  department ;  that  the 
institution  flourished  and  at  times  languished  for  the  want  of  greater  pecuniary 


The  Old  Rochester  High  School.  309 

support;  that  under  the  direction  of  Prof.  Dewey  it  flourished  to  a  greater 
extent  than  ever  before,  so  that  it  had  a  greater  number  of  pupils  than  any 
hke  institution  in  this  part  of  the  state;  that  the  school  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire  and  the  .  institution  thus  came  to  a  lamented  end.  All  the  surviving 
pupils  have  vivid  and  emotional  remembrance  of  the  old  building  and  play- 
grounds, the  teachers,  the  associate  pupils  and  the  chief  events  and  incidents  in 
the  school  during  the  respective  periods  of  their  attendance,  and  even  the  in- 
telligent school  boys  and  girls  of  all  the  other  early  schools  remember  the 
general  history  of  the  High  school;  but,  more  than  the  annual  reports  alluded 
to  and  these  general  personal  recollections,  and  the  recorded  act  of  incorpora- 
tion, and  amendments  to  it ;  a  few  advertisements  and  items  as  to  school  ex- 
aminations and  events  occurring  to  the  institution  contained  in  old  news- 
papers; a  few  paragraphs  in  old  city  directories  and,  best  of  all,  in  Henry 
O'Rielly's  Sketches  of  Rochester,  and  occasional  dates  to  be  found  in  the  city 
and  county  records  relating  to  the  corporate  transactions  of  the  institution, 
nothing  remains  of  it  or  its  history.  The  old  inhabitants  of  Rochester  and  the 
old  pupils  remaining  here  or  residing  elsewhere  have  attained  the  age  when 
memory  falters,  and  they  are  one  after  another,  in  the  voyage  of  life,  nearing 
the  eternal  shores  from  which  there  is  no  return.  Unless  some  one  shall  soon 
gather  from  them  and  put  in  proper  form  and  place  of  preservation  whatever 
is  yet  remembered  of  the  institution,  the  time  and  opportunity  for  writing  its 
history  will  be  lost,  and  the  old  High  school  not  many  years  hence  will  be  for- 
gotten. The  prescribed  limits  of  this  mere  sketch  of  its  history  will  not  per- 
mit much  more  than  the  mention  of  the  .act  of  incorporation  and  the  early 
trustees,  and  of  some  additional  particulars  as  to  the  school  building  and  the 
teachers,  and  of  a  few  Incidents  and  events  relating  to  the  institution. 

The  act  of  incorporation  was  passed  by  the  legislature  March  iSth,  1827. 
It  directed  that  "  school  districts  numbers  4  and  14  in  the  town  of  Brighton  be 
united  in  one  district  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  youth  on  the  system  of 
Lancaster  or  Bell,  or  according  to  any  other  plan  of  elementary  education,  and 
that  Levi  Ward,  jr.,  Obadiah  N.  Bush,  Davis  C.  West,  Ashley  Sampson,  Peck- 
ham  Barker,  Elisha  Johnson,  Enos  Stone,  Elisha  Ely,  Abner  Wakelee,  Isaac 
Marsh,  William  Atkinson  and  Salmon  Schofield  shall  be  the  first  trustees." 
The  corporate  name  of  the  institution  was  the  "  Rochester  High  school."  In 
after  years  the  following  named  gentlemen  and  probably  others  were,  for  various 
periods,  trustees  of  the  institution  :  Fletcher  M.  Haight,  William  W.  Mumford, 
Ashbel  W.  Riley,  Levi  A.  Ward,  H.  L.  Achilles,  James  W.  Smith,  William 
H.  Ward,  Jared  Newell,  Nathaniel  Draper,  Allen  Wheeler,  Everard  Peck, 
Julius  T.  and  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  N.  Osburn,  Frederick  Starr,  Charles  M. 
Lee,  William  Pitkin  and  Harvey  Humphrey.  A  lot  of  land  about  one  and 
one-half  acres  in  extent,  fronting  on  Lancaster  street,  was  obtained  from  Enos 
Stone  for  the  construction  of  a  large  school-building.     A  pleasant  alley-way 


3IO  History  of.  the  City  of  Rochester. 

then  extended  from  Clinton  street  and  terminated  in  Lancaster  street  in  front 
of  the  lot,  and  was  used  as  a  pathway  to  and  from  the  school  during  all  the 
period  the  school  continued.  At  the  request  of  the  trustees,  Dr.  Levi  Ward 
and  Ashbel  W.  Riley  went  to  East  Henrietta  to  examine  the  quite  large  school- 
building  then  recently  constructed  there  and  to  adopt  whatever  plans  of  con- 
struction were  deemed  appropriate  to  school  uses  in  Rochester.  The  plans 
recommended  by  those  two  gentlemen  were  adopted  by  the  trustees.  Ashbel 
W.  Riley  constructed  the  building,  which  was  placed  in  about  the  middle  of 
the  grounds.  The  walls  were  of  stone.  The  dimensions  were  eighty-five  feet 
in  length,  north  and  south,  fifty-five  feet  wide,  ai^d  three  stories  in  height.  A 
cupola,  furnished  with  a  bell,  surmounted  the  center  of  the  structure.  There 
were  three  large  doors  of  entrance,  one  at  the  northerly  end  and  the  others  on 
the  easterly  and  westerly  sides.  In  the  interior  of  the  two  corners  of  the  north 
end  were  two  wide  stairways  with  angular  windings  to  the  second  and  third 
stories ;  and  also  in  the  northerly  part  of  the  building,  between  the  vestibules 
and  the  large  school- rooms,  there  were  two  recitation- rooms  on  each  floor, 
which  were  separated  by  north  and  south  hall- ways.  '  These  hall-ways  con- 
nected the  vestibules  and  the  large  school-rooms.  The  throngs  of  junior  and 
senior  pupils  in  all  the  six  large  and  six  smaller  rooms  made  the  entire  building, 
during  school  hours,  a  vital  and  busy  place.  These  minor  particulars  are  note- 
worthy, because  a  school  of  more  than  half  a  hundred  pupils  and  a  school- 
building  with  more  than  one  room  and  exceeding  one  story  in  height  were, 
in  1827,  a  great  improvement  and  advance  even  for  Rochester,  and  because 
even  a  brief  and  imperfect  word-picture  that  but  faintly  reproduces  the  old 
building  will  awaken  pleasant  memories  in  surviving  pupils  and  teachers.  For 
that  early  time,  as  related  to  education  in  Western  New  York,  the  building  was 
justly  regarded  as  exceedingly  spacious  and  the  appointments  complete,  for 
they  included  philosophical  apparatus  by  which  the  sciences  of  chemistry  and 
astronomy  could  be  illustrated.  The  large  schools  in  the  junior  and  senior 
male  and  female  departments  were  well  maintained  by  carefully  chosen  teachers, 
and  the  institution  became  famous  among  the  High  schools  in  this  part  of  the 
state. 

During  the  course  of  the  twenty- five  years  the  institution  existed  the  num- 
ber of  teachers  in  the  various  departments,  for  longer  or  shorter  periods  of 
time,  became  quite  large.  In  the  limited  time  the  writer  could  devote  to 
inquiry  it  has  proved  impracticable,  at  present,  to  obtain  the  names  of  all  the 
teachers  either  in  the  High  school  or  other  early  schools,  or  to  obtain  accurate 
information,  except  in  a  few  instances,  as  to  the  period  of  time  the  teachers  whose 
names  ai*e  known  continued  in  the  schools  in  which  they  taught.  In  respect 
to  the  High  school,  it  is  impossible  at  present  even  to  place  the  names  of  the 
teachers  who  are  known  in  the  chronological  order  of  their  connection  with  the 
institution,  or  relate  them,  except  in  a  few  instances,  to  the  departments  in 


&. 


The  Old  Rocpf ester  High  School.  311 

which  they  taught.  The  first  teachers  can,  however,  be  named  nearly  with 
accuracy.  They  were  :  S.  D.  Moore,  who  was  the  first  principal,  and  Mr.  Van 
Dake  and  Miss  Weed,  who  were  assistant  teachers.  Afterwai-d  there  followed, 
with  various  periods  of  connection  with  the  institution,  Orlando  Oatman,  Mr. 
Bartlett,  Josiah  Perry,  Rev.  Gilbert  Morgan,  Daniel  Marsh,  Henry  Stanley, 
George  Bartholomew,  Mr.  Hovey,  Philander  Davis,  Rev.  Dr.  Chester  Dewey, 
Leander  Wetherill,  Lindley  Murray  Moore,  Chauncey  Giles,  Lieut.  Pitkin 
(United  States  army),  William  Breck,  Rev.  Charles  Fitch,  Mr.  Clemens,  Nathan 
Brittan,  N.  W.  Benedict,  Latham  S.  Burrows,  James  R,  Doolittle  (subsequently 
United  States  senator  from  Wisconsin),  Mr.  Jones,  Mr.  Ramsay.  Among 
fernale  teachers  following  Miss  Weed  were  Miss  Mary  B.  Allen,  Amelia  B. 
Colton,  Charlotte  and  Caroline  Stanley,  Mary  Hunt,  Helen  Mallet,  Celestia  A. 
Bloss,  Julia  Picrpont,  Miss  Eaton,  Malvina  M.  Snow  (who  succeeded  Miss 
Allen  as  chief  teacher),  Cornelia  M.  Crocker,  Miss  Rogers,  Miss  Clemens  and 
Mrs.  Greenough,  the  successor  of  Miss  Snow,  After  Mrs.  Greenough's  resig- 
nation. Miss  Pierpont  was  the  chief  teacher.  It  is  certain,  and  it  is  regretful, 
that  the  foregoing  lists  are  incomplete. 

The  female  teachers  are  here  named  as  they  were  known  at  the  High  school. 
Many,  if  not  all,  of  them  were  subsequently  married.  Miss  Allen  became  Mrs. 
Moses  King,  Miss  Mallet  is  now  Mrs.  E.  G.  Billings,  and  both  ladies  are  still 
residing  in  Rochester.  Miss  Bloss  established  the  Clover  street  seminary,  in 
Brighton,  about  1846,  and  while  principal  of  that  institution  was  married  to 
Isaac  W.  Brewster.     She  is  now  deceased. 

Dr.  Dewey  was  for  the  longest  period  the  principal  and  a  continuous  teacher 
in  the  institution.  Few  gentlemen  were  more  revered  and  loved  by  his  asso- 
ciate teachers,  pupils,  and  all  the  people  of  Rochester  than  was  he,  and  his 
memory  will  ever  be  precious  to  all  who  knew  hirn.  He  came  to  Rochester  in 
May,  1836,  by  a  special  call  to  the  High  school  from  its  then  trustees.  He 
was  at  the  time  residing  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  and  was  the  principal  of  the  Berk- 
shire institute.  He  had  previously,  from  18 10  to  1825,  been  one  of  the  pro- 
fessors in  Williams  college,  Massachusetts.  After  the  destruction  of  the  High 
school  in  1852,  by  fire,  he  was  appointed  professor  of  natural  sciences  in  the 
University  of  Rochester,  in  which  position  he  continued  nearly  to  the  end  of 
his  life.  He  was  ever  in  high  repute  as  a  scholar  and  naturalist,  as  a  most 
skilled  and  successful  educator  and  most  kindly  and  gracious  gentleman.  It 
was  after  Dr.  Dewey  came  to  Rochester  and  introduced  into  the  High  school 
the  improved  methods  in  teaching  of  the  best  like  institutions  in  New  England 
that  the  High  school  attained  its  greatest  reputation  and  usefulness,  and  in- 
creased the  number  of  its  pupils  from  the  previous  annual  average  of  400  to 
more  than  500.      In  1837  the  number  exceeded  560. 

Miss  Mary  B.  Allen,  now  Mrs.  King,  came  to  the  High  school  as  ea.rly  as 
1 830  and  remained  as  chief  teacher  in  the  female  department  seven  years.     No 


3 1 2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

other  one  of  the  female  teachers  was  as  long  connected  with  the  institution. 
Under  her  auspices  and  wise  direction  the  female  department  happily  flourished, 
and  all  the  departments  and  teachers  were  greatly  assisted  by  her  good  counsel 
and  her  hearty  devotion  to  the  institution.  Like  that  of  Prof.  Dewey,  her 
name  will  be  identified  with  the  institution  as  long  as  it  is  remembered.  Mrs. 
Greenough,  also  well  known  and  greatly  esteemed  in  Rochester,  was  one  of  the 
later  teachers  and  succeeded  Miss  Snow  as  chief  teacher  in  the  female  depart- 
ment. She  is  now  a  resident  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and,  like  Mrs.  King,  has 
attained  more  than  eighty  years  of  age.  The  pupils  of  the  High  school  during 
its  long  continuance  numbered  in  the  aggregate  not  many  if  any  less  than  ten 
thousand.  There  were  biit  few  prominent  families  residing,  during  its  exist- 
ence, in  any  part  of  Rochester  or  the  surrounding  country  that  did  not  at  some 
time  have  a  representative  in  the  school.  Its  pupils  have  been  travelers  in 
every  clime  and  residents  of  the  various  states  of  the  Union  and  countries  of 
the  world.  Of  the  thousands  whose  education  and  advancement  were  com- 
menced or  continued  in  the  old  High  school,  professional,  mechanical,  artistic, 
political  and  business  successes  and  distinction  have  attended  a  large  proportion 
of  the  boys  grown  to  manhood ;  and  graceful  accomplishments,  high  social, 
literary,  artistic  and  in  many  instances  professional  reputation  and  distinction 
have  also  been  attained,  by  great  numbers  of  the  girls  grown  to  womanhood. 
Grateful  remembrances  and  delightful  associations  of  the  old  institution  and  its 
numerous  teachers,  and  especially  of  venerable  Dr.  Dewey,  have  ever  been  and 
will  ever  be  retained  and  cherished  by  the  pupils  to  the  end  of  life. 

A  Catholic  school  in  the  basement  of  St.  Patrick's  church  was  established 
as  early  as  1835.  During  the  winter  of  1834-35  Rev.  Bernard  O'Reilly,  pastor 
of  the  church,  requested  Father  Welch,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  to  send  a  capable 
Catholic  teacher  to  Rochester.  In  response  to  this  request  Michael  Hughes, 
who  arrived  in  America  in  December,  1834,  was  sent  here  early  in  May,  1835. 
The  school  was  immediately  opened  by  Mr.  Hughes  in  Dr.  Hugh  Bradley's 
house,  on  North  St.  Paul  street,  near  Falls  field,  and  continued  there  while  the 
basement  of  St.  Patrick's  church  was  being  fitted  for  a  school-room.  As  soon 
as' the  school-room  was  completed  the  school  was  removed  to  the  church  and 
Mr.  Hughes  continued  its  teacher  for  seven  years,  assisted  by  his  wife,  Mrs. 
Margaret  L.  Hughes.  After  this  period  Mr.  Kelly  became  the  teacher  in  1842, 
and  in  1843  Patrick  Quin,  who  is  now  surviving  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of 
his  age,  succeeded  Mr.  Kelly  and  continued  to  be  the  teacher  till  1848.  The 
school  was  soon  afterward  removed  to  Brown  street,  where  it  is  still  maintained. 

In  addition  to  all  the  foregoing  there  should  be  mentioned  many  other  early 
schools  that  were  more  or  less  prorninent  and  were,  in  many  instances,  of 
much  excellence  and  usefulness.  Various  and  interesting  associations  and 
recollections  as  to  their  teachers  and  pupils  and  events  relating  to  the  schools 
are  yet  well  preserved,  and  it  was  the  intention   to  specially  mention  some  of 


Other  Early  Private  Schools.'  313 

these  schools  and  the  incidents  alluded  to,  but  necessary  limitations,  which 
cannot  be  transcended,  prevent  its  being  done.  In  the  brief  mention  of  them, 
or  many  of  them,  hereinafter  made,  the  order  in  which  they  are  given  pertains 
to  the  years  in  which  they  existed  and  not  to  their  prominence  as  schools. 
There  were  many  more  schools  in  Rochester;  especially  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  period  embraced  in  these  sketches,  than  have  been  mentioned,  as  the 
public  school  districts  were  increased  soon  after  Rochester  became  a  city  in 
1834  and  district  schools  abounded.  It  may  also  be  stated  that  it  is  not  in  the 
scope  or  design  of  this  article  to  narrate  anything  as  to  the  later  district  schools, 
that  having  been  left  to  Mr.  Ellis,  the  superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of 
the  city,  and,  as  to  the  other  or  private  schools,  information  as  to  all  of  them 
has  not  been  obtainable.  Those  of  which  brief  mention  can  be  made  — ^  giving 
those  taught  by  females  first  and  the  years  of  their  establishment  or  continu- 
ance as  .  nearly  correctly  as  possible  —  are  the  schools  of  Miss  Mary  Burr,  on 
State,  near  Jay  street,  in  1822;  Miss  Mary  Sibley,  on  North  Sophia  street, 
about  1825,  a  seminary  chiefly  for  the  superior  education  of  young  ladies  and 
largely  attended  in  its  time  ;  Miss  Eliza  Weed,  Main  street,  near  Clinton  street, 
1825  ;  subsequently  Miss  Weed  was  chief  teacher  in  the  first  school  opened 
for  young  ladies  in  the  High  school;  Miss  Baldwin,  in  basement  of  First  Bap- 
tist church,  formerly  First  Presbyterian  church  building.  State  street,  1824; 
Miss  Hawley,  Buffalo  street,  near  the  corner  of  Fitzhugh  street,  1826;  Mrs. 
Fisher  BuUard,  State  street,  near  Brown  street,  1826;  Miss  Ursula  Paddock, 
Main  street,  now  East  avenue,  continuing  in  or  near  Josiah  Bissell's  ofl'ice,  op- 
posite the  end  of  Chestnut  street,  from  1825  to  1831;  Miss  Hopkins,  South 
street,  west  side,  near  the  corner  of  Jackson  street,  1826,  her  old  school-house 
still  standing;  Miss  Flowets,  South  Sophia  street,  about  1828,  a  popular  aca- 
demic school  for  young  ladies,  in  which  the  higher  branches  of  education  were 
successfully  taught;  the  daughters  of  Gen.  Jacob  Gould,  Ebenezer  Watts,  James 
Seymour,  Dr.  John  D.  Henry,  Wm.  J.  Shearman,  Abelard  Reynolds,  John 
Caldwell,  and  many  other  early  and  well  known  residents  of  Rochester  and 
vicinity  were  attendants;  Miss  Delia  Stone,  afterward  Mrs.  Bishop,  missionary 
to  Sandwich  islands,  Fitzhugh  street,  1825  ;  Miss  Belden,  Spring  street,  1827-28; 
Miss  Sadler,  Exchange  street,  near  old  circus,  1828;  Mrs.  Harford,  Spring 
street,  near  Fitzhugh  street,  1830;  Miss  Cleveland,  South  St.  Paul  street,  west 
side,  near  Main  street,  1828,  a  popular  school  for  young  children,  attended  by 
the  younger  daughters  of  Dr.  Henry,  Mr.  Childs  of  Washington  square,  Elisha 
Johnson  and  other  gentlemen,  and  the  sons  of  Elisha  Ely  and  W.  J.  Shear- 
man; Mrs.  Spaulding,  in  Smith's  stone  building,  corner  of  Buffalo,  now  West 
Main  street,  and  Exchange  street,  about  1830;  Miss  Carter,  near  Washington 
square,  about  1830;  Mrs.  Darrow,  Fitzhugh  street,  near  site  of  Rochester  sav- 
ings bank,  1832;  Mi.ss  Eliza  Dickinson,  east  cornel"  of  Main  street,  now  East 
avenue,  and  Chestnut  street,  1832;  Miss  Humphrey,  State  street,  where  Church 


314  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

street  now  is  opened,  about  1833;  Mrs.  Hotchkiss,  Jones  street,  near  Dean 
street,  about  1835;  Miss  Banning,  State  street,  east  side,  south  of  Piatt  street, 
1836;  Miss  Cornell,  State  street,  about  1836;  Miss  Chichester,  southwest  cor- 
ner of  State  and  Brown  streets,  about  1837;  Miss  Palmer,  corner  of  Main  and 
Franklin  streets,  also  Amity  street,  about  1838;  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Clark,  now 
Mrs.  Lippincott  of  Philadelphia,  distinguished  in  literature  as  "Grace  Green- 
wood," North  avenue,  near  University  avenue,  1838. 

There  were  also  the  so-called  "charitable,"  or  free  schools,  maintained,  at 
various  times  after  1820  and  till  public  or  free  schools  were  established  by  law, 
by  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  by  St.  Luke's  church,  and  by  the  Female 
Charitable  society,  and  charitable  schools  for  colored  children  were  at  various 
times  provided.  The  annals  of  all  these  schools  are  of  interest  as  related  to 
the  early  schools  of  Rochester. 

Among  the  schools  taught  by  male  teachers  were  those  of  Rev.  Mr.  Miller, 
school-house  on  Exchange  street,  where  the  Clinton  House  now  stands,  and 
also  in  school-house  where  the  city  hall  now  stands,  before  the  First  church  was 
erected  there,  about  1820;  Mr.  Dodge,  same  places,  after  1820;  Ephraim  Goss, 
grammar  school,  Buffalo  street,  near  corner  of  Exchange  street,  1825—26.  This 
teacher  was  subsequently  well  known  throughout  the  country  as  Squire  Goss 
of  Pittsford ;  Mr.  Wilder,  east  side  of  North  Sophia  street,  a  largely  attended 
school,  1830;  Smith  Dunham,  on  or  near  present  site  of  arsenal,  south 
side  of  Washington,  square,  about  1828  (this  was  a  large  school) ;  one  of 
Mr.  Dunham's  half-humorous,  half-savage,  and  yery  frequent  greetings  to  his 
pupils  was,  "woe  unto  yoii  boys!";  Mr.  Haines,  South  St.  Paul,  west  side, 
opposite  Agricultural  buildings  (school  building  yet  there),  about  1 830  (Mr. 
Shafer  and  Mr.  Johnson  were  also  teachers  in  this  building  before  1830,  and 
Thomas  R.  Greening  after  that  time)  ;  Mr.  Mills,  Spring  street,  near  Exchange 
street,  about  1830;  Mr.  Spaulding,  in  Smith's  stone  building,  corner  Buffalo 
and  Exchange  streets,  about  1830;  Mrs.  Spaulding's  school  for  girls  was  in  the 
same  building  at  the  same  time;  Mr.  Comstock,  in  same  building  about  1832  ; 
Mr.  Elliot,  assisted  by  Miss  Cunningham,  free  school  maintained  by  A.  W. 
Riley  in  the  Free  church,  corner  of  Court  and  Stone  streets,  1833-34-35  >  av- 
erage attendance  100  pupils;  Samuel  Boothby,  Franklin  House,  subsequently 
Osburn  House,  1835,  large  school  (Mr.  B.  formerly  and  subsequently  taught  in 
Brown  square  and  North  Ford  street  schools  and  on  State  near  Piatt  street) ; 
Mr.  Flint,  State  street,  near  Piatt  street,  about  1830. 

There  was  an  early  school,  once  on  a  time,  and  somewhere  in  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  Rochester,  which  was  greatly  distinguished  among' either  earlier  or 
later  schools  by  the  circumstance  that  its  teacher  frequently  honed  his  razor, 
lathered  his  face  and  shaved  himself  in  presence  of  his  pupils  during  school 
hours.  This  cannot  have  been  and  probably  never  will  be  regarded  as  proper, 
except  when  it  is  geographically  considered  as  occurring  in  the  northwestern 


Prominent  Schools  Since  1840.  315 

quarter  and  therefore  as  making  a  proper  balance  of  things  in  the  early  school 
system  of  Rochester,  for  it  was  in  one  of  the  early  schools  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  town,  and  about  the  same  time,  that  a  teacher  frequently  smoked  his 
pipe  during  school  hours. 

In  preparing  the  foregoing  annals  of  the  early  schools  of  Rochester,  the  line 
of  separation  between  them  and  the  later  schools  was  deemed  to  be,  properly,, 
the  year  1 840  ;  and  therefore  all  the  schools  hereinbefore-mentioned  were  estab- 
lished antecedent  to  that  time.  This  will  explain  the  seeming  oversight  and 
omission  of  many  once  existing  excellent  schools  which  have  been  so  long  dis- 
continued that  they  seem  to  be  old  schools,  and  probably  would  have  to  be  so 
called  relatively  to  and  in  distinction  from  those  at  present  existing.  Among 
the  schools  established  and  discontinued  since  1840  maybe  mentioned  those  of 
Miss  Mary  B.  Allen,  now  Mrs.  King,  at  the  corner  of  North  St.  Paul  street  and 
Pleasant  street,  opened  in  1840-41  and  discontinued  in  1844,  ^""^  her  Allen 
street  female  seminary,  established  in  1847  and  discontinued  in  1869;  Mrs. 
Atkinson's  female  seminary  on  North  St.  Paul  street  (Carthage)  afterward  on 
Canal  street  and  still  later  at  the  corner  of  Plymouth  avenue  and  Troup  street ; 
Miss  Langdon's  seminary  in  what  was  called  the  Watts  building,  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Buffalo  and  Exchange  streets,  and  afterward  in  Child's  block  on 
Exchange  street,  south  of  the  canal ;  Mrs.  Greenough's  seminary  at  the  corner 
of  North  and  Andrews  streets  and  finally  on  Plymouth  avenue  near  Adams 
.street;  Satterlee's  collegiate  institute,  at  the  corner  of  Atwater  and  Oregon 
streets ;  M.  G.  Peck's  East  avenue  institute,  East  avenue,  near  the  corner  of 
Stillson  street ;  De  Graff's  institute  for  boys,  on  East  Main  street,  near  Stone 
street,  and  afterward  at  the  corner  of  Court  and  Stone  streets ;  Mrs.  Daniel 
Marsh's  female  seminary,  a  day  and  boarding  school  on  South  avenue ;  East- 
man's commercial  college,  one  of  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  country ;  Miles's 
institute,  corner  of  State  and  Lyell  streets ;  Rev.  Jesse  A.  Aughinbaugh's 
Catholic  college  in  the  Mumford  block,  corner  of  South  St.  Paul  and  Court 
streets,  opened  in  1848  and  discontinued  in  1851;  the  Tracy  female  in- 
stitute, on  Alexander  street ;  the  schools  of  Mrs.'  Isabella  Porter  and  Miss  Mary 
Jane  Porter  in  the  basement  of  the  Unitarian  church  on  North  Fitzhugh  street, 
then  of  Misses  M.  J.  and  Almira  B.  Porter  on  South  Washington,  near  Troup, 
and  lastly  of  Miss  A.  B.  Porter  in  the  chapel  of  Christ  church  on  East  avenue. 

The  making  of  the  year  1840  the  line  or  period  of  demarkation  between  the 
old  schools  and  the  new,'  as  stated,  will  also  explain  the  omission  to  give  at  least 
brief  histories  of  some  of  the  now  existing  excellent  schools  of  Rochester,  which 
have  been  so  long  continned  that  they  are  now  often  called  old-established 
schools.  Among  these  superior  and  flourishing  institutions  not  hereinbefore- 
mentioned  are  Mrs.  Curtis's  Livingston  Park  seminary,  at  the  corner  of  Living- 
ston park  and  Spring  street;  Miss  Bliss's  seminary,  at  the  corner  of  Spring  and 
Washington  streets  ;   Miss  Cruttenden's  seminary,  on   Gibbs   street,  near   East 

21 


3i6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Main  street,  and  the  various  Catholic  schools  for  higher  education.  There  are 
many  other  private  schools,  so  called,  and  institutions  for  male  and  female 
students,  secular,  parochial  and  denominational,  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  and 
some  of  them  have  handsome  buildings  and  large  numbers  of  pupils.  The 
splendid  reorganisation  and  perfection  of  the  public  schools  in  conformity  to 
the  legislation  of  1840-41  have  made  them  and  the  Free  academy  deservedly 
popular  with  all  classes  and  the  pride  and  the  boast  of  all  the  people  of  the 
city  who  have  any  interest  in  education.  The  University  of  Rochester  and  its 
adjunct,  the  Rochester  theological  seminary,  have  both  been  steadily  advanc- 
ing in  usefulness  and  power  since  their  first  establishment  in  1850.  The  univer- 
sity is  now  rapidly  acquiring  additional  resources  for  promoting  higher  and  the 
highest  education  in  the  various  departments  of  learning  and  science.  Its  sup- 
porters and  friends,  who  are  all  the  intelligent  people  of  Rochester,  justly  rejoice 
in  it  as  the  good  result  of  early  and  later  work  in  Rochester  in  behalf  of  higher 
education,  and  as  the  crown  and  glory  of  the  educational  system  of  the  city  and 
region.  The  city  has  in  truth  a  magnificent  company  of  schools  and  educa- 
tional institutions,  and  the  people  of  Rochester  may  properly  be  proud  of  them 
as  the  achievement  mainly  of  their  own  wisdom  and  labors.  They  may  be 
joyous  in  them  because  of  the  benefits  the  schools  and  institutions  have  con- 
ferred on  children  and  youth  and  on  society  in  time  past  and  will  continue  to 
confer  in  all  time  to  come ;  and  the  people  of  Rochester  may  and  should  be 
exultant  in  now  having  in  their  midst  this  great  company  of  schools  and  edu- 
cational institutions  as  the  wonderful  outcome,  the  grand  fruition,  the  benefi- 
cent and  splendid  result  of  Huldah  M.  Strong's  first  school,  in  Enos  Stone's 
barn  in  the  year  of  grace  1813. 

THE    CONVENT    SCHOOLS.^ 

The  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart  was  established  for  higher  studies  for 
girls,  by  the  ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  in  1855.  Mother  Kennedy '.opened 
the  first  house  in  1855,  on  South  St.  Paul  street,  assisted  by  nineteen  Religious. 
The  first  year  they  had  about  thirty-five  pupils.  In  1863  they  removed  to  the 
present  place  on  Prince  street.  The  old  building  on  the  premises  was  enlarged 
in  1866  and  it  was  finished  in  its  present  form  in  1875.  It  is  of  brick,  three 
stories  high,  with  a  basement  for  kitchen,  dining-room,  etc.  At  present  there 
are  thirty-six  Religious  in  the  convent,  Mother  A.  Pardow  being  superior. 
The  pupils  number  about  sixty  (twenty-five  boarders  and  thirty-five  day 
scholars).  A  Christian  free  school  is  connected  with  the  academy.  It  num- 
bers one  hundred  and  twenty  scholars,  with  two  teachers. 

Academy  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy. —  In  this  house  on  South  street,  near  St. 
Mary's  church,  a  convent  for  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  an  academy,  an  industrial 
school,  and  a  children's  home  are  combined.     The  Sisters  of  Mercy  were  called 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  under  the  supervision  of  Bishop  McQuaid. 


The  Convent  School.  3 '  7 


into  the  city  of  Rochester  from  Providence,  by  Bishop  Timon,  of  Buffalo,  in 
the  year  1857,  Father  McEvoy  being  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  church.  The  first 
building  they  occupied  was  a  private  dwelling-house  of  brick  on  the  present 
site.  Five  Sisters  opened  the  house,  Mother  Baptist  being  superior.  The 
building  was  enlarged  in  1876  and  the  present  beautiful  structure  was  finished 
in  1882.  It  is  three  stories  high,  with  a  basement  for  kitchen,  dining-room, 
etc.  There  are  now  twenty-seven  Sisters  in  the  house,  Mother  Frances  being 
superior.  They  teach  St.  Mary's  parochial  school,  and  conduct  a  select  school 
or  academy  with  about  fifty  pupils.  The  industrial  school  connected  with  the 
convent  was  established  in  1872.  It  numbers  about  fifty  pupils.  The  children's 
home  was  established  in  1882.  Its  object  is  to  take  care  of  small  children 
while  their  mothers  are  at  work.      It  numbers  about  twelve  children. 

Academy  of  Nazareth  convent,  on  Jay  street,  corner  of  Frank,  is  the  mother 
house  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph.  It  was  opened  in  1871,  Mother  M.  Stanis- 
laus being  superior.  The  Sisters  of  this  community  teach  the  parochial  schools 
of  St.  Patrick's  cathedral,  St.  Bridget's  church  and  the  Immaculate  Conception 
church  in  this  city  and  nearly  all  the  parochial  schools  of  the  diocese.  The 
house  was  opened  with  about  twenty  Sisters.  The  building  was  enlarged  in 
1871—72,  and  the  present  building  was  finished  in  1876.  It  is  of  brick,  three 
stories  high,  with  a  basement  for  kitchen  and  dining-room.  The  academy  con- 
nected with  the  convent  was  opened  in  1872;  it  numbered  then  about  thirty 
pupils.  At  present  there  are  about  one  hundred  pupils,  twenty  boarders  and 
eighty  day  scholars.  There  are  about  sixty  Sisters  in  the  house.  Mother  M. 
Agnes  is  the  present  superior. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  I'UHLIC  SCHOOLS.  1 

'I'lie  I'irst  Hoard  of  Education  —  'I'lie  School  Cen.sus  in  1841  —  Tlie  Modern  High  School  —  Free 
Schools  Eslablislied  in  1849  —  Opposition  to  the  System  —  The  UilTiculties  Surmounted  —  The  Com- 
mon Schools  of  the  City  —  A  Sketch  of  Each  One. 

THE  first  board  of  education  of  the  city  of  Rochester  was  organised  in  1841. 
Only  a  few  meager  facts  are  obtainable  in  reference  to  the  history  and 
condition  of  the  common  schools  previous  to  that  time.  That  they  were  much 
inferior  to  the  private  schools  established  and  conducted  in  those  early  years  of 
the  city's  young  life,  seems  clear  from  a  flattering  notice  of  the  private  schools 
in  O'  Rielly's  History  of  Rochester.     The  only  reference  he  makes  to  the  com- 

1  This  sketch  was  prepared  by  Mr.  S.  A.  Ellis,  the  superintendent  of  public  schools. 


3i8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

mon  schools  is  the  following.    After  speaking  of  the  old  Rochester  High  school 

—  not  a  free  school  —  the  female  seminaries  on  Fitzhugh  and  Alexander  streets, 
he  says : — 

"  In  addition  to  the  seminaries  already  mentioned,  there  are  several  select  schools  in 
the  city,  the  whole  numher  of  this  class  being  eighteen.  Besides  these,  there  are  thir- 
teen common  school  districts  and  two  half  districts  within  the  city  limits,  in  one  of  which 
districts  a  spacious  and  beautiful  edifice  has  been  erected  —  the  building  next  north  of 
St.  Luke's  church  —  which  might  be  advantageously  used  as  a  model  for  similar  struct- 
ures in  other  districts." 

The  proprietors  of  the  land  constituting  the  site  of  the  village  of  Rochester 

—  Messrs.  Fitzhugh,  Carroll  and  Rochester  —  set  apart,  as  a  free  gift,  lots  for  a 
court-house,  jail,  church  and  school-house.  The  lot  upon  which  the  first  school- 
house  was  erected  was  a  part  of  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Free  academy 
building.  It  was  a  plain,  one-story  building,  with  desks  arranged  around  the 
room  on  three  sides,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  pupils  faced  the  walls.  There 
was  an  open  fire-place  at  one  end.  The  entrance  was  on  the  side  next  to  St. 
Luke's  church.  The  seats  were  mostly  constructed  of  slabs,  with  the  flat  sur- 
face uppermost,  and  with  legs  driven  in  the  opposite  side,  on  which  they  were 
supported,  and  were  without  backs. 

A  census  of  school  children  was  taken  in  January,  1841.  The  number  of 
children  of  school  age  reported  was  4,343,  with  an  average  attendance  in  the 
pubHc  schools  of  1,050,  with  twenty  teachers,  while  1,226  are  reported  as  in  at- 
tendance upon  thirty-three  private  schools.  There  were,  at  that  time,  twelve 
school  districts  in  the  city.  Of  school-houses,  there  were  three  good,  and  four 
poor,  while  five  districts  were  without  buildings.     A  report  of  that  year  says : 

"The  public  schools  have  not  the  public  confidence.  The  best  citizens  do  not  be- 
lieve that  their  children  can  obtain  in  the  common  schools  that  thorough  mental  disci- 
pline, that  culture  of  their  moral  principles,  and  that  attention  to  their  habits  and  man- 
ners, wliich  they  deem  indispensable  to  their  welfare." 

On  the  22d  day  of  June,  1841,  the  first  board  of  education  was  organised, 
of  which  Levi  A.  Ward  was  made  president.  I.  F.  Mack  was  elected  the  first 
superintendent  of  schools  and  proved  himself  a  capable  and  efficient  officer. 
He  held  office  from  1841  to  1846,  and  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Samuel  L. 
Selden,  B.  R.  McAlpine,  Washington  Gibbons,  Daniel  Holbrook,  R.  D.  Jones, 
J.  Atwater,  I.  S.  Hobbie,  P.  H.  Curtis,  C.  N.  Simmons,  S.  A.  Ellis  and  A.  L. 
Mabbett ;  of  these  Daniel  Holbrook  served  two  terms  and  C.  N.  Simmons  three 
terms.  The  present  incumbent,  S.  A.  Ellis,  is  serving  his  second  term.  The 
longest  continuous  term  of  office  held  by  any  of  the  foregoing  was  by  S.  A. 
Ellis,  and  was  for  seven  years.  Henry  E.  Rochester  was  elected  the  first  county 
superintendent  of  common  schools  for  Monroe  county  and  rendered  eff(;ctive 
service  in  the  cause  of  education. 

Previous  to  the  organisation  of  the  board  of  education,  the  mayor,  aldermen 
and  assistants  were,  by  virtue  of  their  office,  commissioners  of  common  schools, 


The  Public  Schools.  3 '9 


in  and  for  the  city;  and  were  authorised  to  perform  all  the  duties  of  such  com- . 
niissioners.  In  January,  1842,  there  were  fifteen  school  districts  in  the  city  and 
seven  school  buildings.  One  of  these,  a  brick  building,  is  still  standing,  at  the 
corner  of  Reynolds  and  Tremont  streets,  and  is  used  as  a  dwelling-house.  The 
board  were  about  to  erect  two  other  buildings.  The  report  for  that  year  says : 
"The  public  schools  are  far  superior  to  the  select  schools  they  have  supplanted." 
At  that  time  2,300  children  were  in  regular  attendance,  with  thirty-four  teach- 
ers. The  total  cost  of  the  schools  for  the  year  was  $13,000.  A  report  made 
June  19th,  1843,  gave  the  number  of  districts  as  fifteen,  with  eight  commodious 
brick  school-houses,  the  average  attendance  of  pupils  as  2,500,  and  annual  cost 
of  the  schools  as  $19,000.  In  the  second  annual  report  of  the  board,  made  by 
Superintendent  Mack  in  January,  1844,  the  average  attendance  of  males  was 
2,161,  of  females  2,085.  During  this  period  each  district  was  assessed  to  meet 
the  larger  amount  of  the  expenses  incident  to  the  administration  of  the  school, 
the  other  portion  being  an  appropriation  by  the  state.  Many  honored  names 
of  the  citizens  of  Rochester  are  found  in  the  list  of  those  who,  from  the  first, 
took  a  prominent  part  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  public  schools. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1849,  the  act  establishing  free  schools  throughout 
the  state  was  passed  by  the  legislature.  After  the  passage  of  the  act,  strenu- 
ous efforts  were  made  by  the  enemies  of  free  schools  to  secure  its  repeal.  On 
the  lOth  of  July  a  free  school  convention,  consisting  of  delegates  from  every 
section  of  the  state,  met  at  Syracuse.  Wm.  C.  Bloss  and  Frederick  Starr  were 
the  delegates  from  this  city,  and  zealously  championed  the  cause  of  free  schools. 
The  attempt  to  secure  the  repeal  of  the  law  was  signally  defeated.  In  1850 
the  school  districts  were  consolidated  and  the  schools  made  free  to  all  children 
between  the  ages  of  five  and  sixteen. 

To  Rochester  belongs  the  distinguished  honor  of  having  first  conceived  and 
given  shape  to  the  idea  of  the  modern  free  "high  school."  In  the  year  1830 
a  committee,  consisting  of  Joseph  Penney,  D.  D.,  O.  C.  Comstock,  D.  D., 
Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Levi  A.  Ward  and  Heman  Nprton  —  appointed  by  the 
citizens  of  Rochester  at  a  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting,  held  for  the  purpose 
of  memorialising  the  state  legislature  on  the  subject  of  our  common  schools  — 
presented,  in  April  of  that  year,  a  memorial  and  a  plan  for  their  improvement. 
This  seems  a  most  remarkable  document,  read  even  in  the  light  of  more  than 
half  a  century  of  progress  in  the  public  school  system  of  the  country.  Fol- 
lowing the  direction  of  public  opinion,  it  indicated,  in  no  uncertain  way,  the 
various  improvements  that  have  followed,  and  which  have  tended  to  the  infu- 
sion of  new  life  into  the  whole  system.  Among  -the  improvements  recom- 
mended was  the  establishment,  in  each  town,  of  a  central  high  school,  or  higher 
school  of  the  most  approved  standard  of  excellence,  so  connected  with  all  the 
other  schools  in  the  town  as  to  exert  the  most  salutary  influence  upon  the  gen- 
eral interests  of  education,  and  aid  in  the  preparation  of  well  qualified  teachers. 


320  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

As  the  result  of  this  memorial,  in  1 840,  in  the  larger  towns  and  cities  of  the 
state,  union  and  high  schools  were  established,  and  in  successful  operation.  It 
was  out  of  such  convictions  as  these  men  expressed  in  their  memorial  that  the 
modern  high  school  grew.  By  the  act  of  the  28th  of  April,  1834,  the  com- 
mon council,  as  commissioners  of  common  schools  of  the  city,  were  authorised, 
upon  the  consent  of  any  number  of  school  districts,  to  organise  one  or  more 
"high  schools."  This  power,  by  the  act  of  the  20th  of  May,  1841,  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  board  of  education.  Superintendent  Mack,  in  his  second  annual 
report  in  1844,  makes  an  eloquent  plea  for  a  school  where  "talented  and  am- 
bitious youth  of  our  city  could  have  all  the  facilities  necessary  for  a  thorough 
education."  His  successors  in  office  continued  to  urge  the  establishment  of 
such  a  school,  and  various  committees  made  it  the  subject  of  report  and  recom- 
mendation, alleging  that  the  "  pubHc  schools  of  Rochester  would  never  arrive 
at  that  degree  of  perfection,  or  accomplish  fully  their  design,  until  a  high 
school  should  be  established."  All  these  reports,  arguments  and  recommend- 
•  ations  finally  culminated,  and  the  enterprise  was  inaugurated  by  the  board  of 
education  in  the  spring  of  1857,  and  the  school  opened  November  1st,  occupy- 
ing a  part  of  the  lot  on  which  the  Free  academy  building  now  stands.  In  Sep- 
tember  of  that  year,  at  the  first  entrance  examination,  two  hundred  and  six- 
teen candidates  made  application,  of  whom  one.  hundred  and  sixty-five  were 
admitted.  The  first  staff  of  teachers  consisted  of  C.  R.  Pomeroy,  A.  M.,  prin- 
cipal ;  Edward  Webster,  A.  M. ;  Frederick  G.  Surbridge,  A.  M. ;  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Pomeroy,  preceptress  ;  Miss  Emma  M.  Morse  and  Miss  Susan  E.  Butts.  Prof 
Pomeroy,  shortly  afterward,  resigned;  Prof  Webster  succeeded  him  as  prin- 
cipal and  held  this  position  until  the  close  of  the  school  year  in  1864,  when  he 
resigned.  Dr.  N.  W.  Benedict  succeeded  him,  and  was  at  the  head  of  the 
school  until  the  close  of  the  school  year  in  June,  1883,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Prof  Z.  P.  Taylor,  A.  M.,  who  is  now  the  principal  of  the  school. 

The  school  has  had  its  vicissitudes  and  its  struggles.  For  several  years 
after  its  establishment  its  enemies  —  fo.r  it  had  them  — sought  to  create  a  pub- 
lic sentiment  against  it.  But  its  early  friends — such  men  as  Frederick  Starr, 
Wm.  C.  Bloss,  Dr.  Kelsey,  S.  D.  Porter,  Edwin  Pancost,  George  W.  Parsons, 
Levi  A.  Ward  and  a  host  of  others — rallied  to  its  support,  and  saved  it. 
Whenever  the  people  have  spoken,  they  have  said  in.  no  uncertain  terms  that 
the  High  school  was  "here  to  stay."  The  school  having  grown  too  large  to 
be  accommodated  in  the  old  building,  the  legislature,  in  1872,  passed  an  act, 
authorising  the  city  to  raise  by  public  tax  the  sum  of  $75,000,  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  a  new  building.  An  additional  lot  was  purchased  directly  north  of 
the  old  one,  plans  were  drawn  and  accepted,  and  the  work  of  construction  was 
pushed  rapidly  forward.  When  the  building  was  partially  finished,  it  became 
apparent  that  the  appropriation  would  not  complete  it,  in  accordance  with  the 
plans.     Several  members  of  the  board  of  education  were  in  favor  of  changing 


The  Public  Schools.  321 


the  plans,  so  as  to  complete  the  building  and  still  keep  within  the  appropria- 
tion. Other  counsels  prevailed,  however,  and  during  the  following  session  of 
the  legislature  an  act  was  passed,  authorising  the  raising  of  an  additional  $50,- 
000.  During  the  interval,  and  while  the  building  was  in  progress  of  construc- 
tion, the  school  was  accommodated  with  quarters  in  the  Masonic  block.  The 
building  was  completed  and  furnished  in  March,  1873,  and  on  the  23d  of  that 
month  the  school  took  possession. 

The  building  is  not  only  handsome  and  substantial  in  architecture,  but  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  constructed.  It  is  in  French 
Gothic  style,  with  pavilions  on  either  side,  terminating  in  turrets.  It  has  a 
French  roof,  and  its  appearance  is  greatly  improved  by  the  trimmings  and 
window-caps,  which  are  of  Ohio  and  Gainesville  stone.  It  stands  in  a  lot  which 
has  a  frontage  of  ninety-nine,  feet  and  one  hundred  and  sixty- five  feet  in  depth, 
having  been  enlarged  by  an  addition  of  thirty- three  feet  front,  to  the  same 
depth  as  above.  The  building,  as  it  now  stands,  is  four  stories  in  height,  with 
basement,  and  is  eighty-three  feet  in  width,  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  in  depth. 
There  are  seven  entrances  —  three  in  front  and  two  on  each  side.  The  central 
entrance  leads  to  the  superintendent's  office.  The  other  two  lead  to  the  halls 
and  stairways,  which  are  in  the  pavilions.  The  principal  rooms  on  the  first 
floor  are  one  on  the  north  side  thirty  by  thirty-seven,  occupied  by  the  Central 
library,  and  one  on  the  south  side,  used  for  the  meetings  of  the  school  board, 
which  occupy  the  central  part  of  the  building.  The  superintendent's  offices  are 
in  the  front,  and  are  twenty-four  by  thirty- two,  and  thirty- two  by  sixteen, 
respectively.  There  are  two  rooms  in  the  rear,  of  the  same  size,  one  of  which 
is  a  committee  room  and  the  other  is  used  as  a  dressing  room  by  the  young 
ladies'  department.  On  the  second  floor,  besides  the  halls,  there  are  three 
recitation  rooms,  the  principal's  room,  a  large  study  room  for  the  boys  and  two 
room.s  occupied  by  the  professor  of  natural  sciences  —  one  as  a  recitation  room 
and  the  other  as  a  laboratory.  The  main  rooms  are  thirty  by  sixty-seven  and 
the  recitation  and  other  rooms  twenty-four  feet  square.  On  the  third  floor 
there  are  two  recitation  rooms  in  front  and  two  in  the  rear,  while  the  central 
space,  sixty-one  by  sixty-seven  feet,  is  occupied  as  a  study  room  for  the  young 
ladies.  The  fourth  floor  has  an  assembly  room,  which  is  sixty-one  by  ninety 
feet  with  a  room  in  rear  twenty-four  by  forty-eight,  at  present  seated  and 
occupied  by  the  business  department  of  the  school.  The  rooms  are  all  high 
between  joists,  and  nearly  all  well  lighted.  The  building  is  heated  by  steam, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  ventilated  structures  in  the  city.  The  entire  cost  of 
building  and  furniture,  with  the  additional  lot  purchased,  was  about  $150,000. 

The  school  itself,  almost  with  its  organisation,  took  rank  among  the  first  of 
its  class  in  the  state.  Since  that  time  it  has  steadily  grown  in  public  favor,  by 
the  high  character  of  its  work,  until,  to-day,  it  has  probably  no  superior  of  its 
kind  in  the  country.     There  are  four  courses  of  study —  the  classical  and  col- 


322  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

lege  preparatory,  the  English,  the  scientific  and  the  business.  The  first  three 
are  four  years  in  length,  each,  while  the  last  is  one  year.  In  each  course  are 
named  some  optional  studies.  The  academy  has  three  annual  scholarships  in 
the  University  of  Rochester,  the  gift  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  that  institution 
to  the  board  of  education.  Thus  it  is  that  the  university,  although  an  endowed 
institution  and  supported  by  private  enterprise,  becomeii  practically,  by  the 
opportunities  it  offers  to  our  young  men,  a  part  of  our  free  school  system,  and 
completes  the  system  from  foundation  to  cap-.stone. 

The  following  are  the  instructors  in  the  Free  academy,  with  their  depart- 
ments :  Z.  P.  Taylor,  principal  —  Latin,  political  'economy,  civil  government, 
commercial  law;  F.  E.  Glen  —  Latin  and  Greek;  Dr.  Forbes  —  physics, 
geology,  physiology  and  drawing ;  Alexander  Trzeciak  —  German;  L.  H.  Miller 
—  Latin  and  book-keeping  ;  Amelia  L.  Brettell,  preceptress  —  general  history, 
English  literature  and  English  ;  Mary  E.  Gilman  —  algebra  and  arithmetic  ; 
Marion  Lowry  —  geometry  and  algebra  reviews;  Clara  E.  Budlong — elocu- 
tion and  composition.  ■  There  are,  at  present,  registered  as  members  of  the 
school,  426  pupils,  about  two-thirds  of  them  young  ladies.  The  total  number 
of  pupils  enrolled  but  once  during  the  year  1883-84,  to  date  (June,  1884),  is 
427.     The  number  belonging  is  347.     The  number  of  daily  attendants  is  334. 

School  No.  I  —  Industrial  school.  Intermediate  and  primary  ;  was  organ- 
ised as  a  public  school  in  July,  1877,  and  occupies  rooms  in  the  Industrial 
school  building  on  Exchange  street,  nearly  opposite  Court  street.  It  is  made 
up  partly  of  "day  pupils"  —  those  who  are  there  only  during  school  hours  — 
and  partly  of  the  "house  children,"  or  those  who  have  their  home  there.  The 
latter  are  mostly  orphans  or  those  forsaken  by  their  natural  parents.  Out  of 
school  hours  the  children  are  cared  for  by  the  lady  managers  of  the  institution 
and  are  clothed  by  them  as  necessity  requires.  The  day  pupils  are  furnished 
with  their  dinners.  There  are  no  district  boundaries,  and  pupils  are  admitted 
to  the  school  from  all  parts  of  the  city.  The  salaries  of  the  teachers  and  of  the 
janitor,  the  rent  of  the  school-rooms  and  the  cost  of  fuel  for  the  use  of  the 
school  are  paid  by  the  board  of  education.  The  number  of  scholars  enrolled  but 
once  in  the  month  of  March  was  213  and  the  average  daily  attendance  was  92. 
Faculty  —  Mrs.  C.  E.  Pugh,  principal,  and  Misses  E.  C.  Wilson,  J.  Kostbahn 
and  A.  E.  Jennings. 

School  No.  2  —  Madison  school.  Intermediate  and  primary;  previous  to 
the  year  1843  occupied  a  small  building  on  Ford  street.  During  the  year  1843 
a  lot  was  purchased  on  King  street,  facing  Mechanic  square  on  the  south  —  now 
Madison  park  —  and  a  two-story  brick  building,  forty  by  sixty-four  feet,  erected 
at  an  expense  of  $3,000.  In  1872  this  gave  way  to  a  larger  and  finer  struct- 
ure of  brick,  two  stories  in  height,  containing  six  class-rooms  and  an  assembly 
room.  The  cost  of  the  present  building  was  about  $20,000.  Number  of  pupils 
enrolled,  314;   number  in   daily  attendance,   251.     Faculty  —  Miss  Emma  A. 


The  Public  Schools.  323 


C.  Hayes,  principal ;   Misses  F.  A.  Reichenbach  and  F.  A.  Merriam,  Mrs.  Mary 
K.  Bassett,  Misses  Anna  W.  Lathrop,  L.  J.  Bidwell,  C.  E.  Sanborn. 

School  No.  3 — Tremont  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  district  was  erected  in  1842,  and  was  located  on  a  part 
of  the  present  site,  on  what  was  then  known  as  Clay  street.  This  structure  was 
replaced  by  another  building,  erected  in  1854.  In  1877  ^^  addition  was  pui'- 
chased  to  the  lot,  which  now  extends  from  Tremont  through  to  Edinburg  street 
and  is  235  feet  deep.  The  same  year  the  building  was  enlarged  and  in  1882 
it  was  remodeled  throughout.  It  is  two  stories  in  height  and  contains  twelve 
class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  743,  number  in  daily  attendance  519. 
Faculty  —  James  M.  Cook,  principal;  Misses  Mary  A.  Sterling,  N.  E.  Echte- 
nacher,  Miriam  F.  Richmond,  Grace  A.  Badger,  Aggie  M.  Stewart,  L.  E.  Gil- 
lis,  Nellie  E.  Gregory,  Libbie  S.  Van  Doom,  Annie  Shaffer,  Julia  E.  Gilson, ' 
Mary  E.  Abbott,  Franc  L.  Carhart,  E.  A.  B.  Chapman,  A.  P.  Couch. 

School  No.  4  —  Genesee  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  school  was  erected  in  1842.  It  was  a  two-story  brick 
and  was  located  on  the  corner  of  Reynolds  and  Clay  (now  Tremont).  streets. 
The  total  cost  was  about  $2,500.  A  new  building  was  erected  on  South  Fran- 
cis street  in  1857  ;  destroyed  by  fire  in  December,  1873  ;  rebuilt  in  1874.  In 
1879  it  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  two  wings.  It  is  three  stories  in  height 
and  contains  eighteen  school-rooms.  Steam  heating  and  ventilation  was  intro- 
duced in  1882.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  923,  number  in  daily  attendance 
696.  Faculty  —  Samuel  C.  Pierce,  principal;  Misses  Ella  I.  Munson,  E.J. 
Munson,  L.  M.  Qualtrough,  E.  Delia  Brown,  D.  E.  Clark,  Ainelia  L.  Leahy, 
Hattie  E.  Perry,  Nellie  E.  Spies,  L.  C.  McClelland,  Mary  J.  Frazer,  L.  J.  Con- 
nell,  Julia  G.  Lyndon,  Libbie  M.  Clements,  Mary  A.  Derrick,  Emma  M.  Mat- 
thews, A.  B.  Edwards,  A.  L.  Mabbett,  E.  T.  Wooden,  E.  P.  Wetmore,  Ida  V. 
Rogers. 

School  No.  5  —  Central  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  school  was  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  and  was  erected 
in  1842  and  located  on  what  was  then  Center  square,  between  Jones  and  Frank 
streets.  The  total  cost  was  about  $5,000.  In  1876  a  new  lot  was  bought,  on  the 
corner  of  Jones  and  Dean  streets,  and  a  new  two-story  brick  building  erected. 
It  contains  ten  school-rooms  and  cost,  with  lot,  about  $32,000.  Number  of  pu- 
pils enrolled  475,  number  in  daily  attendance  338.  Faculty  —  N.  C.  Parshall, 
principal ;  Misses  E.  E.  Young,  N.  C.  Lathrop,  I.  L.  Monroe,  M.  Crennell,  M. 
L.  Hanvey,  I.  M.  Banta,  A,  M.  Enright,  K.  W.  Evans,  F.  V.  Wright,  Mrs.  M. 
A.  Morgan. 

School  No.  6  —  Franklin  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  district  was  erected  on  Smith  street,  in  1841-42,  at  a 
total  cost,  with  lot,  of  $4,000.  Th  e  present  building  is  located  between  Lyell 
and  White  streets,  with  the  front  on  Lyell  street,  was  built  in  1852  and  enlarged 


324  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

in  1857  ^nd  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1881.  It  is  two  stories  high  and  con- 
tains fourteen  class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  737,  number  in  daily 
attendance  581.  Faculty  —  J.  L.  Townsend,  principal;  Misses  M.  A.  Clack- 
ner,  M.  E.  De  Poe,  Clara  Stace,  C.  E.  Servoss,  E.  R.  Clackner,  E.  I.  Ikown, 
L.  M.  Kane,  M.  H.  Johnston,  E.  S.  Alleyn,  L.  J.  Brown,  M.  O.  Brown,  C.  E. 
Leavenworth,  S.  J.  McGoveron,  E.  J.  Bennett,  M.  E.  Denny,  Anna  Toaz,  M. 
A.  Bell. 

School  No.  7  —  Glenwood  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  present  building,  which  is  of  brick  and  two  stories  in  height,  containing 
eight  school-rooms,  was  erected  in  1859.  It  is«located  on  Lake  avenue,  in 
what  was  formerly  know  as  McCrackenville.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  41 1, 
number  in  daily  attendance  289.  Faculty  —  Mrs.  A.  M.  Lowry,  principal; 
Misses  E.  A.  Laraby,  Libbie  C.  Reiser,  S.  L.  DeLano,  M.  G.  Weed,  M.  E. 
Connell,  E.  S.  Bell,  Fannie  Aiken,  Jennie  McBurney,  Annie  F.  Boyd. 

School  No.  8  —  Carthage  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  was  of  wood,  and  was  located  on  Railroad  street,  in  what 
was  then  known  as  Carthage.  The  present  building  is  of  brick  and  erected  in 
1855,  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1881.  It  is  located  on  North  St.  Paul  street, 
about  two  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city.  It  is  two  stories  in  height.  The 
second  story  is  unfinished.  There  are  two  good-sized  class-rooms  and  a  reci- 
tation room.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  159,  number  in  daily  attendance  100. 
Faculty — Miss  L.  M.  Daniels,  principal;  Misses  J.  A.  Lynn,  Mary  W.  Lee, 
Alice  A.  Clarke. 

School  No.  9  —  Andrews  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary  ; 
was  first  held  in  rented  rooms  on  Emmett  street.  The  first  building  was 
erected  on  the  present  site,  on  St.  Joseph  street,  in  1841.  It  was  of  brick  and 
one  story  in  height.  This  was  blown  down  during  a  severe  wind  storm,  or 
cyclone,  while  the  school  was  in  session,  in  June,  1846.  Many  of  the  pupils  were 
severely  injured,  and  others  met  with  very  narrow  escapes.  It  was  rebuilt  that 
same  year  and  replaced  by  a  new  two-story  brick  building,  in  the  shape  of  a  letter 
L,  in  i860.  There  were  seven  school-rooms  on  each  floor,  separated  by  sliding 
glass  partitions,  which  were  at  that  time  very  popular.  It  was  entirely  re- 
modeled in  1 88 1,  and,  as  it  now  stands,  is  three  stories  in  height  and  contains 
sixteen  .school- rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  771,  number  in  daily  at- 
tendance 598.  Faculty  —  L.  R.  Sexton,  principal;  Misses  Isabella  Rogers, 
Jennie  T.  Lennon,  Ella  E.  Geraghty,  Laura  B.  Southard,  Matilda  H.  Oswald, 
Rosa  G.  Goddard,  J.  L.  Joy,  Julia  T.  Madden,  Katie  A.  Cunnean,  Lottie  M. 
Weitzel,  Mattie  Beattie,  Lucy  A.  Fitzgerald,  N.  G.  Mahoney,  Laura  E.  Leland, 
Leona  Hoyt,  Mary  L.  Baird. 

School  No.  10  —  Atwater  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  was  of  stone,  two  stories  in  height,  and  was  located  on  An- 
drews street.     In  1842   it  was  enlarged  and  improved.     The  building  now  oc- 


The  Public  Schools.  325 


cupied  by  the  school  was  erected  in  1853  and  is  located  on  North  Clinton 
street,  near  Andrews.  A  third  story  was  added  in  1866  and  finished  in  1 870. 
It  was  enlarged  in  1878,  and  steam-heating  and  ventilation  were  put  in  in  1880. 
The  building  is  of  brick  and  contains  thirteen  school-rooms.  Number  of  pupils 
registered  525,  number  in  daily  attendance  420.  Faculty  —  V.  M.  Colvin, 
principal;  Misses  C.  A.  Page,  A.  M.  Galbraith,  Susie  A.  Moore,  F.  B.  Gregory, 
M.  C.  G.  Houghtahng,  Bertie  O'Rorke,  H.  L.  Ball,  O.A.  Home,  A.  B.  Glea- 
son,  H.  L.  Rapalje,  A.  E.  Oviatt,  S.  L.  Keyes,  S.  L.  Epstein. 

School  No.  1 1  —  Chestnut  school.  Intermediate  and  primary.  The  first 
building  was  erected  on  Chestnut  street  in  1841,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,500. 
The  present  building  was  erected  in  1876,  on  the  same  lot.  It  is  of  brick  and 
two  stories  in  height.  It  contains  four  class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  en- 
rolled 245,  number  in  daily  attendance  170.  Faculty — M.  A.  Hayden,  prin- 
cipal; Misses  Mary  Purcell,  Helen  F.  Samaine,  Emma  E.  Home,  Jennie  Cran- 
dall,  Alice  M.  Kirby. 

School  No.  12  —  Wadsworth  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  building  in  this  district  was  erected  in  1841  and  is  located  on  the  north 
side  of  Wadsworth  square.  The  lot  and  a  suitable  philosophical  apparatus 
were  the  gift  of  General  Wadsworth,  of  Geneseo.  The  present  building  was 
erected  in  1857,  enlarged  in  1872  and  remodeled  in  1882.  It  contains  ten 
class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  519,  number  in  daily  attendance  384. 
Faculty  —  W.  H.  Bosworth,  principal;  Misses  D.  Pierce,  Jean  Shaw,  Jessie  F. 
Booth,  Helen  C.  Mudge,  Etta  C.  Miles,  E.  M.  Shaw,  Eva  C.  Skinner,  C.  E. 
Millman,  Lizzie  Pierce,  Julia  M.  Baker. 

School  No.  13  —  Munger  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary; 
occupied  rented  rooms  on  South  St.  Paul  street  in  1843.  The  school  building 
was  erected  in  1845,  on  the  present  site,  extending  from  Hickory  through  to 
Munger  street.  It  was  enlarged  in  1852  and  again  in  1866,  and  remodeled  in 
1871.  Steam-heating  and  ventilation  were  introduced  in  1880.  The  building 
is  of  brick  and  two  stories  in  height.  There  are  ten  class-rooms,  separated  by 
sliding  glass  partitions.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  653,  number  in  daily  at- 
tendance 475.  Faculty —  A.  G.  Knapp,  principal ;  Misses  E.  M.  Watson,  L, 
L.  Lamoureux,  L.  A.  Manvel,  N.  A.  Monaghan,  J.  B.  Foote,  R.  G.  Bolles,  M.  J. 
Lennon,  C.  M.  Gillett,  A.  R.  Page,  H.  E.  Hoyt,  Julia  McNab,  E.  A.  Phillips, 
A.  L.  Donivan,  Sarah  Reeves,  C.  M.  Gillett. 

School  No.  14  —  Riley  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  school  was  erected  previous  to  the  organisation  of 
the  board  of  education  and  was  built  pardy  of  brick  and  partly  of  stone.  It 
was  enlarged  in  1842.  The  present  building,  which  is  of  brick  and  three  stories 
in  height,  was  erected  in  1850,  and  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1877.  It  con- 
tains fifteen  class-rooms.  It  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Scio  street,  where 
the  first  building  was  erected.      Number  of  pupils  enrolled  708,  number  in  daily 


326  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

attendance  516.  Faculty — John  G.  Allen,  principjil ;  Mrs,  J.  R.  Hill,  Misses 
Una  Stillson,  E.  Manvel,  E.  J.  Eaton,  Blanche  Randall,  L.  W.  Van  Dake,  E. 
H.  Duryee,  S.  W.  Howe,  N.  E.  Lucas,  M.  F.  Logan,  T.  Van  Bergh,  S.  Van 
Bergh,  T.  McMahon,  Amy  Tamblingson,  Lottie  C.  Merrell. 

School  No.  15  —  Monroe  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  first  building  for  this  school  was  erected  in  1 842.  It  was  of  brick  and  one 
story  in  height.  It  was  located  on  Alexander  street,  near  Monroe  avenue.  In 
1873  the  city  obtained  the  title  to  the  old  cemetery  lot  on  Monroe  avenue  near 
Alexander  street.  The  lot  contained  nearly  two  acres.  Consent  of  the  owners 
of  lots  having  been  obtained,  the  remains  of  the  l^Jried  were  removed  to  other 
burial  grounds,  and  a  new  building  of  brick,  three  stories  in  height,  was  erected. 
It  was  completed  in  1874.  The  school,  however,  occupied  it  but  a  few  years, 
for  on  February  2d,  1 881,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  rebuilt  the  follow- 
ing year.  The  building,  which  is  of  brick,  three  stories  in  height,  and  furnished 
with  steam- heating  and  ventilation,  is  the  finest  grammar  school  building  in  the 
city.  .  There  are  twelve  class-rooms,  four  on  each  floor.  Number  of  pupils 
enrolled  663,  number  in  daily  attendance  448.  Faculty  —  J.  W.  Osborn,  prin- 
cipal ;  Misses  A.  M.  Perry,  Emily  Hanford,  Lilian  Whiting,  Josephine  Row, 
C.  M.  Lear,  C.  S.  Betteridge,  L.  M.  Lanksbury,  Fannie  Goss,  Millie  Grover, 
Kittie  A.  Butler,  Bell  Grover,  Maggie  Townson,  Emily  Niven,  Francos  Decker. 

School  No.  16 — Hudson  school.  Intermediate  and  primary.  The  build- 
ing for  this  school  was  erected  on  North  street,  the  lot  extending  through  to 
Hudson  street,  in  1850.  It  was  remodeled  in  1871  and  enlarged  and  remodeled  , 
in  1 88 1.  It  is  built  of  brick  and  two  stories  in  height,  and  contains  eight  class- 
rooms, six  of  which  are  separated  by  sliding  glass  partitions.  Number  of 
pupils  enrolled  396,  number  in  daily  attendance  308.  Faculty — Miss  Lizzie 
A.  McGonegal,  principal;  Misses  Bell  Tait,  A.  M.  Wells,  E.  M.  Patterson, 
Sarah  Hanna,  H.  F.  Edgar,  Effie  La  Trace,  Minnie  A.  Sontag,  M.  E.  Archer. 

School  No.  17  —  Whitney  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary; 
it  first  occupied  rented  rooms  on  Orange  street  in  1855..  The*  building 
now  occupied  by  the  school,  which  is  of  brick  and  two  stories  in  height,  is 
located  on  the  corner  of  Orange  and  Saxton  streets.  It  was  built  in  1858,  and 
remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1878.  It  contains  fourteen  class-rooms.  Number 
of  pupils  enrolled  652,  number  in  "daily  attendance  467.  Faculty — G.  H. 
Walden,  principal ;  Misses  M.  J.  McGorray,  E.  Freeland,  M.  E.  Malone,  Mag- 
gie M.  Wallace,  A.  K.  McPherson,  Mary  Niven,  A.  M,  McAnarney,  G.  A. 
Blackman,  S.  Hoekstra,  M.  L.  Levis,  A.  E.  Roche,  Mary  L.  Coughlin,  Sarah 
L.  Coughlin,  I.  Smith. 

School  No.  18  —  Concord  school.  Grammar,  intermediate  and  primary. 
The  building  first  occupied  by  this  school  was  erected  in  1867.  It  was  first 
located  on  the  corner  of  Draper  street  and  North  avenue.  The  present  building 
occupies  a  large  lot  on  Bay  street,  extending  through, from  Concord  to  North 


The  Public  Schooi.s.  327 


avenue.  The  building  was  enlarged  in  1873.  It  is  a  two-story  brick  structure, 
and  contains  fourteen  class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  944,  number 
in  daily  attendance  6^$.  Faculty — Miss  Sarah  Shelton,  principal;  Misses 
Mary  Filer,  Minnie  R.  VanZandt,  Emma  M.  Moser,  Cora  M.  Coote,  Sophie  A. 
Nash,  Cornelia  R.  Jennings,  E.  Fannie  Cowles,  H.  A.  Robinson,  Mary  A. 
O'Niel,  Laura  E.  Schminke,  N.  E.  Farber,  Minnie  Henry,  Anna  J.  Tomlin, 
Emma  S.  Webster,  C.  B.  Millard,  A.  A.  Plass,  Lois  E.  McKelvey. 

School  No.  19  —  Seward  school.  Intermediate  and  primary.  The  building, 
which  is  of  brick,  and  two  stories  in  height,  was  erected  in  1869.  The  lot, 
which  is  pentagonal  in  form,  contains  more  than  two  acres,  having  its  shortest 
sides  on  Reynolds  and  Magnolia  streets,  and  another  side  on  Seward  street. 
There  are  six  class-  rooms  in  the  building,  separated  by  glass  partitions.  Number 
of  pupils  enrolled  298,  number  in  daily  attendance  210.  Faculty  —  Miss  M.  E. 
Westfall,  principal ;  Misses  Minnie  C.  Bergh,  Amelia  L.  Wegman,  Fannie  F. 
Westfall,  Nettie  Sellinger,  Anna  Tailing,  Kate  Levis. 

School  No.  20 — Oakman  school,  grammar,  intermediate  and  primary,  is 
located  on  Oakman  street,  near  Clinton  street.  The  building  was  erectfcd  in 
1872  and  enlarged  in  1883.  As  it  now  stands,  it  is  two  stories  in  height,  sur- 
mounted by  a  mansard  roof  and  tower.  It  is  of  brick,  and  contains  twelve  class- 
rooms. Number  of  pupils  enrolled  535,  number  in  daily  attendance  463.  Fac- 
ulty—  Miss  Delia  Curtice,  principal;  Misses  H.  M.  Kermode,  Louise  McKear- 
ney,  Julia  Nelligan,  Lottie  Snell,  Eliza  J.  Rogers,  H.  Alida  Spinning,  Annie  J. 
Simpson,  Clara  A.  Foote,  Mary  C.  Hogan,  E.  L.  Alexander,  C.  A.  Parsons. 

School  No.  21  — Jay  street  school,  intermediate  and  primary,  was  organ- 
ised in  1874,  and  for  several  years  occupied  a  little  one-story  wooden  building 
on  Jay  street.  A  new  lot  was  purchased  and  a  new  building  erected,  on  Wack- 
erman  street,  in  1880.  It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  in  height,  and  contains  six 
class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  315,  daily  attendance  233.  Faculty 
—  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Kewin,  principal;  Misses  Lulu  M.  Hyland,  Prudence  J. 
Coakley,  Anna  M.  Moloney,  lilla  G.  O'Meara,  E.  A.  Redmond,  M.  E.  Colburn. 

School  No.  22  —  Norton  school,  intermediate  and  primary,  from  1874  to 
1882  occupied  a  one-story  brick  school-house  on  the  corner  of  Norton  and  St. 
Joseph  streets,  that  was  taken  into  the  city  when  its  boundaries  weee  extended 
in  1874.  In  1882  a  lot  was  purchased  on  St.  Joseph  street  nearer  the  center 
of  the  city,  and  a  new  one-story  brick  building,  with  two  class-rooms  and  a 
recitation  room,  erected.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  104,  in  daily  attendance 
87.  Faculty  —  Miss  Florence  A.  Havill,  principal;  Misses  Frankie  E.  Burns, 
Rosemarie  DowUng. 

School  No.  23  —  Brighton  school,  intermediate  and  primary,  with  the  build- 
ing it  occupied,  was  taken  into  the  city  limits,  when  the  boundaries  were  en- 
larged in  1 874.  The  building  was  of  wood,  one  story  in  height,  with  two  rooms. 
In  1883  a  new  brick  building  one  story  high  and  with  three  school-rooms,  was 


328  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

erected  in  rear  of  the  old  building.  This  was  constructed  with  reference  to  an 
addition  in  the  future,  which  will  complete  the  building.  Number  of  pupils 
enrolled  187,  in  daily  attendance  142.  Faculty  —  Miss  E.  J.  Jewett,  principal; 
Misses  Emma  E.  Smith,  Helen  A.  Wedd,  L.  A.  Nourse,  Flora  E.  Marshall. 

School  No.  24  —  Ellwanger  and  Barry  school,  intermediate  and  primary, 
is  located  on  the  corner  of  Meigs  and  Yale  streets.  The  building  is  of  brick 
and  two  stories  in  height,  and  contains  six  class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  en- 
rolled 396,  in  daily  attendance  288.  Faculty  —  Miss  Nellie  F.  Cornell,  prin- 
cipal ;  Misses  M.  S.  Dunn,  L.  H.  Rowley,  A.  M.  MuUan,  Fannie  E.  Roworth, 
L.  G.  Connolly,  L.  L.  Leavenworth,  C.  A.  Farrington. 

School  No.  25^ — Intermediate  and  primary,  is  another  of  the  schools  taken 
into  the  city  by  the  enlargement  of  its  boundaries.  The  building,  which  is  of 
brick,  one  story  high,  contains  two  school-rooms.  It  is  located  on  the  corner 
of  Bay  and  Goodman  streets,  in  the  sixteenth  ward.  It  was  built  in  1876. 
Number  of  pupils  enrolled  120,  in  daily  attendance  71.  Faculty — Miss  Jen- 
nie M.  Brown,  principal ;  Miss  Kate  Graham. 

School  No.  26  —  Intermediate  and  primary,  is  located  on  the  corner  of 
Clifford  and  Thomas  streets.  The  building  was  erected  in  1879,  but  was  not 
completed  at  that  time.  In  1883  an  addition  was  made  that  completed  the 
building  according  to  the  original  plan.  It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  in  height, 
and  contains  twelve  class-rooms.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled  530,  number  in 
daily  attendance  408.  Faculty  —  Miss  E.  L.  Carter,  principal ;  Misses  Katie 
Trant,  Susie  Tuohey,  Lottie  C.  Hoppe,  Dora  Michelson,  M.  E.  Irving,  E.  M. 
Hoppe,  M.  J.  B.  Nicholson,  Lucy  H.  Clarke,  Mary  S.  Clarke,  Edna  D.  Willson, 
Minnie  Bemish. 

School  No.  27  —  Intermediate  and, primary,  was  organised  in  September, 
1882,  and  at  first  occupied  rented  rooms  on  the  corner  of  Central  park  and 
Hubbard  streets.  In  1883  a  new  building  was  erected  on  Central  park.  It  is 
of  brick,  one  story  high,  and  contains  three  school-rooms.  Number  of  pupils 
enrolled  299,  in  daily  attendance  239.  Faculty  —  Miss  Jesse  Utley,  principal; 
Misses  Gertie  B.  Fay,  E.  Haag,  F.  E.  Heath,  Minnie  T.  Kellogg. 

The  city  is  divided  into  twenty-seven  districts,  in  all  but  one  of  which  there 
are  one  or  more  school  buildings,  while  in  numbers  4,  6,  10,  13,  17,  24  and  27, 
rooms  are  rented  in  which  are  accommodated  the  overflow  of  pupils  from  those 
schools.  Members  of  the  board  of  education,  sixteen  in  number,  are  elected 
on  the  general  city  ticket,  and  serve  for  two  years.  The  even  wards  elect  one 
year,  and  the  odd  wards  another.  The  funds  to  meet  the  expenses  of  main- 
taining the  schools  are  provided  for  by  a  state  appropriation  and  by  an  appro- 
priation by  the  common  council  from  the  results  of  the  annual  tax  levy.  These 
funds  are  deposited  with  the  city  treasurer  and  are  drawn  out  on  an  order 
of  the  board,  and  by  a  check  signed  by  the  president  of  the  board  and  the  su- 
perintendent.    All  bills  against  the  board  are  referred  in   open  board  to  the 


The  Public  Schools.  '329 


various  committees,  are  examined  by  them,  and,  if  approved,  are  referred  to 
the  financial  committee,  who  recommend  their  payment  upon  the  order  of  the 
board.  The  monthly  salaries  of  teachers  and  other  employees  of  the  board  are 
passed  upon  by  the  salary  committee  and,  if  approved,  are  recommended  to  the 
board  for  payment.  The  regular  meetings  of  the  board  are  held  on  the  first 
and  third  Mondays  of  each  month,  in  their  rooms  in  the  Free  academy  building. 
In  addition  to  the  superintendent,  who  acts  as  clerk  of  the  board  and  as  libra- 
rian of  the  Central  library,  the  board  elect  annually  a  superintendent's  clerk, 
policeman,  carpenter,  assistant  librarian,  engineer  and  janitor  of  the  Free  acad- 
emy building  and  a  messenger.  These  hold  office  for  one  year,  and  are  elected 
on  the  first  Monday  of  April  in  each  year.  The  superintendent  is  elected  for 
two  years,  at  the  second  meeting  in  June,  his  term  of  office  beginning  July  i  Sth. 

The  public  schools  of  this  city  are  divided  into  four  departments  —  namely, 
primary,  intermediate,  grammar  school,  and  Free  academy.  The  primary 
schools  include  the  ninth,  eighth  and  seventh  grades.  The  intermediate  schools 
include  the  sixth,  fifth  and- fourth  grades.  The  grammar  schools  include  the 
third,  second  and  first  grades.  The  time  required  for  doing  the  work  laid  down 
in  the  course  of  study  is  between  nine  and  ten  years.  Pupils  are  promoted  from 
grade  to  grade,  annually,  upon  a  written  examination  held  in  all  the  schools  at 
the  same  time.  Pupils  are  transferred  from  grade  to  grade  whenever  their 
scholarships  will  warrant  it:  There  are  ten  male  and  seventeen  female  princi- 
pals, in  the  employ  of  the  board,  and  eighty  assistants,  exclusive  of  those  in 
the  Free  academy,  who  are  appointed  annually,  at  the  close  of  the  school  year, 
their  time  of  service  to  begin  the  following  September.  A  new  enrollment  of 
pupils  is  made  each  year,  and  no  names  of  pupils  are  retained  after  they  have 
permanently  left  the  schools.  By  a  decision  of  the  Supreme  court,  the  board 
of  education  are  required  to  pay  the  teachers  in  the  orphan  asylum,  on  condi- 
ti(Mi  that  the  same  course  of  study  and  text-books  in  force  in  the  public  schools 
be  pursued  in  them.  Under  this  arrangement  the  salaries  of  teachers  in  the 
Protestant,  St.  Mary's,  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Patrick's  orphan  asylums  and  the 
Church  Home  are  paid  by  the  board.  The  entire  cost  of  maintaining  the  pub- 
lic schools  during  the  year  1883-84  was  $233,899.35,  which  amount  includes 
an  extra  appropriation  of  $30,000  for  buildings,  in  order  to  relieve  the  over- 
crowded buildings. 

In  June,  1875,  by  a  vote  of  1 1  to  5,  by  order  of  the  board  all  religious  exer- 
cises in  the  public  schools,  including  the  reading  of  the  Bible  "  without  note  or 
comment,"  was  discontinued.  An  effort  was  subsequently  made  to  reconsider 
the  action  on  the  matter,  but  it  was  unsuccessful. 

In  1883  the  forenoon  and  afternoon  recesses  were  discontinued  in  all  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  the  daily  sessions  were  shortened  one  hour.  A  year's  trial  has 
won  for  this  plan  almost  universal  approval  and  has,  apparently,  proved  of  practi- 
cal, mental  and  moral  advantage  to  the  pupils.     By  a  regulation  of  the  board  of 


330  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

education,  adopted  in  1884,  all  cases  of  discipline  requiring  the  infliction  of  cor- 
poral punishment  were  referred  to' the  principal,  in  each  school.  In  1883 
what  is  called  "  the  Philadelphian  fire  drill  "  was  introduced  into  the  schools. 

In  September,  1883,  by  order  of  the  board,  a  normal  and  training-class  for 
the  purpose  of  training  applicants  for  positions  as  teachers,  for  their  work,  was 
organised,  which  is  under  the  direction  of  the  superintendent.  As  a  normal 
class  the  work  has  been  a  discussion  of  the  philosophy  of  education  and  the 
best  methods  of  instruction  and  school  management.  The  plan  is  to  study  by 
topics  indicated  by  questions  printed  on  slips  of  paper  and  distributed  at  one 
meeting  and  to  discuss  these  topics  at  the  next  meeting.  The  following  have 
been  discussed :  Education,  and  how  to  teach  intelligently  and  successfully. 
Mental  philosophy,  applied  to  teaching.  Physical  education,  and  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  teacher.  Moral  training  and  school  discipline.  How  a  teacher 
may  best  develop  those  traits  which  make  a  true  and  noble  manhood  and 
womanhood.  Education.  Teachers'  qualifications.  Sketches  of  the  "  lives 
and  educational  principles  of  Pestalozzi  and  Froebel "  have  been  written  by 
the  members  of  the  class.  Methods  of  teaching  reading,  writing,  numbers, 
geography,  language  and  object  lessons  have  been  discussed  in  connection 
with  the  laws  of  mental  science  and  educational  principles.  As  a  training- 
class,  the  work  has  been  the  visitation  of  schools  for  the  purpose  of  observing 
the  practical  workings  of  the  graded  school  system  in  the  hands  of  experienced 
teachers.     In  some  cases  the  members  have  been  employed  as  assistants. 

Much  attention  is  just  now  being  paid  to  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  school 
buildings,  their  heating  and  ventilation.  A  committee  consisting  of  members 
of  the  board  of  health  is  making  a  careful  examination  of  all  the  buildings, 
and  at  the  close  of  its  work  will  make  a  report  upon  their  condition,  together 
with  recommendations  for  their  improvement.  The  amount  annually  appro- 
priated during  several  years  past  has  been  insufficient  to  meet  the  increasing 
demands  for  more  school  accommodations.  The  result  is  overcrowding  in  sev- 
eral of  the  more  populous  districts,  some  of  which  have  been  relieved  by  the 
renting  of  additional  rooms  in  the  neighborhood.  The  public  schools  to-day 
command  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  classes.  The  rich  and  the  poor,  the 
high  and  the  low,  children  from  humble  homes  and  elegant  mansions,  meet 
together,  on  terms  of  republican  equality,  to  enjoy  the  privileges  and  oppor- 
tunities for  a  thorough  education. 


The  Medical  Profession.  33' 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  MEDICAL  PKOFESSION.i 

Health  of  Rochester  in  the  Early  Days  —  Longevity  of  the  Pioneers  —  Efficient  Sewerage  in  the 
Village  —  Dr.  Jonah  Brown,  the  First  Practitioner  —  High  Tone  of  the  Profession  at  That  Time  — 
Formation  of  the  Monroe  County  Medical  Society — Its  Officers  and  its  Members  —  Stringent  Provi- 
sions of  its  Constitution  —  Biographical  Sketches  of  Deceased  Physicians. 

WHERE  human  beings  congregate,  there  the  healer  follows,  in  obedience 
to  the  most  urgent  of  necessities.  We  find,  accordingly,  in  this  town  of 
Rochester,  whose  inception  was  so  recent,  that  when  but  few  were  gathered 
around  the  Genesee  falls  the  physician  appeared  among  them.  It  is  a  marvel- 
ous fact  that  the  very  first  settlers  on  the  spot  that  soon  came  to  be  known  as 
Rochesterville  have  furnished  a  large  number  of  persons  who  have  attained  to 
a  very  remarkable  period  of  longevity,  leaving  the  standard  of  three  score  and 
ten  far  in  the  background,  many  reaching  to  the  age  of  eighty,  ninety  and  even 
a  hundred  years.  This  is  the  more  remarkable,  inasmuch  as  the  town  was 
first  planted  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  in  a  black  ash  swamp.  That  the 
inhabitants  suffered  from  malarial  diseases  in  a  very  great  degree,  is  undoubt- 
edly true.  It  is  also  true  that  the  form  of  its  manifestations  was  often  severe. 
But  they  early  learned  the  value  of  drainage  and  sewerage,  which  was  under- 
taken and  carried  out  much  earlier  in  this  place  than  in  any  other  town  of  its 
size  in  the  country.  Such  works,  which  from  a  superficial  view  would  seem 
to  be  in  direct  opposition  to  the  interest  of  the  members  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion, have  always  been  urged  by  them,  with  the  greatest  earnestness,  upon  the 
communities  they  live  among.  The  physicians,  who  were  the  first  advisers  of 
the  people,  were  zealotis  in  the  good  work  and  succeeded  in  convincing  the 
laity  that  the  prominent  cause  of  their  suffering  would  be  best  relieved  by  drain- 
ing the  soil  to  the  rock  upon  which  the  future  city  was  to  stand.  The  first 
experiment  in  this  direction  was  so  convincing  by  its  effects  that  sewerage  has 
always  been  largely  carried  out  in  this  city.  The  methods  were  those  univers- 
ally employed  in  older  towns,  and,  although  modern  knowledge  of  sanitary 
measures  has  demanded  better  structures,  the  early  inhabitants  executed  what 
was  then  regarded  as  good  work. 

The  planting  of  a  village  on  the  site  of  the  city  of  Rochester  was  later  than 
that  of  most  villages  in  the  county  of  Monroe.  Where  the  pioneers  pushed 
forward  into  the  dense  forest  that  clothed  the  soil  of  Western  New  York,  they 
very  naturally  chose  the  higher  lands  as  more  easy  of  reduction  to  the  condi- 
tions necessary  to  the  production  of  food.  The  village  became  the  out- 
growth of  the  neighboring  settlement  of  the  farmers.  But  Rochester  was  the 
result  of  a  conviction  that  a  larger  town  would  be  developed  by  the  presence 


1  This  chapter  was  prepared  by  Dr.  E.  M.  Moore,  sr. 

22 


332  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  the  fine  water-power  of  the  Genesee.  When  the  village  was  laid  out;  high 
hopes  were  entertained  of  its  future,  a  belief  that  it  was  not  to  be  merely  the 
incident  of  a  near  farming  community  but  that  of  the  necessities  of  a  wide  area. 
Such  views  naturally  attracted  members  of  the  profession  of  medicine.  The 
first  house  was  erected  in  1812,  and  in  the  succeeding  year  we  find  the  name 
of  Dr.  Jonah  Brown  as  the  first  practitioner  in  the  village  of  Rochesterville. 
Dr.  Brown  died  soon  after  his  removal  to  his  new  home.  Others  soon  followed, 
and  we  find  them  numerous  enough  to  undertake  the  formation  of  a  county 
medical  society  in   1821. 

At  this  period  the  laws  of  the  state  gave  special  privileges  to  members  of 
the  county  societies,  permitting  them  to  collect  their  fees,  a  right  which  no  one 
else  possessed  who  practised  medicine.  Hence  the  construction  of  these  soci- 
eties was  regulated  by  law,  and  it  may  be  observed,  in  passing,  that  the  law 
still  regulates  the  construction  and  action  of  the  medical  societies,  but  has  with- 
drawn from  them  all  privileges.  At  the  time  when  the  first  society  was  formed 
in  Monroe  county,  medical  colleges  were  remote  and  the  labor  and  time  occu- 
pied in  traveling  rendered  the  city  of  New  York  as  difficult  to  reach  as  the 
schools  of  London  and  Paris  are  by  the  student  of  to-day.  It  was  then  the 
law  and  custoni  for  the  aspirant  to  medical  practice  to  derive  all  his  informa- 
tion from  the  teaching  of  his  preceptor.  Men  were  admitted  to  practice  after 
passing  the  ordeal  of  examination  by  censors  appointed  by  the  county  medical 
societies.  In  this  way  they  realised  in  a  rude  manner  the  strong  desire  of  the 
profession  at  the  present  day  for  an  independent  board  of  examiners.  That 
the  teaching  was  often  crude  and  especially  imperfect  in  the  foundation  of  all 
medical  learning  —  viz.,  anatomy  —  must  be  confessed.  But  at  various  places 
men  of  strong  intellectual  characteristics  gathered  around  them  numerous  stu- 
dents and  became  to  them  teachers  who  impressed  their  personality  with  great 
power  upon  the  student  of  medicine,  oftentimes  with  greater  distinctiveness  than 
that  which  is  brought  to  bear  on  a  large  class  by  a  more  finished  teacher  at  the 
present  time.  Of  such  character  were  Dr.  Joseph  White  of  Cherry  Valley,  and 
Dr.  Mclntyre  of  Palmyra.  It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  early  establish- 
ment of  a  county  society  would  become  a  necessity  to  the  medical  profession, 
independent  of  the  natural  desire  for  association  for  social  and  professional  pur- 
poses. Accordingly  we  find  that  a  meeting  of  the  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
the  county  of  Monroe  was  held  pursuant  to  notice  on  the  9th  of  May,  1821,  at 
the  house  of  John,  G.  Christopher  in  Rochesterville.  Alexander  Kelsey  was 
chosen  chairman,  and  John  B.  Elwood  secretary,  when  a  resolution  was  adopted 
appointing  a  committee  to  draft  a  code  of  by-laws.  The  physicians  whose 
credentials  were  approved  by  the  chairman  were  the  following  :  Joseph 
Loomas,  Nathaniel  Rowell,  James  Scott,  Allen  Almy,  Daniel  Durfee,  Daniel 
Weston,  Isaac  Chichester,  Alexander  Kelsey,  John  Cobb,  jr.,  John  G.  Vought, 
Chauncey  Beadle,  Theophilus  Randall,  F.  F.    Backus,  M.  D.,  Ebenezer  Burn- 


The  Medical  Profession.  333 

ham,  jr.,  Samuel  B.  Bradley,  Ezekiel  Harmon.  These  gentlemen  immediately 
proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers,  and  the  gentlemen  whose  names  are 
hereby  given  were  chosen  to  fill  the  offices  as  stated :  Dr.  Alexander  Kelsey, 
president ;  Dr.  Nathaniel  Rowell,  vice-president ;  Dr.  Anson  Coleman,  treas- 
urer; censors — Freeman  Edson,  John  B.  Elwood,  Frederick  F.  Backus,  Eze- 
kiel Harmon,  Derick  Knickerbocker.  This  meeting,  although  the  first,  was 
hardly  considered  other  than  preliminary,  and  accordingly  a  committee  was 
appointed,  composed  of  Drs.  Harmon,  Rowell  and  Bradley,  to  revise  the  by- 
laws and  report  at  the  next  meeting.  At  the  meeting  held  the  9th  of  May, 
1822,  the  following  gentlemen  presented  their  credentials  and  were  added 
to  the  society :  Anson  Coleman,  Ezra  Strong,  David  Gregory,  William  H. 
Morgan,  M.  D.,  William  Gildersleeve,  John  B.  Elwood,  B.  Gillett,  Linus 
Stevens,  O.  E.  Gibbs,  James  Holton,  George  Marvin,  M.  D.,'  Barzillai  Bush, 
M.  D.  The  small  number  of  men  who  wrote  their  names  with  titles  gives  at 
a  glance  the  relation  between  those  who  had  received  their  instruction  in  med- 
ical colleges  and  been  graduated  by  them  and  those  who  were  licensed  by  the 
censors  of  the  county  societies.  The  committee  on  constitution  and  laws  made 
an  elaborate  report  containing  thirty-six  distinct  articles,  defining  the  offices 
and  the  duties  of  their  incumbents ;  also,  the  mode  of  admitting  members  and 
defining  their  duties.  It  is  of  course  not  necessary  to  repeat  these  details,  but 
I  may  call  attention  to  article  21,  which  heads  tKe  list  with  reference  to  the 
duties  of  members,  which  invokes  the  aid  of  every  member  to  support  the  honor 
and  dignity  of  .the  medical  profession  and  to  execute  his  respective  duties  with 
justice  and  fidelity.      I  also  cite,  entire,  article  26 :  — 

"  Art.  26.  —  It  shall  be  highly  disreputable  for  any  member  to  assume  or  hold  the 
knowledge  of  any  nostrum  or  palm  any  medicine  or  composition  on  the  people  as  a 
secret,  and  every  such  member  shall  be  deemed  unworthy  to  belong  to  the  society,  and 
the  members  thereof  shall  hold  no  medical  correspondence  with  such  characters,  nor 
consult  with  them  in  any  medical  case  whatever,  and  all  pretenders  to  nostrums  shall  be ' 
deemed  proper  subjects  for  expulsion  from  this  society." 

I  will  also  call  attention  to  these  three  articles  : — 

"Art.  32.  —  Candidates  for  license  to  practise  physic  or  surgery  shall  give  notice 
thereof  to  the  president  and  censors  fifteen  days  previous  to  examination,  and  before 
any  one  can  be  admitted  to  examination  he  must  produce  to  the  cen.sors  satisfactory  proof 
that  he  is  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  of  good  moral  character,  that  he  has  studied  the 
time  required  by  law  with  one  or  more  reputable  and  legal  practitioners  and  has  appro- 
priated that  time  solely  to  the  study  of  physic  or  surgery.  If  he  is  a  candidate  for  the 
practice  of  physic  he  shall  be  examined  in  materia  medica  and  pharmacy,  anatomy  and 
physiology,  and  on  the  theory  and  practice  of  physic.  Candidates  for  the  practice  of 
surgery  shall  be  examined  particularly  on  anatomy  and  surgery. 

"Art.  33.  — No  student  shall  be  examined  unless  a  majority  of  the  censors  be  pres- 
ent, and  said  censors  shall  report  their  opinion  to  the  president,  whether  he  be  qualified 
for  the  priactice  of  physic  or  surgery  or  both. 

"Art.  34.— This  society  may  try  any  of  its  members  for  malpractice,  extortion  or 
speaking  disrespectfully  of  the  society  with  intent  to  injure  it,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty 


334  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  each  member  of  this  society  to  accuse  any  other  member  thereof  for  any  misde- 
meanor that  he  deems  contrary  to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  the  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture incorporating  this  society  or  contrary  to  the  by-laws  thereof,  and  the  accuser  shall 
make  the  statement  in  writing  of  the  misdemeanors  aforesaid  and  lay  them  before  the 
president  of  the  society.  The  president  shall  issue  a  summons  to  the  accused  to  appear 
before  the  society  at  its  next  meeting,  stating  the  time  when  and  place  where  it  is  to  be 
held,  to  defend  himself,  if  he  sees  fit,  against  the  accusation.  A  copy  of  the  accusation 
and  summons  shall  be  left  with  the  accused  or  at  his  usual  place  of  abode  at  least 
twelve  days  before  such  meeting,  and  the  accuser  shall  cause  such  summons  to  be  served 
and  returned  to  the  society  on  the  first  day  of  the  meeting.  If  the  accused  shall  refuse 
or  neglect  to  appear  in  person  or  by  proxy,  and  no  satisfactory  reason  is  offered  for  such 
neglect,  he  shall  be  expelled  from  the  society,  and  if  he  be  convicted  of  any  of  the 
charges  alleged  against  him  he  may  be  punished  by  fine,  suspension  or  expulsion,  pro- 
vided the  fine  for  any  one  offense  shall  not  exceed  twenty  dollars.'' 

From  these  articles  it  will  be  seen  that  the  tone  of  the  society  was  high  ; 
also,  that  the  law  might  be  executed  preventing  any  one  from  practising  with- 
out a  license,  thereby  rendering  him  incapable  of  collecting  the  reward  of  his 
labors.  Hence  we  find  this  year  a  committee  of  one  in  each  town  in  the 
county  delegated  to  report  the  number  of  persons  practising  with  and  without 
a  license  in  their  respective  towns. 

Of  the  large  number  of  physicians  who  lived  in  the  village  and  afterward 
the  city  of  Rochester  it  would  be  idle  to  attempt  biographical  notice.  The 
time  is  too  distant,  the  sources  of  information  cannot  be  reached  and  space 
can  only  be  given  to  those  who  acquired  some  special  distinction.  Many  whom 
we  cannot  notice  would  be  found  quite  as  deserving  as  those  that  we  have 
spoken  of,  when  measured  by  the  standard  of  duties  especially  pertaining  to 
the  relation  of  physician  and  patient.  A  few,  however,  of  those  that  have  passed 
away  will  be  specially  noticed,  as  giving  tone  and  character  to  the  whole. 
Among  the  earliest  comers  we  may  note  the  name  of  Anson  Coleman.  He 
was  born  at  Richfield  Springs,  N.  Y.,  March  17th,  1795,  and  commenced  his 
professional  studies  when  about  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  of  age,  in  his  na- 
tive town,  with  a  Dr.  Palmer,  but  he  afterward  went  to  Cherry  Valley  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  with  the  celebrated  Dr.  Joseph  White.  He  was  among  the 
first  who  organised  the  county  society,  in  the  year,  1 821.  He  was  among  the 
foremost  and  most  active  practitioners  of  the  village,  full  of  the  ambition  that 
carves  out  success,  high-toned  in  his  feelings  and  contemptuous  of  the  char- 
latanry that  has  always  and  will  always  hang  on  the  skirts  of  the  profession. 
This  often  provoked  an  exhibition  of  temper  which  could  ill  conceal  a  disgust 
for  the  mean.  When  the  cholera  first  made  the  invasion  of  Europe,  the  dread 
accounts  that  came  by  the  slow  methods  of  sailing  navigation  filled  the  whole 
country  with  a  fear  that  has  never  had  its  parallel  on  this  continent.  The  ap- 
parent futility  of  quarantine  at  every  point  in  the  Old  world  produced  the 
belief  that  nothing  we  should  do  would  avail.  The  first  appearance  at  the 
North  was  in  Montreal.     The  authorities  of  the  village  requested  Dr,  Coleman 


DR.  E.  M.  MOORE. 


The  Medical  Profession.  335 

to  go  to  that  city  at  their  expense  and  bring  back  such  information  as  he  could 
gather  from  the  experience  of  the  health  authorities  and  the  physicians  of  that 
place.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  cholera  advanced  along  the  routes  of  travel, 
or  to  add  that  the  experience  of  later  times  has  shown  the  contagiousness  of  this 
dread  disease  to  be  real.  The  apparently  unexplained  circumstance  that  the 
disease  would  pass  by  the  close  attendants,  and  seize  upon  those  that  were  not 
apparently  exposed  at  all,  gave  color  to  the  belief  that  there  was  an  epidemic 
that  through  the  atmosphere  defied  hygiene  in  any  form.  The  therapeutics 
then  adopted  have  never  been  improved.  We  only  excel  our, ancestors  in  the 
profession  in  our  improved  methods  of  prevention.  Dr.  Coleman  was  elected 
a  professor  in  Geneva  medical  college,  but  declining  health  prevented  his  occu- 
pancy of  the  chair.  He  died  at  the  early  age  of  forty-two,  of  aneurism  of  the 
abdominal  aorta,  July  17th,  1837. 

Dr.  John  B.  Elwood  was  born  in  the  township  of  Minden,  Montgomery 
county,  N.  Y.,  March  3d,  1792.  He  became  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Palmer  in  Rich- 
field Springs,  but  afterward  pursued  his  studies  both  in  New  York  and  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  commenced  practice  in  Rochester  in  the  year  1817,  forming 
a  copartnership  with  Dr.  Coleman,  which  relation  was  continued  for  many 
years.  In  analysing  the  mental  qualities  of  the  men  who  have  made  their 
mark  in  the  communities  they  live  in,  we  find  that  the  most  enduring  success 
falls  to  the  lot  of  those  who  possess  the  much-vaunted  and  rarely-possessed 
quality  of  common  sense.  This  allusion  may  contain  the  germ  of  Dr.  Elwood's 
relation  to  his  fellows  during  a  long  life.  His  culture  was  moderate  in  any 
direction,  but  by  common  consent  his  position  in  the  profession  was  the  one  that 
commanded  the  highest  confidence.  He  sought  wealth  in  other  than  profes- 
sional lines.  He  became  the  postmaster  at  a  time  when  it  added  largely  to  his 
income.  During  the  fierce  speculations  of  1836  we  find  him  almost  the  only 
man  in  his  town  who  was  unmoved  by  its  fascinating  delusion,  selling  his  prop- 
erty and  not  buying.  The  end  of  the  crash  found  him  richer  than  at  the  be- 
ginning. In  the  year  1839  he  visited  Europe.  On  his  return,  in  1840,  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  an  orange  plantation  in  Florida,  where  he  had  gone  for  the 
restoration  of  impaired  health.  While  there  he.  received  a  fall  which  so  in- 
jured his  spine  that  he  was  brought  home  on  a  bed  and  only  recovered  after 
several  years  of  suffering.  In  1849  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  by  a  sort 
of  common  consent,  the  opposition  of  his  party  opponents  being  of  a  per- 
functory character.  It  will  be  seen  that  Dr.  Elwood  had  desired  to  withdraw 
from  the  profession,  but  he  was  sought  out  by  those  who  knew  him,  in  spite 
of  bis  efforts.  He  was  never  married  and  died  May  23d,  1877,  in  his  eighty- 
fifth  year. 

Dr.  F.  F.  Backus  was  born  June  iSth,  1794,  and  died  November  sth,  1858. 
He  was  graduated  from  Yale  college  in  1 8 1 4.  In  the  year  1 8 1 5  he  was  licensed 
to  practise  medicine  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the  village  of  Rochester,  where 


336  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

he  lived  until  the  day  of  his  death.  Few  knew  Dr.  Backus  without  acquiring 
a  high  esteem  for  him,  both  as  a  man  and  as  a  physician.  Well  supplied  with 
learning  and  drilled  in  the  professional  knowledge  of  his  day,  he  naturally  filled 
a  large  space  in  the  medical  profession  and  in  the  best  associations  of  New  York. 
Dr.  Backus  was  a  man  with  an  acute  sense  of  humor,  which  issued  in  pleasant 
sallies  of  wit.  The  extreme  unfortunates  of  humanity  must  always  bless  his 
memory.  To  his  untiring  efforts  when  in  the  Senate  of  the  state  was  due  the 
establishment  of  the  asylum  at  Syracuse  for  the  care  of  idiots.  This  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  important  of  the  public  works  that  he  may  be  said  to  have  founded, 
but  he  was  largely  interested  in  other  benevolent. institutions,  especially  in  the 
House  of  Refuge. 

Dr.  W.  W.  Reid  was  born  in  Argyle,  Washington  county,  in  the  year  1799. 
He  graduated  at  Union  college  in  1825  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine 
with  Dr.  A.  G.  Smith.  He  continued  his  studies  in  1828  at  Boston  medical 
college,  Cambridge  university.  He  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the  com- 
munity and  a  respected  one  among  his  brethren.  His  mind  was  acute  with  the 
elements  of  genius.  If  his  fellows  feared  his  hasty  conclusions  as  marking  too 
rapid  a  judgment  to  be  safe,  he  had  the  advantage  over  them  in  striking  out  in 
a  bold  manner,  which  resulted  in  the  complete  triumph  of  a  method  of  reduc- 
ing dislocations  of  the  hip  on  the  dorsum  illii,  which  had  only  been  seen  as 
"through  a  glass  darkly."  Dr.  Reid  never  claimed  to  have  made  a  discovery 
of  the  method  by  manipulation  de  novo.  He  asserted  that  the  descriptions  of 
the  plan,  as  laid  down,  could  not  be  carried  out,  and  then  described  the  one  that 
has  been  the  settled  usage  since.  The  finish  of  the  surgical  mancEuvre,  as. Dr. 
Reid  left  it,  has  justly  attached  his  name  to  it  as  descriptive —  "Reid's  method 
of  manipulation."  If  the  development  of  an  original  idea  can  be  fairly  ascribed 
to  one  man,  it  may  be  regarded  as  an  ample  result  for  one  life.  It  is  one  new 
idea  for  the  use  of  mankind  for  all  time.  This  is  a  great  gift  and  would  justify 
to  the  world  the  support  it  should  give  to  many  lives.  As  may  well  be  sup- 
posed. Dr.  Reid  filled  a  large  space  in  the  medical  associations  of  his  day.  He 
died  December  8th,  1866. 

Dr.  J.  D.  Henry  was  born  October  19th,  1782,  at  Stonington,  Connecticut. 
He  studied  his  profession  at  Cherry  Valley,  with  Dr.  Joseph  White,  and  grad- 
uated at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  year  1822  he  removed  to 
Rochester  and  at  once  took  his  place  among  the  first  of  his  day.  Those  who 
remember  him  will  do  so  largely  from  the  recollection  of  his  genial  temper  and 
high  standard  of  professional  duty  —  a  true  gentleman  by  associations  and  from 
the  still  truer  source  of  conduct  befitting  the  appellation,  that  of  the  heart.  He 
died  November  13th,  1842. 

Dr.  E.  G.  Munn  was  born  in  Munson,  Massachusetts,  April  7th,  1804.  Af- 
ter practicing  a  few  years  ih  Scottsville,  intending  to  keep  himself  en  rapport 
with  general  practice,  he  found  himself  overwhelmed  with  the  duties  of  an  oc- 


The  Medical  Profession.  337 

ulist.  In  the  year  1837  he  removed  to  Rochester  and  gave  himself  up  to  the 
practice  of  opthalmology.  The  country  was  still  new  and  his  fame  spread  far 
and  wide.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  man  during  the  few  years  included  between 
1837  and  1847  had  so  many  patients  and  gathered  from  so  large  a  territory. 
Although  not. drawing  his  clientele  from  any  large  cities,  this  was  enormous. 
It  is  true  the  people  in  a  new  country  are  apt  to  be  poor.  This  was  far  more 
striking  at  the  time  we  consider  than  in  any  country  now  going  through  the 
process  of  settlement.  Much  of  this  great  following  came  from  the  genial  and 
generous  disposition  of  Dr.  Munn.  He  was  literally  the  friend  of  the  poor  and 
needy.  There  were  no  hospitals  to  divide  with  him  the  care  of  those  who  suf- 
fered. While  there  was  money  in  his  purse  the  common  boarding-house  was 
the  hospital,  where  this  physician  treated  the  patients  and  often  paid  their  bills, 
and  after  their  recovery  paid  for  their  passage  to  their  homes.  The  whole  of 
this  marvelous  activity  and  benevolence  may  be  recognised  by  a  statement  of 
unpaid  services  at  the  time  of  his  death  amounting  to  $80,000  This  was  the 
sum  of  fees  of  the  most  meager  kind.  He  died  December  12th,  1847,  pos- 
sessed of  small  estate,  but  loved  by  the  warmest  of  friends,  whose  afifection  had 
no  taint  of  benefits  received.  This  is  truly  a  marvelous  history  of  a  short  pro-, 
fessional  life. 

Dr.  Hugh  Bradley  was  born  in  the  county  of  Antrim,  Ireland,  in  the  year 
1796.  He  pursued  his  studies  in  the  University  of  Glasgow  and  took  his  de- 
gree in  medicine  in  that  institution  in  the  year  1825.  After  practising  his  pro- 
fession for  several  years  in  his  native  country  he  came  to  America  and  settled 
in  the  city  of  Rochester  in  the  year  1834.  He  at  once  joined  the  medical  so- 
ciety and  continued  in  its  membership  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred May  6th,  1883. 

Dr.  Freeman  Edson  was  born  in  Westmoreland,  N.  H.,  September  24th, 
1 791.  He  died  at  Scottsville,  Monroe  county,  N.  Y.,  June  24th,  1883,  aged 
ninety-one  years  and  nine  months.  Although  never  practising  in  this  city,  his 
close  proximity  and  connection  with  it  seem  to  require  some  notice  in  view  of 
his  extraordinary  age  and  the  long  period  of  his  labors  in  the  profession.  His 
primary  and  academic  education  were  acquired  near  his  home  and  at  Keene. 
He  became  a  student  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Amos  Twitchell,  a  celebrated  physi- 
cian of  Keene.  He  afterward  entered  Yale  college  and  graduated  in  medicine 
from  that  institution  in  the  year  18 14.  Heat  once  removed  to  Scottsville, 
where  he  continued  the  practice  of  medicine  until  his  death,  during  a  period  of 
over  sixty-nine  years.  He  was  a  man  of  clear  mind  and  positive  convictions. 
This,  with  a  constitution  of  remarkable  endurance,  eminently  fitted  him  for  this 
marvelous  career. 

Dr.  E.  W.  Armstrong  was  born  at  Fredericksburg,  Canada.  He  was  grad- 
uated at  Dartmouth  and  afterward  from  its  medical  school,  and  still  later  re- 
ceived instruction  at  Philadelphia.      He  moved  to  Rochester  in  1837,  after  the 


338  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

close  of  the  so-called  "Canadian  rebellion."  In  this  city  he  continued  to  prac- 
tise medicine  until  the  year  1877,  dying  suddenly  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Dr.  Armstrong  was  remarkable  for  his  marvelously  equable 
.temperament,  which  never  allowed  him  to  be  ruffled  by  the  ordinary  vexations 
of  life.  He  maintained  all  through  these  forty  years  of  practice  a  reputation 
absolutely  unsullied. 

Dr.  H.  W.  Dean  was  born  in  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1818.  He  became 
a  pupil  of  Dr.  Frank  H.  Hamilton  in  the  year  1839,  ^nd  graduated  at  Geneva 
medical  college  in  1842.  He  long  filled  a  large  space  in  the  estimation  of  the 
people  of  Rochester.  With  a  physique  of  remarkable  manly  beauty,  he  added 
the  graces  of  nature's  gentility  to  an  untiring  devotion  to  his  duties,  both  in  his 
attendance  on  his  patients  atid  in  the  study  of  his  profession.  Unlike  Dr. 
Reid,  who  had  preceded  him,  one  could  not  trace  any  of  the  elements  of  genius. 
There  was  nothing  so  erratic  as  this  in  his  mental  structure.  Dr.  Dean's  work 
was  pursued  with  constant  patience  ;  surely,  however,  he  followed  his  inquiries 
to  the  end,  with  a  conscience  that  ever  kept  him  in  right  lines.  As  might  be 
expected,  his  clientele  was  large  and  attached  to  him  with  a  tenacity  of  uncom- 
mon force.  He  was  a  contributor  to  the  labors  of  the  medical  societies,  of 
which  he  was  a  member  and  always  an  efficient  one.  He  died  suddenly  on 
the  13th  of  January,  1878. 

Dr.  William  Watson  Ely  was  born  April  30th,  1812,  at  Fairfield,  Conn.,  and 
died  at  Rochester  on  the  27th  of  March,  1879.  He  was  graduated  at  Yale 
medical  college  in  the  year  1834.  After  residing  at  Manlius,  Onondaga  county, 
N.  Y.,  for  five  years,  he  came  to  Rochester,  where  he  lived  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  life.  The  winter  of  1837,  however,  was  spent  in  Philadelphia,  during 
which  time  he  attended  the  instructions  of  the  Jefferson  medical  college.  In 
regarding  the  life  and  career  of  Dr.  Ely,  we  are  struck  with  the  modest  de- 
meanor of  a  very  fine  mind.  With  fine  talents,  which  were  shown  in  many 
ways,  we  find  nothing- erratic.  His  most  striking  characteristic  may  be  said  to 
have  been  intellectuality.  This  guided  his  pursuits.  He  wrote  with  taste,  but 
confined  his  productions  to  the  eyes  of  friends,  restrained  from  public  notice 
by  the  extreme  modesty  of  his  nature.  The  University  of  Rochester  conferred 
on  him  its  highest  degree,  and  it  has  never  been  more  properly  bestowed. 

Dr.  Theodore  Francis  Hall  was  born  October  20th,  1827,  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y. 
After  graduating  at  Union  college  at  the  age  of  twenty- three,  he  applied  him- 
self to  the  study  of  medicine  and  took  his  degree  of  M.  D.  at  the  college  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1854.  He  commenced 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  this  city  in  the  year  1856.  When  the  war 
called  for  the  aid  of  surgeons,  he  entered  the  140th  New  York  volunteers,  with 
which  regiment  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  died  March  5th, 
1869,  in  the  forty-second  year  of  his  age.  In  estimating  his  character  we  find 
a  fine  mind  with  good  culture,  moved  by  impulses  of  the  most  generous  kind. 


The  Medical  Profession.  339 

These  carried  him  on  to  the  performance  of  duties  that  might  be  regarded  as 
fault)'  by  excess.  The  attention  that  professional  propriety  demands  of  the 
physician,  when  caring  for  the  patient,  was  extended,  to  the  devotion  of  his 
strength  and  life,  with  utter  recklessness  of  the  expectation  of  reward,  which 
was  constantly  forgotten  by  himself  and  very  often  by  the  recipients  of  his  care. 
But  no  one  had  warmer  friends  and  admirers  among  those  who  also  remem- 
bered the  honorarium. 

Dr.  Benjamin  F.  Gilkeson  was  born  in  Bristol,  Bucks  county,  Penn.,  Decem- 
ber 8tli,  1 8 19.  He  becarne  a  pupil  of  Professor  James  Webster  in  the  year 
1838.  He  sought  medical  knowledge  in  both  Philadelphia  and  Geneva,  grad- 
uating from  the  college  of  the  latter  place  in  the  year  1841.  For  the  succeed- 
ing forty-two  years  he  led  an  industrious  life  in  the  constant  practice  of  his 
profession,  although  during  the  last  ten  years  he  was  much  enfeebled  by  sick- 
ness. Dr.  Gilkeson  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  very  attentive  to  the  duties 
of  his  profession  and  remarkable  for  the  independence  of  his  character.  He 
was  contemptuous  of  all  pretense  and  possessed  that  most  enc^uring  of  all  tal- 
ents —  common  sense. 

Dr.  Louis  A.  Kuichling  was  born  December  29th,  1807,  at  Walsum,  on  the 
Rhine,  and  died  June  4th,  1883,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
physician  and  pursued  his  studies  with  such  ardor  that  when  graduating,  al- 
though the  youngest  man  in  his  class,  he  carried  off  the  first  prize  in  surgery 
and  the  second  in  therapeutics.  From  Wurtzburg  he  went  to  Heidelberg, 
where  he  continued  his  studies  for  a  year.  From  thence  he  went  to  Paris  and 
attended  the  lectures  of  Hahnemann  and  afterward  practised  homoeopathy  about 
two  years  in  Kehl.  This,  however,  he  abandoned.  The  liberal  tendency  nat- 
ural to  his  profession  caused  him  to  become  compromised  in  the  revolution  of 
1848,  for  which  he  was  imprisoned  and  his  property  confiscated.  He  escaped 
from  prison,  and  after  staying  in  New  York  for  a  couple  of  years,  made  Roch- 
ester his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  It  can  be  said  of  him  that  he 
occupied  the  very  first  rank  among  the  German  practitioners  in  this  country. 

With  these  few  sketches  of  character  I  close  what  I  have  to  say  of  the  med- 
ical profession.  There  are  many  of  whom  I  should  like  to  speak,  but  space 
forbids,  and  I  repeat  what  was  said  above,  that  I  merely  desire  to  mark  a  few, 
especially  of  the  early  comers.  The  triumphs  in  this  profession  in  life  are  local, 
and  if  discovery  is  made  it  remains  only  understood  anc}  fully  appreciated  by 
the  physicians  themselves.  It  requires  a  special  education  to  understand  the 
bearings  that  a  true  discovery  will  have  upon  the  art  of  heaUng.  This  unfort- 
unately gives  scope  to  the  wildest  theories,  as  well  as  to  the  grossest  decep- 
tions of  charlatans.  Until  the  wide  diffusion  of  knowledge  in  natural  science 
shall  fit  every  one  to  judge  of  the  methods  of  medical  men,  this  condition  of 
society  must  remain. 


340  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 
homceopathy  a\d  denti.stry. 

Early  Homoeopathic  Physicians  —  Their  Advent  and  Influence  —  The   Practice   of  Dentistry  — 
Advance  of  the  Art. 

THE  absence  of  an  article  upon  the  homoeopathic  practice  in  this  city,  whicli 
had  been  positively  promised  and  was  expected  up  to  a  late  period  of  this 
work,  compels  the  editor  to  make  up  an  incomplete  record  from  what  scattered 
data  he  has  been  able  to  collect.  Dr.  Augustus  P.  Biegler  was  undoubtedly 
the  first  physician  of  this  school  to  practise  in  Rochester.  Many  of  the  older 
inhabitants  have  inclined  to  give  the  priority  to  Dr.  Taylor,  but  the  former  is, 
in  all  likelihood,  the  pioneer,  as  the  directory  of  1841  gives  his  name,  locating 
his  office  at  number  6.  Spring  street  and  his  boarding-house  at  31  on  the  same 
street,  while  the  other  doctor  is  not  mentioned  at  all  in  the  small  volume.  The 
address  was,  perhaps,  only  partly  correct,  and  may  have  been  intended  to  refer 
for  both  office  and  residence,  to  the  house  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Spring 
and  Fitzhugh  streets.  This  was  certainly  the  house  where  Dr.  Taylor,  when 
he  came  here  within  a  year  of  that  time — either  before  or  after  —  had  his 
abode  and  dealt  out  the  pleasant  pellets  which  at  first  met  with  much  ridicule 
but  soon  found  their  way,  through  the  mouths,  to  the  hearts  of  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing number  of  patients.  Dr.  Moses  M.  Mathews  came  here  from  Canan- 
daigua  in  the  fall  of  1844  and  for  fourteen  years  occupied  the  house  mentioned 
above,  succeeding  Dr.  Taylor  therein,  whose  residence  must  have  been  limited 
to  two  years,  or  three  at  the  utmost,  as  his  name  does  not  appear  in  the  direc- 
tory of  1845,  while  that  of  his  successor  does.  Of  these  first  three  homoeo- 
pathic physicians,  all  of  whom  even  in  that  early  day,  obtained  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  practice  among  the  intelligent  class  of  the  community,  not  one 
was  brought  up  in  the  school  of  Hahnemann,  but  all  had  been  practitioners 
in  the  old,  or  "regular"  school,  before  they  embraced  what  were  then  the  new 
principles.  Dr.  Mathews  died  in  1867,  having  won  the  confidence  of  all  who 
came  under  his  professional  ministrations,  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him  and 
the  affection  of  the  many  who  were  aided  by  his  kindness  and  benevolence. 
To  his  integrity  of  character  he  added  a  rare  gentleness  and  benignity  which 
will  be  remembered  by  all  those  who  ever  came  in  contact  with  him.  Dr.  Ed- 
win H.  Hurd,  who  is  now  the  oldest  homoeopathic  physican  in  Rochester,  came 
here  in  1850,  and  after  studying  awhile  with  Dr.  Mathews  entered  into  a  part- 
nership with  him,  which  continued  for  about  a  year.  There  were  here  prac- 
tising, at  that  time.  Dr.  A.  P.  Biegler,  Dr.  Hilem  Bennett,  Dr.  George  Lewis, 
Dr.  George  W.  Peer  —  all  of  whom  are  now  dead  —  and  Dr.  Thomas  C.  Schell, 
who  was  in  the  ofiice  of  Dr.  Mathews  and  who  is  now  practising  at  Minneapolis. 
The  Monroe  County  Homoeopathic  society  was  organised  on  the  2d  day  of 


HOMCEOPATIIY  AND  DENTISTRY.  34I 

January,  1866.  It  has  now  a  membership  of  thirty-seven,  and  the  officers  for 
this  year  are  as  follows:  President,  Dr.  C.  R.  Sumner;  vice-president,  Dr.  S. 
W.  Hartwell ;  secretary.  Dr.  B.  A.  Hoard ;  treasurer.  Dr.  T.  C.  White.  Of 
the  success  of  homoeopathy  in  curing  diseases,  and  of  its  still  greater  victories 
in  overcoming  the  unreasoning  prejudice  with  which  it  long  had  to  contend, 
this  is  not  the  place  to  treat,  but  one  illustration  will  show  the  progress  that 
the  liberalising  tendencies  of  the  age  have  enabled  it  to  make.  For  some  years 
after  the  foundation  of  the  City  hospital  the  managers  of  that  institution  re- 
fused to  allow  homoeopathic  physicians  to  practise  within  its  walls,  even  in  the 
case  of  private  patients.  It  was  no  change  of  heart,  but  the  pressure  of  public 
opinion,  that  impelled  them  eventually  to  so  modify  their  rules  as  to  perniit 
practitioners  of  this  school  to  treat  private  patients,  but  they  had  to  confine  their 
attentions  to  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  pay  for  them.  The 
exclusion  of  this  class  of  physicians  from  general  practice  in  the  hospital  keeps 
away  a  large  revenue  that  would  otherwi.se  accrue  to  the  institution,  for  more 
than  one  purse  is  ready  to  open  wide  when  the  prejudice  shall  be  broken 
down  and  the  independency  which  is  so  potential  in  the  realms  of  religion  and 
politics  shall  have  equal  sway  in  the  domain  of  medicine. 

THE   DENTAL   PROFESSION.  1 

The  history  of  dentistry  in  Rochester  is  so  closely  connected  with  its  history 
throughout  the  country  that,  for  the  better  comprehension  of  its  rise,  progress 
and  advancement,  I  deem  that  a  short  sketch  of  its  general  growth  will  not  be 
inappropriate  here.  As  early  as  1828  gold  foil  for  filling  teeth  came  into  use 
to  a  limited  extent.  It  was  at  that  date  made  to  order,  but  not  kept  on  sale. 
My  old  preceptor,  after  canvassing  New  York  city  for  some,  found  only  two 
sheets,  and  they  were  number  12.  Tin  foil  had  previously  been  used.  Amal- 
gam was  introduced  in  New  York  in  1830,  by  two  Frenchmen. 

Just  about  fifty  years  ago,- gold  and  silver  plates  for  mounting  artificial 
teeth  were  introduced.  Previous  to  this,  plates  and  teeth  had  been  made  from 
ivory,  or  the  bone  of  the  sea-horse  tooth,  both  plates  and  teeth  being  carved 
from  the  same  piece.  Partial  sets  were  fastened  to  the  natural  teeth  with  gold 
wire.  Full  Sets  were  also  made  from  the  same  material  and  held  in  the  mouth 
by  spiral  springs.  Comparatively  very  few,  however,  were  made.  For  many 
years  a  large  proportion  of  pivot  teeth  were  set  on  old  roots.  At  first  human 
teeth  and  the  teeth  of  some  animals  were  used  for  this  purpose,  then  they -were 
carved  from  ivory.  In  1835,  with  the  introduction  of  gold  and  silver  plates, 
came  also  porcelain  teeth.  The  first  of  this  kind  came  from  France,  and  these 
were  plain  teeth  —  that  is,  without  gums  —  and  cost  fifty  cents  each.  Stock- 
ton, of  Philadelphia,  was  the  first  man  in  this  country  to  make  porcelain  teeth, 
both  plain  and  gum  teeth.      Soon  after  followed   Dr.  Allcock,  of  New   York. 


1  This  article  was  prepared  by  E.  F.  Wilson,  D.  D.  S. 


342  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

He  was  the  first  to  manufacture  and  arrange  them  in  sets  of  fourteen,  as  we 
have  them  to-day,  though  they  were  at  first  quite  inferior  to  the  porcelain  teeth 
of  the  present. 

During  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  the  past  fifty,  dentistry  moved  slowly. 
Dentists  of  ingenuity  made  their  own  instruments,  the  "  turnkey  "  being  the 
general  favorite  for  extracting.  George  Tieman  was  the  first  man  in  this  coun- 
try to  manufacture  forceps  and  other  dental  instruments.  Then  came  Chevalier, 
of  New  York,  tlien  Biddle,  of  New  York,  then  Kern,  of  Philadelphia.  By  1850 
we  had  a  fair  assortment  of  instruments.  It  is  surprising  to  note  the  improve- 
ments and  inventions  in  dental  appliances  from  1850  up  to  the  present  time.  I 
will  mention  here  only  two  among  the  scores  of  improvements  that  stand  re- 
corded in  our  dental  catalogues  of  to-day.  These  are  the  Burr  engine  and  the 
rubber  dam,  the  most  important  improvements  of  the  age,  the  friends  of  the 
patient  as  well  as  the  dentist.  No  first-class  dental  office  of  to-day  is  properly 
equipped  without  them.  Gold  and  silver  continued  for  about  twenty-five  years 
to  be  the  chief  materials  used  for  plates.  Block  teeth,  with  and  without  plates, 
were  used  somewhat.  Some  supposed  improvements  were  brought  out ;  con- 
tinuous gum  plates  were  the  most  important  of  these.  They  were  of  porcelain, 
baked  on  platina.  Clean,  pretty  and  healthful  in  the  mouth,  they  were  also 
heavy,  expensive  and  liable  to  break  if  dropped.  They  never  came  into  gen- 
eral use.  Then  came  Blandy's  metal,  a  compound  of  silver  and  tin,  and  cast 
to  the  plaster  model.  This  was  not  long-lived.  Following  these  came  rubber, 
which  has  very  nearly  superseded  all  other  material  for  plates,  though  it  has 
its  faults.  Then  came  celluloid,  which  has  been  the  strongest  competitor  with 
rubber,  but  this  has  reached  the  height  of  its  success. 

The  latest  improvement  is  the  lining  of  rubber  plates  with  metal.  This  is  des- 
tined to  bring  it  nearer  perfection  and  restore  its  early  success.  There  have  been 
attempts  to  introduce  still  other  materials,  but  I  will  mention  only  one  other. 
This  is  what  is  called  mineral  plate,  both  plate  and  teeth  of  the  same  material. 
It  is  clean  and  healthful  in  every  respect,  and  has  perhaps  fewer  faults  than  any 
other  that  has  come  into  use.  Being  more  expensive  than  rubber,  the  latter 
will  no  doubt  continue  to  be  used  by  the  masses,"  while  the  well-to-do  people 
will  avail  themselves  of  the  best  thing  to  be  had.  Up  to  1845,  ^s  nearly  as  I 
can  recollect,  beeswax  was  used  for  taking  impressions ;  about  that  time  Dr. 
Westcott,  of  Syracuse,  introduced  plaster  of  paris,  which  continues  to  be  the 
principal  thing  used  for  full  sets,  though  in  some  cases  of  partial  sets  a  combi- 
nation of  paraffine  and  wax  makes  a  good  substitute. 

Fifty  years  ago  there  was  but  little  gold  used  in  the  filling  of  teeth.  Now 
the  17,000  dentists  in  the  United  States  use  annually  about  $1,000,000  worth 
of  the  precious  metals.  The  demand  of  the  day  is  for  some  material  for  filling 
the  teeth,  which  will  assimilate  with  the  bone  of  the  tooth  and  take  the  place 
of  gold,  be  better  for  the  teeth  and  save  this  great  expense  to  the  country, 


The  Press.  343 


Then,  with  proper  education  and  training  in  the  care  of  natural  teeth,  the  next 
generation  will  need  fewer  artificial  teeth. 

With  all  the  improvements  of  the  last  fifty  years  the  science  of  dentistry  is 
yet  in  its  youth,  and  the  coming  fifty  years  will  undoubtedly  develop  still  greater 
improvements.  Rochester  has  kept  pace  with  all  these  improvements,  and 
what  is  true  of  dentistry  in  other  places  is  true  here.  In  early  days  the  physi- 
cians extracted  most  of  the  teeth,  always  carrying  in  their  pill-bags  a  pair  of 
turnkeys  for  this  purpose.  A  directory  of  Rochester  published  in  1827  does 
not  mention  a  dentist,  so  it  is  fair  to  conclude  that  there  were  none  here  at  that 
time.  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  Dr.  Bigelow  was  the  first  man  to  practise 
dentistry  in  Rochester,  doing  his  work  at  the  hotels  where  he  stopped.  He  was 
well  known  at  the  old  Eagle  Hotel,  and  in  various  towns  in  Monroe  county,  as 
well  as  other  parts  of  Western  New  York.  He  was  a  man  of  fair  ability,  for 
the  time.  Some  of  his  work  stood  for  over  twenty  years.  Dr.  S.  W.  Jones 
came  a  little  later  as  an  itinerant  practitioner.  Without  doubt  Dr.  L.  K.  Faulk- 
ner, who  died  last  autumn,  was  the  first  settled  dentist  here;  he  had  not  prac- 
tised dentistry  for  some  years  previous  to  his  death.  Dr.  H.  N.  Fenn,  who  was 
a  graduate  in  medicine  and  had  been  a  druggist,  opened  an  office  in  this  city 
for  the  practice  of  dentistry  about  the  year  1840.  When  I  came  to  Rochester, 
in  1847,  there  were  here  Drs.  Faulkner,  Fenn,  Haines,  Beers,  Mills,  Wanzer, 
Proctor,  Allen  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others,  whose  names  I  do  not  now  recol- 
lect. Others  were  studying,  who  soon  after  commenced  practice.  Of  all  those 
who  were  here  then  all  are  dead  except  Dr.  Proctor  and  myself  From  that 
time  until  the  present  the  number  of  dentists  in  the  city  has  increased,  until 
there  are  now  about  thirty-five  —  enough  to  do  the  work  for  a  population  of 
200,000. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

THE  PRESS  OF  ROCHESTER,  i 

Early  Journalism  —  The  Gazette  —  The  Telegraph  —  The  Advertiser,  with  its  Various  Absorptions 
—  Sketch  of  the  Union  and  Advertiser  —  Notices  of  its  Representative  Men  —  The  Anti-Masonic  In- 
quirer and  Thurlow  Weed  —  The  Democrat  —  The  American  —  The  Chronicle  —  Continued  History 
of  the  Democrat  and  Chronicle  —  Sketches  of  Those  I'rominently  Associated  with  It  —  Various  Dead 
Newspapers,  from  1828  to  1884 —  The  Express  and  Post-Express  —  The  Morning  Herald  —  Sunday 
Journalism  in  Rochester  —  German  Journalism  —  Agricultural  Publications  —  Religious  Papers  — 
Papers  Connected  with  Institutions  —  The  Labor  Reformers  —  Concluding  Observations. 

IT  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  American  civilisation  that,  along  all  the  lines 
of  settlement,  journalism  is  among  the  pioneers  of  immigration,  and  one  of 
the  principal  forces  in  the  development  of  the  life  of  infant  communities.      Al- 

1  Tliis  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Charles  E.  Fitch. 


344  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

most  every  hamlet  has  its  newspaper,  the  prompt  and  industrious  chronicler 
of  local  events,  and  the  chief  medium  of  communication  with  the  world  out- 
side. With  each  day's  outreach  of  the  Pacific  railways,  the  printing  press  was 
set  up,  like  mile-posts,  to  mark  their  progress,  and  scarcely  were  the  treasures 
of  the  Cceur  d'Alene  discovered  in  the  mountains  of  Idaho  before  the  reporters 
on  the  ground  announced  the  fact,  and  gave  the  ruling  quotations  of  stocks. 
In  a  modified  degree  this  ubiquity  of  journalism  was  as  pronounced  seventy 
years  ago  as  it  is  to-day.  From  various  causes  the  beginning  of  this  century 
witnessed  a  decided  impetus  to  the  expansion,  not  less  than  to  the  freedom 
of  the  press.  New  York  city  had  already  sei^eral  daily  newspapers,  and  a 
number  of  weeklies  were  in  existence  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  The 
territory  west  of  Utica  had,  however,  but  recently  been  opened  to  settlement, 
and  even  in  i8i6,  when  Augustine  G.  Dauby,  our  pioneer,  began  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Rochester  Gazette,  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  papers  had  been 
printed  in  the  entire  section.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  Lynx,  at 
Onondaga  Valley,  upon  which  Thurlow  Weed  learned  the  rudiments  of  his 
art ;  the  Times,  at'  Manlius ;  the  Register,  at  Onondaga  Valley,  begun  by 
Lewis  H.  Redfield  in  1814;  the  Gazette,  at  Geneva;  the  Repository  and  the 
Messenger,  since  consolidated,  at  Canandaigua;  the  Citizen,  at  Perry;  the 
Cornucopia,  at  Batavia,  and  the  Gazette,  at  Buffalo. 

When  Mr.  Dauby,  who  had  been  an  apprentice  in  the  office  of  the  Utica 
Patriot,  came  here  he  found  a  population  of  about  300  persons.  Rochester 
was  then  a  small  and  insignificant  hamlet,  but,  with  its  natural  advantages  and  the 
zeal  and  sagacity  of  its  founders,  it  was  not  without  the  promise  of  future  growth 
and  prosperity.  Mr.  Dauby's  undertaking  was  a  bold  one,  and  he  never  himself 
quite  knew  the  exact  consideration  that  determined  him  to  cast  his  lot  here. 
He  had  left  Utica  on  a  prospecting  tour,  and  had  almost  decided  to  locate  in 
Geneva,  but  finally  took  up  his  abode  in  Rochester.  The  Gazette  was  first 
issued  from  a  building  on  almost  the  identical  site  now  occupied  by  the  Demo- 
crat &  Chronicle.  The  building,  according  to  Edwin  Scrantom,  was  unfinished, 
lathed  inside,  but  not  plastered,  the  lower  story  being  occupied  by  Smith  & 
Davis  as  a  butcher's  stall.  The  printing-office  occupied  the  second  story.  The 
structure  stood  some  fifteen  feet  or  more  south  of  the  west  end  of  the  bridge 
over  the  Genesee  river  and  below  it,  and  the  entrance  to  the  office  was  by  a 
platform  running  from  the  bridge.  The  Gazette  was,  after  a  short  time,  re- 
moved to  Abrier  Wakelee's  building  on  West  Main  (then  Buffalo)  street,  over 
Austin  Stewart's  meat  shop,  and  from  thence  to  Exchange  street,  into  a  build- 
ing afterward  known  as  Filer  and  Fairchild's  school-house.  It  was  there  that 
Edwin  Scrantom,  so  long  and  so  honorably  identified  with  Rochester  journalism, 
and  whose  reminiscences  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "An  Old  Citizen"  form 
the  basis  of  this  review,  began  his  apprenticeship.  In  the  spring  of  1817  the 
Gazette  was  transferred  to  West  Main  street,  near  {he  entrance  of  the  present 


The  Press.  345 


Reynolds  arcade.  Associated  with  Mr.  Dauby,  for  about  ten  months,  was  John 
Sheldon,  who  removed  to  Detroit;  and,  for  a  few  months  also,  Oran  Follett, 
subsequently  a  publisher  in  Batavia  and  prominent  in  the  politics  of  Western 
New  York,  was  a  partner.  The  business  was  comparatively  well  established, 
although  having  the  active  competition  of  the  Telegraph,  when  the  fire  of  De- 
cember 5th,  1 8 19,  destroyed  the  office,  with  a  number  of  adjacent  buildings. 
Recovery  from  this  misfortune  seemed  attended  by  insuperable  obstacles,  but 
Mr.  Dauby  had  made  some -earnest  friends,  who  helped  him  with  means  and 
credit,  and  the  Gazette,  after  intermitting  publication  for  about  three  months, 
resumed  in  March,  1820,  greatly  improved  in  type  and  paper.  But  it  did  not 
prove  remunerative  to  its  owner,  and  in  March,  1821,  he  sold  it  to  Derick  and 
Levi  W.  Sibley  and  returned  to  Utica,  where  he  was  long  the  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Observer,  upon  which  he  exhibited  excellent  qualities  as  a  writer 
and  where,  secure  in  the  esteem  of  hife  fellow-citizens,  he  held  a  number  of 
offices  of  trust  and  honor,  acquired  the  competence  he  desired,  lived  to  a  very 
advanced  age,  and  died  a  few  years  since.  Upon  taking  possession  of  the  Ga- 
zette, the  Messrs.  Sibley  changed  the  name  to  the  Monroe  Republican  and  con- 
tinued in  charge  until  November,  1825,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Whit- 
tlesey &  Mumford  who,  in  connection  with  Edwin  Scrantom,  conducted  it  until 
1827,  when  it  was  merged  with  another  paper.  Both  Derick  Sibley  and  Fred- 
erick Whittlesey  were  intimately  connected  with  the  politics  of  the  section,  Mr. 
Sibley  representing  his  district  in  the  Assembly  for  three  successive  terms,  and 
Mr.  Whittlesey,  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers,  as  well  as  politicians  of  his  day,  serv- 
ing two  terms  in  Congress,  a  number  of  years  as  vice-chancellor  and  dying  in 
1 85  I,  at  a  comparatively  early  age.  Everard  Peck,  a  native  of  Berlin,  Con- 
necticut, having  learned  the  book  binder's  trade  in  Hartford,  began  business  in 
Albany,  but,  not  finding  it  as  profitable  as  he  hoped,  moved  to  Rochester  in 
1 8 16,  where  he  engaged  in  the  double  business  of  book-binding  and  book-sell- 
ing. On  the  7th  of  July,  18 18,  Everard  Peck  &  Co.  issued  the  first  number  of 
the  Rochester  Telegraph,  the  mechanical  department  being  under  the  charge 
of  the  Messrs.  Sibley.  In  1824  an  enlargement  was  effected  and  Thurlow 
Weed  became  the  editor.  This  marks  the  "beginning  of  the  active,  political  and 
journalistic  career  of  that  able  and  adroit  man,  which  was  to  continue  for  nearly 
sixty  years,  as  a  controlling  agency  in  state  affairs  and  as  a  potent  influence  in 
national  administration.  It  was  here  and  then  that  Mr.  Weed  formed  those 
close  associations  with  William  H.  Seward  and  Frederick  Whittlesey  and  others 
whose  leadership  for  thirty  years  gave  vitality  and  direction  to  the  various  par- 
ties with  which  they  were  associated  and  compassed  so  many  personal  ambitions. 
In  1825  Mr.  Weed  purchased  the  establishment  and  Mr.  Peck  gave  his  exclu- 
sive attention  to  the  book  business,  which  he  continued  until  1831,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  banking,  became  identified  with  the  various  religious,  benevolent  and 
educational  institutions  of  the  city,  especially  with  the  university  and  the  orphan 


346  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

asylum,  and  died  in  1854,  universally  beloved  and  respected.  After  purchas- 
ing the  Telegraph,  Mr.  Weed  formed  a  partnership  with  Robert  Martin,  and 
the  paper  was  issued  as  a  semi-weekly  until  1827,  when  Mr.  Weed  sold  out, 
and  during  the  following  year  it  was  published  as  a  daily,  Mr.  Martin  mean- 
while having  consolidated  with  it  the  Rochester  Albttm,  which  was  started  in 
October,  1825,  by  Marshall,  Spaulding&  Hunt,  and  had  maintained  a  separate 
existence  for  nearly  two  years.  The  Telegraph  was  itself  merged  with  the 
Advertiser  in  1829. 

October  25th,  1826,  witnessed  the  birth  in  this  city  of  what  is  now,  after  a 
number  of  consolidations  with  and  absorptions  of  other  journals,  the  oldest 
daily  newspaper  in  the  United  States,  west  of  Albany.  Upon  the  date 
indicated  Luther  Tucker  &  Co.  began  the  publication  of  the  Roch- 
ester Daily  Advertiser,  issuing  in  connection  with  it  a  weekly  called 
the  Rochester  Mercury.  In  1829,  as  already  said,  the  Telegraph  and  the 
Advertiser  were  consolidated ;  the  firm  name  was  that  of  Tucker  &  Mar- 
tin, and  the  weekly  edition  was  known  as  the  Rochester  Republican.  In 
1830  Hoyt  &  Porter  succeeded  Tucker  &  Martin,  and  Henry  O'Rielly  was 
made  the  editor,  a  position  he  continued  to  fill  until  1838,  when  he  retired 
on  becoming  postmaster,  and  Thomas  W.  Flagg  assumed  control  of  the 
editorial  department.  In  1840  Thomas  H.  Hyatt  bought  the  establish- 
ment, retaining  it  until  May  ist,  1842,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Hiram 
Bumphrey  and  Cephas  S.  McConnell.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1844,  Joseph 
Curtis  bought  the  interest  of  Mr.  Bumphrey  and  in  October,  1845,  McConnell 
and  Curtis  sold  to  Isaac  Butts,  who  thus  became  sole  proprietor.  A  year  later, 
however,  Harvey  L.  Winants  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and  the  paper  was 
conducted  under  the  name  of  I.  Butts  &  Co.  Beginning  with  the  summer  of 
1 848  the  history  of  the  Advertiser  becomes  very  interesting  as  related  not  less 
to  the  disturbances  and  divisions  in  the  Democratic  party,  with  the  general 
lines  of  the  policy  of  which  the  Advertiser  had  been  in  consistent  accord,  than 
to  its  own  fortunes.  The  introduction  of  the  Wilmot  proviso  in  Congress,  and 
the  various  issues  growing  out  of  the  anti-slavery  agitation,  had  made  a  dis- 
tinct line  of  demarkation  between  the  conservative  and  "  free  soil  "  elements  in 
the  Democratic  party,  especially  in  the  state  of  New  York,  where  the  two 
wings  were  known  respectively  as  Barnburners  and  Hunkers.  The  Barn- 
burners had  refused  to  support  Cass  and  Butler,  the  regular  nominees  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  had  united  with  the  Free  Soilers,  who  had  at  Buffalo 
placed  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Charles  Francis  Adams  in  nomination  for  the 
offices  of  president  and  vice-president.  The  Advertiser,  then  under  the  man- 
agement of  Mr.  Butts,  declared  in  favor  of  the  Buffalo  ticket.  This  course 
brought  into  being  the  Daily  Courier,  as  an  organ  of  the  conservatives  or 
Hunkers  and  the  champion  of  Mr.  Cass..  It  was  published  by  J.  M.  Lyon  and 
Horatio  G.  Warner,  Judge  Warner  doing  the  principal  editorial  work.     At  the 


The  Press.  347 


close  of  the  campaign,  which  resulted,  through  Democratic  dissensions  in  the 
election  of  General  Taylor,  the  Whig  candidate,  Mr.  Butts  sold  the  Advertiser 
to  the  Hunkers,  who  merged  the  Courier  in  it,  retaining  the  name  of  the  older 
paper,  which  thus  became,  for  the  time  being,  the  only  Democratic  organ  in 
this  section  of  the  state.  The  publishing  firm  was  known  as  J.  Medbery  & 
Co.,  and  consisted  of  Joseph  Medbery,  Samuel  L.  Selden,  Joseph  Sibley,  E. 
Darwin  Smith  and  Horatio  G.  Warner  — a  rare  combination  of  executive  ability 
and  editorial  talent.  Mr.  Smith,  ^afterward  eminent  as  a  justice  of  the  Supreme 
court,  was  the  chief  editor,  but  he  was  constantly  and  efficiently  assisted  in  his 
work  by  his  associates,  especially  by  Judge  Selden  and  Judge  Warner. 

The  attitude  of  the  Advertiser  was  an  uncompromising  one,  however,  and 
greatly  offended  the  Free  Soil  wing,  which  had  the  numerical  superiority,  if 
not  the  larger  ability  in  leadership,  of  the  party  in  this  locality.  Accord- 
ingly it  was  soon  threatened  with  rivalry,  and  Royal  Chamberlain,  J.  W. 
Benton  and  George  G.  Cooper,  who  had  a  job  printing-office,  issued  a  pros- 
pectus for  a  new  paper,  to  be  called  the  Daily  ISTews,  but  just  before  its  prom- 
ised issue  a  compromise  was  effected,  which  resulted  in  the  abandonment  of  the 
News  enterprise,  the  acceptance  of  its  projectors  as  partners  in  the  Advertiser, 
and  a  readjustment  of  the  editorial  force.  The  publishing  firm  became  that  of 
R.  Chamberlain  &  Co.  Mr.  Smith  continued  as  editor,  and  George  G.  Cooper 
as  associate  editor  began  his  long  and  useful  career  upon  the  press  of  Roches- 
ter. Judge  Warner  retired  altogether.  A  few  months  later,  or  early  in  1849, 
Mr.  Butts  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Advertiser  and  again  became  its  editor. 
Heretofore  the  paper  had  been  issued  in  the  morning,  but  it  was  now  changed 
to  an  evening  publication,  as  which  it  has  since  remained.  In  185  I  Thomas 
H.  Hyatt,  a  former  proprietor  of  the  Advertiser,  returned  from  Amoy,  China, 
where  he  had  been  for  a  number  of  years  United  States  consul,  and  purchased 
a  controlling  interest  in  the  Advertiser,  Mr.  Butts  retiring  and  Mr.  Hyatt  tak- 
ing his  place  as  editor.  Shortly  after  this  change,  Mr.  Curtis,  who  had  been 
for  some  six  years  a  resident  of  Milwaukee,  as  publisher  of  the  Daily  Wiscon- 
sin, also  returned  to  Rochester,  became  a  partner  in  the  Advertiser  and  its 
business  manager.  Mr.  Cooper  left  the  Advertiser  about  this  time,  and  estab- 
lished, in  connection  with  Mr.  Chamberlain,  the  Daily  Times,  which  was  the 
outgrowth  oi \ht  Daily  Herald  ^uhWshed  in  1850  by  L.  R.  Faulkner  as  a  penny 
paper.  Mr.  Cooper  did  not  long  remain  with  the  Times,  being  succeeded  in 
its  management  by  Calvin  Huson,  jr.,  a  lawyer  of  bright  promise,  afterward 
district-attorney  of  the  county,  and  numbered  among  the  early  dead.  The 
Times  had  but  a  brief  existence,  being  discontinued  after  a  few  months. 

The  year  1852  marks  a  new  departure  in  Democratic  journalism  in  Roch- 
ester. It  was  the  year  of  the  presidential  campaign,  which  resulted  in  the  elec- 
tion of  Franklin  Pierce  by  a  majority  of  2 1 2  in  the  electoral  colleges  over  Gen- 
eral Winfield  Scott,  and  the  practical  extinction  of  the  Whig  party.     The  Dem- 

23 


348  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ocrats  were  flushed  with  anticipated  victory  and  a  number  of  local  leaders  con- 
cluded, not  unreasonably,  that  with  the  political  prospects  before  them  and  the 
increasing  population  and  prosperity  of  Rochester,  the  place  would  sustain  an- 
other Democratic  daily.  In  pursuance  of  their  project  a  joint  stock  company 
was  formed,  twenty  or  more  persons  becoming  shareholders,  and  on  the  i6th 
of  August,  1852,  the  first  number  of  the  Rochester  Daily  Union  was  issued,  with 
J.  M.  Hatch  and  Orsamus  Turner  as  editors  of  the  political  department  and 
George  G.  Cooper  in  charge  of  the  local  columns.  It  rapidly  obtained  a  com- 
manding position  in  the  political  field,  but  the  financial  results  were  not  entirely 
satisfactory  and,  accordingly,  after  the  election  of  President  Pierce,  it  was  sold 
to  Isaac  Butts  and  Joseph  Curtis,  the  latter  of  whom  had  been  president  and 
business  manager  of  the  Union  company,  Mr.  Butts  again  putting  on  the  edi- 
torial harness.  In  1857  it  was  united  with  the  Advertiser,  then  in  the  hands 
of  John  E.  Morey  and,  as  the  Rochester  Union  &  Advertiser,  it  is  still  pub- 
lished. During  the  twenty-seven  years  of  its  joint  existence,  several  changes 
have  occurred  in  its  business  and  editorial  management,  which  will  be  briefly 
specified.  The  original  publishers  were  Isaac  Butts,  Joseph  Curtis  and  John 
E.  Morey.  In  December,  1864,  Mr.  Butts  retired  permanently  from  the  news- 
paper business,  selling  his  interest  to  William  Purcell,  George  G.  Cooper  and 
Lorenzo  Kelly.  The  firm  was  known  as  Curtis,  Morey  &  Co.,  and  William 
Purcell  became  editor-in-chief,  a  position  he  still  holds.  On  the  1st  of 
January,  1873,  the  Union  &  Advertiser  company  was  organised,  with  a  capital 
of  $300,000,  including  all  the  rights,  titles,  franchises  and  good  will  of  the 
former  newspaper  and  job  establishments,  as  well  as  the  Livingston  paper  mills, 
situated  at  Dansville.  The  officers  of  the  company  were:  Trustees  —  Joseph 
Curtis,  John  E.  Morey,  William  Purcell,  George  G.  Cooper,  Lorenzo  Kelly ; 
president  and  treasurer,  Joseph  Curtis;  secretary,  Lorenzo  Kelly.  This  organ- 
isation obtained  for  nearly  twenty  years,  but  quite  recently  Eugene  T.  Curtis 
has  become  a  trustee,  as  representing  the  estate  of  his  father,  and  George  Moss 
has  entered  the  board,  having  purchased  the  interest  of  George  G.  Cooper.  The 
present  officers  are:  John  E.  Morey,  president  and  treasurer;  William  Purcell, 
vice-president,  and  Lorenzo  Kelly,  secretary.  William  Dove  is  superintendent 
of  the  job  department.  The  editorial  force  is  constituted  as  follows :  William 
Purcell,  editor-in-chief;  George  Moss,  managing  editor  with  special  supervis- 
ion of  the  city  department;  George  C.  Bragdon,  news  editor;  David  L.  Hill, 
Charles  P.  Woodruff"  and  George  C.  Seager,  reporters,  and  Pierre  iPurcell,  tele- 
graphic editor.  The  Union  &  Advertiser  has  long  ranked  among  the  ablest  and 
most  influential  Democratic  journals  in  the  state,  and  its.  business  management 
has  been  attended  with  uniform  prosperity.  Connected  with  it  is  a  large  and 
thoroughly  equipped  job  office,  and  it  was  the  first  paper  in  the  state  outside 
of  the  metropolis  to  make  use  of  a  four-cylinder  Hoe  press,  which  it  purchased 
as  early  as  1861.     The  publication  of  its  weekly  edition,  the  Repjiblican,  has 


The  Press.  349 


been  continued  without  intermission  since  it  was  originated  by  Tuclter  &  Mar- 
tin in  1829. 

From  this  review  of  the  history  of  the  Union  &  Advertiser  it  will  be  noted 
that  there  have  been  associated  with  it,  in  both  business  and  editorial  capacities, 
a  number  of  men  of  mark  in  their  day  and  generation.  A  brief  allusion  to 
some  of  these  will  be  of  interest.  Luther  Tucker,  after  leaving  the  Advertiser, 
established  the  Genesee  Farmer,  to  which  more  specific  reference  will  be  made 
hereafter,  and  continued  it  until  1839,  when  he  removed  it  to  Albany,  united  it 
with  the  Cultivator  and,  under  his  guidance,  the  combined  paper  became  the 
highest  agricultural  authority  in  the  northern  states.  He  was  a  man  of  many 
virtues,  and  died  in  Albany  about  ten  years  ago.  Henry  O'Rielly  is  entitled 
to  enduring  recognition  for  his  Sketches  of  Rochester,  published  in  1838  The 
diligence  of  the  author  and  his  thorough  identification  with  his  subject  have 
made  his  work  a  storehouse  of  accurate  information,  and  Rochester  is  under  a 
deep  obligation  to  him  for  his  unselfish  labors.  The  book  has  become  very 
rare  and  is  jealously  treasured  by  all  who  are  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  a 
copy.  The  name  of  Mr.  O'Rielly  is  also  honorably  identified  with  the  early 
developirient  of  the  magnetic  telegraph.  He  has  spent  a  number  of  his  later 
years  in  the  city  of  New  York,  engaged  in  literary  pursuits,  but  has  recently 
returned  to  this  city,  where  he  is  passing  his  declining  days  attended  by  the 
esteem  and  affection  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Robert  Martin  died  in  Albany, 
many  years  ago,  while  connected  with  the  Daily  Advertiser  &  Gazette  of  that 
city.  Thomas  H.  Hyatt,  after  leaving  Rochester,  was  associated  with  the  Daily 
Globe  in  New  York  and  subsequently  published  an  agricultural  paper  in  San 
Francisco.  Samuel  L.  Selden  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  jurists  the  state 
has  produced,  serving  successively  as  county  judge  of  Monroe,  justice  of  the 
Supreme  court  and  judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals.  He  has  been  dead  some 
eight  years.  Joseph  Medbery  accumulated  a  handsome  fortune  and  died  some 
two  years  since.  Horatio  G.  Warner  was  a  vigorous  writer  and  a  formidable 
controversialist.  He  was  elected  a  regent  of  the  university  of  the  state  of  New 
York  in  1 871  and  died  in  1875.  The  long  and  honorable  career  of  E.  Darwin 
Smith  was  ended  by  death  in  1883.  For  over  twenty  years  he  adorned  the 
bench  of  the  Supreme  court  by  his  profound  learning,  his  invariable  courtesy 
and  his  unswerving  integrity,  but  he  was  also  distinguished,  during  his  associa- 
tion with  the  press,  as  an  exceedingly  well-informed  writer,  sincere  in  his  con- 
victions and  apt  in  their  expression.  He  became  a  Republican,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  war,  and  contributed  many  patriotic  articles  to  the  local  press,  particu- 
larly to  the  Democrat,  the  larger  proportion  of  which  were  published  as  editorial 
matter,  and,  until  the  day  of  his  death,  he  maintained  the  most  cordial  relations 
with  the  craft.  The  writer  of  this  article  came  to  Rochester  several  years  after 
the  late  Isaac  Butts  had  severed  his  connection  with  the  Rochester  Union,  but 
no  one  familiar  with  the  journalism  of  the  state  can  fail  to  appreciate  the  great 


350  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ability  of  Mr.  Butts.  In  breadth  of  knowledge,  in  fidelity  to  his  thought,  in 
courage  of  expression  and  in  terseness  of  style,  he  has  had  few  superiors.  Of 
economic  issues  as  viewed  from  his  stand-points,  he  was  a  master,  and  his  work 
on  Protection  and  Free  Trade,  whether  we  agree  or  disagree  with  his  views, 
must  be  admitted  to  be  one  of  exceeding  force  and  perspicuity.  His  habit  of 
frank  utterance,  in  trying  national  periods,  provoked  enmities,  bitter  for  the 
moment,  but  none  of  them  survive  his  death,  and  his  name  remains  as  con- 
spicuous as  his  work  was  able  and  persuasive.  In  business  management  Joseph 
Curtis  was  as  honorable  as  he  was  successful,  keen  in  his  sympathies,  affable  in 
his  demeanor,  catholic  in  his  charities,  and  sincerely  beloved  by  an  extended 
circle  of  friends.  His  death  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1883..  Nor  can  I  close 
this  sketch  of  the  Union  &  Advertiser,  without  a  brief  reference  to  one  who, 
although  still  living,  has  been  withdrawn  from  active  journalism  for  the  last 
twelve  years.  George  G.  Cooper  was,  by  the  concurrent  testimony  of  his  con- 
temporaries, one  of  the  most  accomplished  city  editors  that  provincial  journal- 
ism has  known.  In  his  day,  the  city  editor  was  not  commander  of  a  body  of 
reporters.  He  was  in  himself  all  in  all.  He  was  a  news- gatherer,  commen- 
tator and  critic-  Mr.  Cooper  fulfilled  his  triple  functions  with  rare  industry, 
fidelity  and  sagacity  and  with  a  singular  measure  of  public  esteem.  Obliged 
by  impaired  health  to  resign  his  position,  he  has  retained  his  interest  in  the 
progress  of  local  journalism,  and  to  his  exact  and  comprehensive  knowledge 
of  local  history  its  conductors  are  indebted  for  much  valuable  information. 
Nor  should  the  name  of  George  H.  Lane,  for  many  years  the  city  editor  of  the 
Union,  be  ignored.  He  was  a  faithful  worker  and,  although  now  retired  from 
active  journalism,  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  for  his  past  service. 

In  chronological  sequence,  the  next  paper  started  in  Rochester,  after  the 
Advertiser,  was  the  Balance,  by  D.  D.  Stephenson,  in  January,  1828.  It  was 
brought  into  being  by  the  Anti-Masonic  excitement.  Its  name  was  soon 
changed  into  that  of  the  Anti- Masonic  Inqidrer,  and  Thurlow  Weed  and  Sam- 
uel Heron  became  its  proprietors.  In  February,  1829,  Mr.  Heron  sold  his 
interest  to  Daniel  N.  Sprague,  and  upon  Mr.  Weed's  retirement  on  March 
30th,  1830,  Mr.  Sprague  assumed  the  entire  ownership,  and  conducted  it  until 
October  20th,  183 1,  when  Erastus  Shepard  transferred  the  Western  Spectator 
from  Palmyra,  consolidated  it  with  the  Inquirer,  purchasing  Mr.  Sprague's 
interest,  and  published  the  united  paper  in  an  enlarged  form.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1832,  Alvah  Strong  became  a  partner,  and  the  paper  was  published  by 
Shepard  &  Strong  until  it  was  merged,  on  the  1 8th  of  February,  1834,  in 
the  National  Republican,  which,  begun  as  a  weekly  by  Sydney  Smith  in 
1 83 1,  became  a  daily  in  1833,  and  was  bought  by  Shepard  &  Strong  at 
the  time  already  indicated.  These  gentlemen  changed  the  name  of  their 
weekly  to  the  Monroe  Democrat  and  began  the  publication  of  the  Roch- 
ester Daily  Democrat,  which  has  since  been  continued.     The  Anti-Masonic 


The  Press.  351 


Inquirer  was  very  famous  in  its  day  ;  its  mission  is  still  remembered  viv- 
idly by  the  older  residents  of  Western  New  York,  and  it  played  a  very 
important  part  in  the  politics  of  the  day.  To  it  and  the  party  of  which 
it  was  the  organ,  Mr.  Weed  gave  his  youthful  fire  and  energy  and  achieved 
a  reputation  which  secured  his  invitation  to  Albany  as  editor  of  the  Even- 
ing Journal.  The  history  of  the  Morgan  abduction  and  the  events  which 
succeeded  it  are  narrated  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  it  is  sufficient  here 
to  simply  allude  to  them,  but  it  may  be  said,  at  this  distance  from  their  occur- 
rence, that  the  fierce  passions  of  the  time,  the  family  feuds,  the  public  fury 
which  they  stimulated,  seem  utterly  disproportioned  to  the  crime  which,  at 
the  most,  is  to  be  referred  to  the  mistaken  zeal  of  a  few  individuals.  At  the 
present. time  it  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  to  build  a  powerful  political 
party  upon  such  narrow  foundations  as  those  upon  which  the  Anti-Masonic 
party  rested.  It  would  have  been  impossible  then  had  there  been  exigent 
national  issues  of  importance.  The  absence  of  these  made  it  comparatively 
easy  for  men  of  exceptional  abiUty  to  create  an  organisation  which  had  its 
impulse  only  in  perversions  of  fact  and  prejudices  against  a  very  innocent  and 
worthy  fraternity,  which  has  survived  the  tempest  that  well  nigh  over- 
whelmed it,  and  which  now  numbers  in  its  ranks  thousands  of  the  best  cit- 
izens of  the  country. 

When  the  Rochester  Democrat  began  its  career  the  genesis  of  the  Whig 
party  was  also  announced.  That  party,  formed  from  the  Anti- Masonic  and 
National  Republican  elements,  was  already  making  serious  efforts  to  contest, 
with  the  Albany  regency,  the  control  in  state  affairs,  but  it  was  not  until  four 
years  later  that  it  obtained  a  decisive  victory  in  the  election  of  William  H. 
Seward  as  governor,  a  circumstance  that  was  the  forerunner  of  the  national 
triumph,  in  1840,  which  elevated  General  Harrison  to  the  presidency..  With 
the  onward  sweep  of  the  Whig  party,  the  Rochester  Democrat  was  promi- 
nently and  influentially  identified.  In  1836  George  Dawson  purchased  a  pro- 
prietary interest,  became  the  editor  and  so  continued  until  1839,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  his  interest  to  Shepard  &  Strong  and  removed  to  Detroit.  In  April, 
1842,  he  returned  to  Rochester,  purchased  Mr.  Shepard's  interest  and  again 
assumed  the  editorial  management.  He  thus  remained  until  November,  1846, 
when  he  sold  to  Henry  Cook  and  Samuel  P.  Allen,  the  firm  ,name  being 
Strong,  Cook  &  Allen,  with  Henry  Cook  as  editor  and  Samuel  P.  Allen  as  as- 
sociate, the  latter  succeeding  as  editor-in  chief  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Cook. 
In  December,  1857,  '*  absorbed  the  Rochester  American,  the  new  daily  being 
known  as  the  Democrat  &  American,  the  weekly  still  retaining  the  name  of  the 
Monroe  Democrat.  The  Rochester  American,  which  thus  lost  its  separate 
identity,  was  established  December  23d,  1844,  by  Leonard  W.  Jerome  and 
Josiah  M.  Patterson,  with  Alexander  Mann  as  editor.  In  July,  1845,  Law- 
rence  R.   Jerome  was  admitted  to   the  business  firm,  and  the  paper  was  pub- 


3S2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

lished  by  J.  M.  Patterson  &  Col  until  January  ist,  1846,  when  it  became  the 
exclusive  property  of  the  Jerome  brothers.  In  September  of  the  same  year 
Dr.  Daniel  Lee  was  associated  with  Mr.  Mann  in  the  editorial  department,  and 
in  1847  Reuben  D.  Jones,  now  on  the  staff  of  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle,  be- 
came also  an  editor.  In  1856  and  1857  Chester  P.  Dewey  was  the  editor-in- 
chief  The  American,  as  the  distinctive  exponent  of  the  American  or  "  Know- 
Nothing"  party,  was  an  able  champion  of  the  principles  it  represented,  was 
distinguished  for  its  editorial  talent,  and  had  its  fair  share  of  prosperity.  The 
reason  for  its  being  ceased  with  the  decadence  of  the  party  for  which  it  stood, 
and  its  absorption  with  the  Democrat,  then  the^organ  of  the  rapidly  growing 
Republican  organisation,  with  which  it  affiliated  upon  the  dissolution  of 
the  Whig  party,  was  the  natural  result  of  the  political  conditions  that  ob- 
tained. 

The  various  publications  of  the  Democrat  were  continued  by  the  firm  of 
Strong,  Allen  &  Huntington,  formed  upon  the  union  with  the  American,  Sam- 
uel P.  Allen  remaining  as  editor  until  April  ist,  1864,  when  William  S.  King 
&  Co.  became  proprietors.  D.  D.  S.  Brown  &  Co.  purchased  ^e.  Democrat  on 
January  1st,  1865,  and  Robert  Carter  was  installed  as  managing  editor.  Mr. 
Carter  was  in  charge  for  the  ensuing  four  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Reuben 
D.  Jones,  W.  D.  Storey,  Rossiter  Johnson  and  others,  until  the  consolidation 
with  the  Chronicle  on  the  ist  of  December,  1870.  A  brief  notice  of  the  Chron- 
icle is  here  in  order.  The  Chronicle  grew  out  of  certain  local  disturbances  in 
the  Republican  party,  and  was  established  by  Lewis  Selye,  representative  in 
Congress,  in  1868,  as  a  direct  rival  of  the  Democrat  for  the  patronage  of  the 
party.  Charles  S.  Collins  was  the  editor,  and  with  him  was  a  staff  of  bright 
young  journalists,  including  Isaac  M.  Gregory,  William  F.  Peck  and  Henry 
C.  Daniels.  It  was  the  first  representative  in  Rochester  of  that  crisp  and  con- 
densed style  of  modern  journalism,  which  now  prevails  so  largely;  it  attained  a 
large  circulation  and  popularity.  It  was  seen,  however,  that  two  Republican 
morning  papers  in  Rochester  were  unnecessary  and  were  detrimental  to  each 
other,  and,  the  factional  controversy  being  composed,  measures  were  taken  to 
effect  a  consolidation.  Accordingly  Freeman  Clarke,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Selye 
in  Congress,  purchased  the  Chronicle,  the  proprietors  of  the  Democrat  —  then 
being  D.  D..  S.  Brown,  Nathan  P.  Pond  and  W.  H.  Mathews  -^  retaining  their 
interest,  and  the  two  papers  were  joined  in  one,  the  first  number  of  the  Demo- 
crat &  Chronicle  being  issued  December  ist,  1870,  with  Stephen  C.  Hutchins, 
late  of  the  Albany  Journal,  as  managing  editor,  and  Isaac  M.  Gregory  as  as- 
sociate editor.  Of  the  publishing  company  known  as  the  Rochester  Printing 
company,  D.  D.  S.  Brown  was  president,  Nathan  P.  Pond  secretary  and  L. 
Ward  Clarke  treasurer.  Since  1872  the  officers  have  been  ,W.  H.  Mathews, 
president;  Nathan  P.  Pond,  secretary,  and  L.  Ward  Clarke,  treasurer.  The  pres- 
ent board  of  directors  consists  of  L.  Ward  Clarke,  Freeman  Clarke,  Nathan  P. 
Pond,  W.  H.  Mathews  and  Charles  E.  Fitch. 


The  Press.  353 


Since  the  consolidation,  the  career  of  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle  has  been 
one  of  uniform  prosperity.  It  has  a  large  editorial  force  and  a  very  extended 
circulation  throughout  Western  New  York.  It  is  the  only  Republican  morning 
paper  between  Syracuse  and  Buffalo.  It  publishes  daily,  semi-weekly,  weekly 
and  Sunday  editions,  and  about  the  first  of  August  will  be  issued  as  an  eight- 
page  paper,  metropolitan  in  size  and  in  the  variety  of  the  news.  In  addition 
to  its  news  branch,  it  has  one  of  the  best  appointed  job  offices  in  the  state,  un- 
der the  immediate  supervision  of  Mr.  Mathews.  It  is  still  Republican  in  its 
political  bias,  but  aims  to  be  fair  and  independent  in  the  discussion  of  all  pub- 
lic questions.  Mr.  Hutchins  was  managing  editor  until  January,  1873,  when 
Joseph  O'Connor,  now  of  the  Buffalo  Courier,  took  charge  until  the  fall  of  that 
year.  On  the  13th  of  November,  1873,  Charles  E.  Fitch,  formerly  editor  of 
the  Syracuse  Standard,  was  invited  to  the  management  and  has  since  been  con- 
tinued therein.  The  present  editorial  force  is  as  follows :  Charles  E.  Fitch, 
managing  editor;  Frank  P.  Smith,  associate  editor;,  Henry  C.  Maine,  news  ed- 
itor; Reuben  D.  Jones,  corresponding  editor;  Fred  C.  Mortimer,  telegraphic 
editor;  Ernest  R.  Willard,  city  editor;  Frank  L.  Murray,  assistant  city  editor; 
John  Dennis,  jr.,  Henry  T.  Braman,  Richard  A.  Searing,  J.  Henry  Tholens  and 
Allen  D.  Willey,  reporters,  and  Homer  Rowell,  commercial  editor.  Thomas 
Gliddon,  Thomas  A.  Raymond  and  W.  Barron  Williams  are  also  editors  of 
special  departments  in  the  Sunday  edition,  which  began  publication  July  29th. 
1879.  The  office  of  the  Democrat  has  been  three  times  destroyed  by  fire,  but 
its  issue  has  been  intermitted  but  a  single  day,  and  that  on  March  17th,  1865, 
occasioned  by  the  flood  of  that  year,  which  filled  the  basement  containing  the 
engine  and  boiler  and  press-room  with  water. 

Pursuing  the  plan  adopted  in  regard  to  the  Union  &"  Advertiser  1  allude  to  a 
few  of  those  who,  either  in  a  business  or  in  an  editorial  capacity,  have  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Democrat  and  the  journals  which  have  been  incorporated  with  it 
during  the  fifty  years  of  its  being.  Alvah  Strong  is  now  the  oldest  printer  in 
Rochester,  and  is  probably  more  familiar  than  any  one  else  with  the  rise  and 
progress. of  the  art  in  this  section.  He  has  been  for,  some  years  retired  from 
active  business  pursuits,  but  enjoys  a  serene  old  age,  in  the  consciousness  of  a 
life  well  spent  in  the  service  of  God  and  his  fellow-men,  with  unusual  cause  for 
gratitude  in  the  career  of  his  children  and  with  the  cordial  respect  of  the  entire 
community  attending  him.  Next  to  that  of  Thurlow  Weed,  the  name  most 
widely  known  as  connected  with  the  Rochester  press  is  that  of  George  Dawson. 
After  making  his  mark  here,  he  was  invited  by  Mr.  Weed  to  a  position  in  the 
Albany  Journal  and  remained  with  that  paper  until  his  death,  a  period  of  over 
forty  years.  He  soort  obtained  a  proprietary  interest  and  on  the  retirement  of 
Mr.  Weed,  in  1862,  became  the  editor-in-chief,  as  which  he  remained  with  em- 
inent success  for  several  years,  being  recalled  to  it  in  1880  after  the  resignation 
of  Charles  E.  Smith  and  only  resigning  a  few  months  before  his  death,  early 


354  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

in  1883.  Mr.  Dawson  was  a  terse  writer  and  a  conscientious  politician.  His 
advice  to  party  leaders  was  highly  esteemed  and  his  life  is  a  fitting  illustration 
of  what  industry,  prudence  and  courtesy  may  achieve.  Withal,  he  was  an  ar- 
dent disciple  of  the  "gentle  Isaak  Walton,"  and  his  articles  upon  trout  and  sal- 
mon fishing,  contributed  to  the  Journal  and  afterward  published  in  book  form, 
are  piscatorial  classics.  Samuel  P.  Allen,  whose  death  was  chronicled  but  a 
few  years  since,  was  a  good  example  of  the  journalist  of  the  old  school,  strong 
in  his  party  attachments,  earnest  in  controversy  and  clear,  but  not  ornate,  in  his 
style.  Before  coming  to  Rochester  he  published  the  Republican  at  Geneseo, 
to  which  he  returned  after  various  vicissitudes,  and  was  part  proprietor  and  ed- 
itor thereof  when  he  died.  He  held  a  number  of  public  offices,  the  chief  being 
the  collectorship  of  internal  revenue  for  this  district  and  the  clerkship  of  the 
state  Senate.  Leonard  W.  Jerome  went  from  Rochester  to  New  York,  where 
he  has  since  become  very  prominent  in  financial  and  social  circles,  and  is  the 
father-in-law  of  Lord  Randolph  Churchill,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Conserva- 
tive party  in  the  British  house  of  Commons.  I  wish  the  material  were  more 
full  for  a  biography  of  Alexander  Mann,  who  was  one  of  the  best  equipped  and 
most  conscientious  of  Rochester  journalists,  but  the  data  concerning  him  are 
most  meager  and  unsatisfactory.  After  leaving  Rochester  he  was  for  some  time 
an  editorial  writer  on  the  New  York  Times  and  highly  regarded  by  Henry  J. 
Raymond,  but  he  rapidly  succumbed  to  pulmonary  disease  and  died  in  Florida 
many  years  since.  His  widow  afterward  married  the  late  Isaac  Hills,  and  his 
son  Parker  Mann  is  a  promising  artist,  now  living  in  Nantucket.  Chester  P. 
Dewey  is  a  son  of  the  late  Professor  Chester  Dewey  and  has  been  a  journalist 
since  his  graduation  from  Williams  college  in  1846.  He  left  Rochester  when 
the  American  ceased  publication,  and  as  editor  of  the  New  York  Commercial 
and  the  Brooklyn  Union  won  an  excellent  standing  among  the  journalists  of  the 
metropolis.  He  is  now  with  Orange  Judd  &  Co.  William  S.  King  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Minneapolis  and  one  of  the  best-known  citizens  of  the  Northwest. 
He  has  been  postmaster  of  the  national  house  of  Representatives  and  a  repre- 
sentative in  Congress  from  Minnesota.  Had  Robert  Carter's  ambition  been 
equal  to  his  acquirements  he  could  have  greatly  distinguished  himself  as  a  man 
of  letters.  As  he  was,  without  invidious  discrimination,  he  was  unquestion- 
ably the  man  of  the  most  varied  scholarship  and  serviceable  memory  who  has 
ever  adorned  the  press  of  Rochester ;  Boston  bred,  he  was  the  friend  of  Lowell 
and  Holmes  and  Longfellow  and  associated  on  terms  of  equality  with  all  that 
was  best  in  the  culture  of  the  "modern  Athens."  He  was  a  perfect  cyclopedia 
of  information,  there  being  no  subject  upon  which  he  could  not  throw  a  flood 
of  light  and  had  apparently  exhausted.  He  was,  during  the  latter  years  of  his 
life,  one  of  the  editors  of  Appleton's  Nezv  American  Cyclopedia.  Lewis  Selye 
was  a  man  of  rough  manners,  but  of  extraordinary  energy.  He  filled  various 
local  offices,  and  was,  for  one  term,  a  member  of  Congress.     He  was  especially 


The  Press.  355 


proud  of  the  Chronicle  and  the  brilliant  corps  of  editors  who  conducted  it,  and, 
to  the  end,  regretted  its  discontinuance.  He  died  about  two  years  ago,  being 
considerably  over  seventy  years  of  age.  Freeman  Clarke,  after  a  life  prominent 
both  in  business  and  in  political  circles,  is  still  a  resident  of  our  city.  He  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  best  financial  authorities  in  the  country.  He  has  been  a 
presidential  elector,  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1867,  repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  for  three  terms,  and  controller  of  the  currency.  Some 
years  since  he  sold  the  major  part  of  his  stock  in  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle  to 
his  son,  L,  Ward  Clarke.  Stephen  C.  Hutchins  was  an  exceedingly  industrious 
journalist.  Coming  to  Rochester  with  a  thorough  training  on  the  Albany  Jour- 
nal, his  executive  ability  was  of  essential  service  to  the  consolidated  papers  of 
which  he  had  the  editorial  control.  He  infused  his  own  energy  into  every  col- 
umn and  assured  success  from  the  start.  Returning  to  Albany,  he  was  for  five 
years  editor  of  the  Argus,  then  contributed  to  the  editorial  page  of  the  Express, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  early  in  1883,  was  employed  upon  Osgood  &  Co.'s 
magnificent  work  The  Public  Service  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Mr.  Hutchins 
also  compiled  several  editions  of  the  Civil  List  and  was  generally  recognised 
as  one  of  the  best-informed  men  of  his  day  upon  the  history  of  this  state  from 
the  earliest  colonial  times  to  the  present.  He  was  especially  known  as  an  en- 
thusiastic advocate  of  the  primacy  of  the  Dutch  in  the  evolution  of  the  civil 
and  religious  liberties  of  the  American  continent. 

Among  others  also  who  may  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Demo- 
crat &  Chronicle  are  Francis  S.  Rew,  for  many  years  editor  of  the  Rochester 
Express ;  Charles  S.  Collins,  now  chief  editorial  writer  of  the  Troy  Times ; 
Henry  C.  Daniels,  late  local  editor  of  the  Rochester  Sunday  Times ;  William 
F.  Peck,  afterward  editor  of  the  Sunday  Times  and  the  Sunday  Tribune,  and 
now  the  editor  of  this  volume ;  Isaac  M.  Gregory,  with  a  national  reputation 
as  the  "  Current  Topics  "  man  of  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle,  who,  since  leaving 
here  in  1878,  has  been  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Buffalo  Express,  editor  of 
the  Elmira  Free  Press,  and  is  now  editor-in-chief  of  the  New  York  Graphic; 
Rossiter  Johnson,  the  editor  oi  Little  Classics;  W.  D.  Storey,  of  Santa  Cruz, 
California;  John  H.  Young,  who  went  from  here  to  the  Detroit  Tribune; 
Joseph  O'Connor,  whose  journalistic  career  comprehends  service  on  the  Indian- 
apolis Sentinel  and  the  New  York  World,  and  who  is  now  the  accomplished 
editor  of  the  Buffalo  Courier ;  William  A.  Croffut,  well-known  as  poet,  wit  and 
literateur,  author  of  the  Bourbon  Ballads  in  the  New  York  Tribune ;  Charles 
A.  Dewey,  M.  D.,  of  this  city;  Charles  E.  Caldwell,  of  brilliant  promise,  who 
died  in  1865  ;  Henry  F.  Keenan,  of  the  Indianapolis  Sentinel,  Chicago  Times, 
Philadelphia  Times,  Philadelphia  Press,  and  now  editor  of  a  paper  in  Wilkes- 
barre,  a  very  bright  journalist ;  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Ely ;  Jacob  A.  Hoekstra,  now 
city  editor  of  the  Rochester  Morning  Herald;  Thomas  J.  Neville,  clerk  of  the 
executive  board  ;   George  W.  Elliott,  with  H.  H.  Warner  &  Co. ;  and  Edward 


356  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

L.  Adams,  for  several  years  city  editor  of  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle  and  now 
editor-in-chief  of  the  Elmira  Advertiser.  Among  correspondents  and  special 
contributors  may  be  mentioned  the  Rev.  Washington  Frothingham  ("Macau- 
lay"),  Sidney  Andrews  and  Colonel  Richard  J.  Hinton,  Washington  corre- 
spondents ;  Rev.  F.  F.  Ellinwood,  D.  D.,  Myron  G.  Peck,  John  Mcintosh, 
Judge  E.  Darwin  Smith,  Prof.  S.  S.  Cutting,  Edwin  Scrantom,  E.  Peshine 
Smith,  Prof  Chester  Dewey  and  President  Anderson. 

Pursuing  the  chronological  order  heretofore  followed,  reserving  the  group- 
ing of  certain  publications  in  distinctive  classifications,  a  number  of  papers, 
more  or  less  ephemeral,  are  here  to  be  notedt  The  Craftsman,  a  Masonic 
journal,  begun  in  1828,  by  E.  T.  Roberts,  was  moved,  after  a  single  year,  to 
Albany,  and  soon  afterward  died.  In  1828,  also,  Peter  Cherry  established  a 
literary  paper  called  the  Western  Wanderer,  which  soon  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Edwin  Scrantom,  who  changed  the  name  to  the  Rochester  Gent,  and  issued 
it  until  1833,  when  he  sold  it  to  John  Dennis  ;  in  1834  it  became  the  property 
of  Shepard  &  Strong  and  was  discontinued  by  Strong  &  Dawson  in  1843. 
Shortly  before  his  death  Mr.  Scrantom  attempted  to  revive  the  Gem,  but  his 
effort  was  unsuccessful  and  was  abandoned  after  one  or  two  numbers.  The 
Spirit  of  the  Age,  semi-monthly,  was  published  in  1830  by  Ames  &  Barnum, 
and  the  Rochester  Morning  Courier  in  the  same  year  by  E.  J.  Roberts.  The 
Rochester  Mirror  -was  issued  in  1832  by  Edwin  Scrantom,  with  Dr.  Codery 
Holstein  as  editor.  The  Age  was  also  issued  during  this  year.  The  Botanist 
had  a  brief  existence  in  1833.  In  1834  the  Rights  of  Man,  a  semi-weekly, 
was  published  by  the  Anti-Slavery  society.  Dr.  Reid  editor.  ■  In  1838-39  Mc- 
Kenzie's  Gazette  was  published  by  Alexander  McKenzie.  The  Daily  Sun 
was  published  a  few  months  in  1840  by  Alfred  Oakley,  and  the  Rochester 
Daily  Whig,  by  William  A.  Wells,  was  a  campaign  paper  during  the  same 
year.  In  1841  the  American  Citizen  was  published  here  and  at  Perry,  Wyo- 
ming county,  by  Gen.  William  L.  ChapHn,  the  famous  abolitionist.  In  1841,  also, 
was  started  and  published  for  a  number  of  years,  the  Watchman,  by  Delazon 
Smith.  It  was  a  bold  and  uncompromising  champion  of  atheism  and  assailed 
the  Christian  religion  violently.  Smith  subsequently  made  quite  a  figure  in 
politics  and  was  sent  by  President  Tyler  as  minister  to  Ecuador.  The  Jeffer- 
sonian  was  a  daily  publication  by  Thomas  L.  Nichols  in  1842,  E.  S.  Watson, 
editor.  The  Evening  Gazette  was  published  in  the  same  year  by  R.  L.  B.  Clark,  a 
brother  of  "  Grace  Greenwood."  E.  S.  Watson  published  the  Rochester  Herald 
as  a  daily  in  1 844,  and  the  Clay  Bugle  was  published  as  a  campaign  paper 
from  the  Democrat  office.  The  Temperance  Journal  ^2&  published  a  short  time 
in  1846.  The  Genesee  Olio,  a  literary  paper,  was  published  in  1847  by  Frank- 
lin Courdray,  as  also  was  the  Star  of  Temperance  by  Mr.  Merrill,  as  an  organ 
of  the  Sons  of  Temperance,  then  in  the  plenitude  of  their  power  and  influence. 
The  Youth's  Temperance  Banner,  monthly,  was  published  by  the  committee  of 


The  Press.  .    357 


the  Youth's  Temperance  society,  in  1848,  and  the  Medical  Truth-Teller, A&- 
voted  to  the  Thomsonian  practice,  by  Dr.  Justin  Gates,  during  the  same  year. 
C.  H.  Sedgwick  published  the  Washingtonian  in  1848,  and,  in  the  following 
year,  the  Rochester  Germania,  the  Groninge  Courant,  the  Christian  Sentinel 
and  Brewster's  Insurance  Reporter,  all  of  which  were  exceedingly  short-lived. 
The  North  Star,  afterward  Frederick  Douglass  s  Paper,  was  established  in  1848, 
as  a  weekly  organ  of  the  Abolitionists  and  as  such  had  a  national  reputation. 
Some  of  Mr.  Douglass's  best  work,  as  a  champion  of  the  anti-slavery  cause, 
was  done  on  this  paper.  It  was  discontinued  in  i860  The  Rochester  Daily 
Magnet  v/3iS  published  in  1849  by  Lawrence  &  Winants,  C.  H-  McDonald  & 
Co.,  proprietors,  and  discontinued  in  1850.  The  latter  year  witnessed  the 
birth  and  death  of  the  Investigator,  the  Annunciator,  the  Cygnet,  the  Flag  of 
Freedom  and  the  Youth's  Instructor.  The  Evening  News  was  issued  for  a. few 
months  in  1852  by  R.  Chamberlain  &  Co.,  ■6.nA\!ac  National  Reformer  was  also 
published  a  short  time  during  the  same  year.  Snow  &  IngersoU  issued  the 
Rochester  Daily  Tribune  in  1855-56,  and  in  the  latter  year  John  N:  IngersoU 
published  a  campaign  paper  called  the  Rochester  Daily  Free  Press.  C.  H. 
McDonnell  issued  the  Mercantile  Journal  m  1856;  and  in  1858  the  Evening 
American,  a  campaign  paper,  was  published  by  A.  H.  St.  Germain.  The  New 
York  Eclectic  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal  -wa^s 'puhWshe.d  rnonthly  in  1853 
and  1854  by  William  W.  Hadley,  M.  D.  The  Children's  Friend,  a  monthly, 
was  issued  from  1851  until  1854  inclusive  by  O.  R.  L.  Crozier.  The  Journal 
of  the  Home  was  published  from  1861  to  1869.  The  Daily  Programme,  a 
theatrical  advertising  sheet,  with  some  reading  matter,  was  published  by  George 
M.  Elwood  in  1868  and  1869.  The  Mtcsical  Times,  a  monthly,  was  issued  by 
J.  P.  Shaw  from  1870  to  1874.  Woman  and  Her  Work,  with  Mrs.  E.  S.  Jen- 
nings as  editor,  was  an  organ  of  the  Woman's  Christian  association  in  1872, 
and  the  Helper's  Friend,  by  the  same  editor,  appeared  in  1873.  The  Arrnor- 
^frtnT  was  started  June  15th,  1876,  as  a  monthly  publication,  by  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  association  in  its  interests  of  the  churches  of  Rochester;  it  was 
discontinued  in  1879.  The  Herald  of  the  Morniitg  was  published  by  N.  H. 
Barbour  in  1878  and  1879.  In  the  spring  of  1882  a  syndicate  of  bright 
young  journalists,  Edgar  O.  Odson,  Nathan  B.  Heath,  now  city  editor  of  the  Pitts- 
burg Times,  Charles  P.  Woodruff,  now  of  the  Rochester  Union,  David  Healy, 
member  of  Assembly  in  1883,  and  one  or  two  others,  started  the  Evening 
Telegram  and  continued  its  publication  about  three  months,  but  insufficient 
capital  and  the  fact  that  the  ground  was  fully  occupied  caused  its  suspension. 
It  also  was  independent,  with  Republican  leanings.  The  Redmond  brothers, 
well  known  journalists  of  the  city,  published  the  Saturday  Evening  Journal 
during  a  portion  of  1882  and  1883. 

In  1859  the  third  of  the  four  principal  English  dailies  was  started  in  a  very 
unpretentious  way.     liarly  in  the  autumn  of  that  year  Charles  W.  Hebard,  who 


35 8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

had  been  in  business  as  a  marble-cutter,  but  who  had  considerable  literary  abil- 
ity, and  a  decided  taste  for  journalism,  began  the  publication  of  a  small  evening 
paper  called  the  Times,  the  name  of  which  was  soon  changed  to  the  Evening 
Express,  which  was  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  workingmen  and  sold  for 
one  cent  a  copy.  It  had  a  fair  field  and  its  success  was  immediate.  Mr.  Heb- 
ard  soon  associated  with  himself  Clark  D.  Tracy,  as  business  manager,  and 
William  H.  Beach,  a  practical  printer,  to  superintend  the  composition  depart- 
ment and  the  job  office  which  was  attached  to  the  concern.  Under  these 
auspices  and  at  the  price  mentioned,  the  Express  continued  to  be  published 
until  April,  i860,  when  Francis ,S.  Rew,  an  experienced  journalist,  who  had  been 
a  legislative  reporter  on  the  Albany  Journal  and,  for  some  twelve  years,  on 
the  editorial  staff  of  the  Democrat,  was  admitted  as  a  partner  and  installed  as 
editor-in-chief  The  paper  was  enlarged,  new  type  procured,  the  price  raised 
to  two  cents  a  copy,  and  it  became  Republican  in  its  tone,  earnestly  advocating 
the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  presidency.  During  the  war  the  Express 
was  admitted  to  membership  with  the  New  York  Press  association,  received 
the  dispatches  of  that  corporation,  and  became  recognised  as  an  enterprising 
and  influential  newspaper.  In  1861  William  J.  Fowler  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  and  a  political  writer  for  the-columns  of  the  paper.  In  1865  A.  Car- 
ter Wilder,  who  had  previously  been  the  representative  in  Congress  from  Kan- 
sas and  who  afterward  became  mayor  of  Rochester,  bought,  with  his  brother  D. 
Webster  Wilder,  now  a  prominent  journalist  in  Kansas,  a  one-half  interest. 
During  a  portion  of  1867  the  Express  published  a  morning  as  well  as  an  even- 
ing edition,  being  inspired  thereto  by  factional  disturbance  within  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  the  promise  of  assistance  from  local  politicians,  the  promise,  as 
is  usual  in  such  cases,  being  wholly  unredeemed.  The  expense  occasioned  by 
this  enterprise  was  a  serious  embarrassment  to  the  Express  and  contributed  to 
the  financial  difficulties  with  which  it  contended  for  years,  but  it  continued  to 
be  enterprising  and  retained  a  considerable  hold  upon  the  patronage  of  the  Re- 
publican party  and  citizens  generally.  It  was  always  distinguished  for  its  neat 
and  tasteful  typographical  appearance.  After  the  Wilders  withdrew,  Tracy  & 
Rew  continued  publication  until  1874,  when  a  stock  company  was  organised, 
consisting  of  Clark  D.  Tracy,  Francis  S.  Rew,  George  H.  Ellwanger  and  Wil- 
liam C.  Crum.  Mr.  Rew  remained  as  editor-in-chief,  Mr.  Ellwanger  beca'me 
managing  editor,  and  the  local  staff  was  enlarged  and  strengthened,  John  M. 
Brooks  soon  being  announced  as  city  editor.  Mr.  Brooks  subsequently  became 
city  editor  of  the  Union  &"  Advertiser,  and  died  some  four  years  ago,  in  the 
service  of  that  paper.  Mr.  Crum's  connection  with  the  paper  was  not  of  long 
continuance,  his  stock  being  bought  by  Mr.  Ellwanger.  On  the  2d  of  June, 
1882,  the  property  and  franchises  of  the  Express  having  been  sold,  a  stock  com- 
pany was  formed,  with  the  following  gentlemen  as  trustees:  E.  Kirke  Hart, 
George  Ellwanger,  Daniel  T.  Hunt,  William  D.  Ellwanger  and  Joseph  M,  Cor- 


The  Press.  359 


nell.  The  name  was  changed  to  the  Post-Express  and  Daniel  T.  Hunt  was 
made  business  manager,  with  the  title  of  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Rew  re- 
tired from  the  editorship,  after  an  industrious  service  of  twenty-two  years,  and 
is  now  upon  the  staff  of  the  Oakland  (Cal.)  Daily  Tribune.  George  H.  EU- 
wanger  was  made  managing  editor,  and  shortly  afterward  Albert  P.  Blair,  now 
editor  of  the  Saratogian,  was  engaged  as  principal  editorial  writer.  In  the 
summer  of  1882  Mr.  Ellwanger  retired  and  the  staff  was  reorganised  with 
George  T.  Lanigan,  late  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  New  York  World,  as  edi- 
tor-in-chief The  present  editorial  force  is  constituted  as  follows:  George  T. 
Lanigan,  editor-in-chief;  Isaac  D.  Marshall,  managing  editor;  George  S.  Crit- 
tenden, news  editor;  William  H.  Samson,  commercial  editor;  William  M.  But- 
ler, Edward  Angevine,  William  H.  Lewis,  William  A.  Whitelocke  and  Frank  L. 
Hughes,  reporters. 

The  youngest  of  the  English  dailies  in  the  city  is  the  Morning  Herald, 
which  made  its  first  appearance  on  the  5th  of  August,  1879.  It  was  started 
and  has  since  been  conducted  by  a  stock  company,  composed  principally  of 
men  experienced  in  the  newspaper  business  who  have,  from  the  first,  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  several  departments  of  the  paper.  At  the  organisa- 
tion of  the  company  and  staff  of  the  Morning  Herald,  Samuel  D.  Lee  was 
elected  president ;  Frank  T.  Skinner,  secretary  and  treasurer ;  Samuel  H. 
Lowe,  formerly  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Express,  editor-in-chief;  Samuel 
D.  Lee,  managing  editor ;  and  C.  Smith  Benjamin,  for  a  number  of  years  city 
editor  of  the  Express,  city  editor.  Mr.  Benjamin  retired  from  the  paper  about 
three  months  after  it  was  started,  and  Jacob  A.  Hoekstra,  formerly  of  the 
Democrat  &  Chronicle  and  more  recently  associate  editor  of  the  Buffalo  Courier, 
became  the  city  editor.  The  present  staff  embraces,  in  addition  to  the  names 
given,  the  following  reporters :  J.  W.  Stanley,  Irving  Washington,  J.  W.  Dick- 
inson, F.  R.  Swift  and  Edward  E.  Tucker.  For  about  two  years  and  a  half 
the  Morning  Herald ''N^.z  published  in  Smith's  arcade  under  many  disadvantages, 
resulting  from  the  unsuitableness  of  its  quarters  for  its  increasing  business.  In 
March,  1882,  the  offices  and  the  machinery  of  the  establishment  were  removed 
to  the  building  now  occupied  by  them  on  Exchange  street,  which,  with  the 
exception  of  the  ground  floor,  had  been  specially  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the 
Herald.  About  the  time  of  its  removal  it  made  arrangements  for  the  purchase 
of  a  Scott  perfecting  press,  and  on  the  2d  day  of  the  ensuing  September  it  was 
printed  from  the  new  press  built  expressly  for  its  use.  The  Herald  claims  to 
be  independent  in  its  politics,  although  leaning  rather,  to  the  Republican  side. 
Its  financial  success  seems  to  be  well  assured.  It  publishes  a  weekly  edition 
and  has  recently  enlarged  to  an  eight-page  form.  Since  the  establishment  of 
the  Herald  all  the  English  dailies  have,  from  time  to  time,  reduced  their  price, 
and,  although  they  all  print  fully  as  much  matter  as  papers  of  other  cities  cor- 
responding in  size  and  importance  to  Rochester,  they  are  sold  at  the  uniform 


36o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

price  of  two  cents  a  copy,  or  five  dollars  a  year.  So  far  as  I  am  informed,  all 
have  thus  far  experienced  only  the  best  results  from  the  lowering  of  their  price, 
although,  of  course,  the  policy  is  yet  somewhat  experimental  and  may  result 
in  "  the  survival  of  the  fittest."  With  the  cheapness  of  white  paper,  however, 
and  the  excellent  advertising  patronage,  of  which  Rochester  is  the  center,  there 
should  be  a  good  field  for  all  of  the  existing  dailies. 

The  Sunday  papers  have  become  a  prominent  feature  of  Rochester  journal- 
ism. I  cannot,  in  this  connection,  discuss  the  ethics  of  this  species  of  journalism. 
Under  the  stimulus  of  the  time  it  exists  and  will  continue  to  exist,  and  the  chief 
desire  of  good  citizens,  as  well  as  that  of  its  conductors,  should  be  that  it  may 
be  conformed  to  pure  and  exalted  standards  and  thus  discourage  those  sensa- 
tional and  corrupting  Sunday  publications  which  disgrace  too  many  American 
citizens.  Happily,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  speak  in  high  terms  of  Rochester  in  this 
regard.  Its  Sunday  papers  are  enterprising,  but  not  demoralising.  One  prom- 
inent Sunday  journal,  after  an  honorable  career,  checkered,  however,  by  many 
vicissitudes,  died  about  two  years  ago.  After  the  union  of  the  Chronicle  with 
the  Democrat,  Charles  S.  Collins,  who  had  been  the  editor  of  the  first- mentioned 
paper,  published  and  edited  the  News  Letter,  after  which  he  went  to  Troy,  and 
the  paper  was  followed  by  the  Sunday  Times,  under  the  successive  partnerships 
of  William  S.  Foster  &  Co.;  Hynes,  Foster  &  Co.;  Hynes,  Daniels  &  Co., 
Daniels  &  Peck,  and  Daniels  &  Phillips.  In  1878  it  passed,  into  the  hands  of 
Cyrus  D.  Phillips  and  Abraham  E.  WoUf,  and  its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Sunday  Tribune ;  it  soon  passed  wholly  into  the  hands  of  A.  E.  Wollf,  then 
into  that  of  Clifton  &  Marshall,  after  which  Asa  T.  Soule  owned  it,  selling  to 
Flannery  &  Hill.  It  was  the  exclusive  property  of  Mr.  Flannery  when  it  was 
discontinued  in  1882.  The  Sunday  Morning  Herald,  which  is  distinct  from 
the  daily,  was  started  December  3d,  1876,  by  Barber  &  lienjamin.  It  is  now 
the  property  of  Barber  &  Luckey,  with  Joseph  L.  Luckey  as  editor.  The 
Herald  is  an  eight-page  paper,  independent  in  politics,  well  edited  and  has  .a 
large  circulation  and  deserved  prosperity.  The  Democrat  &  Chronicle,  as  al- 
ready noted,  began  the  publication  of  a  Sunday  edition  July  29th,  1879.  The 
Sunday  Truth,  now  nearly  two  years  old,  is  a  bright  and  entertaining  paper, 
edited  with  fairness  and  ability  by  Hume  H.  Cale,  and  is  especially  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  labor  reform.  It  is  frank  and  fearless  in  its  utterances,  clean  in 
its  style,  and  is  held  in  well  deserved  esteem  by  the  class  to  which  it  is  partic- 
ularly addressed. 

German  journalism  in  Rochester  dates  from  1848,  when  the  Allgemeine  Han- 
delsblatt  had  a  brief  existence.  The  Anzeiger  des  Nordens,  weekly  and  tri- 
weekly, was  established  in  1852  by  Kramer  &  Felix,  with  Lewis  Hurz  as 
editor.  It  afterward  became  the  property  of  L.  Mailings  and  was  abandoned 
in  1 86 1.  The  Rochester  Beobachter —  the  first  German  paper  to  assume  per- 
manency—  was  commenced  as  a  weekly  April   loth,  1852,  under  the  name  of 


The  Press.  361 


Beobachter  am  Genesee.  It  was  published  as  a  weekly  by  H.  Blauw  and  JH. 
G.  Haass.  Its  editor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Haass,  brother  of  H.  G.  Haass.  In  1854 
Mr.  Haass  became  its  proprietor  and  issued  it  as  a  weekly.  In  September, 
1855,  Adolph  Nolte  became  editor  of  the  paper  and,  in  1856,  proprietor. 
Two  years  afterward  it  was  issued  as  a  tri-weekly  under  the  name  of  the 
Rochester  Beobachter,  and  in  \Z6\-  it  was  published  as  a  daily,  a  weekly 
being  also  issued  from  the  same  office.  In  1873  it  was  greatly  enlarged  and 
improved.  It  was  uniformly  Republican  in  politics.  On  the  first  of  February, 
1883,  ^  consolidation  was  effected  with  ^^  Abend- Post,  which  came  into  exist- 
ence in  1882,  as  an  independent  paper,  with  Julius  Stoll  as  proprietor  and 
Herman  Pfafflin  as  editor,  the  paper  now  being  known  as  the  Abend  Post  und 
Beobachter.  Messrs.  Pfafflin  and  Nolte  are  the  editors.  It  is  independent  in 
its  politics,  with  Republican  tendencies.  It  is  published  every  afternoon.  There 
are  also  issued  from  the  same  office,  the  Sontagsblatt,  on  Sunday,  and  the 
Rochester  Volksblatt  weekly.  Von  Nah  und  Fern  was  a  sprightly  weekly 
publication,  from  1874  until  1878,  by  G.  Feuchtinger,  jr.  The  Rochester 
Volksblatt  was  started  as  a  Democratic  daily,  in  1853,  by  W.  L.  Kurtz,  and, 
after  passing  through  several  hands,  cime  into  possession  of  Louis  W.  Brandt, 
who  continued  it  until  his  death  in  July,  188 1.  It  was  carried  on  by  his 
widow  until  May  1st,  1883,  when  it  was  bought  by  Edward  H.  Makk,  a  trained 
journalist  who  had  had  large  experience  in  newspaper  work  in  other  cities. 
Dr.  Makk  conducts  it  as  an  independent  paper.  There  are  connected  with  it 
a  weekly  edition  and  a  Sunday  edition  —  the  Sunday  Journal.  The  Roch- 
ester Haiisfreund  was  published  as  a  weekly  in  1873  by  Charles  E.  Ockelmann 
&  Co.,  Mr.  Ockelmann  being  the  editor  and  Mr.  Feuchtinger  printer.  In 
connection  with  the  Haiisfreund  there  were  a  literary  Sunday  paper  and  the 
Rochester  Agriculturist,  a  monthly  journal.  None  of  these  survived  beyond 
the  year.  The  Sontag  und  Wochen-Blatt  famous  for  its  controversies  with 
Bishop  McQuaid,  was  conducted  by  Frederick  Donner,  in  1878  and  1879. 
It  was  a  Roman  Catholic  paper.  The  Rochester  Katholische  Volkszeitung, 
a  weekly  Roman  Catholic  journal,  was  established  by  Joseph  Schneider  in  1878 
and  is  still  published. 

Rochester,  the  center  of  a  rich  farming  section  and  with  a  national  reputa- 
tion for  its  achievements  in  horiculture  and  arboriculture,  has  been  for  years 
the  home  of  some  of  the  best  and  most  widely  known  agricultural  papers  in  the 
land.  The  Genesee  Farmer,  a  weekly  journal  was  established  in  1830,  by  L. 
Tucker  &  Co.,  and  edited  by  Naaman  Goodsell.  In  1832  it  was  enlarged  and 
published  monthly.  Mr.  Goodsell.  about  this  time  severed  his  connection  and 
started  Goodsell' s  Genesee  Farmer.  This  soon  went  into  the  hands  of  Shepard 
&  Strong,  who  discontinued  it.  Mr.  Tucker  continued  the  Genesee  Farmer, 
under  the  editorial  management  of  H.  L.  Stevens,  then  of  Willis  Gaylord,  of 
Otisco,  Onondaga  county,  a  man  of  singular  taste   and   refinement,  as  well  as 


362  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  extensive  agricultural  information.  During  this  period  John  J.  Thomas 
was  the  associate  editor,  on  the  ground.  In  1839  Mr.  Tucker  removed  his 
paper  to  Albany  and  united  it  with  the  Ctiltivator.  Coincident  with  this 
change  Elihu  F.  Marshall  and  Michael  B.  Bateham  started  the  New  Genesee 
Farmer,  with  the  latter  as  editor,  an  arrangement  which  was  continued  until 
1841,  when  Henry  Coleman  became  editor  and  eventually  owner  of  the  estab- 
lishment. In  1842  Charles  F.  Crosman  purchased  the  paper  and  disposed  of 
one-half  thereof  to  Mr.  Shepard.  It  was  issued  by  Crosman  &  Shepard  until 
1844,  when  it  became  the  property  of  Benjamin  F.  Smith  and  James  P.  Fogg. 
In  1845  Daniel  D.  T  .Moore,  afterward  mayor  of  Rochester,  became  the  pro- 
prietor, and  Dr.  Daniel  Lee  editor,  with  Patrick  Barry  —  who  had,  in  connec- 
tion with  George  Ellwanger,  laid  the  foundations  of  his  immense  nurseries, 
some  five  years  before  —  as  conductor  of  the  horicultural  department.  Mr. 
Moore  was  succeeded  in  time  by  James  Vick  as  proprietor,  and  later  the  paper 
came  into  the  proprietorship  and  editorial  control  of  Joseph  Harris,  by  whom 
it  was  eventually  sold  to  Orange  Judd,  who  remove'd  it  to  New  York  and  con- 
solidated it  with  the  American  Agriculturist,  of  which  he  was  the  owner. 
Moore's  Rural  Neiv  Yorker,  still  one  of  the  most  widely  circulated  of  weekly 
agricultural  journals,  was  started  here,  in  1850,  by  D.  D.  T.  Moore  and  was 
issued  from  Rochester  until  1868,  when  it  was  removed  to  New  York  and  has 
since  hailed  from  that  city.  The  Rural  Home  is  entitled  to  be  considered  the 
legitimate  successor  of  the  Genesee  Farmer:  On  the  removal  of  the  last-named 
paper  to  Albany,  a  monthly  of  a  similar  style,' entitled  the  American  Farmer, 
was  continued  by  John  Turner,  who  had  been  in  the  employment  of  Mr.. Tucker. 
This  was  bought  by  John  R.  Garretsee,  who,  a  year  later,  merged  it  with  the 
School  Visitor  and  issued  the  combined  paper  as  a  semi-monthly  under  the 
name  of  the  American  Farmer  &  School  Visitor.  In  1870  Mr.  Garretsee  sold 
out  to  A.  A.  Hopkins  who  associated  with  himself  Glezen  F.  Wilcox,  and  these 
gentlemen,  who  had  been  co-editors  on  the  Rural  New  Yorker,  began  publishing 
the  American  Rural  Home,  a  weekly  journal,  the  object  of  which  is  indicated  by 
its  title.  In  1872  Mr.  Wilcox  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Piatt  C.  Reynolds,  and 
the  paper  has  since  been  published  by  Hopkins  &  Reynolds  and  by  the  Rural 
Home  company,  which  succeeded  that  firm,  with  these  gentlemen  as  editors. 
It  has  a  large  circulation  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  its  patrons.  The  Fruit 
Recorder  &•  Cottage  Gardener,  a  weekly,  was  started  in  1869  by  A.  M.  Purdy, 
editor  and  proprietor.  In  1871  it  was  greatly  enlarged.  It  is  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  fruit-growing,  flowers  and  vegetables,  and,  in  its  special  department, 
is  recognised  as  the  leading  authority  in  the  country.  It  is  now  dated  from 
Palmyra,  where  Mr.  Purdy  resides,  although  printed  by  the  Democrat  &. 
Chronicle  office.  Vick's  Illustrated  Monthly,  in  the  interest  of  floriculture,  was 
begun  early  in  1878,  by  the  late  James  Vick  and  is  now  in  its  seventh  volume. 
Charles  W.  Selye  has  been  the  editor  in  charge  from  the  beginning.     The  Em- 


The  Press.  363 


pire  State  Agrictiltnrist,  monthly,  began  publication  in  1880,  with  A.  C.  Allyn 
as  manager  and  John  R.  Garretsee  as  editor.  It  was  sold  in  1884  to  M.  H. 
Disbrow,  the  present  publisher.  The  Wool  Grower  &  Stock  Register,  monthly, 
was  started  in  1848,  with  T.  P.  Peters  and  D.  D.  T.  Moore  editors.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  it  was  merged  in  the  Rural  New  Yorker.  Tyx^  Horticulturist,  a  monthly 
publication  begun  elsewhere  by  the  late  Andrew  J.  Downing,  was  transferred 
to  Rochester  in  1853,  with  Janles  Vick  as  proprietor  and  Patrick  Barry  as  ed- 
itor. In  the  subsequent  year  it  was  removed  to  Philadelphia  and  the  active 
connection  of  Rochester  parties  with  it  ceased.  The  Rural  Annual  &  Horti- 
culturist Directory  ^zs  published  by  Joseph  Harris  from  1859  until  1867  in- 
clusive. 

Religious  journalism  in  Rochester  begins  with  the  Observer,  a  semi-monthly, 
first  issued  in  1827  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sill  and  printed  by  L.  Tucker  &  Co.  In 
1828  it  was  published  for  Samuel  Chipman  by  Elisha  Loomis.  In  1830  it  was 
printed  by  Albert  G.  Hall,  and  in  1832  was  sold  to  Hoyt  &  Porter,  who  soon 
transferred  the  subscription  list  to  the  New  York  Evangelist.  The  American 
Revivalist  Sf  Rochester  Observer  was  published  in  1833  by  N.  C.  Saxton.  The 
Family  Journal  &  Christian  Philanthropist  was  issued  in  1834  by  W.  W.  Van 
Brunt,  and  the  Liberal  Advocate,  a  semi-monthly,  appeared  for  a  time  during  the 
same  year.  In  1842  the  Christian  Guardian  was  published  by  Rev.  T.  Whit- 
ney. The  Voice  of  Truth  &  Glad  Tidings  of  the  Kingdom  at  Hand,  a  weekly 
Second  Advent  paper,  was  started  by  Rev.  Joseph  Marsh,  February  ist,  1844. 
In  1848  it  was  changed  to  the  Advent  Harbinger  &  Bible  Advocate,  and  in  1855 
to  the  Prophetic  Expositor  &  Bible  Advocate,  and  so  continued  until  1859, 
when  it  ceased.  The  Genesee  Evangelist  was  established  in  the  spring  of  1846 
by  Rev.  John  E.  Robie,  being  the  first  religious  weekly  in  the  United  States 
published  for  one  dollar  a  year.  Samuel  Chipman  subsequently  became  the 
editor,  with  John  C.  Merrell  as  publisher.  Passing  into  the  hands  of  R.  W.  Hill, 
it  became  a  semi-monthly  and  in  1859  was  removed  to  New  York.  The  West- 
ern Luminary,  a  Universalist  weekly  paper,  published  here  in  1848,  was  re- 
moved to  Buffalo.  The  Christian  Offering  was  published  for  a  short  time  in 
1 847  by  S.  B.  Shaw,  as  also  was  the  Penny  Preacher,  by  Erastus  Shepard.  The 
Advent  Review  &  Sunday  Herald  was  published  in  1850.  The  Earnest  Chris- 
tian &  Golden  Rule  was  started  in  Buffalo  in  1 860  by  its  present  editor  and  pro- 
prietor, Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts,  and  was  transferred  to  this  city,  where  it  is  still  pub- 
lished, in  1 884,  The  Free  Methodist  was  published  by  Rev.  Levi  Wood  in  1 868 
and  1869.  Our  Church  Work  was  started  as  a  weekly,  December  1st,  1877, 
by  the  clergy  of  the  Rochester  parishes  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and 
so  continued  until  December  27th,  1879,  when,  in  connection  with  the  Orbit,  a 
monthly  church  paper  published  at  Buffalo,  it  was  merged  in  the  Kalendar, 
which  is  published  here,  is  the  official  diocesan  paper  and  is  edited  by  a  board 
appointed  by  t;he  bishop  of  Western  New  York.      It  is  now  in  its  fifth  volume. 

24 


364  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  Exponent,  a  religious  family  weekly,  was  established  by  Rev.  B.  F. 
McNeil  in  December,  1878.  In  March,  1880,  it  was  bought  by  Rev.  C. 
Strong  and  in  November  1881,  Rev.  E.  Lansing  Newman  became  the  editor 
and  proprietor  with  Mr.  Strong  as  corresponding  editor.  The  Signet  has 
been  published  monthly,  since  1879,  by  the  Young  People's  Christian  as- 
sociation of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  the  Lighthouse,  by  a 
similar  association  of  the  Asbury  Methodist  church,  is  in  its  second  volume. 
The  Occult  World  is  a  paper  recently  started  in  the  interests  of  the  Theosoph- 
ical  society  and  for  the  dissemination  of  mental  literature.  Mrs.  Josephine  Ca- 
bles is  the  editor.  The  Casket  is  published  by  A.  H.  Nirdlinger  &  Co.,  monthly, 
with  Thomas  Gliddon  as  editor.  It  is  the  principal  publication  in  the  United 
States  which  makes  the  business  of  undertaking  a  specialty.  The  Industrial 
School  Advocate  is  a  monthly  of  eight  pages,  published  in  the  interest  of  the 
Industrial  School  association.  It  was  first  issued  in  1865,  was  edited  until  1870 
by  Mrs.  George  T,  Parker,  and  since  then  by  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry.  It  is  printed 
at  the  job  office  of  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle.  The  Hospital  Review  is  a  monthly 
of  sixteen  pages  issued  in  behalf  of  the  Rochester  City  hospital.  It  is  under 
the  direction  of  a  publishing  committee  consisting  of  Mrs.  Maltby  Strong,  Mrs. 
N.  T.  Rochester,  Mrs.  Wm.  H.  Perkins  and  Mrs.  M.  M.  Mathews.  It  was  first 
published  by  Wm.  S.  Falls  August  iSth,  1864,  when  the  care  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  was  a  principal  feature  of  hospital  work.  It  then  contained 
but  eight  pages,  but  in  January,  1865,  it  assumed  and  has  since  retained  its 
present  proportions.  Mrs.  T.  C.  Arner  was  the  first  editor.  She  was  succeeded 
in  1 87 1  by  Miss  E.  G.  Mathews,  who  was  followed  in  1873  by  Miss  Frances  J. 
Hunger.     Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry  has  acted  as  editor  since  March,  1876. 

Labor  Reform  journalism  deserves  specific  mention,  and  I  shall  endeavor  to 
sketch  its  history  as  concisely  as  possible,  noting  that  it  has  been  somewhat  in- 
timately connected  with  Sunday  journalism,  to  which  reference  has  already- 
been  made.  The  unavoidable  omissions  in  that  branch  will  here  be  made  good 
as  far  as  possible.  The  Workingman  s  Advocate,  a  daily,  was  started  in  Roch- 
ester, October  19th,  1839,  and  was  the  offspring  of  a  strike  among  the  journey- 
men printers  of  the  city.  A  press,  type  and  other  materials  were  purchased  of 
Delazon  Smith  by  George  T.  Frost  and  Cornelius  S.  Underwood,  and  by  them 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  typographical  association.  The  establishment  was 
committed  to  the  care  of  Frost,  Underwood  &  Falls  and  the  editorial  manage- 
ment to  Henry  C.  Frink,  who,  at  the  same  time,  discharged  the  duties  of  fore- 
man in  the  book  and  job  office  of  William  Ailing.  A  weekly  paper  was  also 
issued  from  the  same  office.  About  April  ist,  1840,  it  was  purchased  by  James 
Vick,  jr.,  and  George  T.  Frost,  and  published  as  the  Evening  Advocate.  Mr. 
Frost- afterward  disposed  of  his  interest  to  Alonzo  Bennett,  who  continued  it 
about  one  year.  It  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  John  I.  Reilly  &  Co.,  and 
was  merged  in  the  Evening  Post.     This  firm  continued  the  Post,  in  connection 


The  Press.  365 


with  a  large  weekly,  called  the  Western  New  Yorker,  until  January,  1843,  when 
they  came  into  the  hands  of  Erastus  Shepard,  who  discontinued  them  the  en- 
suing November.  The  National  Reformer  v/a.?,  started  in  1848,  with  George 
G.  Cooper  as  editor.  It  was  devoted  to  land  reform,  homestead  exemption, 
the  ten-hour  system,  etc.,  measures  then  advocated  extensively.  It  was  dis- 
continued at  the  end  of  a  year,  the  principal  objects  for  which  it  contended  hav- 
ing received  legislative  sanction.  The  Daily  Herald,  in  1850,  and  the  Daily 
Times,  its  successor,  already  alluded  to  in  connection  with  the  Union  £r  Adver- 
tiser, advocated  the  demands  of  the  workingmen,  during  their  e;xistence.  The 
Rochester  Mechanic,  monthly,  was  started  in  1875  and  continued  through  that 
and  the  succeeding  year  by  C.  R.  Tompkins  &  Co.  Its  object  was  to  diffuse 
a  more  extended  knowledge  of  mechanics  among  the  class  who  own  and  use 
wood-working  machinery.  In  the  summer  of  1877,  at  the  time  of  the  great 
railroad  strikes,  John  Mcintosh  started  a  weekly  paper  called,  the  Striker.  A 
short  time  afterward  it  was  merged  in  the  Indepetident  Worker,  which  was  pub- 
lished under  the  auspices  of  a  stock  company  of  which  Leonard  Henkle  was 
president  and  John  Dowling  was  secretary,  Mr.  Mcintosh  being  the  editor.  It 
was  afterward  edited  by  Charles  W.  Hebard,  who  was  succeeded  by  Christo- 
pher Kane.  It  died  in  November,  1878.  In  1877,  also,  Edwin  T.  Marsh  be- 
gan the  publication  of  the  Trtte  Blue  as  a  literary  journal,  and  so  ran  it  for  about 
a  year.  For  the  year  following,  it  was,  as  a  weekly,  an  organ  of  the  National 
party.  It  was  then  enlarged  to  a  ten-column  paper  under  the  name  of  the 
True  Blue  &  Sunday  Call,  but  after  about  four  months  was  discontinued.  The 
Liberty  Bell  was  started  in  April,  1881,  and  ran  as  a  weekly  until  November  of 
the  same  year.  The  Sun,  started  as  a  weekly  by  J.  M.  Deyo  and  continued 
for  a  short  time  as  a  daily  by  Alfred  Oakley,  and  the  Star,  by  William  W. 
Malay,  were  also  labor  reform  publications  belonging  to  this  period.  The  La- 
borer's Advocate  was  begun  as  a  weekly  in  the  spring  of  1882  by  Coffee  & 
Webb,  Webb  subsequently  selling  his  interest  to  Coffee,  and  Henry  E.  Leonard 
acquiring  a  proprietary  interest  shortly  afterward.  Mr.  Leonard  disconnected 
himself  from  the  paper  when  the  Telegram,  with  which  he  was  associated, 
started,  and  the  paper  passed  into  the  possession  of  district  number  44  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  which  sold  it  to  David  Healy,  who  conducted  it  until  Jan- 
uary, 1883.  At  that  time  it  was  bought  by  a  stock  association  and  Hume  H. 
Calc  became  editor.  In  December,  1882,  it  incorporated  with  itself  the  Sun- 
day Morning  Mail,  which  had  been  started  the  previous  August  by  W.  E. 
Rathbun.  It  was  published  as  the  Laborer's  Advocate  Sf  Sunday  Mail,  with 
Mr.  Cale  as  editor,  when  it  was  merged  in  the  Sunday  Truth. 

I  have  thus  reviewed,  as  fully  as  space  would  permit  and  as  accurately  as  I 
was  enabled  to  do  by  my  sources  of  information,  the  journalism  of  Rochester, 
from  its  feeble  beginning  in  18 16  to  its  present  magnificent  proportions,  and 
have  noted  its  continued  expansion  and  increasing  enterprise  and  influence. 


366  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

from  the  time  when  Augustine  G,  Dauby  made  his  modest  venture,  with  his 
crude  Ramage  press,  in  the  village  of  300  inhabitants,  until  now,  when,  with 
the  swift  and  nimble  fingers  of  Hoe  and  Scott  and  Bullock  —  those  marvels  of 
modern  mechanism  —  it  reaches  out  from  this  fair  city  of  over  100,000  people, 
covers  with  its  palm  over  ten  counties  in  Western  New  York,  and  touches,  every 
day,  the  pulse  of  the  world.  I  am  aware  that  the  sketch  I  have  attempted  must 
be  imperfect,  for  it  is  impossible  to  preserve  the  names  of  all  the  dead  news- 
papers, whose  numbers  are  like  those  of  the  butterflies  of  summer,  and  their  lives 
as  fleeting.  To  preserve  the  record  of  all  these  is  like  trying  to  decipher  the 
inscriptions  in  an  ancient  graveyard,  some  of  which  can  be  faintly  traced,  while 
others  are  moss-covered,  and  still  others  have  been  gnawed  into  shapelessness 
by  the  tooth  of  time.  The  mortality  of  newspapers  is  one  of  the  saddest  fea- 
tures of  the  history  of  the  press.  ■  It  represents  so  much  of  shattered  hopes,  of 
wrecked  ambitions  and  ruined  fortunes ;  but  the  press,  to  its  devotees,  is  like 
the  coquette  to  her  victims  —  it  fascinates  the  newer  train,  unmindful  of  those 
who  have  dared  their  fate  and  lost.  Let  us  be  grateful  that  so  goodly  a  num- 
ber here  have  conquered  the  adversities  of  the  profession,  and  illustrate  so  well 
the  prosperities  that  may  attend  patient  waiting  and  sustained  endeavor.  In 
conclusion,  I  wish  to  express  my  obligations,  not  only  for  many  of  the  facts, 
but  also  for  some  of  the  expressions  of  this  article  to  the  very  full  and,  in  most 
respects,  trustworthy  review  of  Rochester  journalism  contained  in  the  History 
of  Monroe  County,  pubhshed  by  Everts,  Ensign  &  Everts  in  1877.  I  have 
already  acknowledged  any  indebtedness  to  that  store-house  of  valuable  data 
contained  in  the  papers  of  the  late  Edwin  Scrantom. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

ROCHESTER  JUDGES  AND   LAWYERS.  1 

Early  Days  —  The  First  Lawyer  —  ICrection  of  the  County  — liuilding  of  the  First  Courl-llousc  — 
Earliest  Sessions  of  Court  —  Circuit-Riding  —  The  Circuit  Court  —  The  Vice-Chancellor's  Court  — 
The  Court  of  Appeals  —  The  Supreme  Court  and  its  Justices  —  The  County  Courts  and  Judges  — 
Special  County  Judges  —  The  Surrogate's  Court  —  Mayor's  Court —  District-Attorneys  —  The  Roch- 
ester Bar  —  A  List  of  its  Members. 

A  PRELIMINARY  word  as  to  the  scope  of  this  chapter  seems  to  be  requisite, 
that  the  reader  may  be  informed  what  it  is  intended  to  embrace  and  what 
is  by  design  omitted.  And,  first,  it  is  «^/ contemplated  to  give  a  history  of  the 
Rochester  bar.  That  mode  of  treatment,  which  would  by  custom  embrace  a 
biography  of  all   its  prominent  members,  with  notices  of  the  more  important 

1  This  'article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Frederick  A.  Whittlesey, 


Judges  and  Lawyers.     .  367 


litigations  in  which  they  had  been  engaged,  was  forbidden  as  well  by  the  limits 
of  the  space  and  time  accorded,  as  by  the  lack  of  reliable  information  as  to  the 
facts  in  the  lives  of  many  of  the  more  prominent  whose  biographies  should  be 
included,  and  the  difficulty  of  selecting  from  the  names  thus  to  be  noticed. 
Precluded  by  these  reasons  from  the  adoption  of  the  ordinary  method  of  treat- 
ment, the  compiler  decided  to  give  in  its  stead  a  sketch  of  the  different  courts 
held  in  the  city  and  the  changes  made  in  their  structure  and  jurisdiction,  with 
a  list  of  the  judges  and  the  dates  of  their  appointment  or  election.  In  con- 
nection with  this  are  short  notices  of  the  various  offices  held  by  those  of  this 
bar  who  have  been  on  the  bench  either  of  the  old  Circuit  or  the  old  Supreme 
court  or  of  the  court  of  Appeals  and  who  are  not  now  living  or  have  retired 
from  professional  pursuits.  There  is  added  a  complete  catalogue  of  the  bar  of 
the  city  from  the  earliest  settlement  to  the  present  year.  This  is  therefore  a 
history  of  the  Rochester  bar  in  that  sense  only  in  which  the  record  of  admin- 
istrations and  rulers  is  a  history  of  a  nation.  As  that  is,  after  all,  the  method 
in  which  history  is  oftenest  written,  no  apology  is  needed  for  the  course  here 
adopted. 

The  year  18 12,  in  which  the  bridge  across  the  Genesee  river  was  completed, 
and  the  One-hundred-acre  tract  was  surveyed  and  mapped,  is  the  period  which 
is  generally  recognised  as  the  beginning  of  settlement  of  the  locality  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  city  of  Rochester.  It  was  then  a  hamlet  of  small  proportions, 
with  a  single  store  and  a  post-office,  which  paid  a  revenue  of  three  dollars  and 
forty-two  cents  for  the  first  quarter  of  its  existence.  The  settlement  was  not 
promising  in  its  beginnings.  At  the  expiration  of  its  third  year  of  life  it  had  but 
3 3 1  inhabitants.  From  that  date  ( 1 8 1 5),  however,  it  began  to  feel  the  tide  of  west- 
ward settlement  and  the  effects  of  the  declaration  of  peace,  and  in  three  years  more 
even  its  population  was  trebled,  whilst  its  business  prosperity  had  increased  in 
larger  proportions.  As  the  first  clergyman  came,  and  the  first  newspaper  was 
published  here  in  1816,  it  may  be  confidently  assumed  that  there  were  lawyers 
in  the  community  at  or  before  that  time.  The  attorney  would  naturally  be 
looked  for  in  a  population  so  thriving  and  so  busy,  and  he  is  rarely  slow  in 
availing  himself  of  an  opening  which  gives  the  least  promise  of  employment. 
Whether  or  not  there  was  a  demand  for  the  services  of  the  bar  it  is  at  least 
certain  that  there  was  a  supply,  for  we  learn  that  very  early,  and  probably 
about  18 1 5,  the  pioneer  lawyer  appeared  here  in  the  person  of  John  Mastick. 
He  had  been  located  first  at  the  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee  river, 
then  known  as  Charlotteburgh,  whither  he  had  been  attracted  doubtless  by  a 
belief  in  its  future  as  a  lake  port.  The  increasing  growth  of  the  hatnlet  at  the 
falls,  however,  caused  his  change  of  location  and  he  was  for  a  time  the  only 
practitioner  in  his  new  residence,  and  indeed  for  all  the  territory  now  embraced 
within  the  hmits  of  the  county  of  Monroe.  He  died  here  about  1826,  in  which 
year  he  was  a  trustee  of  the  village.     As  there  are  two  sides  to  every  law-suit, 


368  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

it  soon  became  obvious  to  the  villagers  that  there  was  need  of  a  second  lawyer 
to  manage  the  previously  unrepresented  defendant  in  such  litigation  as  the  first 
had  initiated,  and  Hastings  R.  Bender  appeared  to  supply  that  necessity.  Of 
his  career  here  there  are  two  dates  which  can  be  fixed  with  certainty,  for  in 
May,  1 8 17,  he  is  recorded  as  receiving  an  appointment  of  clerk  of  the  board 
of  trustees  which  was  chosen  at  the  first  election  under, the  charter  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Rochesterville  enacted  by  the  legislature  of  that  year.  He  was  reelected 
to  the  same  position  by  the  board  of  the  year  1822,  and  some  years  thereafter 
he  removed  to  the  West.  Somewhat  later  than  these  two  pioneer  attorneys 
came  Roswell  Babbitt,  Joseph  Spencer  and  Enog  Pomeroy,  the  latter  of  whom 
lived  to  an  advanced  age  and  afterward  removed  to  the  neighboring  county  of 
Wayne,  where  he  died  many  years  ago.  He  was  surrogate  of  the  county  from 
1840  to  1844  and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  with  dignity  and  ability. 

Prior  to  the  erection  of  the  county  of  Monroe  (1821)  the  law  business  of 
this  locality  was  to  a  great  extent  of  that  petty  nature  of  which  justices  of  the 
peace  have  jurisdiction,  the  small  litigations  of  a  small  and  poor  community. 
Such  cases  of  larger  importance  for  the  determination  of  which  a  court  of  record 
is  the  proper  tribunal  were  of  necessity  tried  at  either  Batavia  or  Canandaigua, 
the. county  seats  of  Genesee  and  Ontario  counties  respectively,  in  both  of  which 
jurisdictions  the  village  was  situated,  the  Genesee  river  being  the  division  line. 
Under  circumstances  so  unpropitious  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  would  be  tempted  to  choose  this  locaUty  as  a  residence,  unless 
they  should  do  so  in  the  hope  of  a  future  growth  which  would  necessitate  the 
establishment  here  of  a  court  of  larger  jurisdiction  and  powers  than  the  inferior 
tribunals  which  were  then  in  existence. 

Those  of  them  who  settled  here  with  that  trust  were  not  many  years  in  see- 
ing its  realisation.  It  became  evident  to  all  the  villagers  and  the  neighboring 
population  that  the  convenience  and  well-being  of  all  demanded  the  erection  of 
a  new  county,  having  its  center  at  Rochester.  The  project  encountered  much 
resistance  from  the  counties  sought  to  be  reduced  in  territory,  and  in  particular 
from  John  C.  Spencer,  the  assemblyman  from  Ontario.  The  manifest  justice 
of  the  project,  however,  overcame  all  opposition  and  on  the  23d  of  February, 
1 82 1,  an  act  was  passed  erecting  the  county  of  Monroe  with  its  present  bound- 
aries. Morris  S.  Miller,  Robert  S.  Rose  and  Nathan  Williams,  the  commis- 
sioners therein  designated,  located  the  county  buildings  on  a  lot  in  the  village 
given  for  that  purpose  by  the  proprietors  of  the  One-hundred-acre  tract,  and 
on  September  4th  of  that  year  the  corner-stone  of  the  court-house  was  laid. 
In  181 3,  when  there  were  but  three  houses  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  this 
lot  was  cleared  and  sowed  with  wheat  and  afterward  was  used  as  a  pasture  down 
to  the  year  1821.  The  old  court-house  yard  was  divided  into  two  platforms  — 
the  first  on  the  level  with  West  Main  street,  the  other  in  the  rear,  raised  some 
six  feet  above  the  former  and  divided  from  it  by  the  court-house  and  two  wing 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  369 


walls  which  preserved  the  ground  at  a  level  with  Fitzhugh  street  on  the  west. 
The  First  Presbyterian  church  fronted  this  yard  on  the  south,  occupying  the 
ground  now  covered  by  the  city  hall.  The  court-house  stood  seventy- five  feet 
from  the  street  and  was  constructed  of  blue  stone  quarried  on  the  spot,  with 
trimmings  of  red  sandstone  taken  from  the  river  bank  at  the  lower  falls.  It 
was  fifty-four  by  forty-four  feet,  with  two  stories  and  a  high  basement.  Each 
front  had  a  projecting  portico,  ten  feet  in  width,  flanked  at  the  east  and  west  by 
stone  steps  and  with  four  fluted  Ionic  colums  surmounted  by  an  entablature 
and  crowned  by  a  balustrade  which  was  continued  along  the  whole  front.  From 
the  center  of  the  building  arose  an  octagonal  belfry  terminating  in  a  cupola. 
The  basement  was  used  for  a  police  office  and  clerk's  office.  The  first  floor 
was  divided  into  supervisors'  and  jury  rooms,  the  former  of  which  was  also  used 
by  the  common  council  when  the  city  charter  was  granted.  The  whole  of  the 
second  story  was  devoted  to  the  court-room,  with  the  bench  on  the  north  side. 
The  whole  building  was  a  very  creditable  specimen  of  a  public  edifice  of  those 
days,  both  in  its  proportions  and  construction.  A  few  years  subsequent  to  the 
completion  of  this  building,  Drs.  Elwood  and  Coleman  erected  a  small  stone 
office  of  the  Doric  order  in  front  of  the  court-house  and  on  the  corner  of  West 
Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets,  and  Vincent  and^Selah  Mathews  constructed  a  sim- 
ilar building  on  the  corner  of  Irving  place  and  Main  street,  which  they  occu- 
pied as  a  law  office.  The  county  subsequently  obtained  the  former  for  the 
office  of  the  clerk,  and  a  portion  of  the  latter  for  the  use  of  the  surrogate,  and 
they  continued  to  be  so  occupied  until  the  erection  of  the  present  court  house. 

The  first  court  of  record  ever  held  in  the  village  was  a  session  of  the  United 
States  district  court  on  the  2ist  of  September,  1820,  and  presided  over  by 
Judge  Roger  Skinner.  There  are  no  accessible  records  as  to  its  sitting,  but  it 
is  difficult  to  conceive  that  two  days  were  occupied  in  the  disposal  of  the  meager 
business  coming  within  its  jurisdiction  at  that  remote  period  and  from  a  sparsely 
settled  agricultural  region.  The  first  judicial  officers  of  the  new  county  were  : 
Elisha  B.  Strong,  first  judge  (the  name  by  which  the  presiding  justice  was  then 
designated),  Timothy  Barnard,  sen.,  Levi  H.  Clarke  and  John  Bowman,  associate 
judges;  Elisha  Ely,  surrogate,  and  Timothy  Childs,  district-attorney.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  at  the  time  a  resident  of  Canandaigua,  and  his  appoint- 
ment was  vehemently  opposed  by  the  local  bar  on  the  not  unnatural  ground 
that  it  should  have  been  made  from  their  own  members.  Mr.  Childs,  however, 
soon  overcame  any  ill  feeling  arising  from  this  source,  and  by  his  abilities  justi- 
fied the  wisdom  of  the  choice.  He  was  twice  elected  as  member  of  Assembly 
from  this  county  and  was  a  representative  in  Congress  from  this  district  for 
four  terms,  serving  with  great  acceptance  in  both  capacities.  The  first  county 
clerk  was  Nathaniel  Rochester,  and  the  first  sheriff  was  James  Seymour. 

The  first  state  court  of  record  was  held  on  the  8th  day  of  May,  1821,  in 
the  upper  story  of  the  tavern  kept  by  A.  Ensworth  on  the  site  of  the  present 


370  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Powers  block.  The  court-hou.se  was  completed  in  the  following  spring  and  the 
first  Circuit  court  was  then  held  by  Jonas  Piatt,  one  of  the  justices  of  the  old 
Supreme  court,  as  organised  under  the  first  constitution  of  the  state,  adopted 
in  1777,  under  which  the  judges  sat  both  in  banc  and  at  the  circuit.  In  his 
charge  to  the  grand  jury  on  this  occasion  the  judge  said  :  "The  splendid  edifice 
in  which  we  are  is  itself  a  monument  of  the  enterprise  and  public  spiirit  of  the 
citizens  of  the  new  county  of  Monroe."  This  was  the  day  of  small  things,  for 
the  edifice  in  which  these  words  were  spoken  was  built  at  the  total  cost  of 
$8,000,  and  they  were  moreover  entirely  accurate,  for  that  sum  in  those  times 
was  great  enough  and  hard  enough  to  raise  to  be  a  monument  of  public  spirit. 
By  the  provisions  of  the  state  constitution  which  went  into  effect  January  ist, 
1823,  the  Supreme  court  was  remodeled,  the  number  of  its  justices  reduced 
from  five  to  three,  who  sat  in  banc,  and  eight  circuits  were  constituted,  in  each 
of  vyhich  a  circuit  judge  was  appointed  who  presided  at  all  civil  and  criminal 
trials  in  that  court  and  had  jurisdiction  both  in  law  and  equity.  No  judge  was 
qualified  to  sit  after  the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age.  The  county  of  Monroe  was 
included  in  the  eighth  circuit,  together  with  the  counties  of  Genesee  (which 
then  embraced  its  present  territory,  together  with  that  of  Wyoming),  Orleans, 
Niagara,  Erie,  Chautauqua,  Livingston,  Allegany  and  Cattaraugus.  The  three 
latter  were  afterward  set.  off"  to  the  sixth  circuit.  The  English  custom  of  riding 
•the  circuit  prevailed  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  century  and  had  not  entirely 
ceased  at  the  erection  of  this  county,  in  which  for  the  first  decade  of  its  exist- 
ence there  are  traces  of  the  habit.  Counsel  eminent  for  their  learning  and  elo- 
quence accompanied  the  circuit  judges  in  their  progress  through  the  district, 
prepared  to  assist  in  the  trial  of  the  issues  on  the  calendar.  Whilst  sometimes 
retained  beforehand,  they  were  more  often  employed  while  the  court  was  in 
session,  in  which  event  they  neccessarily  relied  solely  upon  the  case  prepared 
for  them  by  the  local  attorney  who  selected  them.  This  practice  was  particularly 
noticeable  in  the  trial  of  the  numerous  cases  arising  out  of  the  anti-Masonic 
excitement,  which  for  many  months  absorbed  the  larger  portion  of  the  time 
of  courts  and  juries  and  enlisted  the  best  talent  of  the  bar  of  this  portion  of  the 
state. 

The  judges  appointed  for  this  (8th)  circuit  under  the  constitution  of  1822 
were:  i823,WilHam  B.  Rochester;  1826,  Albert  H.  Tracy;  1826,  John  Birdsall; 
1829,  Addison  Gardiner;  1838,  John  B.  Skinner  ;  1838,  Nathan  Dayton.  The 
first  of  these,  Judge  Rochester,  resided  at  Angelica,  at  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment, but  shortly  thereafter  removed  to  this  place.  He  resigned  the  judgeship 
in  1826,  on  his  appointment  to  the  congress  of  Panama.  He  was  in  the  same 
year  nominated  for  governor,  but  was  defeated  by  De  Witt  Clinton.  Afterward 
being  appointed  to  the  presidency  of  the  United  States  branch  bank  of  Buffalo, 
he  removed  to  that  city  and  was  lost  at  sea  in  the  wreck  of  the  steamer  Pulaski, 
June,  1838.     There  was  a  bitter  strife  over  the  appointment  of  his  successor. 


^7  JQy\di 


iyP'LC^*' 


M^     A.    F;ri.jr-d,,.,,n|  i;u  [yy 


H.    l,y     [<-,  .^ 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  371 


Heman  J.  Redfield,  of  Batavia,  was  vehemently  urged  for  the  position,  but 
Gov.  Clinton  finally  nominated  Albert  H.  Tracy,  of  Buffalo,  and  this  appoint- 
ment was  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  but  was  immediately  declined  by  Mr.  Tracy. 
Moses  Hayden  and  Ashley  Sampson  (who  had  been  recently  "first  judge"  of 
Monroe  county)  were  then  successively  nominated  but  were  rejected  by  the 
Senate,  Finally,  on  April  i8th,  1826,  John  Birdsall  of  Chautauqua  was  nomi- 
nated and  confirmed.  Addison  Gardiner  of  this  city  was  nominated  to  succeed 
Judge  Birdsall  by  Gov.  Throop,  and  the  Senate  then  in  session  in  the  city  of 
New  York  as  a  court  of  errors  was  convened  in  special  session  there  by  procla- 
mation on  the  29th  of  September,  1829,  and  confirmed  the  nomination.  This 
selection  met  with  universal  approval  from  the  people  of  this  circuit,  and  was 
more  than  justified  by  the  admirable  manner  in  which  Judge  Gardiner  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office.  No  trial  judge  in  this  commonwealth  has  ever 
surpassed  him  in  the  qualifications  of  temperament,  legal  knowledge  and  lucidity 
of  exposition  which  he  carried  to  the  bench.  He  served  with  the  greatest 
acceptance  to  both  bar  and  litigants  for  nine  years,  resigning  his  office  in  1838 
and  resuming  practice.  He  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  in  1844  and  re- 
elected to  the  same  position  in  1846,  although  Silas  Wright,  the  candidate  for 
governor  of  his  party,  was  defeated.  During  his  first  term  the  Senate  was  also 
a  court  and  he  there  discharged  his  judicial  duties  in  the  most  admirable  man- 
ner. He  resigned  this  office  on  his  election  as  a  judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals 
in  June,  1847,  ^t  ^^^  ^'^^^  election  under  the  new  constitution  of  that  year.  He 
served  with  the  highest  ability  in  that  court  the  full  term  of  eight  years,  and 
declining  the  nomination  of  his  party,  which  was  equivalent  to  an  election,  he 
retired  from  public  life,  refusing  many, conspicuous  positions  of  power  which 
were  tendered  to  him.  He  passed  the  remainder  of  hjs  life  in  this  city,  his 
time  being  divided  between  the  care  of  his  suburban  farm  and  the  trial  of 
the  many  and  important  cases  referred  to  his  decision  by  the  courts.  He  died 
here,  June  5th,  1883. 

John  B.  Skinner,  of  Wyoming,  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  cir- 
cuit court  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Judge  Gardiner,  but  he  declined  the  po- 
sition and  on  the  23d  of  February,  1838,  Nathan  Dayton,  of  Lockport,  received 
the  appointment.  He  was  the  last  occupant  of  that  bench,  and  the  court  was 
abolished  by  the  constitution  of  1846  and  replaced  by  the  new  system  of  courts 
with  elective  judiciary.  During  the  later  years  of  the  old  circuit  court  it  was 
found  that  the  business  of.vthis  district  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  as  to  have 
become  incapable  of  dispatch  by  a  single  judge,  and  in  1839  a  new  officer  was 
created  by  the  legislature  for  the  8th  circuit  (as  it  had  been  previously  in 
the  city  of  New  York),  to  whom,  under  the  title  of  vice-chancellor,  the  equity 
business  of  the  circuit  was  transferred.  In  all  the  circuits  (except  the  first  and 
eighth)  the  circuit  judges  continued  to  sit  in  both  legal  and  equitable  cases,  dur- 
ing the  existence  of  the  old  system.     There  was  much  competition  between 


372  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  cities  of  Rochester  and  Buffalo  in  the  selection  of  the  new  official,  Millard 
Fillmore  being  urged  upon  the  governor  as  the  choice  of  the  latter,  but  after  a 
fortnight's  deliberation  and  on  April  i6th,  1839,  Frederick  Whittlesey  of  this 
city  was  appointed  to  the  position.  He  had  been  a  resident  here  since  1823, 
had  been  city  attorney,  and  representative  in  Congress  from  this  district  for  two 
successive  terms  from  1831  to  1835,  ^nd  had  conducted  with  ability  a  large  and 
varied  law  practice.  He  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  official  duty  with  a  vigor 
and  intensity  of  application  which  speedily  cleared  away  the  accumulations  of 
the  calendar,  and  thenceforth  kept  fully  up  to  the  great  demands  upon  the  court, 
arising  from  the  large  and  increasing  amount  of  business  coming  before  it  for 
decision.  The  division  of  jurisdiction  had  been  made  none  too  soon,  for  the 
time  of  both  the  vice-chancellor  and  circuit  judge  was  wholly  occupied  by  the 
trial  and  determination  of  the  cases  arising  in  the  two  branches  of  procedure. 
The  constitution  of  1846  put  an  end  to  the  existence  of  this  new  court.  Mi'. 
Whittlesey  was  nominated  by  his  (the  Whig)  party  for  judge  of  the  court  of  Ap- 
peals at  the  first  election  (June,  1847)  of  judicial  officers  under  that  constitution, 
but  was  defeated,  and  immediately  appointed  by  Gov.  Young  to  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  (old)  Supreme  court  in  place  of  Judge  Jewett,  elected  to  the  court 
of  Appeals.  This  was  the  last  year  of  the  old,  supreme  court  of  jurisdiction 
and  on  July  ist,  1848,  it  went  out  of  .existence.  With  that  date  ended  the  pub- 
lic life  of  Judge  Whittlesey,  although  he  was  solicited  to  fill  several  positions, 
among  others  that  of  commissioner  of  the  civil  code,  all  of  which  he  declined, 
and  devoted  his  time  mainly  to  the  management  and  construction  of  railroads. 
He  died  in  this  city,  September  19th,  185  i. 

The  terms  of  the  Supreme  court,  as  constituted  under  the  constitution  of 
1 82 1,  had  been  held  only  in  the  cities  of  New  York,  Albany  and  Utica,  but  in 
1841  the  October  term  was  by  statute  directed  to  be  held  in  this  city,  and 
thenceforth,  and  until  its  extinction,  the  court  was  held  in  those  four  cities  only. 
The  court  for  the  Correction  ,of  Errors  held  a  term  in  the  court-house  here  in 
October,  1846,  its  members  receiving  much  attention  and  hospitality  from 
prominent  citizens. 

The  constitution  of  1846  cither  entirely  abolished  or  greatly  remodeled  all 
the  courts  then  existing.  In  place  of  the  court  of  lirrors,  the  court  of  Appeals 
was  constituted  as  the  tribunal  of  last  resort,  composed  of  four  elected  judges 
and  four  taken  by  rotation  from  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  court.  At  the  first 
election  of  judges  of  the  new  court,  Addison  Gardiner,  as  before  mentioned, 
was  chosen,  who,  after  serving  his  full  term  of  eight  years,  was  succeeded,  in 
1856,  by  Samuel  L.  Selden  of  this  city.  Mr.  Selden  was  born  in  Lyme,  Con- 
necticut, in  October,  1800,  and  removed  to  this  city  in  1821,  becoming  a  stu- 
dent in  the  office  of  Addison  Gardiner,  with  whom,  after  his  admission  to  prac- 
tice, he  became  a  partner.  He  was  appointed  first  judge  of  the  Monroe  Com- 
mon Pleas  in  1831,  which  he  held  for  eight  years;  he  held  also  the  position  of 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  373 


master  and  clerk  of  the  court  of  Chancery.  In  1847  he  was  nominated  for  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  Supreme  court  by  his  (the  Democratic)  party,  which, 
though  in  a  hopeless  minority  in  the  district,  succeeded  in  electing  him  by  the 
assistance  of  the  votes  of  his  political  opponents,  who  were  more  concerned 
that  judicial  capacity  was  obtained  for  the  bench  than  that  it  should  be  occu- 
pied by  a  political  ally.  The  three  candidates  nominated  with  Judge  Selden  on 
the  party  ticket  were  defeated.  He  served  his  full  term  in  this  capacity  and 
gave  evidence  of  the  poisession  of  such  consummate  judicial  aptitude  that  in 
185s  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals  in  place  of  Judge  Gardiner, 
who  declined  reelection.  Here  he  served  with  the  most  conspicuous  ability 
until,  to  the  great  regret  of  his  brethren  of  the  court,  and  the  bar  of  the  state, 
the  condition  of  his  health  induced  him  to  resign  his  seat  July  .1st,  1862.  He 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  retirement  in  this  city,  where  he  died  Sep- 
tember 20th,  1876. 

Henry  R.  Selden  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  his  brother  from  the  court  of  Appeals.  He  was  born  in  1805  at  Lyme, 
Conn.,  and  came  to  this  then  village  in  1825  and  studied  law  in  the  office  of 
Gardiner  &  Selden,  being  admitted  to  practice  in  1830.  He  began  his  profes- 
sional life  as  partner  of  Simeon  B.  Jewett,  of  Clarkson,  where  they  c^onducted  a 
large  and  successful  practice  for  many  years.  He  removed  to  this  city  in  1859, 
having  for  some  years  previous  had  an  office  here.  In  1851  he  was  ap- 
pointed reporter  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  and  after  publishing- six  volumes  of 
reports  his  term  expired  in  1854.  In  1856  he  was  elected  lieutenant-governor 
of  the  state  and  served  his  full  term  of  two  years.  Appointed  in  1862  judge  of 
the  court  of  Appeals,  to  fill  a  vacancy  as  above  stated,  he  was  afterward  elected 
for  a  full  term,  but  resigned  in  January,  1865,  and  went  to  Europe  in  search  of 
his  health,  which  had  become  seriously  impaired.  He  returned  in  1867,  very 
greatly  improved  by  his  journey,  and  resumed  practice  in  connection  with  his 
son-in-law,  Theodore  Bacon.  In  1870  he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican 
party  for  the  office  of  chief  judge  of  the  newly  organised  court  of  Appeals,  but 
failed  of  an  election,  and  in  1879  was  compelled  by  impaired  health  to  relin- 
quish all  busiriess.  He  is  followed  in  his  retirement  from  professional  life  with 
the  love,  admiration  and  respect  of  all  his  fellow- citizens,  for  those  moral  and 
intellectual  qualities  which  made  him  easily  first  among  the  lawyers  of  Western 
New  York. 

In  1869  the  court  of  Appeals  was  reorganised,  and  constituted  with  a  chief 
judge  and  six  associates.  At  the  first  election  for  judges  (1870)  the  Rochester 
bar  furnished  the  two  opposing  candidates  for  chief  judge,  Henry  R.  Selden 
and  Sanford  E.  Church,  the  latter  of  whom  was  chosen.  Born  in  1815,  Mr. 
Church  early  became  a  resident  of  Albion,  where  he  speedily  establishfed  him- 
self as  an  able  practitioner.  Although  a  member  of  a  party  which  was  in  a 
minority  in  the  county  of  Orleans,  he  was  in  1842  elected  as   member  of  As- 


374  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sembly  therefrom  and  was  subsequently,  in  1845,  district-attorney.  In  1850 
he  was  elected  lieutenant-governor,  although  his  party  candidate  for  governor 
(Seymour)  was  defeated.  In  1852  he  was  chosen  to  the  same  office  for  a  sec- 
ond term  and  in  1857  was  elected  comptroller  of  the  state.  Chosen  as  member 
at  large  of  the  constitutional  amendment  convention  of  1867,  he  was  prominent 
in  the  discussions  elicited  by  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  judiciary  article 
of  the  constitution,  which  were  finally  adopted  by  the  convention  and  ratified 
by  the  popular  vote.  This  amendment  established  the  new  court  of  Appeals, 
and,  as  has  been  above  stated,  he  was  in  1870  chosen  as  the  first  chief  judge. 
In  this  position  he  gave  evidence  of  the  possession  of  the  highest  judicial  ability, 
discharging  his  duty  with  an  ease,  readiness  and  vigor  which  was  the  admir- 
ation of  the  bar.  He  was  successful  in  infusing  his  associates  with  a  portion  of 
his  own  energetic  application  to  duty  and  thus  was  enabled  to  keep  abreast 
with  the  enormous  business  of  that  court.  He  was  stricken  in  the  midst  of 
these  labors  and  died  May  14th,  1880.  For  some  years  previous  to  his  eleva- 
tion to  the  bench  he  had  an  office  and  partners  in  this  city,  where  he  transacted 
all  his  legal  business  and  finally,  in  1868,  removed  his  family  and  became  a 
resident  here.  He  afterward  returned  to  Albion.  In  1878  George  F.  Dan- 
forth,  of  this  city,  was  elected  associate  judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  still  holds. 

In  place  of  the  old  supreme  court  of  judicature  and  the  circuit  court,  the 
constitution  of  1846  established  a  new  Supreme  court,  and  the  state  was  divided 
into  eight  judicial  districts,  in  each  of  which  were  four  justices,  who  together  held 
general  terms  in  each  district  and  singly  presided  at  circuit  courts,  etc.  The 
boundaries  of  the  judicial  districts  were  very  similar  to  those  of  the  old  circuits, 
but  as  Buffalo  and  Rochester  had  become  too  populous  to  be  placed  together, 
as  heretofore,  in  the  same  jurisdiction,  Monroe  county  was  judiciously  severed 
from  the  eighth  and  placed  in  the  seventh  judicial  district,  with  Cayuga,  Liv- 
ingston, Ontario,  Seneca,  Steuben,  Wayne  and  Yates  counties.  As  a  matter 
of  course  one  of  the  justices  has  always  been  a  resident  of  this  city,  the  busi- 
ness transacted  before  the  court  and  at  chambers  here  being  probably  as  great 
as  that  of  all  the  other  counties  combined,  and  hence  a  resident  justice  has  been 
rather  a  necessity  than  a  convenience.  The  first  justice,  elected  in  1847,  was 
Samuel  L.  Selden,  who,  after  serving  his  term  of  eight  years,  was  succeeded  in 
1856  by  E.  Darwin  Smith,  who  held  the  position  for  twenty  years  continuously, 
having  been  twice  reelected,  and  who,  having  attained  the  constitutional  limit- 
ation of  age,  was  succeeded  in -1877  by  George  W.  Rawson,  who  died  in  De- 
cember of  that  year.  To  fill  the  vacancy  thus  occurring,  the  governor  ap- 
pointed James  L.  Angle,  who  served  during  the  year  1878,  at  the  end  of  which 
he  gave  place  to  the  present  incumbent,  Francis  A.  Macomber,  chosen  for  a 
full  term  at  the  election  of  that  year.  The  constitution  having  been  amended 
in  1882,  increasing  the  number  of  justices  in  the  district  to  six,  James  L.  Angle 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  37s 


was  chosen  at  the  election  of  1883  to  fill  one  of  the  new  positions.  The  district 
general  terms  were  abolished  by  the  same  amendment  which  remodeled  the 
court  of  Appeals  (1869),  and  in  their  place  four  departments  were  created  for 
the  state  and  three  justices  selected  by  the  governor  to  hold  general  terms  in 
each  department.  The  fourth  department  was  composed  of  the  fifth,  seventh 
and  eight  districts,  and  two  of  its  sessions  have  annually  been  held  in  this  city. 
Justice  E.  Darwin  Smith  was  appointed  to  the  general  term  and  held  this  posi- 
tion at  the  time  of  his  retiracy  from  the  bench  in  1876.  By  the  amendment 
of  1882  the  number  of  the  departments  was  increased  to  five,  and  this  and  the 
eighth  districts  are  placed  in  the  new  fifth  department.  The  appointments  to 
this  department  have  been  made  of  justices  not  resident  in  Rochester. 

The  jurisdiction  next  in  importance  to  that  of  the  old  circuit  and  present 
supreme  courts  is  that  of  the  county  court,  consisting  at  first  of  a  first  judge 
and  four  associates.  This  was  styled  on  its  civil  side  the  court  of  Common 
Pleas,  the  criminal  being  known  as  the  court  of  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace. 
The  judges  of  this  court  have  always  and  of  course  been  selected  from  residents 
of  the  county,  and  as  its  sittings  were  much  more  frequent  than  those  of  the 
circuit  it  attracted  the  larger  share  of  the  ordinary  litigation  of  the  county.  It 
was  considered  to  be  especially  the  court  of  the  people,  its  bench  being  occu- 
pied by  judges,  one  or  more  of  whom  was  certain  to  be  an  acquaintance  if  not 
a  neighbor  of  every  litigant  before  the  court  The  first  judge  was  the  great 
man  of  the  county  and  was  selected  with  care  from  the  higher  ranks  of  the  pro- 
fession, and  with  the  design  of  securing  for  the  position  not  only  legal  learning 
and  experience,  but  broad  common  sense  and  knowledge  of  human  nature. 
The  first  judges  of  these  courts  under  the  old  system  were:  1821,  Elisha  B. 
Strong;  1823,  Ashley  Sampson;  1826,  Moses  Chapin;  1831,  Samuel  L.  Sel- 
den ;  1837,  Ashley  Sampson;  1844,  Patrick  G.  Buchan.  Under  the  constitu- 
tion of  1846  the  county  courts  were  remodeled  and  their  jurisdiction  somewhat 
modified,  the  civil  side  of  the  court  being  held  by  a  single  judge,  whilst  in  crim- 
inal trials  he  is  to  be  associated  with  two  justices  of  the  peace  and  they  jointly 
hold  the  court  of  sessions.  Under  this  arrangement  the  following  judges  have 
been  elected  by  the  voters  of  the  county  to  preside  in  the  Monroe  county  courts: 
1847,  Patrick  G.  Buchan;  185  i,  Harvey  Humphrey;  1855,  George  G.  Munger; 
1859,  John  C.  Chumasero;  1863,  John  C.  Chumasero;  1867,  Jerome  Fuller; 
1 87 1,  Jerome  Fuller;  1877,  William  C.  Rowley;  1883,  John  S.  Morgan.  Judge 
Munger  resigned  in  April,  1859,  and  Judge  Chumasero  was  appointed  in  his 
place  and  afterward  elected,  as  above  stated,  for  two  full  terms.  The  term  of 
oflSce  of  county  judge,  which  was  established  at  four  years  by  the  constitution, 
was  by  amendment  thereto,  adopted  1869,  increased  to  six  years.  Since  1864 
officers  have  been  elected  in  this  county  under  a  law  passed  pursuant  to  that 
clause  of  the  constitution  which  authorises  the  legislature  to  "  provide  for  the 
election  of  local  officers,  to  discharge  the  duties  of  county  judge  and  of  surro- 


376  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

gate  in  cases  of  their  inability  or  of  a  vacancy."  Under  this  law  George  W. 
Rawson  was  chosen  at  the  elections  of  1864,  '6t,  '70,  Pierson  B.  Hulett  at  those 
of  1873,  'y6,  John  S.  Morgan  at  those  of  1879,  '82.  The  latter  resigned  on 
being  elected  county  judge  in  1883,  and  Thomas  Raines  was  appointed  by  the 
governor  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  surrogate's  court  has  continued  without  substantial  change  .since  the 
erection  of  the  county  to  the  present  time,  and  the  offige  of  surrogate  has  been 
filled  by  the  following:  1821,  Elisha  Ely;  1823,  Orrin  E.  Gibbs;  1835,  Morti- 
mer F.  Delano;  1840,  Enos  Pomeroy ;  1844,  Mortimer  F.  Delano;  1845, 
Simeon  B.  Jewett;  1847,  Moses  Sperry;  1851,  Denton  G.  Shuart;  1855,  Henry 
P.  Norton;  1859,  Alfred  G.  Mudge;  1863,  William  P.  Chase;  1867,  W.  Dean 
Shuart,  who  was  twice  reelected,  in  1871  and  1877,  and  succeeded  by  Joseph 
A.  Adlington,  elected  in  1883. 

The  court  next  in  importance,  although  purely  local  to  the  city  in  character, 
was  the  mayor's  court  of  Rochester,  which  was  created  under  the  first  city  char- 
ter and  was  much  resorted  to  by  litigants.  It  had  both  civil  and  criminal  juris- 
diction. Its  presiding  judge,  styled  "recorder,"  was  a  member  of  the  common 
council,  of  which  body  he  officiated  as  chairman  in  the  absence  of  the  mayor,  a 
system  admirably  adapted  for  giving  efficiency  and  coherence  to  the  acts  and 
ordinances  of  the  council  which  thus  had  a  legal  adviser  always  in  attendance. 
The  recorders  were :  Isaac  Hills,  Selah  Mathews,  Washington  Gibbons  and 
Ebenezer  Griffin.  The  court  was  aboHshed  in  1849.  Timothy  Childs  was,  as 
has  already  been  stated,  the  first  district-attorney.  His  successors  in  that  office 
were  as  follows,  but  the  dates  of  appointment  of  the  earlier  ones  are  not  easily 
ascertainable :  Vincent  Mathews,  Hestor  L.  Stevens,  Horace  Gay,  Abner  Pratt, 
Jasper  W.  Gilbert,  Nicholas  E.  Paine;  1847,  William  S.  Bishop;  1850,  Martin 
S.  Newton;  1853,  Edward  A.  Raymond;  1856,  Calvin  Huson,  jr.;  1859,  Joseph 
A.  Stull;  1862,  William  H.  Bowman;  1865,  Christopher  C.  Davison;  1868, 
John  M.  Davy;  1871,  '74,  George  Raines;  1877,  '80,  Edward  B.  Fenner;  1883, 
Joseph  W.  Taylor. 

The  old  court-house  bridged  over  the  period  of  the  existence  of  the  con- 
stitution of  1 82 1.  Within  its  walls  had  been  held  the  sittings  of  the  old  Su- 
preme court  of  1777,  the  circuit  courts,  organised  in  1821,  had  been  held  there, 
and  it  witnessed  the  first  sessions  of  the  new  courts  provided  for  by  the  present 
constitution  of  1846.  It  had  been  found,  however,  quite  inadequate  to  the  in- 
creasing business  of  this  wealthy  county,  and  in  1850  it  was  removed,  and  the 
present  building  erected  in  its  place,  the  corner-stone  being  laid  in  June  of  that 
year.  The  county  clerk's  and  surrogate's  offices  were  moved  into  the  new 
edifice  and  the  small  buildings  in  its  front,  up  to  that  time  occupied  by  them, 
were  removed.  Down  to  the  year  1874  the  new  building  was  occupied  both  as 
city  hall  and  court-house,  but  at  that  date  the  city  completed,  and  removed  to, 
its  building  in  the  rear,  and  since  then   the  court-house  has  been  occupied  ex- 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  377 


clusively  by  the  county.  It  has  ah-eady  become  inadequate  for  the  large  and 
increasing  business  there  transacted  and  must  shortly  in  its  turn  give  place  to 
an  edifice  of  greater  capacity,'  and  more  in  accord  with  the  requirements  of  the 
public  affairs  of  this  growing  and  wealthy  community.  It  will  be  none  too 
spacious  if  it  is  made  double  the  size  of  its  predecessor. 

The  bar  which  has  had  the  conduct  of  the  litigation  of  this  city,  and  from 
whose  ranks  the  benches  of  the  courts  above  noticed  have  been  recruited,  has 
not  been  unlike  in  its  composition  the  bars  of  the  other  cities  in  the  state. 
Like  them  it  has  had  men  of  all  degrees  of  capacity  in  its  ranks,  the  very  good 
and  the  undeniably  bad,  with  all  the  different  grades  of  excellence  or  the  lack 
of  it  which  are  comprised  between  those  two  extremes.  All  this  goes  without 
the  saying,  but  at  the  same  time  it  should  be  added  that,  whether  through  a 
freak  of  fortune  or  owing  to  the  superior  abilities  of  its  members  of  the  first 
rank,  this  bar  makes  an  unparalleled  record  as  a  possessor  of  the  higher  judicial 
honors  of  the  state.  In  this  matter  the  civil  list  shows  that  two  of  its  members 
had  a  seat  on  the  old  circuit  court  for  twelve  years  of  its  existence,  a  longer 
period  than  it  was  occupied  by  the  residents  of  any  other  county  in  the  circuit. 
From  it  was  selected  the  only  vice-chancellor  who  ever  sat  as  a  separate  court 
in  the  district.  It  also  furnished  the  only  judge  of  the  old  Supreme  court  who 
was  ever  appointed  from  any  city  of  the  state  west  of  Utica.  As  to  the  court 
of  Appeals,  the  record  is  remarkable  in  the  fact  that  from  its  ranks  have  been 
nominated  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  great  political  parties  no  less  than  six  of 
its  members  (two  of  whom  were  twice  so  nominated)  for  a  position  on  its  bench, 
and  that  there  has  been  no  time  since  the  creation  of  the  court  in  1847  when 
some  one  from  its  number  has  not  either  occupied  or  been  entitled  to  occupy 
a  seat  there.  The  only  break  in  actual  occupancy  was  a  period  of  five  years 
after  the  resignation  of  Judge  Henry  R.  Selden  in  1865,  when  there  was  no  mem- 
ber of  this  bar  in  the  permanent  part  of  the  court,  but  the  time  for  which  he  was 
chosen  did  not  end  until  after  the  accession  of  Chief  Judge  Church  in  the  newly 
modeled  court,  and  ever  since  that  time  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted  occupa- 
tion by  some  judge  from  this  city  of  a  seat  on  the  bench  of  that  court.  No 
other  city  of  the  state  can  produce  a  record  so  remarkable. 

The  following  list  embraces,  it  is  believed,  every  name  upon  the  roll  of  the 
bar  of  this  city.  The  years  under  which  they  are  arranged  are  not  meant  to 
indicate  that  those  are  the  dates  upon  which  the  lawyers  whose  names  are  ap- 
pended began  practice  here,  but  simply  that  at  those  periods  the  names  first 
appear  in  a  directory  or  the  persons  are  otherwise  known  to  have  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  :  — 

1 812-2 1. — John  Mastick,  Hastings  R.  Bender,  Roswell  Babbitt,  Joseph 
Spencer,  Jesse  Dane,  Enos  Pomeroy. 

1821-27.  —  Daniel  D.  Barnard,  Rufus  Beach,  Selleck  Boughton,  Moses 
Chapin,  Timothy  Childs,   Palmer  Cleveland,  John  Dickson,  Addison  Gardiner, 


378  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

James  H.  Gregory,  Ebenezer  Griffin,  Fletcher  M.  Haight,  Isaac  Hills,  Anson 
House,  Harvey  Humphrey,  Richard  C.  Jones,  Charles  M.  Lee,  Vincent  Math- 
ews, Richard  N.  Morrison,  William  W.  Murhford,  Charles  Perkins,  Ashley 
Sampson,  Samuel  L.  Selden,  Elisha  B.  Strong,  Theodore  F.  Talbot,  W.  C.  Van 
Ness,  Ephraim  B.  Wheeler,  Frederick  Whittlesey. 

1834. —William  S.  Bishop,  Patrick  G.  Buchan,  D.  K.  Cartter,  Isaac  R. 
Elwood,  Simeon  Ford,  Horace  Gay,  Theodore  B.  Hamilton,  Orlando  Hastings, 

E.  Smith  Lee,  Thomas  Lefiferts,  D,  C.  Marsh,  Selah  Mathews,  Samuel  Miller, 
Wm.  R.  Montgomery,  George  H.  Mumford,  John  C.  Nash,  Henry  E.  Roch- 
ester, E.  Darwin  Smith,  Hestor  L.  Stevens,  A.  W.  Stowe,  Ariel  Wentworth, 
S.  T.  Wilder. 

1838.  —  Graham,  H.  Chapin,  John  C.  Chumasero,   Carlos  Cobb,  Mortimer 

F.  Delano,  James  R.  Doolittle,  Joseph  A.  Eastman,  Jasper  W.  Gilbert,  Simon 
H.  Grant,  Sanford  M.  Greene,  Robert  Haight,  Alba  Lathrop,  Hiram  Leonard, 
Abner  Pratt,  E.  Peshine  Smith. 

1 841. — Charles  Ayrault,  S.  W.  Budlong,  Charles  Lee  Clarke,  B.  W.  Clark, 
Samuel  B.  Chase,  John  B.  Cooley,  John  W.  Dwindle,  I.  S.  Fancher,  Washing- 
ton Gibbons,  Joseph  D.  Husbands,  Ethan  A.  Hopkins,  Elisha  Mather,  James 
M.  Schermerhorn,  E.  T.  Schenck,  Hiram  A.  Tucker,  Delos  Wentworth,  Henry 
M.  Ward. 

1844. — Leonard  Adams,  Joel  B.  gennett,  William  Breck,  Daniel  Burroughs, 
jr.,  James  C.  Campbell,  George  F.  Danforth,  George  Dutton,  jr.,  Alfred  Ely, 
Heman  B.  Ely,  Lysander  Farrar,  Hiram  Hatch,  Thomas  B.  Husband,  H^nry 
Hunter,  Nathan  Huntington,  Erastus  Ide,  Henry  C.  Ives,  Hiram  K.  Jerome, 
Leonard  W.  Jerome,  Alexander  Mann,  Belden  R.  McAlpine,  Thomas  C.  Mont- 
gomery, Chauncey  Nash,  Martin  S.  Newton,  John  W.  Osborn,  Nicholas  E. 
Paine,  Stephen  M.  Shurtliff,  L.  Ward  Smith,  Sanford  J.  Smith,  John  R.  Stone, 
William  C.  Storrs,  John  Thompson,  jr.,  James  S.  Tryon,  John  C.  Van  Epps, 
Horatio  G.  Warner,  David  L.  White,  Daniel  Wood. 

1845. — ^James  Abrams,  James  L.  Angle,  Charles  Billinghurst,  Seymour 
Boughton,  Rufus  L.  B.  Clark,  Frederick  L.  Durand,  Samuel  B.  Dwinelle,  Almon 
Gage,  Christopher  Jordan,  George  E.  King,  Daniel  Marsh,  Lewis  H.  Morgan, 
Hiram  C.  Smith,  James  E.  Squire. 

1849. — Truman  Abrams,  Horace  B.  Adams,  James  Ames,  Daniel  B.  Beach, 
Oliver  M.  Benedict,  Samuel  S.  Bowne,  Charles  A.  Bowne,  James  S.  Bush,  Wil- 
liam P.  Chase,  Charles  H.  Clark,  James  C.  Cochrane,  William  F.  Cogswell,  Zimri 
L.  Davis,  Frederick  Delano,  Alexander  Ely,  Lorenzo  D.  Ferry;  Edward  W. 
Fitzhugh,  Thomas  Frothingham,  Truman  Hastings,  Luther  H.  Hovey,  Calvin 
Huson,  jr.,  D.  Cameron  Hyde,  Kasimir  P.  Jervis,  Byron  D.  McAlpine,  Benja- 
min G.  Marvin,  Alfred  G.  Mudge,  Thaddeus  S.  Newell,  Chauncey  Perry,  Charles 
T.  Porter,  Edward  A.  Raymond,  William  A.  Root,  Henry  Sargent,  Henry  R. 
Selden,  Ebenezer  B.  Shearman,  Anson  Sherwood,  Eliphaz  Trimmer,  Chauncey 
Tucker. 


Judges  and  Lawyers.  379 


1851.— William  L.  Brock,  Philander  M.  Crandall,  John  B.  Curtiss,  Charles 
R.  Davis,  Gideon  Draper,  jr.,  William  A.  Fitzhugh,  Albert  M.  Hastings,  Jarvis 
M.  Hatch,  James  G.  Hills,  Henry  T.  Johns,  William  H.  McClure,  John  H.  Mar- 
tindale,  George  W.  Miller,  James  M.  Miller,  George  G.  Munger,  Sylvester  H. 
Packard,  jr.,  William  J.  Parker,  Charles  H.  Peirce,  John  N.  Pomeroy,  John  L. 
Requa,  W.  Dean  Shuart,  John  W.  Stebbins,  Matthew  G.  Warner,  jr.,  Frederick 
A.  Whittlesey. 

1853-  — John  J.  Bowen,  Phederus  Carter,  Philip  I.  Clum,  Charles  P.  Crosby, 
Caleb  B.  Crumb,  George  Ely,  George  Gardner,  Issachar  Grosscup,  George  H. 
Humphrey,  Charles  G.  Loeber,  John  McConvill,  George  E.  Mumford,  George 
Murphy,  Oliver  H.  Palmer,  George  W.  Rawson,  George  P.  Townsend,  Henry 
E.  White,  Robert  A.  Wilson. 

1855.  —  George  B.  Brand,  Isaac  S.  Hobbie,  Charles  W.  Littles,  D.  W.  Sher- 
wood, Wells  Taylor,  Seth  H.  Terry,  John  Van  Voorhis,  Albert  G.  Wheeler. 

1857. — Theodore  Bacon,  Michael  Canfield,  Wm.  R.  Carpenter,  Byron  G. 
Chappell,  Andrew  J.  Ensign,  Edward  Harris,  John  H.  Jeffres,  G.  W.  Johnson, 
ICdgar  Knickerbocker,  E.  S.  Llewellyn,  A.  G.  Melvin,  Wm.  J.  McPherson,  George 
T.  Parker,  Charles  J.  Powers,  Charles  K.  Smith,  Vincent  M.  Smith,  T.  Hart 
Strong,  Joseph  A.  Stull,  Seymour  G.  Wilcox,  Charles  C.  Willson. 

1859. —  William  H.  Andrews,  Daniel  L.  Angle,  Almon  B.  Benedict,  Henry 
C.  Bloss,  T.  B.  Clarkson,  Johri  Craig,  Oscar  Craig,  S.  C.  Crittenden,  George  P. 
Draper,  James  S.  Garlock,  Pierson  B.  Hulett,  A.  H.  Jones,  James  W.  Kerr, 
David  Laing,  Chas.  P.  Landers,  J.  H.  McDonald,  John  A.  McGorray,  B.  G. 
Marvin,  Henry  S.  Redfield,  George  E.  Ripsom,  William  C.  Rowley,  T.  D. 
Steele,  J.  W.  Tompkins,  George  Truesdale,  Quincy  Van  Voorhis,  J.  B.  Vosburg, 
H.  H.  Woodward. 

1 86 1. —  Charles  S.  Baker,  Thomas  K.  Baker,  Hiram  S.  Barker,  J.  D.  Brown, 
Wm.  S.  Campbell,  D.  L.  Crittenden,  Samuel  J.  Crooks,  Joseph  Deverell,  Seth 
W.  Eldridge,  De  Witt  C.  Ellis,  H.  B.  Ensworth,  Philip  Hamilton,  Byron  M. 
Hanks,  Frank  W.  Hastings,  H.  S.  Hogoboom,  K.  J.  Holmes,  Walter  Hurd, 
Wm.  S.  Ingraham,  Henry  B.  James,  Francis  A.  Macomber,  Abel  Meeker,  Wm. 
Powell,  D.  P.  Richardson,  Wm.  H.  Rogers,  Jesse  Shepherd,  Theron  R.  Strong, 
Andrew  J.  Wilkin. 

1863. —  Charles  P.  Achilles,  Wm.  H.  Bowman,  Chas.  H.  Cherry,  Martin 
W.  Cooke,  Wm.  Graebe,  W.  W.  Hegeman,  Francis  J.  Mather,  Wm.  F.  Peck, 
Charles  F.  Pond,  James  Rau,  Archibald  Servoss,  W.  S.  Staples,  George  S. 
Tuckerman. 

1865. —  Wm.  M.  Bates,  George  W.  Blackmore,  Lyman  W.  Briggs,  Sanford 
E.  Church,  James  L.  Clark,  John  M.  Davy,  C.  C.  Davison,  J.  Felix,  C.  Hap- 
good,  A.  C.  Hogoboom,  Ralph  O.  Ives,  J.  L.  Luckey,  John  C.  O'Brien,  Samuel 
S.  Partridge,  O.  H.  Robinson,  Richard  H.  Schooley,  Wm.  J.  Sheridan,  O.  H. 
Stevens,  Homer  Stull,  Edward  Webster,  Wm.  H.  Webster,  M.  Van  Voorhis. 

25 


380  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

1S66.—  C.  W,  Baker,  O.  M.  Benedict,  jr.,  M.  Campbell,  J.  W.  Kerr,  H.  H. 
Mason,  W.  S.  Oliver,  E.  S.  Otis,  Samuel  Stevens,  J.  C.  Wells,  Henry  Widner. 

1867.— W.  G.  Ashby,  E.  Burke  Collins,  G.  S.  Cutting,  D.  C.  Feely,  John  M. 
Dunning,  W.  H.  Fish,  F.  B.  Hutchinson,  John  W.  Kelly,  Donald  McNaugh- 
ton,  P.  Mclntyre,  George  Raines. 

1868.— A.  S.  Barton,  Josiah  H.  Bissell,  Milton  H.  Davis,  C.  G.  Hapgood, 
James  S.  Mathews,  S.  R.  Robinson,  Wm.  H.  Shepard. 

1869.— John  W.  Deuel,  Edward  B.  Fenner,  L.  J.  Goddard,  A  Frank  Max- 
son,  J.  Breck  Perkins,  Edward  Witherspoon. 

1870. —  Charles  M.  Allen,  John  Clark,  jr.,  Ephraim  C.  Fish,  J.  E.  Cheney, 
jr.,  John  E.  Roe,  J.  P.  Varnum,  J.  W.  Wilson,  L.  M.  Wooden. 

1 87 1. — Henry  N.  Allen,  J.  Sherlock  Andrews,  James  M.  Angle,  W.  H. 
Crouchen,  Charles  F.  Dean,  Charles  H.  Gorham,  Daniel  L.  Johnston,  W.  H. 
Mitchell,  Milton  W.  Noyes,  J.  C.  O'Regan,  Jacob  Spahn,  D.  D.  Sully,  A.  D. 
Walbridge. 

1872. — Wm.  A.  Combs,  Joseph  N.  Crane,  J.  R.  Fanning,  James  A.  Jor- 
dan, John  J.  Palmer,  James  B.  Pike,  George  W.  Thomas,  Wm.  K.  Townsend, 
Thomas  E.  White,  William  H.  Yerkes. 

1873.  — Wm.  E.  Edmonds,  George  W.  Fisher,  John  S.  Morgan,  George  F. 
Jackson,  Chas.  J.  McDowell,  Edward  F.  Stilwell,  George  W.  Sill,  H.  D.  Tucker. 

1874.  — Nathaniel  Foote,  jr.,  William  S.  James,  Merritt  G.  McKinney,  Mar- 
cus Michaels,  Eugene  H.  Satterlee. 

1B75.  — Walter  W.  Adams,  L.  C.  Benedict,  Horace  L.  Bennett,  George  A. 
Benton,  S.  D.  Bentley,  M.  H.  Briggs,  S.  J.  Budlong,  Paris  G.  Clark,  Pomeroy 
P.  Dickinson,  E.  B.  Fiske,  L.  H.  Gillette,  Richard  H.  Lansing,  E.  A.  McMath, 
T.  P.  O'Kelly,  Wm.  W.  Webb,  Richard  E.  White,  Solomon  Wile,  Isaac  A.  Wile, 
Byron  C.  Williams,  Charles  M.  Williams. 

1876.  —  George  Armstrong,  Wm.  H.  Baker,  Wm.  R.  Carpenter,  J.  A.  Col- 
well,  Henry  R.  Curtis,  F.  A.  Hitchcock,  Angus  McDonald,  W.  H.  Olmsted, 
William  H.  St.  John,  John  C.  Simons,  Henry  J.  Sullivan,  Josiah  Sullivan,  S. 
Wheeler,  George  F.  Yeoman. 

•  1877. — J.  Aaron  Adams,  Joseph  A.  Adiington,  John  N.  Beckley,  Walter 
Buell,  Darius  L.  Covill,  Edward  O.  Dowd,  J.  H.  Hopkins,  W.  S.  Hubbell, 
Thomas  A.  Hungerford,  W.  Martin  Jones,  J.  Horace  McGuire,  Heman  W. 
Morris,  M.  F.  O'Dea,  H.  G.  Pierce,  W.  G.  Raines,  T.  F.  Stark,  Samuel  H. 
Torrey,  George  E.  Warner,  T.  D.  Wilkin,  Wm.  H.  Whiting. 

1878.  —  Louis  A.  Amsden,  Frank  M.  Bottum,  Wm.  L.  Brock,  G.  F.  Bau- 
sum,  Frederick  L.  Churchill,  J.  Ewing  Durand,  Frank  W.  El  wood,  F.  Hebard, 
Marcus  Hirschfield,  Robert  Jarrard,  D.  E.  Parsons,  Arthur  C.  Smith,  J.  T.  Pin- 
gree,  Ivan  Powers,  H.  J.  Sampson,  George  B.  Selden,  W.  H.  Shuart,  Herbert 
L.  Ward,  C.  E.  Yale. 

1879.  — W.  B.  Crittenden,  A.  N.  Fitch,  G.  W.  Lamb,  Edwin  A.  Medcalf, 


The  Secret  Societies.  381 

James  H.  Montgomery,  W.  F.  Rampe,  Edward  M.  Redmond,  Joseph  Welling, 
Wni.  E.  Werner. 

1 880.  —  James  Briggs,  John  A.  Burgess,  Isaac  W.  Butts,  P.  Chamberlain, 
jr.,  Fred  H.  Church,  Walter  S.  Coffin,  Adalbert  Cronise,  Henry  G.  Danforth, 
J.  Desmond,  F'rank  W.  Dickinson,  George  D.  Forsyth, frank  M.  Gofif,  George 
W.  Hall,  Henry  J.  Hetzel,  Joseph  S.  Hunn,  Wm.  W.  Jacobs,  Bartholomew 
Keeler,  C.  D.  Kiehel,  Henry  M.  McDonald,  Samuel  P.  Moore,  James  B.  Nellis, 
Fred.  P.  Nutting,  Wilber  F.  Osborn,  Thos.  G.  Outerbridge,  Thomas  Raines, 
C.  B.  Rebasz,  S.  L.  Selden,  Allen  R.  Sheffer,  John  G.  Snell,  G.  C.  Wolcott. 

1 88 1. — Adoniram  J.  Abbott,  John  B.  Abbott,  John  H.  Bishop,  Geo.  M. 
Cone,  Wm.  D.  Ellwanger,  Chas.  C.  Herrick,  John  H.  Keefe,  Edmund  Lyon, 
Spencer  S.  Markham,  Frank  W.  Miller,  William  S.  Servis,  John  M.  Steele, 
Holmes  B.  Stevens,  Edward  F.  Turk,  E.  F.  Wellington. 

1882.  —  F  H.  Baker,  Angus  Cameron,  E.  S.  Clarke,  W.  N.  Cogswell,  H. 
W.  Conklin,  W.  H.  Davis,  Edw.  W.  Hall,  W-  A.  Hawthorn,  ■  David  Hays, 
David  Herron,  Henry  M.  Hill,  F.  J.  Hone,  J.  L.  Hotchkiss,  J.  D.  Lynn,  E. 
W.  Maurer,  W.  A.  Sternberg,  H.  J.  Tuttle,  Roy  C.  Webster,  C.  S.  Wilbur, 
Casterline  Williams,  John  W.  Wilson. 

1883.  —  D.  C.  Barnum,  J.  A.  Bernhard,  Myron  T.  Bly,  F.  H.  Bowlby, 
Selden  S.  Brown,  C.  J.  Browning,  Ralph  Butler,  P.  A.  Costich,  Raleigh  Far- 
rar,  Seward  French,  William  Johnson,  C.  H.  Kingsbury,  G.  R.  Losey,  ,L.  B. 
Marcy,  H.  L.  Osgood,  Earl  B.  Putnam,  A.  J.  Shaw,  G.  Fort  Slocum,  G.  J. 
Trcnaman,  R.  B.  Wickes,  Charles  H.  Wiltsie. 


CHAPTER   XXXVni. 

THE  SECRET  SOCIETIES  OF  ROCHESTER.! 

I'reemasonry  in  the  Village — Institution  of  Wells  Lodge  in  1817  —  Growth  of  the  Order — History 
of  the  Lodges,  Chapters,  Councils,  etc.  —  Monroe  Commandery  —  Its  Drill  Corps  —  Cyrene  Com- 
niandery  —  The  Scottish  Rite  —  Lodges  of  Perfection  —  Masonic  Relief  Association  —  The  Odd  FeU 
lows  —  History  of  the  Lodges  of  this  City  —  The  Good  Work  of  the  Order  —  The  Knights  of  Pythias 
—  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  —  Tlie  Foresters  —  The  Elks  —  Other  Secret  Societies. 

THE  pioneer  settlers  of  Rochesterville  (as  this  locality  was  first  called)  were 
prominent  in  the  introduction  of  Freemasonry  into  this  section  of  the 
Genesee  valley.  Early  in  1817  Wells  lodge,  number  282,  was  instituted, 
working  under  a  charter  from  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state  of  New  York.  This 
lodge  flourished  for  about  eleven  years,  and  then  succumbed,  with  the  other  Ma- 

1  This  article  on  Freemasonry  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Thomas  Gliddon. 


382  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sonic  bodies  of  this  locality,  to  the  adverse  elements  of  Anti- Masonry,  which 
broke  out  during  the  year  1829,  and  the  name  of  Wells  lodge  became  obsolete. 
Its  records  are  undoubtedly  lost,  but  tradition  gives  us  the  names  of  Levi  H. 
Clark,  William  Neafus,  William  Cobb,  Davis  C.  West,  Samuel  J.  Andrews, 
Glover  Fenn,  William  Brewster  and  Abelard  Reynolds  as  the  principal  mem- 
bers and  officers.  From  the  same  source  we  get  the  information  that  the  as- 
sembling place  of  the  earliest  of  the  secret  society  men  was  in  the  building 
owned  by  Abelard  Reynolds,  on  Buffalo  (now'  West  Main)  street,  the  site  of 
the  Reynolds  arcade. 

The  second  step  in  the  history  of  Freemasonry  was  the  organisation  of 
Hamilton  R.  A.  chapter,  number  62.  Of  this  body  we  have  authentic  inform- 
ation, for  luckily  its  records  are  intact.  During  the  year  18 18  eleven  breth- 
ren, namely,  Levi  H.  Clark,  William  Neafus,  Chauncey  Dean,  William  Cobb, 
William  Johnson,  Solomon  Close,  Davis  C.  West,  Samuel  J.  Andrews,  Benja- 
min Abel,  Chauncey  Cobb,  Glover  Fenn,  members  of  Wells  lodge,  associated 
together  for  procuring  in  the  usual  form  legal  authority  to  work  in  the  capitular 
rite.  The  papers  were  properly  prepared,  and  at  the  annual  convocation  of 
the  Grand  R.  A.  chapter  at  Albany,  February  3d,  1819,  the  warrant  was  given 
to  Levi  H.  Clark,  William  Neafus  and  Chauncey  Dean.  The  nearest  chapters 
established  at  that  early  date  were  located  at  Richmond,  Geneva  and  Canan- 
daigua  in  Ontario  county,  and  LeRoy  in  Genesee  county.  For  reasons  not 
stated,  the  convocations  of  Hamilton  chapter  were  generally  held  during  the 
first  years  in  the  afternoons.  The  17th  of  March,  18 19,  was  probably  the  first 
distinguishing  day  to  the  citizens  of  the  village,  and  therefore  is  memorable  in 
the  annals  of  the  fraternity.  "  Hamilton  chapter  and  Wells  lodge  formed  in 
procession,"  is  the  quaint  phraseology  of  Benjamin  Austin,  the  secretary,  "  ac- 
companied by  the  Rochester  band  of  musick,  and  marched  to  the  meeting- 
house, where  an  oration  was  pronounced  by  our  M.  E.  Comp.  Levi  H.  Clark." 
After  the  oration.  Rev.  Alanson  Welton,  P.  H.  P.  of  Richmond  chapter,  duly 
installed  .  the  officers  elect  of  Hamilton  chapter — Levi  H.  Clark,  high  priest; 
William  Cobb,  king ;  Chauncey  Dean,  scribe  ;  Benjamin  Abel,  captain  of  host ; 
Davis  C.  West,  principal  sojourner ;  Benjamin  Austin,  secretary ;  William  At- 
kinson, treasurer.  From  this  time  onward  the  chapter  continued  its  meetings, 
but  nothing  of  general  interest  in  the  record  is  observable  till  the  death  of 
William  Johnson  is  announced.  He  was  present  at  the  convocation  held 
August  4th,  when  he- acted  as  secretary /w  tern.,  and  jotted  down  in  the  min- 
ute book  the  regular  proceedings.  He  was  the  first  Mason  that  had  died  in 
the  village,  and  doubtless  the  brethren  of  Wells  lodge  took  occasion  to  attend 
his  obsequies  in  accordance  with  the  time-honored  custom  of  the  fraternity. 
Rev.  Comfort  Williams,  the  earliest  resident  Christian  minister  of  Rochester, 
had  been  attached  to  Hamilton  chapter  through  exaltation  February  1st, 
1819  —  Ebenezer  Watts,  William  Brewster,  Augustine  G.    Dauby,  Benjamin 


The  Secret  Societies.  383 

Austin,  Oliver  Culver  and  Ira  West  being  among  the  other  candidates  of  that 
day  —  and  acted  as  an  officer,  but  he  did  not  remain  long  here.  Jacob  Gould, 
Hamlet  Scrantom,  Charles  J.  Hill,  Abelard  Reynolds  and  Warham  Whitney 
are  mentioned  in  quick  succession  as  exalted  R.  A.  Masons,  and  filled  impor- 
tant duties  in  the  chapter. 

In  examining  the  early  records  of  Hamilton  chapter,  we  get  occasional 
glimpses  of  the  cordiality  existing  between  the  companions  and  the  brethren 
of  Wells  lodge.  Both  bodies  met  in  the  same  rooms,  and,  if  changes  were 
desirable,  a  full  discussion  took  place  in  lodge  and  chapter  before  accomplishing 
anything.  William  Cobb,  the  second  of  the  pioneers,  died  in  the  summer  of 
1 82 1.  The  next  year  Orlando  Hastings,  Burrage  Smith  and  Jacob  Howe  are 
among  the  newly  admitted  members,  and  a  little  later  were  added  the  names 
of  Rev.  F.  H.  Cuming,  Jonathan  Child,  Robert  Martin,  Bill  Colby,  Charles  G. 
Cumings,  Jehiel  Barnard  and  Elbert  W.  Scrantom.  During  1827  and  1828 
the  adversaries  of  Freemasonry  were  gaining  strength,  especially  throughout 
Western  New  York,  in  consequence  of  the  supposed  abduction  of  Morgan  by 
prominent  Masons  residing  within  a  radius  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  of  Roch- 
ester, and,  in  view  of  the  morbid  condition  of  public  sentiment,  Hamilton 
chapter  voted  to  discontinue  its  meetings. 

The  introduction  of  the  orders  of  Christian  knighthood  occurred  in  1826, 
and  the  chief  instrumentalists  were  the  men  we  have  named  above,  who  were 
zealous  in  the  work  of  the  lodge  and  chapter.  The  first  date  in  the  original 
record  book  relating  to  the  organisation  of  Monroe  encampment  (old  style)  of 
Knights  Templars  is  June  14th,  1826,  and  "pursuant  to  a  notice  given,"  the 
sir  knights  assembled  in  first  regular  conclave  on  the  loth  of  July  and  com- 
pleted the  organisation  by  the  election  and  appointment  of  the  following: 
Rev.  Francis  H.  Cuming,  grand  commander ;  Jonathan  Child,  generalissimo ; 
Abelard  Reynolds,  captain-general ;  Jacob  Gould,  prelate ;  Edward  Doyle, 
treasurer ;  Henry  B.  Williams,  secretary ;  Simeon  P.  Allcott,  senior  warden ; 
Ebenezer  Watts,  junior  warden;  Charles  G.  Cumings,  standard-bearer  ;  Joseph 
Frazer,  sword-bearer  ;  Charles  C.  Lathrop,  warder  ;  Hezekiah  Eldridge,  cap- 
tain of  guard.  Burrage  Smith,  James  Truesdale,  John  Whitney  and  George 
Fisher  were  the  additional  members  present.  The  above-named  officers  were 
publicly  installed  July  13th,  1826.  The  minute  book  contains  this  very  brief 
and  quaint  record  :  — 

"  Pursuant  to  previous  arrangements  the  installation  of  the  Monroe  encampment 
took  place  at  the  Episcopal  church,'  by  the  M.  E.  Grand  Commander  Nathan  Beers, 
assisted  by  Captain-General  Beers  and  the  grand  prelate,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gear,  of  the 
Ithaca  encampment." 

Remarkable  prosperity  and  unanimity  attended  the  conclaves  of  this 
knightly  body,  which   had   been  legally  warranted  by  the  grand  encampment 

1  This  was  the  original  .St.  Luke's  church  on  Fitzhugh  street,  near  the  Erie  canal,  of  which  Rev. 
F.  H.  Cuming  was  rector. 


384  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  the  state  of  New  York  as  a  subordinate,  numbered  12,  which  has  never  been 
changed,  although  at  one  time  the  early  numbers  were  re-arranged  for  the  en- 
campments stationed  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  state.  Members  were  added 
from  the  prosperous  class  in  the  village,  and  really  bright  was  the  outlook  for 
the  chivalrous  Christian  gentlemen  thus  banded  together.  Unfortunately  "the 
war  between  Masonry  and  Anti-Masonry"  broke  out  in  1828,  and  fiercely  did 
the  battle  rage.  The  officers  and  members  of  Monroe  encampment,  number 
12,  on  February  27th,  1829,  rather  than  intensify  the  rancor,  concluded  to  re- 
turn their  charter  and  abstain  from  their  regular  meetings.  This  action  was 
the  practical  disbanding  of  the  Masonic  bodies  in  Rochester,  and  for  over  six- 
teen years  the  fraternity  had  no  abiding  place  nor  a  chance  to  vindicate 
itself  from  the  attacks  of  wily  politicians  who  were  so  noisy  in  denouncing 
it  as  a  "wicked  institution."  The  changed  feeling  in  the  community,  or  rather 
a  more  healthy  tone  concerning  the  fraternity  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
was  the  excuse  in  1845  for  reviving  the  institution  in  this  city,  which  had  grown 
to  such  proportions  as  to  reasonably  assure  the  success  of  a  good  working 
lodge,  with  the  prospects  of  one  or  more  offshoots  within  a  reasonable  length 
of  time. 

Valley  lodge  was  chartered  at  the  annual  communication  of  the  grand  lodge, 
June  8th,  1846.  Lyman  B.  Langworthy,  a  survivor  of  the  membership 
of  old  Wells  lodge,  was  instrumental  in  getting  together  the  brethren  lo- 
cated in  the  city  for  a  preliminary  consultation  some  time  in  1845,  ^"^ 
hoped  to  procure  the  old  charter,  and  thus  resuscitate  the  lodge  of  former  days. 
The  archives  of  the  grand  lodge  were  examined  for  the  original  document,  but 
it  could  not  be  found.  Hence  the  organisation  under  the  new  name,  Valley 
lodge,  number  109.  Continuously  to  the  present  time  this  lodge  has  pursued 
its  course,  and  all  the  time  occupied  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  annals  of  the 
craft,  leading  in  numerical  strength  on  the  roll  of  the  grand  lodge,  a  position  it 
still  holds.  We  append  the  list  of  past  masters:  Wm.  A.  Langworthy,  1845; 
Samuel  Richardson,  1845;  Asahel  S.  Beers,  1846;  Chas  G.  Cumings,  1847 
-48;  Nicholas  E.Paine,  1849;  Sylvester  H.  Packard,  1850;  EbenezerT.  Oat- 
ley,  1851,  1854-59;  Edward  Whalen,  1852;  Jacob  Howe,  1853;  Roswell  H. 
Smith,  i860,  1866-70;  John  W.  McElhinny,  1861-62;  Solomon  M.  Benjamin, 
1863-65,  1871  ;  John  Alexander,  1872,  1884;  John  M.  Brown,  1873,  1875; 
William  C.  Brown,  1874;  Henry  J.  Durgin,  1876;  William  B.  Mather,  1877; 
JohnH.  Bird,  1878,  1880;  Fred.  H.  Beach,  1879;  B.  Frank  La  Salle,  1881-82; 
John  W.  Merriam,  1883.  Clifton  C.  Gifford  was  raised  a  M.  M.  in  this' lodge 
April  2d,  1855;  at  the  same  communication  was  elected  secretary,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  fill  that  office  acceptably  ever  since  —  doubtless  an  unprecedented 
case  in  Masonic  history. 

Yonnondio  Lodge. — The  success  which  marked  the  early  years  of  Valley 
lodge  encouraged  a  few  of  the  brethren  to  assume   the  burden  of  organising  a 


The  Secret  Societies.  385 


new  lodge  early  in  the  year  1 850.  Consent  was  given  (in  accordance  with 
custom)  to  carry  out  the  project  by  Valley  lodge  on  the  first  of  April,  and 
William  Brewster,  Chas.  G.  Cumings,  Nicholas  E.  Paine,  Wm.  E.  Lathrop, 
Cornelius  G.  Palmer,  Nathaniel  Clark,  Wm.  F.  Holmes,  Lansing  B.  Swan  and 
Abram  Karnes  became  the  charter  members,  all  of  whom  received  demits 
from  the  mother  lodge  for  the  purpose  indicated.  The  course  of  events  in  this 
lodge  has  not  been  dissimilar  to  the  onward  march  of  the  elder  lodge.  Just  at 
present  it  enjoys  distinction  as  having  a  special  charity  fund  set  apart  by  reso- 
lution gf  the  lodge,  and  its  finances  are  in  the  most  satisfactory  condition.  The 
past  masters  are:  Nicholas  E.  PainCi  1851  ;  William  E.  Lathrop,  1851-58; 
Charles  Vaill,  1859;  William  W.  Brufif,  1860-61  ;  Alvah  M.  Ostrander,  1862- 
.64;  William  F.  Holmes,  1865  ;  Charles  W.  Watson,  1866;  Henry  B.  Knapp, 
1866-68;  William  S.  Coon,  1869-71;  James  T.  Southard,  1872;  Fred.  F. 
Boorman,  1873;  John  Mitchell,  1874;  David  K.  Cartter,  1875  ;  Thomas  L. 
Turner,  1876-77  ;  Henry  M.  Plant,  1878  ;  Willard  S.  Bradt,  1879  ;  John  A. 
Davi.s,  1880;  William  J.  McKelvey,  1881  ;' Robert  Salter,  1882;  Alonzo  D. 
McMaster,  jr.,  1883;  William  H.  Jones,  1884.  Through  the  exertions  of  Wm. 
H.  Jones  a  grand  reunion  of  Yonnondio  lodge  was  held  in  the  Masonic  temple, 
March  i  ith,  1884,  when  the  third  degree  was  worked  in  full  by  the  fourteen 
surviving  past  masters  of  this  lodge,  on  five  well-known  young  citizens,  in  the 
presence  of  Deputy  Grand  Master  William  A.  Brpdie,  and  D.  D.  G.  M.  Henry 
C.  Lathrop.  At  the  close  of  the  ceremonies  the  large  assemblage  of  breth- 
ren were  marshaled  into  the  banquet  hall  to  a  superb  collation,  and  speeches 
were  made  commemorative  of  the  interesting  event  by  William  A.  Brodie, 
Samuel  C.  Pierce  and  Thomas  Gliddon,  May  ist,  1884.  Yonnondio  lodge 
reported  375  members. 

Genesee  Falls  lodge  was  organised  August  14th,  i860,  with  the  following 
charter  members :  Wm.  E.  Lathrop,  John  F.  Whitbeck,  Charles  Vaill,  Wm.  H. 
Burtis,  Hiram  D.  Vosburg,  Fred.  DeLano,  A.  B.  Rapalje,  John  T.  Fox,  Oliver 
Culver.  At  the  annual  communication  of  the  grand  lodge  in  June,  1861,  Genesee 
Falls  lodge,  number  507,  was  voted  a  charter  and  has  enjoyed  constant  pros- 
perity during  all  the  succeeding  yeans.  The  names  of  those  who  have  served  as 
ma.ster  are  appended:  William  E.  Lathrop,  1860-61;  John  F.  Whitbeck,  1862, 
1864;  Hiram  D.  Vosburg,  1863;  Jefifrey  W.  Vary,  1866;  William  Shelp,  1868; 
L.  J.  W.  Vary,  1870;  George  F.  Loder,  1871;  Everett  C.  Bradstreet,  1872; 
Franklin  S.  Stebbins,  1873;  Julius  L.  Townsend,  1874;  Daniel  T.  Hunt,  1875; 
Walter  Liddell,  1876;  William  H  Bosworth,  1877,  1884;  Samuel  C.  Pierce, 
1878;  Varnum  M.  Colvin,  1879;  W.  Lincoln  Sage,  33°,  1880;  Thomas  A. 
Raymond,  1881;  John  H.  Putnam,  1882;  William  H.  Whiting,  1883.  Of  the 
above,  William  Shelp  served  as  district  deputy  grand  master  of  this  Masonic 
district  for  two  years,  and  George  F.  Loder  for  one  year.  W.  Lincoln  Sage, 
33°  (now  residing  in  Boston),  was  respectively  junior  grand  deacon,  and  grand 
marshal  on  the  stafifs  of  Grand  Masters  Anthony,  Taylor  and  Flagler. 


386  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Rochester  lodge,  number  660,  was  the  result  of  the  activity  of  the  late  Ed- 
ward M.  Smith,  and  was  organised  February  i6th,  1867,  with  the  following 
charter  members:  John  W.  McElhinny,  William  Carson,  E.  Meigs  Smith, Thomas 
Leighton,  Nicholas  Tamblingson,  Philander  Cunningham,  Harvey  P.  Lang- 
worthy,  Andrew  J.  Warner,  Charles  A.  Gardiner,  Levi  S.  Fulton,  William  H. 
Moore,  Samuel  Oothout,  Chauncey  W.  Clark,  Russ  Coats,  B.  Frank  Enos, 
Alexander  Scott,  James  Wing,  Vincent  M.  Smith,  Daniel  Richmond,  Cornelius 
R.  Parsons,  John  McConvill,  Samuel  W.  D.  Moore,  John  Fisk,  Lewis  H.  Dur- 
land,  William  H.  Crennell,  George  W.  Stebbins,  Jacob  G.  Maurer,  David  Up- 
ton, R.  K.  Gould,  Maurice  Smith,  James  H.  Kelly,  Luther  C.  Spencer,  Cyrus 
Beardsley,  John  G.  Baetzel.  The  past  masters  have  been  :  John  W.  McElhinny, 
1867-68;  Wm.  Carson,  1869;  Roscius  K.  Gould,  1870;  Wm.  Carson,  1871; 
Jacob  G.  Maurer,  1872;  Edwin  A.  Loder,  1873;  John  E.  Morey,  1874;  Thos. 
Brooks,  1875;  Edwin  B.  Chapin,  1876;  Daniel  S.  Benjamin,  1877;  Frank 
Taylor,  1878;  Jno.  W.  Stebbins,  1879;  Frank  J.  Craigie,  1880;  Andrew  J. 
Hatch,  1881;  Marcus  Hirshfield,  1882;  Frank  E.  Glen,  1883;  James  H. 
Kelly,  1884. 

This  lodge  had  apartments,  in  conjunction  with  Cyrene  commandery,  Ionic 
chapter  and  Germania  lodge,  in  the  old  Union  &  Advertiser  building  on  West 
Main  street.  In  the  spring  of  1878  these  bodies  abandoned  the  above  quarters, 
and  for  five  years  held  their  meetings  in  the  Masonic  temple  on  Exchange 
street.  During  the  summer  of  1883  a  new  suite  of  rooms  were  fitted  up  in  the 
Cox  building  on  East  Main  street,  for  Rochester  lodge,  Ionic  chapter  and 
Cyrene  commandery,  and  these  bodies  are  now  meeting  in  that  place.  B. 
Frank  Enos  was  elected  secretary  on  the  organisation  of  Rochester  lodge,  and 
has  continuously  held  the  office  to  the  present  time.  In  numerical  strength  and 
financial  resources  this  lodge  makes  a  most  splendid  showing,  and  has  a  remark- 
able record  in  the  archives  of  the  grand  lodge.  Jacob  G.  Maurer  served  for 
three  years  as  district  deputy  grand  master  for  the  22d  Masonic  district,  com- 
prising the  counties  of  Monroe,  Livingston,  Genesee  and  Wyoming. 

Germania  lodge,  number  722,  was  organised  March  7th,  1872.  As  its 
name  indicates,  its  membership  was  to  be  of  citizens  of  the  German  tongue,  and 
much  credit  is  due  to  the  succeeding  corps  of  officers  for  the  unflagging  inter- 
est they  have  manifested  in  keeping  up  the  high  standing  of  the  fraternity  in 
this  city.  Charter  members :  George  F.  Merz,  John  Neun,  Vincent  Aman, 
John  C.  Ganger,  Fred  Zimmer,  J.  Geo.  Baetzel,  John  Lutes,  August  M.  Koeth, 
Charles  Vogel,  John  Reichenbach,  George  Gucker,  Henry  Aman,  Charles  T. 
Wolser,  Charles  Gilbert,  John  Dismeyer,  August  Witzell,  Francis  Boor,  C.  F. 
Weissinger,  Christian  J.  Shaeffer.  This  is  the  most  recent  of  the  blue  lodges 
organised  in  this  city.  The  restricted  nature  of  the  material  from  which  it 
draws  its  membership  has  necessarily  limited  its  numerical  strength.  It  has, 
however,  been  fully  as  prosperous  as  the  bodies  working  in  the  English  tongue. 


The  Secret  Societies.  387 

George  F.  Merz  was  the  first  master  of  Germania  lodge.  He  was  succeeded 
by  J.  George  Baetzel,  and  John  Neun  and  John  Viehmann'  have  also  filled 
acceptably  the  presiding  chair.     John  Hilficker  is  the  present  master,  1884. 

Hamilton  Chapter.  — The  particulars  of  the  organisation  of  this  Royal  Arch 
chapter  have  already  been  briefly  stated.  It  is  of  the  resuscitation  that  we  are 
now  concerned.  William  Brewster,  Ebenezer  Watts,  Erastus  Cook,  Charles 
G.  Cumings,  H.  A.  Brew.ster,  William  E.  Lathrop,  Samuel  Richardson, 
Charles  C.  Lathrop  and  Luther  A.  Allen  met  February  6th,  1846,  and  effected 
a  preliminary  organisation,  and  on  the  17th  of  March  subsequently  the  chapter 
was  fully  intrusted  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  warranted  by  the  grand 
chapter,  with  the  original  charter  restored,  and  William  Brewster,  H.  P.  ;  Eben- 
ezer Watts,  K. ;  Erastus  Cook,  S. ;  Luther  A.  Allen,  secretary ;  Charles  C. 
Lathrop,  treasurer.  Unexampled  prosperity  has  attended  the  workings  of 
this  chapter,  and,  in  the  annals  of  the  grand  chapter,  Hamilton  chapter,  number 
62,  has  long  held  its  place  at  the  head  of  the  roll,  both  in  membership  and  in 
contributions  to  the  treasury.  We  give  the  entire  list  of  high  priests,  from  the 
organisation  in  1819:  Levi  H.  Clark,  1819-20;  William  Cobb,  1821-22;  Wil- 
liam Brewster,  1823-26;  Burrage  Smith,  1827;  Jacob  Gould,  1828;  Robert 
Martin,  1829-30;  William  Brewster,  1846-48,  1854;  Charles  G.  Cumings, 
1849-50;  Asahel  S.  Beers,  1851  ;  William  E.  Lathrop,  1852,  1855,  1863; 
Sylvester  H.  Packard,  1853,  1856;  Wm.  S.  Thompson,  1857-59;  Wm.  F. 
Holmes,  1860-62;  Charles  W.  Watson,  1864-65;  Francis  H.  Marshall,  1866- 
68;  William  Shelp,  1869-71;  George  Hamblet,  1872-73;  George  Hamilton, 
1874;  James  T.  Southard,  1875  ;  John  W.  Merriam,  1876;  Thomas  Seed,  1877 
Varnum  M.  Colvin,  1878;  Samuel  C.  Pierce,  1879;  Julius  L.  Townsend,  1880 
John  A.  Davis,  1881  ;  William  J.  McKelvey,  1882;  Frank  H.  Vick,  1883 
Jacob  G.  Maurer,  1884.  At  the  annual  convocation  in  December,  1865,  John 
Alexander  was  elected  secretary,  and  has  through  devotion,  fidelity  and  effi- 
ciency merited  the  unanimous  reflections  which  have  been  accorded  him.  For 
more  than  twenty  years  John  H.  Kialbfleisch  has  been  organist  of  this  chapter, 
and  for  a  like  period  in  Monroe  commandery  and  Valley  lodge.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent also  the  organist  for  Yonnondio  lodge,  Genesee  F'alls  lodge  and  Doric  coun- 
cil. James  T.  Southard  held  the  office  of  grand  master  of  second  vail  for  two 
years  in  the  grand  chapter,  and  William  J.  McKelvey  for  the  same  length  of  time 
as  grand  principal  sojourner.  Comp.  McKelvey  is  now  (1884)  assistant  grand 
lecturer  for  the  sixth  district,  comprising  the  counties  of  Cayuga,  Livingston, 
Monroe,  Ontario,  Seneca,  Steuben,  Wayne  and  Yates.  On  the  14th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1875,  while  the  grand  commandery  of  Knights  Templars  was  in  session  in 
the  a.sylum  of  Monroe  commandery,  stationed  in  this  city,  James  T.  Southard, 
H.  P.,  who  was  also  at  that  time  a  grand  officer,  ordered  a  grand  banquet  in 
honor  of  the  grand  R.  A.  chapter  officers,  which  was  enjoyed  by  more  than 
200  distinguished  companions  of  the  jurisdiction  then  sojourning  in  the  city. 


388  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  history  of  this  chapter  has  been  fully  written  by.  Thomas  Gliddon,  for 
which  he  was  satisfactorily  compensated  by  being  unanimously  voted  a  life 
membership. 

Ionic  Chapter.  —  A  numerously  signed  petition  from  the  membership  of  Ham- 
ilton chapter,  headed  by  William  F.  Holmes,  was  laid  before  the  grand  high 
priest,  Seymour  H.  Stone,  of  Syracuse,  to  grant  a  dispensation  to  organise  Ionic 
chapter  during  the  year  1867.  In  February,  1868,  the  warrant  was  granted 
to  William  F.  Holmes,  H.  P.,  George  W,  Stebbins,  K.,  and  Albert  G.  Wheeler, 
S.,  and  their  associates,  to  hold  a  chapter  at  Rochester,  to  be  known  as  Ionic 
chapter,  number  210,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Wm.  F.  Holmes, 
John  M.  Fisk,  Wm.  S.  Thompson,  Edwin  H.  Hurd,  James  S.  Garlock,  A.  G. 
Wheeler,  H.  P.  Langworthy,  E.  B.  Jennings,  George  W.  Stebbins,  Wm.  H. 
Gorsline,  Wm.  H.  Moore,  James  Wing,  George  N.  Deming,  S.  N.  Oothout, 
Andrew  J.  Ross,  Wm.  Carson,  B.  Frank  Enos,  C.  A.  Gardiner,  W.  Dean 
Shuart,  N.  Tamblingson,  Maurice  Smith,  George  A.  Reynolds,  J.  W.  McEl- 
hinny,  Edwin  Taylor,  Frank  J.  Amsden,  Abram  Karnes,  D.  Copeland,  jr., 
Andrew  J.  Warner.  The  following  companions  have  served  Ionic  chapter  as 
high   priest:     Albert   G.Wheeler,  1869-71;   Hiram  Wood,    1872-73;    John 

D.  Robinson,  1874;  Roscius  K.  Gould,  1875;  Edwin  A.  Loder,  1876;  Byron 
HoUey,  1877-78;  Andrew  J-  Hatch,  1879;  Frank  Taylor,  1880;  Solomon 
Wile,  1 881;  James  H.  Kelly,  1882;  William  K.  Barlow,  1883;  Frank  A. 
Parker,  1884.  George  G.  Cooper  was  the  first  candidate  initiated,  February 
1st,  1867.  Ionic  chapter  now  meets  in  the  Cox  building.  East  Main  street,  on 
the  second  and  fourth  Tuesdays  in  each  rpohth,  and  has  a  membership  exceed- 
ing 200.  Hiram  Wood  has  been  the  efficient  and  courteous  secretary  of  Ionic 
chapter,  and  to  him  the  writer  hereof  desires  to  return  his  cordial  thanks  for 
valuable  assistance. 

Doric  Council.  — The  movement  for  the  organisation  of  this  council  of  "  royal 
and  select  masters"  occurred  in  i860,  and  the  following  were  the  charter  mem- 
bers :  William  F.  Holmes,  W.  W-  Bruff,  Wm.  H.  Burtis,  A.  J.  Warner,  Dan- 
iel Warner,  William  S.  Ailing,  John  Haywood,  jr.,  George  Shelton,  Charles 
Vaill,  Samuel  C.  Steele,  William  E.  Lathrop,  L.  C.  Spencer,  John  Lutes,  R. 
K.  Lothridge,  Nathan   P.   Stone,   E.  Trimmer,  George  W.  Aldridge,  Nicholas 

E.  Paine,  George  B.  Redfield,  John  C.  Holyland.  Under  the  management  of 
the  following  presiding  officers,  this  council  has  prospered  beyond  any  other 
in  the  jurisdiction:  William  E.  Lathrop,  1860-61,  1863-64;  Andrew  J. 
Warner,  1862;  Charles  W.  Watson,  1865-67;  W.  B.  Crandall,  1868-69;  William 
Shelp,  1870-73;  Henry  M.  Plant,  1874-75  ;  Thomas  Seed,  1876;  James  T. 
Southard,  1877;  Charles  Norman,  1878;  Thomas  Gliddon,  1879,  1883;  John 
W.  Merriam,  1880;  William  C.  Brown,  1881  ;  Eastman  C.  Peck,  1882  ;  Wil- 
lard  S.  Bradt,  1884.  In  September,  1878,  the  late  Charles  Norman  was 
elected   grand  principal  conductor  of  work  in  the  grand  council  of  the  state 


The  Secret  Societies.  389 


of  New  York,  and  was  reelected  at  the  annual  assembly  in  New  York  the  fol- 
lowing year,  although  at  the  time  he  was  dangerously  ill  at  his  residence  in 
Rochester.  His  death  occurred  unexpectedly  the  following  morning,  Septem- 
ber 14th,  1879.  The  grand  master,  George  M.  Osgoodby,  of  Buffalo,  i-ssued 
his  dispensation  to  Doric  council,  number  19,  to  proceed  to  the  election  of  a 
"thrice  illustrious  master  to  fill  the  vacancy  for  the  unexpired  term,"  which  re- 
sulted in  the  choice  of  Thomas  Gliddon.  This  act  was  supplemented  by  the 
appointment  of  Comp.  Gliddon  to  fill  the  office  of  grand  principal  conductor 
of  work  of  the  grand  council  pro  tern.,  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  lamented 
Norman.  By  successive  promotion  in  the  grand  council  of  royal  and  select 
masters,  Thomas  Gliddon  has  been  called  to  the  presiding  chair,  and  is  this 
year  (1884)  filling  the  important  office  of  grand  master. 

Monroe  Commandery. —  The  early  triumphs  and  trials  of  this  commandery 
of  Knights  Templars  have  already  been  recounted  in  this  chapter.  The  revival 
and  the  success  which  has  attended  its  long  career  must  now  be  briefly  alluded 
to.  December  27th,  1847,  a  petition  was  signed  by  Robert  King,  Erastus 
Cook,  C.  C.  Lathrop,  E.  W.  Scrantom,  Wm.  E.  Lathrop,  Chas.  G.  Cumings, 
Ebenezer  Watts,  Wm.  Brewster,  Samuel  Richardson  and  Abelard  Reynolds, 
praying  for  a  return  of  the  warrant  of  Monroe,  number  12.  This  was  in  due 
time  complied  with,  through  an  official  order  from  R.  R.  Boyd,  grand  master, 
dated  January  7th,  1848,  and  from  that  time  onward  a  career  of  almost  unex- 
ampled prosperity  in  chivalric  history  marks  its  annals.  The  record  of  May 
2Sth,  1848,  reveals  an  interesting  incident  There  were  present  at  that  special 
conclave,  William  E.  Lathrop,  Charles  G.  Cumings,  Robert  King,  Abelard 
Reynolds,  E.  W.  Scrantom,  Nicholas  E.  Paine,  Ebenezer  Watts,  William  F. 
Holmes,  Henry  A.  Brewster  and  Asahel  S.  Beers  —  a  galaxy  of  the  brightest 
Masonic  lights  of  that  day  in  Western  New  York.  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  the  distinguished  John  L.  Lewis  received  the  orders  of  knighthood.  He 
forthwith  engaged  in  the  work  of  forming  Jerusalem  encampment,  number  1 7, 
stationed  at  Penn  Yan,  the  warrant  for  which  was  granted  June  8th,  1850,  and 
he  installed  as  first  generalissimo.  John  L.  Lewis  was  that  same  year  elected 
grand  captain-general  of  the  grand  commandery  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
A  short  time  prior  to  this,  Salem  Town  encampment,  number  16,  at  Auburn,  re- 
ceived a  dispensation,  and  was  subsequently  warranted  while  William  E. 
Lathrop  was  grand  generalissimo.  He,  with  Hubbard  S.  Allis,  Jarvis  M.  Hatch 
and  others  of  Monroe  number  12,  went  to  Auburn  and  took  part  in  the  formal 
work  of  instituting  that  chivalric  body.  John  L.  Lewis,  of  Penn  Yan,  was  also 
present. 

The  place  of  meeting  from  the  reorganisation  till  this  time  was  in  the  build- 
ing on  Exchange  street,  opposite  Spring  street,  and  then  owned  by  Jonathan 
Child.  Then  followed  a  ten  years'  occupancy  of  the  upper  floor  of  the  old 
Burns  block,  corner  of  State  and  West  Main  (formerly  Buffalo)  street ;  thence 


39° 


History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


to  the  upper  chamber  of  the  opposite  corner  in  the  Wilder  block.  In  the  fall 
of  1872  the  asylum  of  Monroe  commandery  was  again  changed  to  the  Ma- 
sonic temple  on  Exchange  street.  Three  commanderies  are  the  offspring  of 
the  parent  organisation  —  namely,  Batavia  commandery,  January  i8th,  1865; 
Cyrene  commandery,  February  4th,  1 867  ;  Zenobia  commandery  (at  Palmyra), 
April  24th,  1867.  On  the  26th  of  May,  1876,  Sir  Knights  Thomas  Gliddon, 
Lewis  Sunderlin,  Edward  A.  Frost,  John  H.  Kalbfleisch  and  Fred  F.  Boorman 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  for  a  suitable  commemorative  service  of 
the  semi-centennial  anniversary  (June  14th,  1876)  of  this  commandery.  The 
principal  feature  of  the  celebration  was  a  sumptuous  banquet. 

In  the  annals,  of  the  grand  commandery  of  the  state  of  New  York  we  find 
that,  in  its  long  list  of  officers,  the  following  have  been  chosen  from  among  our 
local  fratres  :  1827  —  Rev.  F.  H.  Cuming,  grand  prelate;  1848-49  —  William 
E.  Lathrop,  grand  generalissimo;  1850  —  William  E.  Lathrop,  deputy  grand 
nnaster;  1851-54  —  Wilham  E.  Lathrop,  grand  master;  1851-52-53  —  Jarvis 
M.  Hatch,  grand  captain- general;  1857  —  Carlton  Button,  grand  junior  war- 
den ;  1858  —  Carlton  Button,  grand  senior  warden;  1858 — William  F.  Holmes, 
grand  warder;  1859  —  William  F.  Holmes,  grand  senior  warden;  1859  — 
Aaron  Carver,  grand  standard-bearer;  i860  —  William  H.  Burtis,  grand  cap- 
tain-general ;  1861-62  — William  H.  Burtis,  grand  generalissimo  ;  1863  — Wil- 
liam H.  Burtis,  dep.  grand  commander;  1864 — Horace  Tuller,  grand  junior 
warden;  1865  —  Horace  Tuller,  grand  senior  warden  ;  1867-68 — William  B. 
Crandall,  grand  junior  warden  ;  1875 — Samuel  R.  Carter,  grand  captain  of 
guard  ;  1874  —  Simon  V.  Mc  Bowell,  grand  warder,  and,  by  successive  promo- 
tion, 1 88 1  — Simon  V.  McBowell,  grand  commander. 


TABLEAU   OF  THE   OFFICERS   OF   MONROE   COMMANDERY. 


YEARS.   EMINENT  COMMANDER.       GENERALISSIMO. 


1826  Rev.  Francis  H.  Cuming. 

1827  Edward  Doyle. 

1828  Jonathan  Child. 

1848  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1849  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1850  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1851  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1852  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1853  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1854  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1855  William  E.  Lathrop. 

1856  Carlton  Dulton. 

1857  William  F.  Holmes. 

1858  William  H.  Burtis. 

1859  William  H.  Burtis. 
i860  William  H.  Burtis. 

1861  Charles  Vaill. 

1862  Horace  Tuller. 

1863  Horace  Tuller. 

1864  John  F.  Whitbeck. 


Jonathan  Child. 
Jonathan  Child. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
.Samuel  Richardson. 
Samuel  Richardson. 
C.  T.  Chamberlin. 
C.  T.  Chamberlin. 
C.  T.  Chamberlin. 
Jarvis  M.  Hatch. 
Jarvis  M.  Hatch. 
Jarvis  M.  Hatch. 
Robert  King. 
Charles  Vaill. 
Charles  Vaill. 
Charles  Vaill. 
Horace  Tuller. 
Horace  Tuller. 
John  F.  Whitbeck. 
Charles  W.  Watson. 
Charles  W.  Watson. 


CAPTAIN-GENERAL. 

Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Robert  Martin. 
Charles  G.  Cumings. 
Charles  G.  Cumings. 
Nicholas  E.  Paine. 
Nicholas  E.  Paine. 
Nicholas  E.  Paine. 
Nicholas  E.  Paine. 
C.  T.  Chamberlin. 
Robert  King. 
Wm.  S.  Thompson. 
Heman  Miller. 
Harrison  S.  Fairchild. 
Thomas  Granniss,  jr. 
Daniel  Warner. 
Robert  K.  Lothridge. 
S.  A.  Hodgman. 
Wm.  B.  Crandall. 
Geo.  W.  Aldridge. 


PRELATE. 

Jacob  Gould. 
Rev.  Francis  H.  Cuming. 
Edward  Doyle. 
William  Brewster. 
Asahel  S.  Beers. 
Asahel  S.  Beers. 
Jarvis  M.  Hatch. 
Jarvis  M.  Hatch. 
C.  T.  Chamberlin. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 


The  Secret  Societies. 


39' 


YKARS.    EMINENI-  COMMANDER. 

1865  Will.  B.  Craiidall. 

1866  Will.  B.  Crandall. 

1867  Charles  \V.  Watson. 

1868  Charles  W.  Watson.  • 

1869  Francis  H.  Marshall. 

1870  Francis  H.  Marshall. 

1871  William  Shelp. 

1872  William  Shelp. 

1873  Henry  M.  Plant. 

1874  Simon  V.  McDowell. 

1875  George  F.  Loder. 

1876  W.  Lincoln  .Sage. 

1877  Daniel  T.  Hunt. 

1878  John  B.  Southworth. 

1879  Wm.  J.  McKelvey. 

1880  Geo.  F.  Loder. 

1881  Fred.  F.  Boorman. 

1882  Samuel  C.  Pierce. 

1883  John  A.  Davis. 

1884  Thomas  C.  Hodgson. 


GENERALISSIMO. 
Charles  W.  Watson. 
Henry  B.  Knapp. 
Koswell  H.  Smith. 
Roswell  H.  Smith. 
Geo.  H.  Goodman. 
Geo.  H.  Goodman. 
Henry  M.  Plant. 
Henry  M.  Plant. 


CAPTAIN-GENERAI.. 
Henry  B.  Knapp. 
Cieo.  W.  Stebbins. 
William  Shelp. 
William  F.  Holmes. 
L.  D.  Patterson. 
L.  D.  Patterson. 
Simon  V.  McDowell. 
Simon  V.  McDowell. 


PRELATE. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Beynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
Abelard  Reynolds. 
John  G.  Allen. 
John  G.  Allen. 
John  G.  Allen. 
John  G.  Allen. 
John  G.  Allen. 
John  G.  Allen. 


Simon  V.  McDowell.  George  F.  Loder. 
George  F.  Loder.         James  L.  Brewster. 
James  L.  Brewster.      W.  Lincoln  Sage. 
Daniel  T.  Hunt.  Isaiah  F.  Force. 

John  B.  .Southworth.   Wm.  J.  McKelvey. 
William  J.  McKelvey.  Fred  F.  Boorman. 
Fred.  F.   Boorman.       Samuel  C.  Pierce. 
Fred.  F.  Boorman.       Samuel  C.  Pierce. 
Samuel  C.  Pierce.         John  A.  Davis. 
John  A.  Davis.  Thomas  C.  Hodgson. 

Thomas  C.  Hodgson.  Frank  P.  Crouch. 
Franklin  S.  Stebbins.  John  W.  Hannan. 

This  record  would  be  singularly  incomplete  without  a  brief  narrative  of 
the  famous  Monroe  commandery  drill  corps.  As  early  as  the  year  1873,  mainly 
through  the  exertions  of  George  F.  Loder,  the  sir  knights  met  for  the  special 
purpose  of  instruction  in  the  tactics  and  drill.  This  was  then  a  novel  feature 
in  Templar  display,  but  it  had  already  some  enthusiastic  advocates.  The 
movements  had  been  formulated  by  the  lamented  Orrin  Welch,  and  received 
the  sanction  of  the  grand  commandery.  Commander  Loder  soon  discovered 
the  necessity  of  some  organisation  of  the  Templars  who  would  be  willing  to 
devote  sufficient  time  to  acquire  proficiency,  and  from  this  grew  the  Monroe 
commandery  drill  corps,  acting  with  the  cordial  approval  of  the  commandery. 
When  the  sixty-second  annual  conclave  of  the  grand  commandery  was  held  in 
Rochester  October,  1875,  a  great  number  of  sir  knights  from  all  over  the  state 
were  gathered  here,  and  the  most  magnificent  Templar  procession  that  ever 
graced  our  streets  occurred  Wednesday,  October  13th,  1875.  On  the  Roch- 
ester driving-park  there  was  a  spirited  contest  for  the  possession  of  a  Templar 
banner  between  St.  Omer's,  number  19,  stationed  at  Elmira;  Central  City,  num- 
ber 25,  stationed  at  Syracuse,  and  Hugh  de  Payens,  number  30,  stationed  at 
Buffalo.  The  decision  of  the  judges  was  in  favor  of  Hugh  de  Payens,  com- 
manded by  Christopher  G.  Fox,  and  the  banner  went  to  Buffalo.  Loder's 
command,  sixty  strong,  gave  an  exhibition  drill  the  same  afternoon,  winning 
the  enthusiastic  plaudits  of  an  immense  crowd  of  spectators.  The  next  year 
(June  24th,  1876)  the  commandery  made  a  short  pilgrimage  to  Buffalo,  in 
honor  of  the  dedication  of  the  new  Masonic  temple  in  that  city.  ■  The  drill 
company,  forty-eight  men  in  line  and  ten  oflScers,  for  the  second  time  displayed 
its  proficiency.  Its  more  noted  pilgrimages  since  then  have  been  to  Cleveland, 
to  Chicago,  to  Poughkeepsie,  to  Binghamton,  and  to  New  York  city  and  Al- 
bany, in  each  of  which  places  the  drill  corps  gave  complimentary  exhibitions. 


392 


History  of  the  City  ok  Rochester. 


Loder  has  had  command  of  the  corps  from  its  organisation.  This  corps  has 
also  assisted  in  benevolent  enterprises  —  notably  on  the  Rochester  driving-park 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Rochester  orphan  asylum  (1878),  for  the  benefit  of  Milton 
H.  Smith  (1878),  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  flood  sufferers  (1884)  in  the  state 
arsenal,  on  the  invitation  of  the  Red  Cross  society.  A  full  history  of  this 
commandery  was  published  in  1882,  by  Thomas  Gliddon,  in  a  neat  little  volume 
of  200  pages. 

Cyrene  Commandery.  —  The  prayer  of  the  petitioners  to  organi.se  Cyrene 
commandery  was  granted  by  resolution  in  Monroe  commandery,  number  12, 
December  2 1st,  1866.  On  the  4th  of  Februajry,  1867,  Grand  Commander 
Pearson  Mundy  issued  the  dispensation  to  John  McConvill  to  act  as  eminent 
commander  ;  William  H.  Cumings,  generalissimo,  and  William  Carson,  cap- 
tain-general, with  the  following  sir  knights  as  charter  members :  Luther  C. 
Spencer,  Charles  A.  Gardiner,  John  F.  Whitbeck,  Abram  Karnes,  John  Mc- 
Convill, Harvey  P.  Langworthy,  William  H.  Cumings,  Jesse  W.  Gifford, 
William  Carson,  William  H.  Gorsline,  William  S.  Thompson,  Egbert  B.  Jennings, 
William  H.  Briggs,  James  B.  Wing,  James  E.  Lattimer,  George  W.  Donnelly, 
Levi  S.  Fulton,  Edwin  Taylor,  Charles  M.  St.  John,  George  N.  Deming,  An- 
drew J.  Warner,  John  Barker,  Chauncey  B.  Woodworth,  George  W.  Stebbins, 
W.  Dean  Shuart,  ,  George  A.  Reynolds,  Robert  Boyd,  John  M.  Fisk,  Cyrus 
Beardsley,  Orrin  E.  Castle,  Charles  Vaill,  Bernard  Hughes. 


EAR. 

EMINENT  COMMANDER. 

GENERALISSIMO. 

CAl'TAlN-UENEKAl.. 

186-7 

John  McConvill.' 

W.  H.  Cumings. 

Wm.  Carson. 

1 868 

.<     ' 

it 

" 

1869 

" 

" 

" 

1870 

(( 

" 

a 

:87i 

John  F.  Whitbeck. 

Wm.   Carson. 

E.  B.  Jennings. 

1872 

(( 

Hiram  Wood. 

Pierson  B.  Hulett. 

1873 

Albert  G.  Wheeler. 

Byron  Holley. 

Edwin  A.  Loder. 

1874 

Hiram  Wood. 

'F  E.  Witherspoon. 

Henry  C.  Daniels. 

1875 

" 

W.  E.  Witherspoon. 

Wm.  M.  Quimby. 

1876 

Andrew  J.  Hatch. 

J.  Clinton  Hall. 

S.  P.   Robins, 

1877 

" 

S.   P.   Robins. 

John  C.  Smith. 

1878 

ti 

(( 

" 

1879 

" 

Frank  Taylor, 

Wni.  G.  Raines. 

i88o 

Wm.  G.  Raines. 

Henry  S.  Mackie. 

John  C.  Smith. 

1881 

Frank  Taylor. 

Byron  Holley. 

" 

1882 

Byron  Holley. 

Henry  S.  Mackie. 

Curtis  II.  Ilaskin. 

1883 

Andrew  J.  Hatch. 

Chas.  R.  Pratt. 

S.  S.  Eddy. 

1884 

" 

" 

" 

Charles  M.  St.  John  was  elected  recorder  at  the  time  of  the  organisation  of 
Cyrene  commandery,  and  reelected  continually  until  retiring  April  25th,  1884, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Byron  Holley.  The  record  of  Andrew  J.  Hatch, 
as  commander,  is  indeed  a  most  honorable  one.  For  a  longer  period  than  any 
other  elective  officer  he  has  labored  zealously  and  effectively  for  this  comman- 
dery, and  his  merits  have  been  recognised  by  the  officers  of  the  grand  com- 
mandery, who  have  claimed   his  services  for  the   important  post  of  assistant 


The  Secret  Societies.  393 

grand  inspector,  which  office  he  still  holds.  An  interesting  little  pamphlet, 
containing  the  detailed  history  of  this  commandery,  was  published  in  1883  by 
Andrew  J.  Hatch. 

The  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite. — The  four  coordinate  bodies  of  this 
ancient  rite  of  Freemasonry  have  brought  great  Masonic  renown  to  this  city. 
Just  when  the  initiatory  steps  were  taken  to  organise  a  lodge  of  Perfection  here, 
we  have  no  information.  The  late  George  W.  Stebbins  was  probably  the  most 
active  of  the  brethren  in  the  preliminary  movement.  A  dispensation  was  pro-, 
cured  from  Orrin  Welch,  33°,  of  Syracuse,  who  was  then  the  deputy  of  the 
supreme  council  for  the  state  of  New  York,  February  24th,  1866.  With  this 
instrument  for  authority,  the  organisation  proceeded  to  confer  the  ineffable 
grades  and  inaugurate  the  popularising  of  the  Scottish  rite  throughout  all  this 
section.  The  desire  immediately  took  form  to  add  as  soon  as  practicable  the 
coordinate  bodies,  so  that  the  Orient  of  Rochester  would  be  the  seat  of  the  con- 
ferring of  the  historical,  doctrinal  and  philosophical  grades  up  to  and  including 
the  32°.  This  request  was  acceded  to  by  the  supreme  council  of  the  northern 
Masonic  jurisdiction  for  the  United  States  of  America,  and  charters  were  granted 
May  1 6th,  1867,  to  Rochester  grand  lodge  of  Perfection,  Rochester  council 
Princes  of  Jerusalem,  Rochester  sovereign  chapter  of  Rose  Croix,  Rochester 
consistory  S.  P.  R.  S.  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  first  class  of  candi- 
dates who  received  the  degrees  of  perfection  in  this  city,  February  24th,  1866, 
from  the  personal  instructions  of  Orrin  Welch,  Charles  T.  McClenachan  and  J. 
H.  Hobart  Ward,  eminent  brethren  of  the  Scottish  rite,  and  of  the  33°  :  George 
W.  Stebbins,  G-  W.  Aldridge,  F.  H.  Marshall,  W.  H.  Gorsline,  C.  W.  Watson, 
John  T.  Fox,  F.  H.  Crafts,  C.  A.  Gardiner,  Jeffrey  W.  Vary,  W.  S.  Thompson, 
J  no.  F.  Whitbeck,  W.  B.  Crandall,  Martin  Taylor,  James  H.  Gould,  Wm.  Car- 
son, W..  S.  Sherman,  L.  J.  W.  Vary,  John  Boyce,  S.  C.  Steele,  Wm.  R.  Dryer, 
John  Lutes,  Walter  W.  Jerome.  Rochester  lodge,  of  Perfection  was  on  the  same 
day  fully  organised  with  the  following  officers :  George  W.  Stebbins,  T.  P.  G. 
M. :  Jeffrey  W.  Vary,  H.  of  T.  D.  G.  M. ;  John  F.  Whitbeck,  S.  G.  VV. ;  Wm. 
B.  Crandall,  J.  G.  W.  ;  Samuel  C.  Steele,  grand  treasurer ;  Wm.  R.  Dryer, 
grand  secretary.  On  the  death  of  the  lamented  Stebbins,  George  W.  Aldridge, 
33°,  was  chosen  as  his  successor.  Then  followed  in  succession  as  presiding  offi- 
cers P.  Strong  Wilson,  William  Shelp  and  William  H.  Whiting.  The  last- 
named  served  several  years,  retiring  February,  1884,  when  William  Shelp  was 
again  elevated  to  the  office  of  T.  P.  G.  M.  In  Rochester  consistory  the  office 
of  commander-in-chief  is  held  for  three  years.  General  William  E.  Lathrop 
was  the  first  incumbent,  succeeded  by  Otis  Cole,  33°,  and  by  W.  Lincoln  Sage, 
33°,  and  he  by  William  G.  Raines,  the  present  incumbent. 

There  is  a  lodge  of  Perfection  and  a  council  of  Princes  of  Jerusalem  at 
Buffalo,  but  no  chapter  of  Rose  Croix  or  consistory  in  that  city ;  hence  it  is 
that  Rochester  has  an  extended  jurisdiction  west  of  Syracuse  to  the.  boundary 


394  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

line.  A  careful  examination  of  the  roll  of  both  Rochester  chapter  of  Rose 
Croix  and  Rochester  consistory  will  reveal  a  large  membership  throughout 
Western  New  York,  including  many  influential  citizens  of  Buffalo,  Lockport, 
Albion,  Batavia  and  Dunkirk.  The  number  of  S.  P.  R.  S.  owing  allegiance  to 
our  local  consistory  is  how  about  500.  Early  in  the  year  1876  the  brethren  of 
Palmoni  lodge  of  Perfection,  at  Buffalo,  and  Rochester  and  Germania  lodges 
of  Perfection,  in  this  city,  voted  permission  for  the  establishment  of  a  new  lodge 
of  Perfection  at  Lockport,  to  be  called  Lock  City  lodge  of  Perfection,  with 
John  Hodge  as  first  T.  P.  G.  M.  This  organisation  was  effected  and  has  been 
remarkably  successful.  For  the  devotion  and  zeal  displayed  by  Bro.  Hodge, 
who  is  a  member  of  Rochester  consistory,  in  the  successful  work  done  at  Lock- 
port,  he  was  subsequently  honored  by  the  supreme  council  with  the  honorary 
degree  of  sovereign  grand  inspector-general,  33°. 

On  the  20th  day  of  April,  1881,  the  council  of  deliberation  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  by  virtue  of  the  call  of  Robert  M.  C.  Graham,  33°,  deputy  for  the 
state,  met  in  this  city  for  the  transaction  of  the  business  of  the  annual  meeting. 
Never  before  or  since  has  so  distinguished  a  company  of  brethren  eminent  in 
the  dissemination  of  the  work  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  rite  been  as- 
sembled in  this  city.  There  was  also  in  attendance  at  the  grand  reunion  exer- 
cises of  the  local  coordinate  bodies,  then  being  held,  ten  illustrious  brethren  of 
Ohio  consistory  namely,  Stith  M.  Sullivan,  33°,  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Melish,  Ed- 
ward W.  Masterson,  H.  11.  Woodward,  William  Michie,  John  A.  Wiltsie,  Jacob 
Henderson,  William  B.  Melish  and  A.  L.  Laurie. 

Restricted  space  compels  us  to  merely  mention  that  Rochester  council 
Princes  of  Jerusalem  and  Rochester  chapter  of  Rose  Croix  have  necessarily 
enjoyed  corresponding  prosperity  with  the  other  coordinate  bodies.  For  the 
year  1884  Courtland  Avery  is  the  presiding  officer  in  the  council,  styled  M.  E. 
S.  P.  G.  M.,  and  Robert  C.  Titus  in  the  chapter,  styled  M.  W.  and  P.  M.  With 
the  exception  of  an  insignificant  period,  Samuel  C.  Steele  has  been  the  treas- 
urer of  all  four  bodies  since  the  organisation  in  1867,  and  for  the  past  five 
years  Thomas  Gliddon  has  been  the  secretary. ' 

Germania  lodge  of  Perfection  is  the  only  body  of  the  Ancient  Accepted 
Scottish  rite  that  has  ever  been  chartered  by  the  supreme  council  of  the  north- 
ern Masonic  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  with  permission  to  work  in  the 
German  language.  To  encourage  it  in  the  organisation  some  others  than  of  Ger- 
man ancestry  are  found  among  the  names  of  the  charter  members,  which  are 
appended:  Otis  Cole,  John  Lutes,  Emil  Kiiichling,  August  M.  Koeth,  Fred 
Cook,  Andrew  Kaltenbach,  Chas.  Vogel,  D.  L.  Johnston,  Henry  B.  Baker, 
Adolph  Roda,  Fred  Zimmer,  John  Dufner,  C.  F.  Wolters,  John  Hohenstein, 
Geo.  F.  Merz,  Henry  Aman,  W.  Guggenheim,  Casper  Wehle,  A.  Stern,  Albert 
Schiffner.  Fred  Stade,  Francis  Boor,  Max  Levison,  Joseph  Shatz,  John  Straub, 
Chas.  E.  Rider.     The  date  of  the  charter  is  August  19th,  1874,  and  under  the 


The  Secret  Societies.  395 

supervising  care  of  August  M.  Koeth,  33°,  and  his  associate  officers,  it  has 
prospered  beyond  expectation. 

Western  New  York  Masonic  Relief  Association. — ^^The  articles,  of  associa- 
tion under  which  this  mutual  life  insurance  society  was  organised  May  25th, 
.1871,  were  signed  by  Wm.  F.  Holmes,  Francis  H.  Marshall,  Wm.  Carson,  L. 
D.  Patterson,  Wm.  Roades,  J.  W.  McElhinny,  Wm.  Shelp,  Wm.  W.  Bruff,  Ed- 
ward M.  Smith,  S.  M.  Benjamin,  Jeffrey  W.  Vary,  E.  T.  Oatley,  Porter  W. 
Taylor.  The  association  took  form  under  the  statutes,  but  was  avowedly 
"  formed  for  the  purpose  of  more  effectually  aiding  and  assisting  worthy  brethren, 
their  widows  and  orphans."  This  benevolent  characteristic  has  never  been  lost 
in  the  management  by  the  succeeding  boards  of  trustees,  but  its  history  is  in 
every  respect  similar  to  the  numerous  mutually  insuring  societies  that  have  been 
carefully  managed  during  the  past  dozen  years.  Officers  for  1884-85  :  Jacob 
G.  Maurer,  president;  John  W.  Stebbins,  vice-president;  Newman  S.  Phelps, 
treasurer;  Clifton  C.  Gifford,  secretary;  Dr.  Byron  I.  Preston,  medical  adviser. 
Trustees. —  Valley  lodge,  number  109,  William  G.  Congdon,  1885;  John  Sid- 
dons,  1886;  John  M.  Brown,  1887.  Yonnondio  lodge,  number  163,  John 
Mitchell,  1885;  John  B.  Southworth,  1886;  Thomas  Gliddon,  1887.  Genesee 
Falls  lodge,  number  507,  Alfred  H.  Cork,  1885;  James  C.  Gray,  1886;  Samuel 
C.  Pierce,  1887.  Rochester  lodge,  number  660,  George  Weldon,  1885;  Curtis 
H.  Haskin,  1886;  Hiram  Wood,  1887.  Germania  lodge,  number  722,  J. 
George  Baetzel,  1885;  John  Neun,  1886;  John  Viehman,  1887. 

Many  incidents  of  purely  local  character  must  necessarily  be  omitted  in  this 
narrative,  yet  we  cannot  fail  to  notice  May  28th,  1873,  when  the  fraternity 
turned  out  en  masse,  and,  after  parading  our  principal  streets,  assisted  Grand 
Master  Christopher  G.  Fox,  of  Buffalo,  in  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  city  hall 
with  full  Masonic  ritual.  A  few  organisations  known  as  Masonic  in  their  char- 
acter have  been  started  in  this  city  at  various  times  by  a  number  of  enthusiastic 
brethren,  only  to  live  for  a  few  years.  It  is  hoped  that  the  two  chapters  of  the 
order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  named  respectively  Ruth,  number  56,  and  Monroe, 
number  57,  will  have  a  different  fate.  The  former  meets  in  the  Masonic  tem- 
ple. Exchange  street,  and  the  latter  in  the  Cox  building,  East  Main  street. 

AMERICAN   ODD   FELLOWSHIP.^ 

For  the  first  successful  organisation  of  a  subordinate  lodge  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  America  we  are  indebted  to  Past  Grand  Sire 
Thomas  Wildey,  who  was  born  in  the  city  of  London  on  the  15th  of  January, 
1772,  and  was  initiated  in  lodge  number  17,  of  the  London  order  of  Odd  Fellowsin 
1 804,  in  which  he  served  in  every  capacity,  from  the  humblest  to  the  highest.  In 
July,  1817,  he  embarked  for  America  and  landed  at  Baltimore,  in  September  fol- 
lowing.   The  prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever,  thatautumn,  exciting  his  benevolent 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Isaac  Loomis,  P.  D.  D.  G.  M. 

26 


396  .     History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sympathies,  convinced  him  of  the  urgent  necessity  of  an  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
Meeting  with  his  countryman  and  brother,  John  Welch,  they  mutually  agreed 
to  endeavor. to  organise  a  lodge  in  Baltimore.  They  caused  a  notice  to  be  in- 
serted in  a  paper  for  a  meeting  March  2d,  1819,  for  four  weeks,  which  drew 
only  two  other  Englishmen,  when  three  were  necessary.  The  call  was  re- 
newed for  the  13th  of  April,  when  John  Duncan,  John  Cheatham  and  Richard 
Rushworth  (three  other  Englishmen)  met  with  them,  and  the  preliminary  ar- 
rangements were  made  for  the  organisation  of  Washington  lodge,  number  i, 
upon  the  26th  of  April,  1 8 1 9,  to  work  after  the  London  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
A  charter  was  sought  and  obtained  through  Tast  Grand  John  Crowder,  of 
Duke  of  York  lodge,  Preston,  England,  February  1st,  1820.  It  was  issued  in 
due  form  October  23d,  following,  and  the  work  changed  to  that  of  the  Man- 
chester Unity  of  Odd  Fellows.  Franklin  lodge,  number  2,  I.  O.  of  O.  F.,  was 
instituted;  also  Columbia  lodge,  number  3,  in  November,  1823,  which  was 
the  first  subordinate  lodge  chartered  by  the  grand  lodge  of  Maryland  and  the 
United  States.  On  February  21st,  a  day  selected  as  the  anniversary  of  the 
birth  of  Washington,  the  committee  of  past  grands  assembled  at  the  lodge 
room  on  Frederick  street.  The  noble  grand  of  Washington  lodge  then  made 
his  appearance,  and  in  a  formal  manner  surrendered  into  their  hands  the  war- 
rant received  by  the  lodge  from  the  Duke  of  York  lodge,  Preston,  England. 
He  then  retired,  whereupon  the  committee  proceeded  to  organise  as  a  grand 
lodge,  under  the  style  and  title  of  "  the  grand  lodge  of  Maryland  and  of  the 
United  States.  " 

The  new  body  was  put  in  motion  by  the  installation  of  the  following  officers  : 
Thomas  Wildey,  grand  master  (coach-spring  maker) ;  John  P.  Entwistle,  dep- 
uty grand  master  (printer) ;  William  S.  Couth,  grand  warden  (currier) ;  John 
Welch,  grand  secretary  (house  and  ship  painter)  ;  John  Boyd,  grand  guardian 
(mahogany  sawyer) ;  William  Larkman,  grand  conductor  (cabinet-maker)  — 
all  of  number  i.  The  session  being  now  open,  the  first  business  transacted  by 
the  grand  lodge  was  the  adoption  of  the  following  :  "  Resolved,  that  a  dispen- 
sation be  presented  to  Washington  lodge,  num'ber  i,  of  Maryland,  as  a  subor- 
dinate lodge."  In  April,  1824,  a  circular  letter,  signed  by  G.  S.  and  approved 
by  G.  M.  and  D.  G.  M.,  was  sent  to  the  brethren  in  England,  giving  the  status 
of  the  order  in  America,  as  follows :  "  In  the  United  States  at  present  we 
number  five  grand  lodges,  and  eight  subordinate  lodges.  "  The  grand  lodge 
of  New  York  was  organised  in  1823.  On  the  26th  of  April,  1826,  a  final 
and  successful  effort  was  made,  fixing  the  anniversary  of  the  order  on  that 
day. 

From  1828  to  1834,  when  the  tragical  disappearance  of  William  Morgan,  a 
master  Mason,  caused  such  a  furor  as  to  drive  every  secret  society  out  of  ex- 
istence in  Western  New  York,  tiie  young  men,  for  the  want  of  other  social  in- 
tercourse, for  several  years  had  attached  themselves  to  the  several  fire  companies 


The  Secret  Societies.  397 


and  "ran  with  the  machine."  In  the  winter  of  1841  itbecameknown  that  organ- 
isations for  the  promotion  of  the  principles  of  friendship,  love  and  truth  were  in 
active  working  order  in  New  York  city,  Albany  and  Buffalo,  known  and  distin- 
guished as  Odd  Fellows,  and  in  March  of  that  year  a  notice  from  a  member 
of  the  brotherhood,  Daniel  Curry,  appeared  in  the  Rochester  Daily  Democrat, 
requesting  any  Odd  Fellow,  or  others  who  were  favorably  inclined  to  organise 
a  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  to  meet  him  at  the  Eagle  Tavern  at  the  time  men- 
tioned. At  the  time  appointed  Wm.  H.  Perkins,  George  Peck,  A.  K.  Ams- 
den,  Wm.  Penfield,  Hiram  A.  Tucker,  D.  M.  Dewey  and  others  responded  to 
the  call,  to  ascertain  what  were  the  necessary  requirements  to  organise  a  lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows  in  Rochester.  They  found  that,  besides  those  members  of  the 
order  residing  in  the  city,  four  persons  would  have  to  be  initiated  into  its  mys- 
teries. After  duly  canvassing  the  matter,  it  was  voted  that  Messrs.  Perkins, 
Amsden,  Peck  and  Tucker  should  proceed  to  Buffalo  and  qualify  for  that  pur- 
pose. Accordingly  they  took  passage  in  the  old  stage  coach  in  April  for 
Buffalo,  and,  after  riding  over  logways  and  laboring  through  the  mud,  at  the 
close  of  the  first  day  made  Batavia,  where  the)'  rested  the  first  night,-  and  next 
morning,  after  starting  on  another  day's  pilgrimage,  arrived  at  its  close  in  the 
city  of  Buffalo,  more  wearied  in  body  and  mind  than  a  trip  to  California  would 
cause  at  the  present  time.  In  a  few  days  they  were  duly  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  and  rites  of  Odd  Fellowship  and  duly  proclaimed  qualified  to  become 
charter  members. 

In  due  time  a  petition  was  prepared,  asking  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state 
of  New  York  for  a  charter  at  its  session  upon  the  fifth  day  of  May,  1841,  to 
be  called  the  "Genesee  Home  lodge,"  signed  by  William  H.  Perkins,  Alonzo 
K.  Amsden,  Daniel  Curry,  William  Penfield,  George  Peck  and  Hiram  A. 
Tucker,  which  was  granted  and  the  name  changed  to  "Genesee  lodge,  number 
51,  I.  O.  of  O.  F.,  Rochester,  N.  Y  ."  This  lodge  was  duly  instituted  upon  the 
second  day  of  June  following,  at  2  p.  m.,  by  Nelson  Small,  grand  master, 
accompanied  by  his  associate  grand  officers.  The  first  officers  of  the  lodge 
were :  William  H.  Perkins,  N.  G. ;  Hiram  A.  Tucker,  V.  G. ;  Alonzo  K.  Ams- 
den, quarterly  scribe;  George  Peck,  treasurer;  Daniel  Curry,  conductor;  Fran- 
cis G.  Macy,  warden;  William  Penfield,  I.  G.,  and  William  Barker,  O.  G.  None 
of  the  charter  members  are  now  living.  A.  K.  Amsden  died  November  iSth, 
1872.  Daniel  Curry  became  a  dormant  member  in  1844  and  the  other  original 
members  withdrew  by  cards  in  1842  and  1846  to  become  charter  members  in 
Teorontoand  Rochester  City  lodges  in  Rochester,  and  D.  M.  Dewey  is  the  only 
brother  known  to  be  living  at  the  present  time  who  was  initiated  in  1841. 

In  May,  1871,  A.  K.  Amsden  offered  a  resolution  that  "every  Odd  Fellow 
ever  initiated  into  Genesee  lodge,  also  all  ancient  and.  venerable  Odd  Fellows, 
be  cordially  invited  to  be  present  as  its  guests,  it  being  the  first  anniversary 
the  lodge  has  ever  held."     The  N.  G.  appointed  the  following  named  past 


398  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

grands  to  constitute  the  committee  to  make  suitable  arrangements  therefor: 

A.  K.  Amsden,  Isaac  Loomis,  George  Underhill,  Charles  Wells  and  Charles 
M.  Syme.  On  Friday  evening,  June  2d,  1871,  Genesee  lodge  had  a  large 
gathering  and  the  proceedings  throughout  were  unusually  interesting. 

By  request  of  the  chairman  of  the  committee  the  brothers  joined  in  sing- 

'  ing  the  following  ancient  ode : — 

"  Attend,  most  ancient  brothers. 
For  honor  o'er  us  hovers ; 
Attend,  most  ancient  brothers. 
For  honor's  court  is  here.  • 

The  man  that  honor  binds  not 
A  welcome  with  us  finds  not; 
The  man  that  honor  binds  not 
Can  never  enter  here. 

The  man  that  honor  holds  dear 
Alone  a  welcome  finds  here ; 
The  man  that  honor  holds  dear 
Alone  can  enter  here. 

Our  mottoes,  '  mirth  and  harmony. 
Friendship,  truth  and  unity;' 
Our  mottoes,  '  mirth  and  harmony. 
In  brotherhood  combined.' " 

The  success  of  Genesee  lodge  having  become  established,  in  the  year  1842 
Teoronto  lodge  was  organised  and  permission  given  to  occupy  the  same  lodge 
room.  Its  charter  members  were  :  H.  A.  Tucker,  G.  G.  Clarkson,  H.  S.  Stevens, 
R.  Keeler,  I.  F.  Mack,  T.  B.  Hamilton,  B.  R.  McAlpine,  H.  Banker,  George  A. 
Gibbs  and  N.  B.  Northrop. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  order  soon  revealed  the  fact  that  there  should  be 
still  another  lodge,  and  within  five  years  from  the  first  organisation  the  third 
lodge  was  demanded  and  Rochester  City  lodge  was  instituted,  its  charter  mem- 
bers being :  Wm.  H.  Perkins,  John  W.  Dwindle,  Rufus  Keeler,  James  M.  Fish, 
C.  T.  Amsden,  H.  S.  Fairchild,  L.  A.  Allen,  B.  R.  McAlpine,  J.  I.  Robins,  George 

B.  Harris,  Hervey  Warren,  John  Craigie,  Wm.  C.  Prindle,  N.  B.  Northrop, 
W.  H.  Cheney,  S.  E.  Alden;  G.  B.  Redfield,  Lucius  Bell,  Richard  H.  Wells, 
Hiram  C.  Smith,  John  L.  Fish,  John  F.  Hoyt,  Thomas  E.  Hastings,  Sanford 
J.  Smith,  J.  H.  Goodman,  Samuel  Wilder,  James  Brackett,  James  W.  Sibley, 
Charles  W.  Sibley,  Charles  J.  Hill,  John  B.  Robertson,  J.  A.  Lay,  Cornelius  A. 
Burr,  Erastus  Cook. 

The  continued   growth  and   prosperity  of  the  order  demanded   that  there 
should  be  another  lodge,  pne  in  which  our  German  fellow-citizens  should  receive 
.  the  benefit  of  Odd  Fellowship.      In  January  1851,  Humboldt  lodge  was  organ- 
ised, with  L.  Garson,  George  Siebert,  John  Bcehm,   Louis  Bauer,  Joseph  Bier, 


The  Secret  Societies.  399 


Solomon  Ran,  Jacob  Ragel,  G.  August,  George  Bohnlein,  and  J.  Levy  as  char- 
ter members. 

In  May,  1866,  Monroe  lodge,  at  Brockport,  was  instituted,  and  in  1868 
Parma  lodge  was  instituted,  with  five  charter  members. 

In  March,  1871,  Orient  lodge  was  instituted,  with  124  charter  members, 
most  of  whom  took  cards  from  Teoronto  lodge  for  that  purpose.  In  June,  1871, 
Floral  lodge  was  instituted,  with  thirty  charter  members  who  took  cards  from 
Genesee  lodge  for  that  purpose.  In  February,  1874,  John  G.  Klinck  lodge  was 
instituted,  with  thirty-four  charter  members,  who  took  cards  from  Genesee  lodge 
for  that  purpose. 

In  August,  1 87 1,  Kcerner  lodge  (German)  was  instituted,  with  twenty-one 
charter  members,  who  took  cards  from  Humboldt  lodge  for  that  purpose. 

In  December,  1873,  Scottsville  lodge  was  instituted,  with  sixteen  charter 
members. 

December  4th,  1874,  Temple  lodge,  412,  was  instituted,  with  135  charter 
members. 

In  October,  1877,  Aurora  lodge,  466,  was  instituted,  with  79  charter  mem- 
bers, mostly  from  Orient  lodge. 

The  following  compose  the  higher  branch  of  the  order  in  this  district: 
Mount  Hope  encampment,  number  2,  with  216  members;  Gore  encampment 
(Brockport),  number  47,  with  68  members;  Glide  encampment,  number  75, 
with  89  members  ;  King  Solomon  encampment,  number  82,  with  86  members. 

The  subordinate  lodges  have  1,85 1  members  in  good  standing  .  Their  rev- 
enue during  the  past  year  was  $13,003.00,  and  the  amount  they  paid  for  relief 
-in  the  same  time  was  $4,292.  The  revenue  of  the  encampment  branch  was 
$1,692.50,  and  amount  paid  for  relief  was  $383.25,  making  a  sum  total  of  over 
$4,675  paid  by  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Monroe  county  for  the  relief  of 
the  sick  and  burial  of  the  dead  in  one  year,  as  by  the  last  report. 

In  January,  1882,  as  the  lease  held  by  the  encampment  and  four  old  lodges 
meeting  in  "O,  F.  Hall,"  at  the  corner  of  North  St.  Paul  and  Main  streets, 
would  expire  with  the  year,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  look  up  other  apart- 
ments, which  a  month  or  two  later  reported  that  the  Phoenix  club  building,  sit- 
uated upon  North  Clinton  street,  would  be  sold  in  March  to  meet  incumbrances 
upon  the  same.  After  due  consideration  the  committee  was  authorised  to  pur- 
chase said  building  for  the  use  of  the  order,  which  it  did,  meeting  with  a  lively 
contestant  in  the  Eureka  club.  The  building  is  fifty-three  feet  front  on  Clinton 
street,  extending  back  sixty-two  feet,  with  an  area  of  four  and  a  half  feet  in  the 
rear  for  light,  four  stories  in  height,  exclusive  of  basement,  containing  two  stores, 
two  lodge-rooms,  ante-rooms,  wardrobes  and  closets,  library,  ladies'  parlor,  dress- 
ing-room and  closet,  dining-room  and  kitchen,  with  a  large  French  range,  with 
ten-feet  hall  from  the  street  up  to  the  fourth  story,  where  there  is  a  splendid  hall 
fifty  feet  square,  with  an  eighteen-feet  story,  a  stage  with  footlights,  drop  cur- 


400  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tain,  beautiful  scenery  all  nicely  arranged.  A  few  months  later,  the  committee 
learning  that  the  adjoining  lot,  of  twenty-six  and  one  half  feet  front  on  Clinton 
and  sixty-six  feet  on  Division  street,  was  for  sale,  it  was  ordered  purchased. 
A  five-story  building,  the  full  size  of  the  lot,  from  drawings  by  Loomis  &  Rich- 
ardson, architects,  is  now  in  process  of  erection  —  containing  one  store,  three 
lodge-rooms,  one  encampment  room,  with  ante-rooms,  water  closets,  basins  and 
water-coolers  in  each  story,  with  fire-proof  safes  for  preservation  of  records,  a 
platform  stair-case  from  the  entrance  on  Division  street  up  to  the  fifth  story, 
with  hydraulic  elevator  to  run  to  the  roof  (all  to  be  heated  by  steam),  with  a 
tower  twenty-four  feet  square  at  the  base,  rising  to  a  height  of  io8  feet  from 
the  sidewalk,  with  crestings,  failings  and  balconies  —  and  is  to  be  completed 
in  December  next,  when  the  Odd  Fellows  of  Rochester  will  have,  probably, 
the  best  building  for  their  work  of  any  in  the  state.  The  whole  property  is 
valued  at  $70,000.00,  divided  into  sixty  shares,  which  are  held  by  the  follow- 
ing named  organisations:  Mount  Hope  encampment,  number  2,  two  shares; 
Genesee  lodge,  number  3,  twenty  shares;  Teoronto  lodge,  number  8,  eighteen 
shares;  Rochester  City  lodge,  number  66,  two  shares;  Humboldt  lodge,  num- 
ber 138,  fourteen  shares;  John  G.  Klinck  lodge,  number  378,  four  shares. 

Upon  the  2d  day  of  September,  1869,  the  Odd  Fellows'  Mutual  Aid  and 
Benefit  association  of  the  county  of  Monroe  was  organised.  George  W.  Har- 
rold,  P.  G.,  was  its  president  for  two  years,  wh6n  Jacob  Fonda,  P.  G.  P.  (who  was 
initiated  in  Mohawk  Valley  lodge,  number  12,  in  1843,  at  Schenectady^  N.  Y.), 
wis  elected  as  its  president  and  has  been  unanimously  reelected  every  year  up  to 
the  present  time.  •  Its  board  of  directors  consists  of  thirteen,  elected  at  the  annual 
meetings  in  January  of  each  year,  who  serve  faithfully  without  salary  or-  fees  of 
any  kind,  with  the  exception  of  the  financial  secretary,  who  shall  keep  just  and 
true  accounts  between  the  association  artd  its  members  and  of  all  financial 
transactions  of  the  association,  and  shall  send  all  notices  of  assessments.  He  is 
required  to  give  security  in  such  amount  as  the  directors  shall  require.  For 
such  service  he  has  been  paid  $100  per  year.  Within  sixty  days  after  proof  of 
the  death  of  any  member  in  financial  standing,  the  president  and  treasurer  makes 
a  draft  on  the  treasury  for  a  sum  representing  $2  per  member,  less  the  amount 
reserved  according  to  the  length  of  time  the  deceased  brother  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  association  as  fixed  in  the  schedule  and  published  in  the  by  laws.  Since 
its  organisation  there' have  been  eighty-two  assessments  levied  upon  its  mem- 
bers for  the  benefit  of  the  families  of  deceased  brothers,  as  aforesaid.  The  treas- 
urer's last  annual  report  shows  that  during  the  year  he  had  paid  $3,894.20  as 
benefits  to  the  widows  of  deceased  brothers;  amount  received  $4,828.05  ;  cash 
on  hand  in  savings  banks  $5,185.85.  By  the  above  it  appears  that  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.  in  Monroe  county  paid  for  the  burial  of  brothers  and  relief  of  families  alone, 
in  one  year,  according  to  the  last  official  report,  the  sum  of  $8,569.45,  no  in- 
significant sum  for  a  brotherhood  of  about  2,000  members  to  contribute  of  their 
funds  in  one  year  for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  mankind. 


The  Secret  Societies.  401 


THE  KNIGHTS  OF  PYTHIAS. 
There  are  two  lodges  of  this  order  now  in  the  city  —  the  Aurora  Grata  and 
the  Bllicher.  The  former,  of  which  J.  S.  Beach  is  now  the  chief  chancellor, 
was  established  in  1871  ;  the  latter  was  instituted  in  1873;  John  J.  Karle  is  the 
present  chief  chancellor.  Besides  these,  there  is  an  "endowment  section,"  which 
was  organised  in  1876;  the  president  is  Christian  Mannes,  the  vice-president 
J.  S.  Beach,  the  secretary  and  treasurer  George  Karle.  It  is  an  insurance  as- 
sociation, in  which  the  survivors  of  a  member  receive  $1,000,  $2,000  or  $4,000, 
according  to  his  policy. 

THE  ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  UNITED  W^ORKMEN. 

This  association,  which  is  in  its  nature  both  beneficiary  and  fraternal,  has 
been  in  existence  in  this  city  for  nearly  seven  years.  During  the  illness  of  any 
member  an  amount  of  money  regulated  by  the  necessities  of  the  invalid  and 
determined  by  a  committee  is  given  to  him  every  week,  and  at  his  death  $2,000 
is  paid  to  the  person  whom  he  may  have  designated  to  receive  it,  that  inherit- 
ance being,  by  law,  exempt  from  execution.  There  are  now  not  far  from  a 
thousand  members  of  the  order  in  this  city,  and  the  average  annual  cost  to  each 
is  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen  dollars.  Of  the  seven  lodges  here,  the  oldest 
is  the  Rochester  lodge,  which  was  instituted  November  13th,  1877,  and  has 
now  a  membership  of  113;  the  next  was  the  Lincoln,  organised  in  the  same 
year;  then  the  Genesee  Falls  in  1878;  then  the  Americus  on  the  29th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1879 ;  then  the  McChesney,  the  next  day,  the  name  of  which  was  changed 
to  the  Garfield  on  the  loth  of  November,  1881,  by  authority  of  the  grand  lodge ; 
then  the  Occident,  established  January  26th,  1880,  and  finally  the  Monroe, 
which  was  instituted  on  the  23d  of  February  in  that  year.  Besides  these  there 
are  the  Laniberton  legion  and  the  Rochester  legion,  composed  of  members  of 
the  lodges  who  have  undergone  a  more  rigid  examination  than  the  others. 

THE  FORESTERS. 
Two  courts  of  this  order  now  hold  sway  in  this  city  —  the  court  of  William 
Tell,  instituted  in  1877  and  having  now  about  thirty  members,  and  the  court  of 
Prosperity,  established  in  1878  and  having  thirty  menibers.  It  is  in  the  nature 
of  an  insurance  company,  having  three  classes,  of,  $1,000,  $2,000  and  $3,000 
each. 

THE  EMPIRE  ORDER  OF  MUTUAL  AID. 

This  order  is  restricted  to  the  state  of  New  York  and  is  duly  incorporated 
by  the  legislature  of  the  state.  Its  object  is  to  improve  the  moral  and  social 
condition  of  its  members,  to  aid  and  assist  their  families  in  case  of  sickness,  and 
to  provide  for  the  payment  of  a  beneficiary  fund  at  their  death.  Prior  to  De- 
cember, 1878,  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid  had  attained  quite  a  mem- 


402  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

bership  in  this  state,  but  dissatisfaction  in  the  management  of  the  supreme  lodge 
caused  the  New  York  lodges  to  withdraw.  They  assumed  the  present  name  of 
"  Empire  Order  Mutual  Aid."  Two  lodges  had  been  instituted  in  Rochester 
prior  to  the  secession  —  Flour  City,  number  5,  and  Security,  number  9,  both 
of  which  were  instituted  early  in  1 878.  Upon  the  first  organisation  of  the  grand 
lodge  at  Buffalo,  December  I2th,  1878,  S.  A.  Ellis,  of  Rochester,  was  elected 
vice-president.  The  order  now  has  six  subordinate  lodges  in  Rochester,  with 
a  membership  of  400.  Each  lodge  holds  weekly  meetings,  the  sessions  being 
secret  and  conducted  according  to  a  ritual  adopted,  by  the  grand  lodge.  All 
applicants  for  membership  are  subjected  to  a  rigid  medical  examination,  which 
must  also  be  approved  by  a  state  medical  examiner.  The  heirs  or  designated 
representatives  of  the  deceased  member  are  paid  $2,000  upon  due  proof  of 
death.  This  is  raised  by  assessments  of  one  dollar  each,  made  from  time  to 
time,  as  necessary,  upon  the  entire  membership  of  the  state.  The  present 
membership  is  about  8,000.  The  grand  lodge  met  in  Rochester  in  January, 
1872,  and  the  Flower  city  has  also  been  designated  as  the  place  of  the  annual 
meeting  for  1885.  Herbert  M.  Dayfoot,  M.  D.,  of  Rochester,  is  the  present 
grand  medical  examiner;  John  M.  Steele  is  chairman  of  the  committee  on  laws, 
and  Henry  T.  Braman  ^  is  a  member  of  the  finance  committee  of  the  grand 
lodge  and  district  deputy  of  Monroe  county. 

THE   BENEVOLENT   PROTECTIVE   ORDER   OF   ELKS. 

Rochester  lodge,  number  24,  was  organised  January  4th,  1 884,  and  officers 
were  in.stalled  by  Thomas  W.  Keene,  district  deputy  exalted  grand  ruler  at 
large,  January  6th.  The  officers  of  Rochester  lodge  are:  Exalted  ruler,  George 
F.  Loder ;  esteemed  leading  knight,  Henry  F.  Plant ;  esteemed  loyal  knight, 
Samuel  C.  Pierce;  esteemed  lecturing  knight,  Frank  H.  Vick;  esquire,  George 
C.  Gray;  secretary,  Thomas  Gliddon;  treasurer,  Elmer  E.  Almy;  trustees  — 
Frank  L.  Murray,^  Edgar  O.  Rogers,  Darwin  W.  Truss.  The  order  of  Elks 
was  established  about  seventeen  years  ago.  The  objects  are  benevolence  and 
protection  and  social  enjoyments.  There  is  a  mutual  benefit  association  con- 
nected with  the  order.  All  lodges  in  existence  are  subordinate  to  a  grand 
lodge,  which  meets  in  New  York  once  a  year.  The  membership  of  the  order 
is  composed  largely  of  actors,  managers,  journalists  and  professional  men. 
Rochester  lodge  meets  every  Tuesday  evening  at  the  New  Osburn  House.  A 
social  session  is  held  once  a  month. 

1  This  .sketch  was  furnished  by  Mr.  Braman. 

2  This  sketch  was  furnished  by  Mr.  Murray. 


The  City  Hospital.  403 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

CHARITY  AND  IJENEVOLENCE. 

The  City  Ilo.spital — St.  Mary's  Hospital  —  The  Female  Charitable  Society  —  The  Monroe  County 
liible  Society  —  The  Rochester  Orphan  Asylum  —  The  Catholic  Orphan  Asylums  —  The  Jewish  Or- 
phan Asylum  —  The  Home  for  the  Friendless  —  The  Industrial  School  —  The  Church  Home  —  The 
Home  of  Industry  —  The  Deaf  Mute  Institution  —  The  Humane  Society  —  The  Alms  House  —  The 
Insane  Asylum. 

THE  Rochester  City  hospital  1  is  a  daughter  of  the  Rochester  Female  Char- 
itable society.  The  parent  society,  feeling  the  pressing  need  of  a  suitable 
place  for  the  sick  poor  who  could  not  be  properly  cared  for  in  their  own  homes, 
agitated  the  subject  of  providing  the  city  with  a  hospital,  and,  in  1845,  ap- 
pointed a  "hospital  committee."  The  Rochester  City  hospital  was  incorpo- 
rated May  7th,  1847,  and  the  following  directors  are  named  in  its  charter:  J. 
B.  Elwood,  Wm.  Pitkin,  I.  Hills,  T.  H.  Rochester,  P.  Kearney,  F.  Starr,  R. 
Lester,  E.  M.  Moore,  J.  Williams,  E.  F.  Smith  and  D.  R.  Barton.  Twelve 
others  were  elected  June  nth,  1847:  J.Webster,  W.  Brewster,  L.  A.  Ward,  J. 
H.  Thompson,  J.  Child,  E.  Peck,  A.  Champion,  J.  Newell,  A.  Kelsey,  J.  Gould, 
F.  F.  Backus  and  H.  F.  Montgomery.  Of  these,  E.  M.  Moore  and  H.  F. 
Montgomery  are  the  only  survivors. 

In  185  I  the  common  council  of  Rochester  conveyed  to  the  directors  of 
the  City  hospital  the  Western  cemetery  lot,  a  tract  containing  about  three  acres, 
on  condition  that  the  directors  should  immediately  inclose  it  and  extinguish  the 
rights  of  the  lessees  of  the  burial  lots.  The  terms  were  accepted,  the  grounds 
inclosed,  but  as  many  of  the  lessees  had  died,  or  left  the  city,  and  others  would 
not  surrender  the  leases,  negotiations  were  necessarily  slow.  In  1855  the  com- 
mon council  agreed  to  transfer  to  the  directors  of  the  hospital  $7,000,  the 
residue  of  the  alms  house  fund,  if  they  would  raise  $5,000.  The  directors 
applied  to  the  Charitable  society,  and  the  ladies  raised  nearly  $6,000  and  placed 
it  in  the  directors'  hands.  In  1857,  having  failed  to  secure  a  title  to  the  ceme- 
tery lot  by  negotiations,  the  directors  applied  to  the  legislature,  and  by  an  act 
of  that  body  acquired  a  perfect  title,  and,  the  conditions  of  the  transfer  being 
complied  with,  the  residue  of  the  alms  house  fund  was  then  given  to  the  direc- 
tors. Plans  were  made  for  the  hospital,  the  central  portion  of  the  present  edi- 
fice put  under  contract  and  building  commenced.  The  erection  of  the  hospital 
wings  was  to  depend  on  future  needs. 

In  i860  the  directors  received  from  the  Charitable  society  $500,  a  legacy 
of  Everard  Peck,  and  $700,  the  avails  of  a  lot  donated  by  Colonel  William 
Fitzhugh,  and  for  these  gifts  they  conferred  on  the  Charitable  society  the  right 
to  a  perpetual  free  bed  in  the  hospital.  In  the  autumn  of  1862  the  exterior  of 
the  hospital  was  nearly  completed,  but  funds  were  exhausted.     An  unsuccess- 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry. 


404  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ful  attempt  was  made  to  obtain  a  state  appropriation;  the  civil  war  made  large 
draughts  on  the  citizens  and  work  was  suspended. 

In  the  summer  of  1863  the  trustees  of  the  Rochester  Collegiate  Institute 
donated  $1,000,  and  it  was  decided  to  provide  ten  or  fifteen  beds  and  open  the 
hospital  for  patients,  if  the  Charitable  society  would  assume  its  management.  At 
its  annual  meeting,  November,  1863,  in  response  to  a  communication  from  G. 
H.  Mumford,  president  of  the  hospital  board  of  directors,  the  Charitable  society 
appointed  two  committees,  an  executive  and  a  visiting  committee,  to  confer 
with  the  directors  and  devise  plans  for  completing  and  furnishing  the  hospital. 
These  committees  were  to  make  their  own  arrangements,  fill  vacancies  and 
report  to  the  society.  The  executive  committee  met  with  the  directors,  a  solic- 
iting committee  was  appointed,  the  ladies  raised  five  thousand  dollars,  work 
was  resumed,  and  the  building  completed.  Churches  and  individuals  responded 
to  appeals,  and  generously  and  tastefully  furnished  wards  and  private  rooms. 
The  directors  appointed  physicians,  and  requested  the  Charitable  society  to 
take  the  entire  management  of  the  hospital,  with  the  exception  of  the  medical 
department.  The  trust  was  accepted,  and  delegated  to  the  executive  and  vis- 
iting committees,  who  were  to  incur  no  pecuniary  responsibility  for  the  society, 
and  make  to  it  an  annual  report.  The  members  of  these  two  committees  are 
the  present  lady  managers  of  the  hospital  association. 

January  28th,  1864,  the  hospital  was  dedicated,  with  appropriate  exercises. 
An  address  was  made  by  G.  H.  Mumford,  from  which,  and  the  records  of  the 
society,  we  have  gleaned  many  of  the  preceding  facts.  On  the  1st  of  Febru- 
ary it  received  the  first  patient.  The  edifice  was  fifty  by  sixty  feet,  four  stories 
high,  with  two  entrances  and  a  central  hall.  In  the  basement  were  kitchen  and 
laundry ;  on  the  first  floor,  two  female  wards,  an  accouchement  room,  parlor 
and  matron's  room  ;  on  the  second,  a  male  ward,  private  rooms,  resident  phy- 
sician's room  and  dining-room  ;  on  the  third,  private" rooms  and  wards;  above 
all,  the  dome.  Dr.  Henry  W.  Dean  was  physician ;  Dr.  H.  F.  Montgomery, 
surgeon ;  Dr.  C.  E.  Rider,  resident  physician ;  John  M.  Sly,  superintendent ; 
his  wife,  matron ;  Miss  Frances  E.  Hebbard,  our  present  matron,  was  assistant. 
The  directors  were  G.  H.  Mumford,  E.  M.  Smith,  H.  F.  Montgomery,  J.  B.  lilwood, 
J.  H.  Thompson,  E.  M.  Moore,  A.  Kelsey,  R.  Keeler,  S.  D.  Porter,  E.  F.  Smith, 
J,  Gould,  B.  R.  McAlpine,  L.  A.  Ward,  A.  Erickson,  W.  Pitkin,  W.  Brewster,  F. 
Starr,  A.  Champion,  I.  Hills,  J.  Williams,  J.  Brackett,  D.  R.  Barton,  J.  Thomp- 
son, jr.,  and  Samuel  Wilder.  The  lady  managers  were  Mrs.  M.  Strong,  Mrs.  G. 
H.  Mumford,  Mrs.  J.  Craig,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Perkins,  Mrs.  M.  Rochester,  Mrs.  M. 
M.  Mathews,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Smith,  Mrs.  A.  Bronson,  Mrs.  I.  R.  Elwood,  Mrs.  W. 
W..  Carr,  Mrs.  N.  T.  Rochester,  Mrs.  F.  Starr,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Smith,  Mrs.  C.  F. 
Smith  and  Mrs.  L.  A.  Ward.  Six  of  these  directors  survive  ;  James  Brackett 
and  Samuel  Wilder  are  still  members  of  the  board  of  directors.  Eight  of  the 
original  lady  managers  are  living;   Mrs.  M.. Strong  has  always  been  their  pres- 


_^„,-«-:!^^ 

«%h. 

-<' 

^^Jraj^ 

^ 

1 

1 

^d 

R 

**       < 

'i- 

N^ 

^^^^^^P^''r'                 ''''!^ 

■ 

f 

W  jn 

pR' 

'■  ■■// 

/ 

1 

*      ^ 

7 

/ 

^'  ^.   ^  C<yi^..c/c^^ 


■Ej,fdi^j^_Bj^^ll.^  g^^.^  yt^a-ifc^. 


The  City  Hospital.  40S 


ident ;  Mrs.  M.  M.  Mathews  their  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Per- 
kins their  treasurer,  except  during  a  short  absence  from  the  country,  when 
George  Breck,  superintendent,  kept  the  accounts  ;  Mrs:  M.  Rochester,  the  first 
recording  secretary,  remained  in  office  till  March,  1867;  Mrs.  N.  T.  Rochester 
is  still  a  member  of  the  board. 

Three  months  after  its  dedication,  the  hospital  was  thrown  open  to  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers  ;  every  available  place,  except  the  two  female  wards,  was 
given  up  to  them  ;  between  June  7th,  1864,  and  September,  1865,  448  were 
received.  In  1865  the  east  wing  was  completed;  it  was  eighty  feet  long, 
with  a  transept  forty  by  twenty-five  feet ;  three  stories  high,  including  base- 
ment, with  room  for  sixty  or  seventy  beds ;  the  mansard  roof  has  since  been 
added.  In  187 1  the  west  wing  was  completed,  and  private  rooms  in  the 
third  story  were  attractively  furnished  by  churches  and  individuals,  as  also 
were  those  ip  the  east  mansard,  which  were  finished  in  1879;  some  of  these 
are  memorial  rooms.  In  1880  a  morgue  was  built ;  in  1882  the  hall  pavilion 
was  erected.  In  1883  another  pavilion  was  built,  from  funds  contributed  by 
three  of  the  medical  staff,  Drs.  W.  S.  Ely,  E.  V.  Stoddard  and  J.  B.  Whitbeck. 
An  elevator,  donated  by  A.  J.  Johnson,  was  also  introduced  into  the  building, 
twelve  new  rooms  were  constructed  in  the  dome,  and  the  sewerage  was  made 
as  perfect  as  possible. 

The  hospital  grounds  extend  from  West  avenue  to  Troup  street.  The  build- 
ings can  accommodate  150  patients.  The  wards  are  large,  light,  well  ven- 
tilated, heated  by  steam,  and  designed  for  medical  and  surgical  cases  of  both 
sexes.  The  private  rooms  are  well  furnished  and  attractive,  reached  by  ele- 
vator, and  the  patients  choose  their  own  physician,  who  may  be  of  any  school. 
The  sanitary  condition  of  the  building  is  considered  perfect.  Contagious  dis- 
eases are  treated  in  isolated  buildings.  A  training  school  for  nurses  has  been 
in  successful  operation  three  years.  There  is  a  chapel  service  Sunday  after- 
noon. St.  Luke's  flower  mission  make  weekly  offerings.  On  the  first  floor 
of  the  present  central  edifice  are  parlor,  office,  operating-room,  dispensary  and 
resident  physicians'  rooms ;  on  the  second,  the  chapel,  matron's  room,  dining- 
room,  bath-room  and  linen  room;  on  the  third,  private  wards  and  rooms;  in 
the.  dome,  rooms  for  nurses.  In  the  east  wing  are  the  male  medical  and  sur- 
gical wards  ;  in  the  west,  the  female  medical,  surgical,  arid  lying-in-wards  ;  in 
both  mansards  are  private  rooms.  The  kitchens,  laundry,  some  dining-rooms, 
store  rooms,  etc.,  are  in  the  basement. 

The  hospital  has  an  endowment  fund  from  gifts,  bequests,  memorial  offerings 
and  free  beds,'  the  interest  of  which  only  is  available  ;  it  has  an  income  from 
private  city  and  county  patients,  but  these  sources  are  inadequate  to  its  sup- 
port, for  which  it  relies  largely  on  the  cash  receipts  at  its  annual  donation  fes- 
tival in  December.  Three  of  the  faithful  physicians,  whose  services  long 
blessed  the  hospital,  have  died;  Henry  W.    Dean  died  January  13th,  1878; 


4o6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

W.  W.  Ely,  March  27th,  1879;  John  F.  Whitbeck,  December  8th,  1881. 
Two  of  these  have  sons  on  the  medical  staff.  H.  F.  Montgomery,  the  first 
surgeon,  has  always  been  on  the  surgical  staff.  The  Hospital  Review,  pub- 
lished monthly,  reports  the  work  and  needs  of  the  hospital.  It  was  first  issued 
August,  1864,  and  edited  till  1871  by  Mrs  T.  C.  Arner;  from  then  till  1873 
by  Miss  E.  G.  Mathews;  from  then  till  1876  by  Miss  Frances  J.  Munger; 
since  then  by  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry. 

The  hospital  is  now  under  the  direction  of  the  following  persons:  Directors 
—  D.  W.  Powers,  president;  M.  F.  Reynolds,  vice-president;  H.  S.  Hanford, 
secretary  and  treasurer;  J.  Brackett,  S.  Wilder,  E.  S.  Ettenheimer,  C.  C.  Morse, 
J.  H.  Brewster,  G.  H.  Perkins,  J.  L.  Angle,  J.  E.  Pierpont,  G.  H.  Thompson, 

C.  F.  Pond,  G.  E.  Mumford,  L.  P.- Ross,  J.  J.  Bausch,  S.  J.  Macy,  N.  Stein,  A. 
S.  Hamilton,  W.  H.  Gorsline,  W.  S.  Kimball,  S.  Sloan,  R.  A.  Sibley.  Lady 
managers — Mrs.  M.  Strong,  president;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Perkins,  treasurer;  Mrs. 
M.  M.  Mathews,  corresponding  secretary;  Mrs.  D.  B.  Beach,  recording  secre- 
tary; Mrs.  N.  T.  Rochester,  Mrs.  G.  F.  Danforth,  Mrs.  G.  J.  Whitney,  Mrs.  A. 

D.  Smith,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Brewster,  Mrs.  C.  Johnston,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Morse,  Miss  A. 
S.  Mumford,  Mrs.  F.  Clarke,  Mrs.  M.  Adalms,  Mrs.  M.  Landsberg,  Mrs.  H.  F. 
Smith,  Miss  A.  E.  M.  Wilde,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Chapin,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Hamilton.  At- 
tending physicians  — William  S.  Ely,  M.  D.,  E.  V.  Stoddard,  M.  D.,  John  W. 
Whitbeck,  M.  D. ;  attending  surgeons,  H.  F.  Montgomery,  M.  D.,  David  Little, 
M.  D.,  H.  H.  Langworthy,  M.  D. ;  special  —  C.  E.  Rider,  M.  D.,  ophthalmic 
and  aural  surgeon;  assisting  visiting  physician  and  surgeon,  C.  A.  Dewey,  M. 
D. ;  resident  assistants,  F.  H.  Welles,  M.  D.,  H.  H.  Bingham,  M.  D. ;  matron, 
Miss  Frances  E.  Hebbard;  recorder,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Gilman;  supervising  nurse, 
Miss  L.  A.  Markham. 

During  the  year  ending  October  ist,  1883,  478  patients  were  received  at 
the  hospital,  there  were  nineteen  births,  447  were  dismissed,  fifty-five  died, 
seventy-two  remained,  twenty-eight  were  supported  entirely  by  charity. 

St.  Mary's  hospital^  was  established  September  8th,  1857.  ^^  had  a  very 
small  beginning,  indeed,  but  through  the  energy  of  its  first  superior  (Sister 
Hieronymo),  through  the  hard  labors  of  the  Sisters,  through  the  charitable  do- 
nations of  the  people  of  Rochester  and  through  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God, 
it  has  grown  to  be  the  most  prominent  house  of  charity  in  the  city,  a  monu- 
ment of  hard  work  and  sacrifices,  and  an  ornament  to  the  city.  It  is  situated 
on  West  avenue,  corner  of  Genesee  street.  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Timon  of  Buffalo 
obtained  in  1857  three  Sisters  from  Emmettsburg,  Maryland,  and  Rev.  M. 
O'Brien,  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  church,  bought  for  them  a  lot  on -West  avenue, 
the  present  site.  Two  stone  stables  on  the  premises  were  converted  into  a  hos- 
pital by  Sister  Hieronymo  and  on  September  8th,  1857,  she  opened  the  house 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  under  the  supervision  of  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Mc- 
Quaid. 


z;.,^  U^ '/;,'/.,",.;  ;.:  M-.^^/i.-i' 


The  Female  Charitaule  Society.  407 

for  the  admission  of  patients.     Sister  Hieronymo  remained  superior  until  Sep- 
tember, 1870.  I 

The  first  year  (1858)  about  250  sick  people  were  received  and  cared  for  in 
the  small  hospital.  The  building  being  too  small  for  the  wants  of  the  sick,  Sis- 
ter Hieronymo,  trusting  in  divine  providence,  commenced  in  1858  the  east 
wing  of  the  present  building  and  finished  it  the  same  year.  In  1861  she  began 
the  erection  of  the  present  edifice  and  finished  it  in  1865.  The  whole  building 
is  of  Medina  stone,  from  four  to  four  and  a  half  stories  high. 

As  God  often  turns  evil  into  good,  so  the  time  of  our  civil  war  was  a  great  help  ' 
to. the  hospital,  it  being  filled  with  wounded  soldiers,. for  several  years.  Many 
a  donation  was  made  to  the  institution,  by  the  poor  sick  soldiers  on  account  of 
the  kind  treatment  they  received  from  the  hands  of  the  Sisters.  The  wounded 
soldiers  came  in  by  the  hundreds,  so  that  the  superior  was  obliged  to  erect  sev- 
eral pavilions  in  the  yard  in  order  to  accommodate  them.  On  June  7th,  1864, 
nearly  three  hundred  arrived.  During  the  war  about  3,000  soldiers  found  a 
kind  home  in  the  hospital.     The  number  of  patients  now  averages  about  210. 

Last  year  529  were  received  and  discharged.  Since  its  establishment  about 
22,500  have  been  received.  The  present  superior  (sister  servant)  is  Sister  Ella 
Rose,  assisted  by  about  fifteen  Sisters.  The  hospital  is  supported  by  the  city 
and  county,  by  the  fees  of  private  patients  and  by  donations. 

The  Rochester  Female  Charitable  society,  ^  the  mother  of  many  of  our  city 
charities  and  beneficent  institutions,  was  organised  February  26th,  1822,  at  the 
house  of  Everard  Peck;  Mrs.  Levi  Ward  was  elected  president;  Mrs.  E.  Peck, 
treasurer ;  twelve  directresses  and  fifteen  visitors  were  chosen,  and  the  village 
was  divided  into  fifteen  districts.  This  was  the  origin  of  district  visiting  in  this 
city,  and  the  city  of  New  York  soon  followed  this  example,  as  we  have  been 
assured  by  one  of  the  first  trustees.  The  object  of  this  society  was  the  relief 
of  indigent  sick  persons,  and  the  establishment  of  a  charity  school.  Previous 
to  1822,  a  charity  school  had  been  taught  in  a  room  on  State  street,  gratuitously 
granted  by  Josiah  Bissell,  on  premises  now  occupied  by  the'  Flour  City  bank. 
The  educational  wants  of  the  poor,  and  other  destitutions  consequent  upon 
sickness  in  a  new  country,  prompted,  for  more  efficient  action,  the  formation  of 
this  society.  Nutritious  food,  bedding,  clothing,  and  other  comforts  for  the 
sick  poor  were  then  and  ever  since  have  been  provided,  as  necessity  required. 
In  the  charity  school  the  elementary  branches  and  sewing  were  taught;  the 
children  were  clothed  by  the  ladies.  In  1824  a  lot  was  presented  to  the  society, 
by  Colonel  William  Fitzhugh,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  near  the  forest, 
now  North  Washington  street,  upon  which  a  small  building  was  erected  and 
used  for  a  charity  school.  This  school  was  continued  until  the  common  schools 
were  established  ;  the  building  was  then  used  for  a  sewing- school,,  and  in  1847 
rented  to  the  city  for  a  school  for  colored  children.  The  lot  was  sold  in  1849, 
and  the  money  invested  for  future  use. 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  Maltby  Strong. 


4o8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  records  from  1822  to  1827  were  unfortunately  lost,  but  the  original 
constitution  is  preserved  ;  only  one  person  of  those  whose  names  are  affixed 
is  now  living,  Mrs.  Abelard  Reynolds,  who  September  23d,  1884,  completes 
her  hundredth  year.  The  business  was  conducted  by  the  entire  society  until 
1827,  when  it  was  delegated  to  a  board  of  managers.  The  Charitable  society 
was  incorporated  April  3d,  1855,  with  S.  G.  Andrews,  L.  A.  Ward,  John  Wil- 
liams, N.  Osburn,  Moses  Chapin  and  W.  N.  Sage,  trustees;  previously  J.  T. 
Talman,  E.  Peck  and  S.  D.  Porter  had  charge  of  the  investments. 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  this  association,  we  find  the  germs  of  several 
institutions.  In  1844  this  society  sent  to  the  common  council  the  first  peti- 
tion for  a  work-house.  "This  subject  was  at  once  entertained  and  never 
dropped,"  until  our  penitentiary  and  adjacent  buildings  were  erected.  In  1845, 
being  unable  properly  to  care  for  some  of  the  sick,  in  their  own  homes,  it  ap- 
pointed a  "  hospital  committee,"  to  consult  with  the  physicians  and  other  gentle- 
men of  the  city,  in  reference  to  building  a  hospital,  and  in  the  meantime  to 
furnish  some  place  where  the  sick  could  have  suitable  attention.  The  Home 
for  the  Friendless  accepted  the  charge  for  one  year,  being  paid  for  their  care 
by  the  Charitable  society,  that  afterward,  for  a  short  time,  rented  rooms  and 
provided  nurses.  In  May,  1847,  the  City  hospital  was  incorporated.  In  185  i 
the  Charitable  society  petitioned  the  common  council  for  the  Western  cemetery 
lot,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  hospital,  intending  to  appropriate  toward  it 
$700,  the  avails  of  the  charity  school  lot,  and  a  gift  from  Jenny  Lind.  At  the 
close  of  the  year  the  lot  was  conveyed  to  the  directors  of  the  hospital,  on  cer- 
tain conditions,  which  were  accepted,  but  a  clear  title  could  not  be  secured  till 
acquired  by  an  act  of  the  legislature,  in  1857.  In  1855  the  common  council 
agreed  to  transfer  to  the  hospital  directors  the  residue  of  the  alms  house  fund, 
$7,000,  if  they  would  raise  the  additional  sum  of  $5,000,  for  building  a  hospital. 
The  directors  applied  to  the  Charitable  society  for  aid.  The  ladies  speedily 
raised  nearly  $6,000 ;  they  afterward  appropriated  $500,  the  legacy  of  E.  Peck, 
and  $700,  the  avails  of  the  charity  school  lot,  and  placed  this  money  at  the 
disposal  of  the  directors,  thus  securing  to  the  Charitable  society  a  perpetual  free 
bed  in  the  City  hospital.  After  the  title  to  the  cemetery  grounds  was  secured, 
the  central  portion  of  the  present  edifice  was  commenced,  but  not  completed  as 
designed,  the  funds  being  exhausted.  In  1861  this  society  petitioned  the  leg- 
islature for  a  House  of  Refuge  for  girls. 

In  November,  1863,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Charitable  society,  a 
communication  from  G.  H.  Mumford,  president  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  City  hospital,  was  presented,  requesting  that  a  committee  from  the  Char- 
itable society  be  appointed,  to  confer  with  them  and  devise  plans  for  complet- 
ing and  furnishing  the  hospital.  An  executive  and  a  visiting  committee  were 
appointed,  with  full  power  to  make  their  own  arrangements,  fill  vacancies,  and 
report  progress  to  the  society.     The  executive  committee  were  Mrs.  M.  Strong, 


The  Female  Charitable  Society.  409 

Mrs.  G.  H.  Mumford,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Perkins,  Mrs.  J.  Craig.  The  visiting  com- 
mittee were  Mrs.  F.  Starr,  Mrs.  N.  T.  Rochester,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Ward,  Mrs.  M. 
M.  Mathews,  Mrs.  A.  Boody,  Mrs.  I.  Elwood,  Mrs.  A.  Bronson,  Mrs..!.  Butts, 
Mrs.  W.  W.  Carr,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Smith,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Smith,  Mrs.  M.  Rochester. 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Perkins,  treasurer  of  the  Charitable  society,  was  appointed  treas- 
urer of  the  hospital  committees.  The  executive  committee  conferred  with  the 
directors;  a  soliciting  committee  was  appointed,  $5,000  was  raised,  and  churches 
and  individuals  were  appealed  to,  who  generously  responded  by  furnishing 
private  rooms  and  wards.  The  directors  appointed  the  medical  and  surgical 
staff  and  requested  the  Charitable  society  to  take  the  entire  management  of 
the  hospital,  with  the  exception  of  the  medical  department.  The  society  ac- 
cepted the  trust,  delegating  it  to  the  executive  and  visiting  committees  (now 
called  the  board  of  lady  managers  of  the  City  hospital),  on  condition  that  the 
society  should  incur  no  pecuniary  responsibility,  and  receive  an  annual  report 
from  the  hospital  committees. 

The  sick  poor  are  not  the  only  ones  that  have  been  aided  by  this  society. 
It  decided  who  should  partake  of  the  Thanksgiving  dinner  given  by  the  Whig 
party  to  the  city  poor  in  185 1  ;  it  dispensed,  through  its  visitors,  the  funds  raised 
for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  by  the  flood  in  1865,  and  by  the  Front  street  fire  in 
1868  ;  it  distributed  two  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  donated,  in  1869,  by  Aaron 
Erickson,  and  also  a  gift  of  wood  by  Brackett  H.  Clark.  The  managers  of 
this  society  were,  many  of  them,  prominent  in  organising  the  Rochester  orphan 
asylum,  the  Home  for  the  Friendless,  the  Industrial  school  and  the  Church 
Home,  and  we  find  in  all  these  boards  ladies  who  have  been  and  still  are  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  this  society,  which  has  revealed  to  them  the  need  of  the 
other  organisations. 

The  endowments  of  the  Charitable  society  consist  of  legacies  and  memorial 
gifts,  many  of  which  are  from  ladles  who  have  been  faithful  workers  in  this 
charity.  As  the  interest  of  these  investments  only  can  be  used,  the  society  is 
largely  dependent  on  funds  contributed  In  response  to  Its  annual  appeals,  for 
means  to  give  the  needed  assistance.  The  society  has  no  buildings  and  no 
salaried  oflScers;  its  annual  and  monthly  meetings  are  held  In  some  central 
location,  gratuitously  loaned  for  the  purpose.  With  the  exception  of  a  trifling 
sum  paid  for  printing,  everj'  dollar  given  to  the  treasury  goes  to  the  relief  of 
the  sick  poor.  The  managers  meet  every  month  to  hear  the  reports  of  the 
visitors  and  make  appropriations.  The  visitors,  ninety-five  in  number,  are 
selected  in  proximity  to  their  districts,  of  which  there  are  seventy-five,  and  are 
expected  to  ascertain  and  relieve  the  wants  of  the  sick  poor  within  them,  and 
with  rare  exceptions  expend  the  money  themselves. 

We  cannot  report  in  this  record  of  sixty-two  years  the  money  disbursed, 
suffering  relieved,  evil  prevented,  or  good  accomplished,  nor  does  space  per- 
mit us  to  give  the  names  of  the  early  managers,  but  they  were  from  the  families 


4IO  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of  the  founders  and  prominent  citizens  of  Rochester,  whose  benevolence  and 
energy  have  been  transmitted  to  their  children  and  grandchildren,  as  evinced 
by  their  efficiency  in  this  and  kindred  associations.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  presidents,  previous  to  1859:  Mrs.  L.  Ward,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Livingston, 
Mrs.  S.  O.  Smith,  Mrs.  H.  Norton,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Talbot,  Mrs.  M.  Scoville, 
Mrs.  A.  Sampson,  Mrs.'  F.  F.'  Backus,  Mrs.  N.  Goodsell,  Mrs.  H.  Ely,  Mrs. 
J.  Strong,  Mrs.  W.  Atkinson,  Mrs.  J.  Bissell,  Mrs.  .W.  Mumford,  Mrs.  S. 
L.  Selden,  Mrs.  S.  Mathews,  Mrs.  W.  Pitkin,  Mrs.  J.  Webster,  Mrs.  J.  R. 
Gregory  and  Mrs.  C.  Dewey.  The  following  early  officers  of  the  society  are 
now  living :  Mrs.  F.  Whittlesey,  Mrs.  C.  M.  Lee^  Mrs.  W.  W.  Reid,  Mrs.  E. 
W.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  J.  T.  Talman,  Mrs.  E.  N.  Buell,  Mrs.  C.  Gates,  Mrs.  Wm. 
Pitkin,  Mrs.  S.  Hamilton,  and  Mrs.   H.  Humphrey. 

In  1859  Mrs.  M.  Strong,  who  had  been  an  officer  in  the  society  since  1836, 
was  elected  president,  and  has  held  the  office  since  then.  Mrs.  F.  Clarke  has 
been  vice-president  since  1865,  Mrs.  A.  Morse  since  1869,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Rowley 
since  1873;  Mrs.  Oscar  Craig  has  been  secretary  since  1869;  Mrs.  N.  B. 
Northrop  was  assistant  treasurer  sixteen  years.  The  following  directresses, 
now  in  office,  have  been  so  many  years :  Mrs.  J.  G.  Whitney,  Mrs.  S.  G. 
Andrews,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Dewey,  Miss  C.  L.  Rochester,  Mrs.  A.  McVean,  Mrs. 
S.  H.  Terry  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Ward. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  corporate  officers  for  the  present  year :  Trus- 
tees—  W.  N.  Sage,  F.  A.  Whittlesey,  Oscar  Craig,  G.  E.  Mumford,  W.  H. 
Ward,  M.  F.  Reynolds;  officers  of  the  society  —  Mrs.  Maltby  Strong,  presi- 
dent ;  Mrs.  Freeman  Clarke,  first  vice-president ;  Mrs.  Adolphus  Morse,  sec- 
ond vice-president;  Mrs.  W.  C.  Rowley,  third  vice-president;  Mrs.  Oscar 
Craig,  secretary ;  Mrs.  H.  P.  Brewster,  treasurer ;  Miss  Louisa  Northrop,  as- 
sistant treasurer ;  directresses —  Miss  C.  L.  Rochester,  Mrs.  G.  G.  Clarkson,  Mrs. 
N.  A.  Stone,  Mrs.  G.  T.  Frost,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Smith,  Mrs.  G.  J.  Whitney,  Mrs.  E. 
B.  Chace,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Webb,  Mrs.  S.  H.  Terry,  Mrs.  H.  Montgomery,  Mrs."  J. 
E.  Baker,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Ward,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Perkins,  Mrs;  D.  M.  Dewey,  Mrs.  S. 
G.  Andrews,  Mrs.  T.  Bacon,  Mrs.  A.  McVean,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Bennett. 

THE   MONROE   COUNTY   niDI.E   SOCIETY. 

This  society,  which  is  auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible  society,  was  organised 
in  March,  1 821,  having  for  its  object  the  supplying  of  every  family  in  the  city 
and  county  with  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  Bible  society  is  the  oldest  organis- 
ation in  the  city  of  a  character  at  once  religious  and  benevolent,  and  it  has, 
from  its  beginning  to  the  present  day,  fulfilled  all  the-  high  expectations  that 
entered  into  the  minds  of  the  founders.  Since  its  organisation  nine  different 
explorations  of  the  city  and  county  have  been  made.  The  ninth  canvass,  com- 
pleted in  1872  (the  semi-centennial  year  of  the  society),  was  more  than  usually 
thorough  and  effective.     This  event  was  celebrated  by  its  officers  and  friends 


The  Monroe  County  Bible  Society.  41 1 

of  the  society  at  a  public  meeting  held  at  the  First  Presbyterian  church. 
Many  were  the  congratulations,  as  the  results  of  fifty  years'  faithful  sowing  of 
the  seed  were  made  to  appear.  Among  the  notable  presidents  of  the  county 
society,  who,  during  the  past  sixty  years,  have  rendered  valuable  services,  are 
the  names  of  Levi  Ward,  who  was  the  first  president,  Henry  Brewster,  of  Riga, 
Vincent  Mathews,  Ashley  Sampson,  James  Seymour,  Everard  Peck,  James  K. 
Livingston,  Frederick  Starr,  William  S.  Bishop,  Emmett  H.  Hollister,  Samuel 
D.  Porter,  and  William  Ailing,  who  was  elected  March  27th,  1875.  Dr.  Ches- 
ter Dewey  was  for  many  years  its  able  and  faithful  corresponding  secretary. 
Samuel  D.  Porter  was  also  an  important  factor  for  over  thirty  years  as  record- 
ing secretary,  director.and  president.  George  A.  Avery,  William  Ailing  and 
Oliver  D.  Grosveuor  have  held  the  office  of  treasurer  and  librarian  from  ten  to 
twenty  years  each,  doing  acceptable  service  for  the  Master.  During  these 
many  years  annual  reports  were  made,  from  time  to  time,  in  some  one  of  the 
local  churches  to  large  and  interested  congregations.  In  October  last,  after  an 
interval  of  ten  years,  and  with  a  desire  to  unite  with  the  national  society  in 
their  fourth  general  canvass  of  the  whole  country,  this  society  determined  upon 
another  supply  of  the  county  —  the  tenth  —  and,  to  make  it  thorough  and 
effective,  employed  an  agent  who  has  had  large  experience  in  several  counties 
of  this  state  to  take  charge  of  the  work.  It  is  estimated  that  it  will  require 
two  years  and  will  cost,  to  supply  the  destitute  and  meet  the  incidental  ex- 
penses of  the  canvass,  about  $3,000.  This,  it  is  believed,  the  church  and  in- 
dividual offerings  will  cheerfully  meet. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  work  of  the  society  in  supplying  the  destitute  with 
the  Scriptures,  the  following  brief  extracts  from  a  report  of  the  agent  employed 
are  given:  During  three  months  of  labor  a  portion  of  four  different  wards  of 
the  city  and  one  entire  village  were  faithfully  visited,  house  by  house  and  family 
by  family,  and  the  work  and  claims  of  the  society  were  presented  in  eleven  dif- 
ferent churches  and  congregations,  and  the  contributions  and  cooperation  of 
many  benevolent  individuals  were  personally  solicited.  The  City  hospital  was 
visited,  many  patients  purchasing  and  the  needy  being  supplied  gratuitously. 
A  supply  of  Bibles  was  also  given  by  the  society  to  the  inmates  of  the  Monroe 
county  penitentiary,  upon  the  application  of  the  chaplain  of  that  institution. 
Many  cases  of  special  interest  were  met  with  of  families  without  a  copy  of  the 
Bible,  of  poor  laboring  people,  scarcely  earning  their  daily  bread,  who  were 
eager  to  buy  the  Scriptures,  and  others  still  more  destitute  in  whose  hands  the 
society  was  enabled  to  place  the  book  as  a  gift.  Such  cases  and  many  others 
arc  found  and  gratuitously  supplied  by  the  society's  agent  in  the  thorough  visita- 
tion now  in  progre-ss.  The  generous  contributions  of  our  churches  and  the  be- 
nevolent public  will  be  solicited  during  the  present  year  for  carrying  on  and 
completing  this  tenth  revisitation  and  supply  of  the  entire  city  and  county  with 
the  Holy  Scriptures.     The  officers  for  the  present  year  are:    William  Ailing, 

27 


412  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

president;  Rev.  J.  P.  Sankey,  vice-president;  Prof.  A.  H.  Mixer,  corresponding 
secretary;  Rev.  David  Dickey,  recording  secretary;  O.  D.  Grosvenor,  treasurer 
and  librarian;  C.  J.  Hayden,  A.  S.  Hamilton,  J.  E.  Pierpont,  D.  Copeland,  C. 
A.  Davis  and  Hiram  Davis,  directors. 

THE  ROCHESTER   ORPHAN   ASYLUM.^ 

The  Rochester  orphan  asylum  was  organised  by  the  benevolent  ladies  of 
Rochester,  February  28th,  1837,  "fo""  the  purpose  of  protecting,  relieving  and 
educating  orphan  and  destitute  children  in  the  city."  A  constitution  was 
adopted  and  the  following  officers  were  electeS:  First  directress,  Mrs.  David 
Scoville;  second,  Mrs.  Thomas  H.  Rochester;  third,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Livingston; 
fourth,  Mrs.  Wm.  Atkinson;  secretary,  Mrs.  Samuel  D.  Porter;  treasurer,  Mrs. 
Everard  Peck;  board  of  managers,  Mrs.  Lindlay  Murray  Moore,  Mrs.  Silas  O. 
Smith,  Mrs.  Elon  Galusha,  Mrs.  Ira  West,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Reid,  Mrs.  E.  F.  Smith, 
Mrs.  John  F.  Bush,  Mrs.  Selah  Mathews,  Mrs.  Wm.  Emerson,  Mrs.  Pharcellus 
Church,  Mrs.  Caleb  Hammond.  These  officers  were  representative  ladies  from 
every  religious  denomination  in  the  city.  But  two  of  the  number  are  now  living 
— Mrs.  W.  W.  Reid  of  Rochester,  and  Mrs.  Pharcellus  Church,  now  of  Tarry- 
town.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  aid,  a  small  house  on  Adams 
street  was  rented,  Mrs.  Tobey  was  engaged  as  matron,  and  in  April  the  house 
was  opened  for  the  reception  of  children.  The  first  inmates  were  nine  little  ones 
taken  from  the  alms  house  by  Mrs.  W.  W.  Reid  and  Mrs.  L.  M.  Moore,  with 
the  stipulation  that  the  same  amount  should  be  paid  for  their  support  in  the 
asylum  that  was  allowed  the  keepers  of  the  county  poor.  During  the  first  year 
forty-six  children  were  the  recipients  of  this  charity. 

By  a  special  act  of  the  legislature  passed  March  23d,  1838,  the  .society  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  "the  Rochester  Orphan  Asylum."  In  April, 
1840,  the  charter  was  amended  to  authorise  "the  election  of  seven  trustees  (of 
whom  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Rochester  shall,  ex-officio,  be  one)  to  manage 
the  estate  and  financial  concerns  of  the  institution."  In  April,  1871,  this  act 
was  further  amended,  increasing  the  number  of  trustees  to  ten.  The  first  trus- 
tees elected  were :  Thomas  H.  Rochester,  Everard  Peck,  Silas  O.  Smith,  Silas 
Cornell,  David  Scoville  and  Moses  Chapin.  In  June,  1839,  John  Greig  of  Can- 
andaigua  gave  to  the  asylum  an  acre  and  a  half  of  land  fronting  on  Hubbell 
park  and  extending  from  Greig  to  Exchange  street ;  afterward  Alonzo  Frost 
planted  it  with  shade  trees,  and  finally  Hiram  Sibley  inclosed  it  with. a  substan- 
tial fence.  On  this  site  the  central  building  of  the  present  structure  was  erected 
in  1843  and  '44,  and  in  April  of  the  latter  year  the  children  were  removed  to 
their  new  home.  In  1869  the  managers  decided  to  extend  their  work  by  re- 
ceiving children  under  two  years  of  age,  a  class  for  whom  no  provision  had 
been  made  by  any  institution  in  the  city.     More  room  was  required  for  the 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  William  N.  Sage. 


Rochester  Orphan  Asylum.  413 

proper  care  of  these  little  one's  and  in  1870  the  east  wing  was  built  for  their  ac- 
commodation, at  a  cost  of  over  $10,000.  The  two  upper  stories  furnished 
pleasant  day  and  night  nurseries  for  the  children  under  five  years  of  age,  while 
the  basement  gave  to  the  older  ones  ample  bath-rooms,  fitted  up  with  basin, 
towel,  soap  and  brushes  for  the  hair  and  teeth,  for  each  child,  a  luxury  to  which 
they  had  before  that  time  been  strangers.  In  1873  a  low  wooden  building 
used  for  laundry,  school-room  and  dormitories  was  found  to  be  so  much  out  of 
repair  as  to  be  unsafe.  It  was  torn  down  and  replaced  by  a  substantial  brick 
structure,  known  as  the  west  wing.  The  roof  of  the  main  building  was  raised 
and  another  story  added.  The  new  wing  and  improvements  on  thfe  main  build- 
.ing,  the  introduction  of  steam  heating  and  Hemlock  water,  furnishing,  etc., 
cost  $21,169.  Of  this  amount  $7,500  was  received  by  a  grant  from  the  state 
legislature  for  this  special  purpose,  which,  with  $1,000  given  a  few  years  be- 
fore, constitutes  the  entire  sum  received  by  the  asylum  from  the  state  treasury. 

Less  than  a  decade  of  years  had  passed  when  the  steady  growth  of.  her 
asylum,  with  its  corresponding  demands,  forced  upon  the  managers  the  con- 
viction that  still  more  room  must  be  provided.  The  school-room  was  crowded, 
the  laundry  was  no  larger  than  one  required  for  a  private  family,  and  the  hos- 
pital was  a  small  room,  poorly  ventilated  and  without  bath-room  or  water. 
The  necessity  for  additional  room  was  evident,  but  the  managers  saw  no  way 
of  raising  the  money.  In  the  midst  of  their  perplexity,  a  venerable  citizen, 
the  late  Henry  S.  Potter,  nobly  came  to  their  relief,  and  to  his  liberal  gift  of 
$12,000  the  asylum  is  indebted  for  the  "  Potter  memorial  building,"  erected  in 
1 88 1.  The  improvements  which  were  required  to  adapt  the  west  wing  to  the 
new  edifice,  a  new  building  for  boilers,  coal-house  and  drying-room,  steam 
heating,  plumbing  and  gas  cost  about  $6,000.  This  amount  was  taken  from 
invested  funds  which  the  asylum  could  legally  use  for  permanent  improve- 
ments. During  the  forty-seven  years  of  its  existence  the  asylum  has  received 
by  legacies  $44,416,  and  has  expended  from  this  source,  on  buildings  and 
grounds,  $21,433,  leaving  $22,983  now  invested  in  bonds  and  mortgages. 

Since  the  organisation  of  the  asylum  3,734  children  have  been  sheltered 
withinits  walls.  Some  of  these  little  ones  have  had  a  temporary  home  for  a 
few  weeks  or  perhaps  months,  while  their  parents  were  sick  or  out  of  work 
and  unable  to  care  for  them;  when  better  days  returned  the  children  were  taken 
home,  carrying  with  them  some  new  ideas  of  life,  prompting  them  to  make 
their  homes  more  comfortable  by  putting  into  practice  a  little  of  the  order  and 
neatness  which  they  had  been  taught  at  the  asylum.  A  large  number  were 
orphans  or  half  orphans  and  many  have  been  rescued  from  homes  of  destitu- 
tion and  from  the  cruel  abuse  of  intemperate  or  vicious  parents.  An  important 
feature  of  the  institution  is  procuring  permaneni  homes  for  the  children.  The 
asylum  is  designed  as  a  temporary  home,  a  stepping-stone  to  something  higher 
and  better.     While  in  the  institution   the   children  receive  motherly  care  and 


414  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

moral  and  mental  instruction  designed  to  fit  them  to  become  members  of  re- 
spectable families.  Great  care  is  taken  in  giving  out  children  to  choose  those 
who  are  adapted  to  the  homes  they  are  to  enter ;  those  qualified  by  nature  to 
fill  only  subordinate  positions  are  placed  in  such,  while  for  those  more  highly 
gifted,  and  especially  for  the  younger  children,  are  sought  homes  by  adoption. 
Since  the  organisation  of  the  asylum  more  than  five  hundred  children  whose 
only  seeming  inheritance  was  poverty  and  degradation  have  been  thus  ab- 
sorbed into  the  better  classes  of  the  community  and  educated  under  the  disci- 
pline of  well  ordered  family  life.  During  the  ten  years  ending  October  ist,  1883, 
two  hundred  and  forty-nine  children  have  b^n  provided  with  permanent 
homes;  one  hundred  and  forty-one  of  these  were  legally  adopted  by  people  of 
means,  and  will  be  given  every  advantage  of  education  and  culture  enjoyed 
by  those  born  under  more  auspicious  circumstances ;  the  other  one  hundred 
and  eight  are  in  respectable  families,  where  they  will  receive  a  good  common 
school  education,  be  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  be  fitted  to  become  self- 
supporting  citizens.  The  great  number  of  children  thus  placed  in  homes  is 
one  of  the  most  efficient  means  of  breaking  up  hereditary  pauperism,  and  has 
done  more  toward  reducing  the  "  poor  tax  "  than  all  the  city  and  county  have 
ever  paid  for  the  support  of  children  in  the  asylum.  The  average  number  of 
children  in  the  asylum  during  the  last  five  years  was  10 1  ;  the  present  number 
is  103. 

Children  are  received  from  the  county  for  $1.50  per  week,  and  from  the  city 
for  $1.60.  These  prices  were  fixed  by  the  board  of  supervisors  and  by  the 
common  council  in  1876,  and  include  board,  clothing,  schooling  and  every  ex- 
pense of  whatever  nature.  For  the  thirty-nine  years  previous  to  1876  the  city 
and  county  had  paid  but  $1.00  per  week  for  the  support  of  children  in  the 
asylum.  The  average  expense  of  maintaining  a  child  in  the  asylum  is  $2.00 
per  week.  The  children  of  poor  mothers,  who  by  reason  of  the  death,  intem- 
perance or  desertion  of  their  husbands  have  been  compelled  to  put  their  chil- 
dren in  the  asjdum  and  go  out  to  service  or  to  daily  labor,  are  received  for 
$1.00  per  week  and  in  some  instances  where  there  are  several  children  in  one 
family  they  are  taken  for  seventy-five  cents  each,  and  for  many  children  no 
compensation  is  received  from  any  source.  The  amount  received  from  all 
these  sources  averages  less  than  one-half  the  cost  of  maintenance  ;  the  remain- 
der, or  about  $5,000  a  year,  must  come  from  voluntary  contributions  in  money 
and  supplies. 

An  annual  "donation"  is  held  at  the  asylum  on  the  second  Thursday  in 
November,  the  receipts  averaging  $2,500.  In  December,  bags  capable  of  hold- 
ing about  half  a  bushel  are  freely  distributed  in  the  city  and  neighboring  towns; 
Christmas  week  the  bags  are  returned  to  the  asylum,  bountifully  filled  with 
food  and  clothing,  fruit,  nuts,  confectionery  and  toys.  The  flour,  sugar,  pota- 
toes and  other  household  supplies  contained  in  these  "  Christmas  bags  "  fur- 
nish a  valuable  supplement  to  the  November  'donation. 


^     '  St.  Patrick's  Orphan  Asylum.  41  S 

The  school  room  occupies  the  entire  first  floor  of  the  Potter  building ;  it  is 
well  lighted  and  ventilated  and  fitted  with  every  needed  appliance  for  school 
work.  The  school  is  under  the  direction  of  the  board  of  education,  by  whom 
the  teachers  are  appointed  and  paid.  The  course  of  study  and  text  books  are 
the  same  as  in  the  public  schools.  All  expenses  of  the  schools,  except  teachers' 
salaries,  are  paid  by  the  asylum. 

The  older  children  attend  church  regularly  on  Sunday  morning.  In  the 
afternoon,  Sunday  school  exercises  are  held  in  the  school  rooms.  Everard  Peck, 
Samuel  D.  Porter,  William  R.  Seward,  Horace  McGuire,  Frank  Ellery  and  Prof 
Forbes  have  successively  served  as  superintendents.  Prof  Forbes,  of  the  Roch- 
ester Free  academy,  and  Mrs.  Forbes  are  still  rendering  valuable  service. 

During  the  early  years  of  the  asylum  rotation  in  office  seemed  to  be  the 
rule.  Among  the  exceptions  may  be  found  the  name  of  Mrs.  Chester  Dewey," 
who  with  occasional  intervals  served  as  president  twenty-five  years,  her  first 
term  of  office  dating  from  1840  to  1850,  and  her  last  from  1857  to  1870,  when 
failing  health  compelled  her  final  resignation.  She  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Ly- 
sander  Farrar,  who  filled  the  office  acceptably  until  October,  1883,  when  she 
declined  reelection,  on  account  of  contemplated  absence  from  the  city.  Two 
secretaries  have  served  ten  years  each— ^ Mrs.  S.  H.  Terry,  from  1856  to  1866, 
and  Mrs.  Martin  Briggs,  from  1873  to  1883.  Mrs.  E.  N.  Buell  acted  as  treas- 
urer seventeen  years,  from  1845  to  1862.  She  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  William 
N.  Sage,  who  served  in  that  capacity  until  November,  1883,  a  period  of  twenty- 
one  years,  when  she  declined  reelection.  The  present  officers  are :  President, 
Mrs.  E.  H.  HoUister;  vice-president,  Mrs.  Geo.  G.  Clarkson ;  secretary,  Mrs. 
Martin  Briggs  ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Joseph  Curtis  ;  trustees  —  C.  R.  Parsons,  mayor 
of  the  city  (ex-officio)  ;  William  N.  Sage,  president  of  the  board ;  Jonathan  E. 
Pierpont,  secretary ;  Ezra  R.  Andrews,  Thomas  C.  Montgomery,  James  L. 
Angle,  H.  Austin  Brewster,  Charles  F.  Pond,  David  Copeland  and  Henry  F. 
Smith. 

ST.    PATRICK'S   ORPHAN   ASYLUM.l 

The  incorporate  title  of  the  asylum  is  "The  Roman  Catholic  orphan  asylum 
society  of  the  city  of  Rochester."  This  asylum  for  girls  is  situated  on  Frank  street, 
corner  of  Vought.  It  is  a  brick  building,  three  stories  high,  with  a  basement 
for  kitchen,  dining-rooms,  etc.  It  was  commenced  in  1841  by  a  society  called 
the  "  Orphan  Asylum  society."  The  orphans  were  under  the  care  of  matrons 
hired  by  the  society.  At  a  meeting  called  by  Rev.  B.  O'Reilly  September  17th, 
1843,  the  society  was  reorganised.  It  was  resolved  to  hold  meetings  every  first 
Sunday  of  the  month,  and  that  the  board  of  managers  consist  of  the  officers  of 
the  society,   viz.,  president,  vice-president,    secretary  and  treasurer.     Father 

1  The  articles  upon  the  three  Catholic  orphan  asylums  and  the  Home  of  Industry  were  prepared  by 
Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  under  tlie  supervision  of  Bishop  McQuaid. 


4i6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochesteu. 

O'Reilly  remaining  president,  Rev.  Charles  D.  French  was  elected  vice-presi- 
dent, George  A.  Wilkin  treasurer  and  P.  Barry  secretary.  At  a  meeting  Feb- 
ruary 9th,  1845,  it  was  resolved  to  have  the  society  incorporated  by  an  act  of 
the  legislature.  May  14th,  1845,  under  the  above-mentioned  name.  The  first 
trustees  were :  Rev.  Bernard  O'Reilly,  Rev.  Charles  D.  French,  Rev.  Lawrence 
Carroll,  Hugh  Bradley,  Patrick  Doyle,  Patrick  Barry,  James  O'Donoughue, 
James  Gallery  and  Michael  Mullen.  On  July  13th,  1845,  ^  code  of  by-laws 
was  adopted.  Meetings  were  to  take  place  once  a  month,  elections  yearly,  in 
June.  Membership  could  be  obtained  by  paying  monthly  twelve  and  a  half 
cents,  or  membership  for  life  by  paying  fifty  dollars  into  the  funds.  The  pastor 
of  St.  Patrick's  church  was  president  ex  officio.  The  asylum  was  supported  by 
the  fees  of  members,  Christmas  collections  in  the  churches,  and  fairs.  The  or- 
phan boys  were  sent  to  Lancaster  and  afterward  to  Lime  Stone  Hill  and  paid 
for  by  the  society,  until  1864. 

In  March,  1844,  the  managers  of  the  asylum'  applied  for  Sisters  of  Charity 
to  take  care  of  the  orphans.  They  petitioned  the  superior  at  Emmettsburg 
(St.  Joseph's  House),  Maryland.  But  they  were  not  obtained  until  the  spring 
of  184s,  when  they  arrived  from  Emmettsburg.  The  first  superior  was  Sister 
Martha.  The  building  was  enlarged  in  1847,  and  a  wing  put  to  it  in  1864- 
65,  along  Vought  street.  At  a  special  meeting  called  November  Sth,  1863,  it 
was  resolved  to  give  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity  the  entire  management  of  the  in- 
stitution, and  a  meeting  of  the  society  was  called  for  the  first  Sunday  of  Decem- 
ber, 1863,  to  adopt  this  resolution.  The  change  was  effected  June  2Sth,  1864, 
when  at  a  special  meeting  the  resignations  of  Rev.  M.  O'Brien,  A.  B.  Hone, 
Thomas  Flannery,  Philip  Little  and  George  A.  Wilkin  were  accepted  and  Sis- 
ters of  Charity  elected  in  their  places.  Sister  M.  Beatrice  was  elected  president 
and  treasurer.  The  Sisters  of  Charity  managed  the  asylum  until  the  end  of  the 
year  1870,  when  they  resigned.  Bishop  McQuaid  then  put  the  Sisters  of  St. 
Joseph  in  charge  of  the  asylum,  the  first  superior  being  Sister  M.  Stanislaus. 

The  present  superior  is  Sister  M.  de  Chantal;  she  is  assisted  by  about  ten 
Sisters.  The  present  number  of  orphans  is  seventy-eight.  The  total  number 
of  orphans  received  since  the  foundation  of  the  asylum  is  2,004.  The  institu- 
tion is  supported  by  the  city  and  county,  by  the  Christmas  collections  in  the 
English-speaking  Catholic  churches  in  the  city,  by  a  yearly  fair  and  concert  and 
by  private  donations.  Two  teachers.  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  are  paid  for  by  the 
city. 

ST.  MARY'S  ORPHAN  BOYS'  ASYLUM. 

The  Catholic  orphan  boys  of  Rochester  were,  for  many  years,  sent  to  Lan- 
caster, N.  Y.,  and  Lime  Stone  Hill,  near  Buffalo.  They  were  paid  for  in  these 
institutions  by  the  Roman  Catholic  orphan  asylum  society  of  Rochester,  which 
took  care  of  the  St.  Patrick's  orphan  asylum.     In  the  year  1 864,  however,  Rt. 


St.  Joseph's  Orphan  Asylum.  417 

Rev,  Bishop  Timon  opened  an  asylum  for  boys  near  St.  Mary's  church  on  South 
street,  in  a  house  which  now  is  a  part  of  the  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy. 
The  orphan  boys  then  were  withdrawn  from  Lime  Stone  Hill  and  sent  to  this 
place.  Nine  sisters  of  the  congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  came  to 
this  city  and  took  charge  of  the  asylum,  Mother  M.  Stanislaus  being  the  superior. 

In  1 868  a  new  site  was  bought  for  the  asylum,  and  in  the  same  year  the 
institution  was  opened  on  the  present  lot,  in  the  old  building,  on  the  corner  of 
Genesee  street  and  West  avenue.  The  old  house  being  too  small  to  accommo- 
date the  orphans,  a  new  building  was  erected  in  187 1,  which  is  the  present 
asylum.  It  is  of  stone,  three  stories  high,  with  a  basement  for  kitchen,  dining- 
room,  etc.  The  old  building  is  now  used  for  a  branch  school  of  St.  Patrick's 
parochial  school,  for  the  care  of  the  orphan  babies  during  the  day,  and  for  a 
bakery.     The  large  frame  building  in  the  rear  is  used  for  a  laundry. 

The  present  number  of  orphans  is  about  one  hundred.  About  nine  hundred 
have  been  received  since  1864.  The  first  superior  was  Sister  M.  Stanislaus. 
The  present  superior  is  Sister  M.  Xavier,  assisted  by  sixteen  Sisters.  The  in- 
stitution is  supported  by  the  city  and  county,  by  a  Christmas  collection  in  the 
English-speaking  churches  of  the  city,  by  a  yearly  fair  and  concert  and  by  pri- 
vate donations.     Two  teachers.  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  are  paid  for  by  the  city. 

ST.   JOSEPH'S   ORPHAN   ASYLUM. 

The  incorporate  title  of  this  institution  is  "  the  St.  Joseph's  German  Ro- 
man Catholic  orphan  asylum  of  Rochester  and  Monroe  county."  This  asylum 
is  situated  on  Andrews  street,  near  Franklin.  Its  object  is  to  take  care  of  the 
German  Catholic  orphans  of  this  city  and  county.  It  is  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame.  Mother  Caroline  came  from  Milwaukee 
in  1854,  with  two  Sisters,  to  teach  St.  Joseph's  parochial  school.  She  left  Sister 
Ignatia  the  first  superior.  In  course  of  time  some  members  of  St.  Joseph's 
church  formed  a  society  to  take  care  of  the  German  Catholic  orphans.  They 
formed  a  corporation  under  the  above-mentioned  name  and  obtained  the  incor- 
poration act  April  23d,  1863.  The  first  members  mentioned  in  the  act  were: 
Joseph  Hoffman,  John  Groh,  John  Wegman,  M.  Weigel,  Bernard  Klem,  Louis 
Ernst,  Roman  Schlitzer,  Vitus  Saenderl,  Joseph  Schutte,  John  Soeder,  B.  Gom- 
menginger  and  E.  Weigel.  The  affairs  of  the  society  are  transacted  by  a  board 
of  trustees,  annually  elected.  The  pastor  of  any  German  Roman  Catholic  con- 
gregation in  which  a  branch  of  this  society  shall  be  organised  is  a  trustee  ex 
officio.     Members  must  pay  monthly  twenty-five  cents. 

The  society  owns  a  large  tract  of  land  at  the  terminus  of  North  street, 
which  is  rented  pr  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  orphans.  About  1866,  the  asy- 
lum took  its  beginning  in  a  frame  house  on  the  present  site,  Sister  Angelica  be- 
ing superior.  Then  two  small  adjoining  buildings  were  used  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  orphans  and  sisters.      In  1874  the  main  part  of  the  present  build- 


41 8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ing  was  erected,  four  stories  high,  of  brick,  with  a  basement  for  dining-room, 
etc.  The  building  was  enlarged  in  1882.  In  the  first  year  six  orphans  were 
received. 

At  present  there  are  nearly  one  hundred  orphans  (boys  and  girls)  in  the 
asylum.  To  the  present  day  about  five  hundred  children  have  found  shelter 
in  the  institution.  Sister  M.  Paula  is  superior  at  present,  assisted  by  about 
twelve  Sisters.  The  asylum  is  supported  by  the  city  and  county,  by  a  Christ- 
mas collection  in  St.  Joseph's  church,  by  a  yearly  eiitertainment  and  by  private 
donations.     Two  teachers  are  paid  for  by  the  city. 

THE  JEWISH   ORPHAN   ASYLUM. 

The  Jewish  Orphan  Asylum  association  of  Western  New  York,  which  was 
started  in  November,  1877,  to  accumulate  a  fund  for  the  erection  of  an  orphan 
asylum,  has  its  office  at  Rochester,  and  the  asylum  is  permanently  located  in  this 
city,  although  it  has  not  yet  had  a  home  of  its  own.  A  place  has  just  been  pur- 
chased on  North  St.  Paul  street,  between  Scrantom  and  Evergreen,  and  the 
building  now  standing  there  is  to  be  put  at  once  into  a  proper  condition  for  an 
asylum.  The  association  is  formed  by  the  three  Jewish  orphan  asylum  societies 
of  Rochester,  Buffalo  and  Syracuse.  There  are  six  hundred  and  forty-one  mem- 
bers of  the  association,  of  whom  two  hundred  and  eighty  are  in  Rochester ;  the 
accumulated  capital  is  $55,913.70,  of  which  $9,758.89  is  cash  in  the  treasury, 
$4,727.30  of  this  amount  being  in  this  city,  deposited  in  two  of  the  savings 
banks.  Members  pay  an  annual  contribution  of  $4.00  or  more.  The  society  has 
now  under  its  charge  seven  orphans,  which  are  placed  with  a  family.  Rev.  Dr. 
Max  Landsberg  is  the  secretar)'  of  the  association,  Lewis  Stern  the  financial 
.secretary  and  E.  S.  Ettenheimer  the  Rochester  trustee  of  the  consolidated  fund. 

A  number  of  benevolent  societies  are  maintained  by  the  Jews.  The  oldest 
and  largest  is  the  Hebrew  Benevolent  society,  existing  since  1850,  which  counts 
over  300  contributing  members.  Its  work  is  supplemented  by  the  Ladies' 
Hebrew  Benevolent  society  since  1865,  the  Hebrew  Ladies'  Aid  and  Hospital 
society,  founded  in  1871,  and  the  Young  Ladies'  Sewing  society  in  1883. 

THE   ROCHESTER   HOME   FOR   THE   FRIENDLESS. ' 

The  Rochester  Home  for  the  Friendless,  whose  substantial  building  stands 
upon  the  corner  of  East  avenue  and  Alexander  street,  was  one  of  the  first 
benevolent  institutions  established  in  Rochester,  having  been  founded  in  the 
year  1849.  I"  point  of  time  it  was  preceded  only  by  the  Female  Charitable 
society  and  the  Protestant  orphan  asylum.  Like  all  beneficent  plans,  which, 
unaccompanied  by  selfish,  personal  motives,  seek  to  uplift  and  bless  others,  it 
had  a  humble  beginning ;  but  its  germ  was  divine,  being  an  emanation  of  the 
spirit  of  Him  whose  coming  to  earth  brought  good  will  to  men.      It  is  impos- 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Webb. 


The  Home  for  the  Friendless.  419 

sible  now  to  ascertain  whose  kind  heart  first  conceived  the  project,  but  by  the 
united  interest  of  several  of  Rochester's  earnest,  superior  women  it  overcame 
its  many  early  difficulties,  and  by  gradual  growth  secured  a  permanent  found- 
ation. Its  organisation  was  effected  in  April,  1849,  ^^  the  house  of  Mrs.  Chas. 
Church,  under  the  name  of  "the  Rochester  association  for  the  relief  of  home- 
less and  friendless  females."  Its  first  board  of  managers  were:  Mrs.  Samuel 
L.  Selden,  president;  Mrs.  Charles  Church,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Samuel  D.  Porter, 
secretary.  Mrs.  Selah  Mathews,  Mrs.  S.  L.  Selden,  Mrs.  E.  Scrantom,  Mrs. 
Ingersoll,  Mrs.  Dr.  Mathews.  Mrs.  J.  H.  Gregory,  Miss  M.  G.  Porter,  Mrs. 
Samuel  Hamilton,  Mrs.  Roby,  Mrs.  Dr.  Jonah  Brown,  Mrs.  R.  Lester  and  Mrs. 
Stoddard  were  its  first  directresses.  Its  original  design  was  to  provide  a  tem- 
porary home, for  virtuous,  unprotected  females,  while  seeking  employment  in 
the  city,  and  it  was  intended  to  make  the  institution,  as  far  as  practicable,  self- 
supporting,  by  the  industry  of  its  transient  inmates  in  such  labor  as  the  public 
need  demanded,  by  washing,  ironing  or  needle-work.  Its  first  location  was 
the  half  of  a  tenement  house,  upon  Edinburgh  street,  for  which  a  rental  of 
$50.00  a  year  was  paid.  Mrs.  Alvin  Ingersoll  was  its  first  matron.  These 
were  its  struggling  days,  when  faith  and  zeal  supplemented  its  feeble  treasury 
and  encouraged  the  patient  workers.  The  following  year  the  society  occupied 
a  small  house  on  Monroe  street,  and  in  1851  a  house  was  purchased  on  Adams  , 
street  of  Ebenezer  Ely,  for  the  sum  of  $1,400,  $200  being  being  paid  at  once, 
and  six  annual  payments  of  the  same  sum  promised.  In  this  year  they  received 
their  first  legacy  of  $50,  by  the  will  of  Mrs.  Everard  Peck,  a  warm  friend  of 
the  new  society,  which,  in  the  words  of  the  record,  "greatly  relieved  the  em- 
barrassed treasurer."  In  August  of  this  year  also  Nicholas  E.  Paine,  the  mayor 
of  the  city,  sent  the  association  $300,  a  part  of  the  proceeds  of  a  concert  given 
by  Jenny  Lind.  In  1852  a  board  of  trustees  was  elected,  consisting  of  J.  W. 
Bissell,  A.  G.  Bristol,  E.  Scrantom,  A.  A.  Morse,  H.  A.  Brewster,  E.  Ely,  J. 
H.  Martindale,  Wm.  Pitkin,  W.  A.  Reynolds  and  S.  D.  Porter. 

In  1853,  through  the  agency  of  Mr.  Bissell,  the  present  location,  upon 
which  then  stood  a  small  and  inferior  building,  was  selected  and  by  gradual 
payments  purchased.  The  removal  took  place  the  following  spring,  and  the 
new  quarters  were  gratefully  appreciated.  Children  were  now  received,  and 
cared  for  until  suitable  homes  were  found  for  them  with  adopted  parents,  to 
whom  after  careful  investigation  they  were  indentured.  A  teacher  was  pro- 
vided, who  gave  them  daily  instruction,  and  a  sewing-school  was  conducted  by 
young  lady  friends,  for  the  education  of  the  girls.  Day  scholars  were  received 
into  this  school  and  taught  to  sew,  and  prizes  given  to  promote  efficiency. 
An  employment  exchange  was  also  established,  by  which  householders  could 
obtain  servants,  and  servants  secure  situations. 

Meanwhile  the  new  institution  grew  silently,  and  steadily  gained  the  con- 
fidence and  sympathy  of  the  public.     The  records  tell  how  resident  clergymen 


420  History  of"  the  City  of  Rochester. 

delivered  lectures  for  its  benefit,  amateur  musicians  played  and  sang  in  its  be- 
half, concerts  were  given  in  private  drawing-rooms,  literary  men  contributed  vol- 
umes from  their  own  libraries  to  furnish  reading  for  the  inmates,  and  surrounding 
towns  sent  to  the  institution  boxes  of  clothing  and  bedding,  supplies  of  veget- 
ables and  gifts  of  money.  In  1855  the  society  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  Rochester  Home  for  the  Friendless.  Its  board  of  trustees  con- 
sisted of  S.  G.  Andrews,  Selah  Mathews,  H.  A.  Brewster,  J.  W.  Bissell,  S.  D. 
Porter,  Edwin  Scrantom,  E.  Ely.  In  this  year,  too,  its  first  donation  day  was 
observed,  when  the  house  was  thrown  open  to  receive  visits  and  gifts  from  its 
friends.  This  has  since  been  an  annual  custom  and  forms  an  important  source 
of  revenue.-  In  1857  the  managers  undertook  the  publication  of  a  monthly 
paper,  called  the  journal  of  the  Home,  whose  object  was  to  acquaint  people 
out  of  the  city  with  the  aims  and  needs  of  the  institution.  Its  first  editress 
was  Mrs.  Alexander  Mann,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  E.  G.  Robinson,  Mrs. 
N.  S.  Barnes,  Mrs.  T.  C.  Arner,  Miss  Caroline  Kendrick,  Miss  Mary  Bliss  and 
Mrs.  Isaac  Hills.  The  paper  was  continued  for  eighteen  years.  During  this 
year  by  the  efforts  of  John  T.  Lacy,  the  city's  representative,  an  appropriation 
of  $500  was  obtained  from  the  legislature. 

In  1859  the  constitution  was  amended  by  a  proviso  that  the  institution,  in 
addition  to  its  care  of  the  homeless  and  friendless,  should  become  a  permanent 
home  for  aged  women,  and  as  such  it  is  now  distinctively  known,  although  it 
still  receives  friendless  and  homeless  women,  to  its  temporary  shelter  and  pro- 
tection. The  care  of  children  was  gradually  relinquished,  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Industrial  school,  as  it  was  no  longer  a  necessity,  but  the  nurture 
and  education  of  children,  which  was  begun  in  the  Home  for  the  Friendless, 
and  continued  for  many  years,  was  the  suggestion  and  origin  of  the  present 
Industrial  school.  Before  the  erection  of  the  City  hospital,  the  Home  for  the 
Friendless  also  received  and  cared  for  some  of  the  sick  poor,  who  were  pension- 
ers of  the  Female  Charitable  society.  By  large  and  special  gifts  from  individual 
friends,  the  building  has  been  twice  enlarged  and  remodeled.  On  the  first  of 
these  occasions  we  read,  that  the  managers  "thanked  God  and  took  courage." 
During  thirty-five  years  of  the  Home's  existence  it  has  had  but  six  presiding 
officers,  namely:  Mrs.  Samuel  L.  Selden,  Mrs.  Selah  Mathews,  Mrs.  Frederick 
Starr,  Mrs.  D.  R.  Barton,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Robinson  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Porter.  Mrs. 
Selah  Mathews  twice  held  the  office,  the  last  term  covering  a  period  of  twenty 
years.  The  prescribed  limits  of  this  sketch  forbid  the  enumeration  of  the  names 
of  noble  women  who  have  been  identified  with  the  work  of  the  institution,  whose 
characters  have  established  its  reputation  and  influence.  They  are  recorded  in 
an  immortal  book. 

The  present  number  of  inmates  in  the  Home  is  fifty-four.  Its  conditions  of 
admission  require  the  applicant  to  be  at  least  sixty-five  years  of  age,  and  the 
payment  of  a  sum  of  money  proportioned  to  her  age,' by  which  an  agreement 


The  Home  for  the  Friendless.  421 

is  made  to  provide  for  her  a  comfortable  home  through  life,  and  Christian 
burial.  The  interest  upon  any  property  which  she  possesses,  aside  from  the  sum 
required  for  her  admittance,  is  devoted  to  her  exclusive  use  during  life,  and  after- 
•ward  belongs  to  the  Home.  In  no  other  way  do  the  inmates  contribute  to  the 
support  of  the  institution.  The  Home  is  under  the  constant  and  immediate 
supervision  of  a  wise  and  judicious  matron,  whose  duties  are  systematised  and 
lightened  by  the  stated  visits  and  counsel  of  the  several  committees  in  their  dif* 
ferent  departments  of  care.  The  character  and  influence  of  the  Home  are  en- 
tirely parental;  indeed  it  is  like  a  large  household  over  which  a  kind  mother 
presides,  yet  each  inmate  can  in  her  own  room  enjoy  the  peace  and  seclusion 
of  a  separate  home.  Their  wants  are  generously  supplied,  they  are  cheerfully 
cared  for  in  health,  and  tenderlj'  nursed  in  sickness,  receiving  the  visits  of  an 
appointed  physician.  The  institution  is  not  denominational,  and  religious  ser- 
vices are  regularly  observed  on  the  Sabbath.  It  is  a  source  of  much  comfort 
to  the  old  ladies,  and  one  that  often  finds  expression,  that  at  the  end  of  their 
long  journey  of  life  they  will  receive  respectful  Christian  burial  in  sacred  Mount 
Hope.  Two  burial  lots  have  been  given  to  the  Home  by  the  commissioners  of 
that  cemetery.  Upon  the  first  stands  a  monument  donated  by  friends,  and  the 
monument  for  the  latter  is  the  generous  gift  of  Peter  Pitkin. 

The  present  board  of  managers  of  the  Home  consists  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Porter, 
president;  Mrs.  J.  R.  Chamberlain,  first  vice-president;  Miss  L.  E.  Guernsey, 
second  vice-president;  Mrs.  C.  F.  Pond,  recording  secretary;  Mrs.  C.  H.  Webb, 
corresponding  secretary;  Mrs.  E.  B.  Chace,  treasurer.  Its  directresses  are 
Mrs.  J.  L.  Angle,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Babcock,  Mrs.  F.  B.  Bishop,  Mrs.  E.  Y.  Blossom, 
Mrs.  Horace  Brewster,  Mrs.  Amon  Bronson,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Chapin,  Mrs.  Curtis 
Clarke,  Mrs.  David  Gordon,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Hart,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Hart,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Hay- 
den,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Hayward,  Mrs.  H.  E.  Hooker,  Mrs.  L.  Hotchkiss,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Hovey,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Howe,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Killip,  Mrs.  A.  Lindsey,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Mann, 
Mrs.  A.  G.  Mudge,  Mrs.  E.  W.  Osburn,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Oothout,  Mrs.  D.  W.  Pow- 
ers, Mrs.  Asa  Saxe,  Mrs.  E.  V.  Stoddard,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Wilder,  Mrs.  W.  Wither- 
spoon.  Dr.  J.  W.  Whitbeck  is  its  appointed  physician.  Mrs.  M.  S.  Putnam 
is  its  matron.  Its  board  of  trustees  comprises  D.  W.  Powers,  Theodore  Bacon, 
Franklin  Ritter,  E.  O.  Sage,  D.  A,  Woodbury  and  James  L.  Angle.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  list  of  donors  to  the  endowment  fund  of  the  Home  for  the  Friend- 
less: Hathaway  memorial  fund,  $i,ooo;  Edwin  Pancost  memorial  fund,  $2,- 
000;  Reynolds  memorial  fund,  $2,000;  Mrs.  Robert  Hunter's  legacy,  $1,000; 
Mrs.  Rhoda  Craig's  legacy,  $2,000;  Joseph  Field's,  $5,000;  Mrs.  Mary  R. 
Brown's  $414;  Elizabeth  Bliss's,  $140;  Mrs.  Fellows's,  $521.90;  Harvey  Hall's, 
$500;  legacies  from  life  members  and  others  in  small  amounts,  $1,146.50;  in 
all,  $15,722.40.  By  the  will  of  the  late  Henry  S.  Potter  the  Home  is  to  receive 
$2,500.  The  endowment  fund  being  quite  limited,  the  institution  is  still  mainly 
dependent  upon  the  support  of  the  public,  and  the  devotion  of  its  friends;  but 


422  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

as  its  record  of  thirty-five  years  has  proved  it  to  be  not  only  a  blessing  to  indi- 
vidual lives,  but  an  honor  to  the  city  to  which  it  belongs,  it  is  believed  that  its 
future  permanency  is  assured.  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  human  balances  to  es- 
timate the  value  of  its  ministry.  The  hearts  that  have  been  comforted,  the 
tears  that  have  been  wiped  away,  the  fears  that  have  been  dispelled,  the  peace 
that  has  been  bestowed,  the  good  that  has  been  accomplished  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  Home  for  the  Friendless,  can  alone  be  computed  by  Him, 
who  weighs  motives  as  well  as  deeds. 

the  industrial   SCHOOLiOF  ROCHESTER.^ 

We  are  indebted  to  the  late  Mrs.  Ebenezer  Griffin  for  the  germ  of  this 
charity.  In  the  autumn  of  1856  she  witnessed,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  the  suc- 
cessful working  of  an  industrial  school,  and  returned  home  imbued  with  a  desire 
to  establish  a  like  institution  in  Rochester.  In  cooperation  with  Mrs.  Henry 
A.  Brewster  she  called  an  informal  meeting  of  ladies,  at  the  house  of  the  latter, 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Spring  and  South  Washington  streets,  to  discuss  the 
feasibility  of  such  an  enterprise,  and  on  December  17th,  1856,  another  meeting 
was  held  in  the  lecture  room  of  Plymouth  church,  when  the  Industrial  School 
association  was  organised  and  the  following  officers  were  elected;  First  direc- 
tress, Mrs.  David  C.  Ailing;  second  directress,  Mrs.  Alfred  Ely;  treasurer, 
Mrs.  George  H.  Ely;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry;  recording 
secretary,  Mrs.  Gilman  H.  Perkins.  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  an  executive,  a 
school,  a  work,  and  a  house  and  furnishing  committee  were  appointed. 

On  the  isth  of  April,  1857,  the  society  was  incorporated,  and  the  following 
persons  formed  the  first  board  of  directors:  Henry  A.  Brewster,  president; 
E^win  Scrantom,  secretary;  Ebenezer  Griffin,  chairman  of  the  law  committee; 
Adolphus  Morse,  Aristarchus  Champion,  Samuel  P.  Ely,  Henry  R.  Selden, 
Aaron  Erickson,  Elias  Pond,  Samuel  D.  Porter,  John  M.  French,  Edward  M. 
Smith  and  Joshua  Conkey.  In  January,  1858,  A.  Morse  and  A.  Erickson  re- 
signed, and  Charles  J.  Hayden  and  Seth  H.  Terry  were  elected  in  their  places. 
C.  J.  Hayden  has  from  that  time  been  president  of  the  board.  Edwin  Scran- 
tom was  secretary  twenty-three  years. 

As  defined  by  the  second  article  of  its  constitution,  "the  objects  of  this  as- 
sociation are  to  gather  into  the  school,  vagrant  and  destitute  chil{iren,  who,  from 
the  poverty  or  vice  of  their  parents  are  unable  to  attend  the  public  schools,  and 
who  gather  a  precarious  livelihood  by  begging  or  pilfering ;  to  give  them  ideas 
of  moral  and  religious  duty ;  to  instruct  them  in  the  elements  of  learning  and 
in  different  branches  of  industry,  and  thus  enable  them  to  obtain  an  honest  and 
honorable  support,  and  to  become  useful  members  of  society."  This  organ  • 
isation  had  its  birth  in  a  winter  of  unusual  severity ;  there  was  a  great  pressure 
in  the  money  market,  and  everything  was  conducted  on  an  economical  basis. 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry. 


<_S^aytr/?fy  (b/U^M:^-^/'// 


'/,,'■■>  .',,//;  &,.  c/l',   ,    ':: 


The  Industrial  School.  423 

Contributions  of  money  and  supplies  were  made  by  our  citizens,  John  M. 
French  gave  the  free  use  of  rooms  in  the  old  Rochester  House,  Exchange  street, 
where  on  Christmas,  1856,  more  than  three  hundred  children  partook  of  a  din- 
ner, and  on  January  Sth,  1857,  a  school  was  opened  for  the  needy  children 
of  Rochester.  A  matron,  cook  and  teacher,  were  hired  ;  all  other  services  were 
gratuitous.  A  class  of  neglected,  destitute,  filthy,  lawless  children  were  soon 
collected,  and  a  large  and  efficient  board  of  managers  strove  to  raise  them  above 
pauperism.  They  were  instructed  in  the  elementary  branches,  in  sewing,  and 
in  housework.  The  managers  collected  funds,  provided  supplies,  assisted  in  the 
school  and  sewing  classes,  visited  the  children  at  their  homes,  made  and  repaired 
garments  for  them,  and  gave  them  a  substantial  dinner. 

It  was  not  the  original  design  of  this  society  to  retain  the  children  in  the 
house  after  school  hours ;  but  exceptional  cases  soon  demanded  temporary 
homes  .for  some  of  them.  Frightened  children  sought  shelter  to  escape  the 
abuse  of  intemperate  parents,  and  were  harbored  till  the  hour  of  peril  was  over; 
sick  children  needed  warm  quarters,  care  at  night,  and  nursing;  little  ones, 
whose  parents  were  sent  to  the  penitentiary,  required  protection,  and  thus, 
gradually,  a  home  family,  that  now  nunibers  fifty- six,  has  been  gathered  at  the 
Industrial  school.  During  the  first  year  264  girls  and  272  boys  were  connected 
with  the  school ;  the  average  attendance  was  seventy-five ;  ten  children  were 
provided  with  homes;  704  garments,  119  pairs  of  shoes,  and  twenty-one  pairs 
of  rubbers  were  distributed,  and  the  cash  expenses  were  $946.58.  The  need 
of  some  place  where  vicious  girls  could  be  reclaimed  and  kept  from  harming 
others,  became  so  apparent  that  in  1858  and  i86i  this  society  used  its  influence 
and  memorialised  the  legislature  to  provide  a  house  of  refuge  for  girls. 

For  the  more  efficient  prosecution  of  its  work,  the  association,  in  1858,  pur- 
chased of  Mrs.  Albert  G.  Smith,  for  $2,800,  the  central  portion  of  the  present 
Industrial  school  premises,  "]&  Exchange  street ;  alterations  were  made  in  the 
house,  and  an  airy  dining-room  and  school- room  provided,  in  a  two-story  wing, 
fifty-four  by  twenty- three  feet,  erected  west  of  the  building.  In  1866  the  pur- 
chase of  a  large  lot  on  the  north,  for  $2,500,  supplied  an  ample  playground.  A 
small  lot  bought  in  1871,  south  of  the  original  purchase,  enabled  the  managers 
the  following  year  to  build  new  nurseries  and  dormitories  and  provide  a  day 
nursery  for  the  children  of  working  women.  In  1880  two  donations,  $5,000 
each,  from  Hiram  Sibley  and  Don  Alonzo  Watson,  led  to  the  taking  down  of 
the  west  wing  and  the  erection  of  the  large  Sibley- Watson  wing,  that  now  forms 
the  western  portion  of  the  Industrial  school  building,  and  is  also  a  lasting 
memorial  to  the  beneficence  of  two  of  our  liberal-hearted  directors. 

This  charity  has  at  times  received  state  appropriations ;  there  are  some 
memorial  legacies  and  bequests,  the  interest  of  which  is  available ;  the  board 
of  education  has  for  some  years  hired  the  school-rooms  and  supplied  teachers ; 
the  city  pays  a  small  sum  for  the  board  of  some  children,  and  parents  for  others ; 


424  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

but  the  society  depends  largely  for  its  support  on  the  contribution  of  the  char- 
itable. From  1858  to  1876,  inclusive,  a  strawberry  festival  was  held  each  June, 
and  since  1864  there  has  been  an  annual,  autumnal  donation  reception,  and 
the  liberal  responses  of  our  citizens  testify  to  their  appreciation  of  the  Industrial 
school.  An  annual  meeting  for  the  election  of  officers  is  held  on  the  Saturday 
following  the  first  Friday  in  January.  An  annual  report  is  printed  in  pamphlet 
form,  and  monthly  the  Industrial  School  Advocate  makes  known  the  work  and 
needs  of  this  charity.  This  paper,  first  issued  in  1865,  was  edited  by  Mrs. 
George  T.  Parker  till  1870,  when  she  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry, 
its  present  editress.  Mrs.  George  Gould  has  been  treasurer  of  the  paper  since 
1874. 

Of  the  early  directors,  five  survive :  Charles  J.  Hayden,  Samuel  P.  Ely, 
Henry  R.  Selden,  Edward  M.  Smith  and  Seth  H.  Terry.  Of  the  original 
female  officers,  five  are  still  members  of  the  association,  viz :  Mrs.  Oilman  H. 
Perkins,  who  has  ever  been  the  recording  secretary  ;  Mrs.  Nehemiah  W.  Bene- 
dict and  Mrs.  Alfred  Ely,  who  are  vice-presidents;  Mrs.  Elvira  Allen,  who 
serves  on  the  children's  committee,  and  Mrs.  Seth  H.  Terry,  on  the  paper 
committee.  Mrs.  George  F.  Danforth,  now  president  of  the  board  of  managers, 
succeeded  Mrs.  David  C.  Ailing  in  1865  ;  Mrs.  Gerard  Arink  has  been  corres- 
ponding secretary  since  1862;  Mrs.  Lewis  H.  Morgan  was  treasurer  from 
January,  1864,  till  her  death,  in  December,  1883. 

The  industrial  school  is  now  in  successful  operation.  Its  ample,  well  ven- 
tilated school-rooms,  nurseries,  dormitories,  dining-rooms  and  hospital,  its  bath- 
rooms, piazzas  and  play  grounds,  adapt  it  to  the  work  for  which  it  is  designed. 
Three  teachers  are  employed  in  the  school-rooms,  where  last  year  the  average 
attendance  was  ninety-two.  There  is  a  "day  nursery,  and  the  home  family 
numbers  fifty-six  children.  ■  Volunteer  teachers  give  instruction  two  afternoons 
in  the  week  in  sewing,  and  there  are  lessons  twice  a  week  in  the  kitchen  gar- 
den department.  Last  year  1,456  garments  and  293  pairs  of  shoes  were  dis- 
tributed. 

The  following  are  the  present  corporate  officers  : .  Directors  —  Charles  J. 
Hayden,  Henry  R.  Selden,  Edward  M.  Smith,  1  Seth  H.  Terry,  Oilman  H. 
Perkins,  Jacob  Anderson,  Daniel  W.  Powers,  D.  A.  Watson,  Hiram  Sibley, 
F.  L.  Durand,  Fred  Turpin,  Charles  F.  Pond,  George  S.  Riley,  Jesse  W.  Hatch, 
Lewis  P.  Ross,  William  S.  Kimball,  Charles  W.  Trotter,  Charles  Salmon ;  pres- 
ident of  the  board,  C.  J.  Hayden  ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Oscar  Craig ;  secretary,  S.  H. 
Terry  ;  law  committee,  H.  R.  Selden,  S.  H.  Terry,  F.  L.  Durand  ;  finance  com- 
mittee, G.  H.  Perkins  D.  A.  Watson,  C.  F.  Pond;  building  committee,  C.  J.  Hay- 
den, Jacob  Anderson,  C.  W.  Trotter.  The  following  are  the  officers  of  the  asso- 
ciation for  the  year  commencing  January  5th,  1884:  President,  Mrs.  George  F. 
Danforth;  first  vice-president,  Mrs.  Nehemiah  W.  Benedict;  second  vice-presi- 

1  Edward  M.  Smith  has  died  since  this  article  was  written. 


The  Church  Home.  —  The  Home  of  Industry.  425 

dent,  Mrs.  Hiram  Sibley  ;  third  vice-president,  Mrs.  Alfred  Ely  ;  fourth  vice- 
president,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Oothout  ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Oscar  Craig;  corresponding 
secretary,  Mrs.  Gerard  Arink  ;  recording  secretary,  Mrs.    Oilman  H.  Perkins. 

THE   CHURCH    HOME. 

This  institution,  which  was  incorporated  July  24th,  1 869,  was  the  outgrowth 
of  a  long-felt  conviction  that  the  Episcopal  church  should  possess  and  control 
a  "home"  where  destitute  children  might  be  taught  and  aged  communicants 
sheltered  in  old  age.  The  meeting  to  perfect  an  organisation  was  held  on  the 
1st  of  June,  1868,  there  being  present  four  ladies  from  each  parish,  who  were, 
appointed  by  the  rectors  of  their  respective  churches.  The  officers  elected  at 
this  meeting  were:  Mrs.  George  H.  Mumford,  president;  Mrs.  D.  M.  Dewey, 
vice-president;  Mrs.  Edward  M.  Smith,  corresponding  secretary;  Miss  Mary 
J.  Clark,  treasurer.  On  the  2d  of  July  a  letter  was  received  from  George  R. 
Clark  and  George  E.  Mumford,  proposing  to  give  for  the  purposes  of  the 
Home  a  house  and  lot  on  Mount  Hope  avenue,  with  an  assessed  valuation  of 
$5,300,  which  offer  was  gratefully  accepted.  On  the  20th  of  April,  1869,  the 
corner-stone  of  the.  Home  was  laid  by  Rev.  Dr.  Anstice,  and  on  the  i6th  of 
the  following  October  the  building  was  formally  opened,  all  the  city  clergy 
taking  part  in  the  exercises.  The  total  cost  of  the  structure,  was  nearly  $15,000. 
The  practical  management  of  the  Home  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  lady 
managers,  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  following  officers,  elected  July  24th, 
1869:  President,  George  R.  Clark;  vice-president.  Rev.  Dr.  Foote ;  secre- 
tary, George  H.  Humphrey ;  treasurer,  John  H.  Rochester.  The  Home  is 
supported  by  monthly  collections  and  individual  donations.  There  are,  how- 
ever, funds  held  by  trustees  amounting  to  $8,787,  the  income  of  which  is  ap- 
plicable to  the  purposes  of  the  Home.  The  present  officers  of  the  board  of 
of  lady  managers  are  as  follows:  Pi'esident,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Dewey;  vice-presi- 
dent, Mrs.  Hiram  Sibley ;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Mathews ; 
recording  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Rowley;  treasurer.  Miss  C.  L.  Rochester. 

THE    HOME   OF   INDUSTRY. 

This  institution  was  established  on  Edinburgh  street  by  Sister  Hieronymo 
in  1873.  Its  object  is  the  protection  of  young  girls,  to  teach  them  trades,  to 
find  employment  or  homes  for  them.  Three  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  opened  the 
house.  In  1874  they  bought  the  present  place  on  South  St.  Paul  street.  The 
buildin"-  was  enlarged  in  1875.  A  laundry  is  connected  with  the  institution. 
At  present  there  are  about  seventy- five  inmates,  under  the  care  of  six  Sisters, 
Sister  Hieronymo  being  the  superior.  It  is  supported  by  the  industry  of  the 
inmates,  by  the  labor  of  the  Sisters  and  by  charitable  friends. 


426  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

THE   western   new   YORK    INSTITUTION   FOR   DEAF   MUTES.  1 

This  institution  was  organised  on  the  4th  of  February,  1876.  The  orig- 
inal trustees  and  incorporators  were :  President,  E.  Darwin  Smith  ;  first  vice- 
president,  Geo.  G.  Clarkson;  second  vice-president,  S.  A.  Ellis;  secretary,  Ed- 
ward P.  Hart;  treasurer,  Gilman  H.  Perkins;  Oscar  Craig,  C.  E.  Rider,  S.  A. 
Lattimore,  M.  F.  Reynolds,  Thos.  Gallaudet,  Aaron  Erickson,  Lewis  H.  Mor- 
gan, William  S.  Ely,  S.  D.  Porter,  Seth  H.  Terry.  Z.  F.  Westervelt,  of  New 
York,  was  appointed  principal.  The  institution  was  soon  after  (May  iSth)  recog- 
nised by  the  legislature  in  an  act  authorising  ^state  and  count)'  officers  to  ap- 
point pupils  to  the  institution  under  provisions  of  existing  laws,  which  make 
the  education  of  the  deaf  substantially  a  part  of  the  public  school  system.  The 
proper  officers  ascertain  that  candidates,  on  account  of  their  deafness,  are  of  the 
class  for  whom  these  special  schools  are  provided.  The  expenses  of  their  edu- 
cation, under  the  statute,  are  not  provided  for  by  general  taxation,  as  is  the 
method  of  obtaining  support  for  public  school  children,  but  by  special  per  capita 
appropriation  upon  appointments. 

At  the  time  the  institution  was  organised  here,  the  school  for  the  deaf  in  New 
York  city,  though  the  largest  school  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  did  not  provide, 
together  with  the  three  other  deaf-mute  schools  of  New  York,  for  many  more 
than  half  of  the  deaf  children  of  school  age  within  the  state.  It  had  been  ascer- 
tained from  the  state  census,  by  correspondence  and  by  personal  visitation,  that 
there  were  over  two  hundred  children  at  that  time  in  Western  New  York  for 
whom  there  was  no  adequate  provision  in  the  institutions  of  the  state,  and  it  was 
for  these  that  this  school  was  established.  On  the  4th  of  October  the  school 
was  opened  in  the  Mumford  block,  on  the' corner  of  South  St.  Paul  and  Court 
streets,  with  twenty-three  pupils.  All  the  teachers  and  officers  employed  had 
had  experience  as  instructors  of  the  deaf  Among  those  well  known  in  Roch- 
ester who  have  been  engaged  as  instructors  are  Sylvanus  A.  Ellis,  Edward  P. 
Hart,  Mills  Whittlesey  and  Ward  T.  Sutherland. 

So  rapid  was  the  growth  of  the  school  that  before  the  end  of  the  second 
year  it  became  evident  that  enlarged  accommodations  must  be  provided.  At 
this  time  the  city  property  on  North  St.  Paul  street,  which  had  been  used  as  a 
"Home  for  Idle  and  Truant  Children,"  but  which  had  been  abandoned  for  a 
year,  was  offered  at  a  low  rent  to  the  trustees  of  the  institution.  The  property 
was  leased  and  a  portion  of  the  school  occupied  the  building  immediately. 
During  the  summer  additions  were  made  to  the  building,  and  at  the  beginning  of 
the  third  year  the  entire  school  was  brought  together  in  the  new  location.  The 
prosperity  of  the  school  met  with  no  check  until  the  summer  vacation  after  the 
close  of  its  fifth  school  year.  The  large  family  had  dispersed  to  their  homes, 
when,  on  July  30,  1882,  the  shops  and  a  portion  of  the  addition  to  the  main 
building,  all  of  which  had  been  erected  by  the  institution,  were  destroyed  by 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Z.  F.  Westervelt. 


The  Humane  Society. — The  Alms  House.  427 

fire.  The  loss  was  about  $10,000,  a  little  over  half  of  which  was  covered  by 
insurance.  The  buildings  damaged  or  destroyed  were  at  once  rebuilt  and  two 
additional  buildings — a  school  house  and  a  building  used  to  accommodate  the 
kindergarten  —  were  also  erected.  At  'the  present  time,  at  the  close  of  the 
eighth  school  year,  there  are  162  pupils  in  attendance;  the  total  attendance 
has  been  226.  ' 

THE   HUMANE   SOCIETY. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1873,  "the  Bcrgh  association  of  Rochester" 
was  organised,  with  William  H.  Cheney  as  president,  its  object  being  to  pre- 
vent or  mitigate  the  practice  of  cruelty  toward  animals.  In  1880  a  society 
for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  toward  children  was  brought  into  existence,  and, 
as  the  officers  of  both  the  organisations  were  essentially  the  same  —  Rev.  N. 
M.  Mann  being  the  president  —  they  naturally  merged  into  one  and  adopted 
the  title  of  "the  Humane  society."  Its  objects  are:  "To  provide  effective 
means  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  to  animals  and  children;  to  inforce  all 
laws  which  now  are,  or  hereafter  may  be  enacted  for  the  protection  of  dumb 
animals  and  children,  and  to  secure  by  lawful  means  the  arrest,  conviction  and 
punishment  of  all  persons  violating  such  laws;  also,  the  prevention  of  all  cruelty 
by  humane  education."  The  officers  for  this  year  are  :  President,  David  Cope- 
land;  vice-presidents,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Angle  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Dennis;  corresponding 
secretary.  Miss  E.  P.  Hall ;  recording  secretary^  Mrs.  J.  W.  Stebbins ;  treas- 
urer, Henry  S.  Hanford. 

'  THE   ALMS   HOUSE. 

The  first  Monroe  county  alms  house,  located  about  three  miles  southeast 
from  Rochester,  was  erected  in  1826.  It  was  constructed  of  brick  and  would 
accommodate  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  persons.  The  institution  was 
under  the  management  of  five  superintendents  and  had  in  1827  thirty-five 
occupants,  about  twenty  of  whom  were  employed  in  useful  labor.  In  1855  a 
school  was  taught  there  by  Miss  Benedict,  which  contained  some  forty  scholars. 
A  school-house  was  finished  in  1859.  It  contained  two  stories,  the  lower  being 
for  a  school- room,  the  upper  for  a  dormitory.  Miss  Gorton  was  employed  as 
teacher,  and  Miss  Flynn  as  assistant  teacher.  Miss  Pepper  succeeded  Miss 
Gorton,  and  Miss  Flynn  in  turn  became  the  teacher.  In  i860  a  building  was 
set  apart  for  infirm  old  men.  In  1872  the  building  had  become  so  dilapidated 
that  it  became  necessary  to  erect  new  ones,  which  was  done  by  George  H. 
Thompson  and  John  W.  McElhinny.  The  building  was  constructed  of  brick, 
partitions  being  of  the  same  material,  and  the  cornice  of  iron,  thus  rendering  the 
structure  nearly  fire-proof  Its  dimensions  are  188  feet  fronting  on  South 
avenue,  with  wings  on  the  north  and  south  ends,  running  east  one  hundred  feet 
from  the  front  wall,  and  forty-eight  feet  wide  each.     A  third  wing  is  situated 

28 


428  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

back  from  the  center  of  the  main  building,  in  extent  sixty-eight  feet  and  width 
thirty  feet.  The  main  building  is  three  stories  high,  with  a  cupola  rising  from 
the  center.  There  are  accommodations  for  400  persons.  The  number  of 
paupers  supported  in  1883  was  837  ;  born  in  the  house  during  the  year,  15; 
died,  94;  discharged,  549;  227  were  natives  of  America  and  255  were  natives 
of  Ireland.  The  expenses  for  the  year  ending  October  1st,  1883,  were  $17,- 
939.13.  Of  the  chaplains  have  been  H.  A.  Brewster,  J.  Mandeville,  Dr.  Sam- 
uel Luckey,  J.  V.  Van  Ingen,  John  E.  Baker,  George  F.  Linfield  and  D.  P. 
Babcock.  Dr.  Azel  Backus  is  the  present  physician,  George  E.  McGonegal 
superintendent,  and  A.  J.  Hoyt  warden. 

THE   INSANE   ASYLUM. 

In  the  early  part  of  1856  the  insane  of  Monroe  and  surrounding  counties 
were  confined  in  the  alms  house.  At  this  time  the  condition  of  the  institution 
was  truly  deplorable.  The  cells,  which  were  four  and  a  half  by  seven,  were 
low  and  unwholesome,  and  in  this  small  space  were  often  confined  as  many  as 
four  persons  in  different  stages  of  madness.  In  the.years  1856  and  1857  a  new 
building  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  somewhat  over  $3,000,  which  was  opened  for 
patients  in  the  spring  of  1857,  and  the  accommodations  for  fprty-eight  persons 
were  fully,  occupied.  The .  institution  was  placed  under  the  supervision  and 
management  of  Colonel  J.  P.  Wiggins  and  wife.  An  addition  was  completed 
by  October,  1859,  at  a  cost  of  $26,791.57,  which,  although  somewhat  of  a  re- 
lief to  the  patients,  served  more  as  an  accommodation  to  the  superintendent  and 
employees.  The  need  of  better  accommodations  was  yearly  stated,  but  un- 
heeded, while  the  numbers  steadily  increased.  In  1 870  the  demand  for  relief  be- 
came imperative,  and  consequently  a  wing  was  erected,  giving  accommodation 
to  twenty-five  persons.  The  number  of  inmates  rose  in  1871  to  one  hundred, 
while  there  were  rooms  for  but  seventy  with  single  occupants.  In  1872  a  main 
building  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $18,000.  The  patients  in  the  asylum  for  the 
year  ending  September  30th,  1883,  were  238;  discharged,  39;  died,  18.  M. 
L.  Lord,  M.  D.,  is  the  warden  and  physician,  liaving  been  elected  in  1868. 


The  Home  Guard.  429 


CHAPTER  XL.1 

THE  HOME  GUARD. 

A  Glance  at  the  Rochester  Militia,  from  the  Earliest  Days  Down  to  the  Present  Times  —  The  First 
Rifle  Company  and  Regiment  —  The  Irish  Volunteers  —  The  Pioneer  Rifles  and  the  Battle  of  "  Tod- 
Waddle  "  —  The  Grays  and  Cadets,  and  the  liattle  of  Lyell  Bridge  —  Other  Organisations  and  Blood- 
less Encounters  —  The  Militia  During  the  War  —  The  Disbandment  in  1881. 

THAT  Rochester  can  boast  of  no  minute-men,  such  as  at  Concord  and  Lex- 
ington "fired  the  shot  heard  'round  the  world,"  is  not  her  fault,  but  the 
fault  of  the  times  which  held  her  destiny.  Settled  long  after  the  heroes  of  '76 
were  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  their  countrymen,  the  Flower  city  is  without 
Revolutionary  glory,  but  not  without  later  evidence,  in  the  pioneer  stage  of  her 
development,  of  that  same  rugged  patriotism  which  distinguished  the  American 
nation  and  made  it  free.  It  is  a  significant  fact  that  not  only  her  founder  but 
his  associates  who  came  with  him  to  make  the  wilderness  bloom  and  establish 
a  mighty  city  among  the  cataracts,  bore  distinguished  military  titles.  That  the 
band  of  pioneers  they  drew  about  them  was  of  that  mettle  admired  so  much  in 
classic  song  and  story  may  be  judged  from  an  incident  during  the  war  of  1812, 
when  the  entire  male  population  of  the  hamlet  stood  ready  to  defend  home  and 
country  with  their  lives.  In  the  hasty  march  to  Charlotte,  on  a  beautiful  May 
day  in  1 8 14,  to  repel  the  British  invaders  or  die  in  the  attempt,  we  have  the 
first  important  military  operation  in  the  history  of  the  place.  The  valor  of  the 
thirty-  one  who  planted  their  modest  eighteen-pounder  against  the  fleet  of  Ad- 
miral Yeo,  and  the  successful  strategy  of  the  leaders  in  that  famous  exploit,  are 
treated  of  at  length  in  another  portion  of  this  work  and  can  only  be  briefly  al- 
luded to  here. 

We  pass  on  to  the  time  when  the  military  spirit  engendered  by  the  war  of 
1812  was  caught  by  the  young  men  of  Penfield,  who  as  early  as  1818  formed 
the  first  uniformed  rifle  company  of  militia.  The  organisation  at  once  spread 
to  the  village  of  Rochesterville,  which  had  been  incorporated  the  previous  year. 
The  country  at  that  time  was  in  so  unsettled  a  condition  that  the  state  still  kept 
the  names  of  all  able-bodied  men  on  the  military  registers,  and  once  a  year,  as 
a  matter  of  form,  a  review  was  held,  an  affair  usually  so  destitute  of  military 
appearance  and  discipline  that  those  who  presented  themselves  in  answer  to  the 
roll-call  were  sportively  designated  as  the  "barefoot  militia."  A  striking  con- 
trast to  the  neglected  state  "troops  "  was  afforded  by  the  brilliant  trappings  of 
the  first  rifle  company,  with  its  eighty  members  in  their  neat  uniforms  of  gray 
cloth.  Each  man  had  a  powder  horn  hanging  from  his  neck  by  means  of  a 
yellow  string.  John  Shoecraft  was  their  captain,  Jonathan  Baker  first  lieuten- 
ant, and  John  Culver  second  lieutenant.  Ashbel  W.  Riley  (still,  at  ninety  years 
of  age,  an  honored  citizen  of  Rochester)  was  the  orderly  sergeant,  and  was  after- 


1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  William  Mill  Butler,  of  the  Rochester  Post-Express. 


430  HlSTORV  OF  THE  CiTY  OF  ROCHESTER. 

ward  promoted  to  lieutenant  and  commander.  The  company  was  made  up  of 
residents  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Rifle  companies  also  sprang  into  exist- 
ence at  Lima,  Bloomfield  and  elsewhere,  making  four  companies  in  all,  from 
which,  with  the  addition  of  companies  from  Genes'eoand  other  places,  a  battal- 
ion was  formed.  It  was  known  as  the  "  First  rifle  battalion  of  the  state  of  New 
York,"  Major  Barron  being  the  commanding  officer.  Additional  material  was 
subsequently  found  in  villages  south  and  east  of  Rochester,  and  in  1820  there 
were  enough  riflemen  to  form  the  First  rifle  regiment  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
with  headquarters  at  Lima.  Its  leading  officers  were  Colonel  Bacon,  Lieut. - 
Col.  Cady  and.  Major  Cole.  In  the  same  year  an  independent  rifle  company 
was  formed  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  oflficered  by  Captain  Benjamin  H. 
Brown,  First  Lieut.  James  Frazer,  and  Second  Lieut.  Samuel  Stone.  Constant 
additions  to  the  company  were  received  from  Clarkson,  Ogden,  Greece  and 
other  places,  until  the  four  companies  from  the  east  side  joined  with  them  and 
formed  the  Twenty-second  regiment  of  riflemen,  of  which  Benjamin  H.  Brown 
was  elected  colonel,  A.  W,  Riley  lieutenant-colonel,  and  Mr.  Andrews  major. 

The  first  militia  law  of  any  consequence  was  passed  in  1823,  and  under  the 
same  the  private,  like  the  officer,  had  to  provide  everything  he  needed,  even 
his  musket.  His  only  privileges  were  exemption  from  jury  duty  and  from 
taxation  of  property  to  the  amount  of  $500.  The  ages  between  which  able- 
bodied  men  were  to  serve  in  the  militia  were  from  eighteen  to  forty-five  years. 
The  officers  were  all  elected  except  the  members  of  the  governor's  staff",  the 
members  of  each  general  officer's  staff"  appointed  by  the  general  officer,  and  the 
major-generals  at  the  head  of  militia  divisions.  The  state  was  at  this  time 
divided  into  grand  and  subordinate  military  districts.  The  grand  districts  were 
supervised  by  general  officers  and  the  subordinate  districts  by  field  officers.  Each 
district  was  sure  of  its  officers,  but  it  not  unfrequently  happened  that  a  district 
had  nothing  but  officers,  the  latter  being  without  their  complement  of  men. 
Such  was  the  state  of  the  general  militia  when  in  1825  Col.  Brown  and  Lieut. - 
Col.  Riley  and  their  fine-looking  Rifles  escorted  General  LaFayette  from 
Rochester  to  Canandaigua,  where  occurred  a- grand  demonstration  by  the  happy 
villagers,  who  had  sent  a  special  invitation  to  the  great  Frenchman  asking  him 
to  stop  and  enjoy  their  hospitality  for  a  short  time. 

In  November,  1828,  the  Irish  volunteers,  a  company  which  long  reflected 
credit  on  the  nationality  which  it  represented,  was  organised  in  Rochester  and 
attached  to  the  178th  regiment  of  infantry. 

In  1830  a  general  reorganisation  of  the  militia  was  provided  for  and  the  amount 
of  serviceable  military  material  was  increased  by  a  change  which  provided  that 
all  able-bodied  men  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  sixty  should  be  used  to 
fill  up  the  ranks.  This  helped  to  make  less  painfully  apparent  the  bald  spots 
in  the  military  districts.  The  men  were  now  obliged  to  report  at  least  once  a 
year  (under  officers  elected  by  themselves),  on  "general  training-day,"   as  it 


■,,  ■''^|f  Hn Halls  ,?.>/!.!•  Nik  Toil 


The  Home  Guard.  431 


was  called.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  privates  were  still  obliged  to  arm  and  equip 
themselves,  no  progress  in  the  appearance  of  the  general  militia  was  possible. 
Where  the  captain  had  inordinately  large  companies,  for  which  there  were  not 
uniforms  enough,  he  was  often  driven  to  the  expedient  of  allowing  a  single  uni- 
form (in  sections)  to  serve  two  or  three  men.  Things  went  from  bad  to  worse, 
until  training-day  became  a  farce.  It  must  have  been  quite  a  relief,  therefore,  for 
Governor  Marcy,  when,  it  1832,  he  came  to  Rochester,  on  invitation  of  Col. 
Riley  (who  had  succeeded  to  the  command,  owing  to  the  death  of  Col.  Brown), 
and  reviewed  the  Twenty- second  regiment  of  riflemen.  He  pronounced  it  far 
ahead  of  any  state  military  organisation  ;  in  fact  it  was,  he  said,  the  finest  regi- 
ment he  had  ever  seen.  At  that  time  Samuel  Stone  was  lieutenant-colonel 
and  Mr.  Case  major.  Among  Col.  Riley's  captains  were  Captain  Latta,  of 
Charlotte,  commanding  a  company  of  eighty  men.  Captain  A.  C.  Rowe,  of  the 
Ridge  road.  Captain  Fuller,  of  Greece,  and  Captain  Hammond,  of  Wheatland, 
(afterward  brigadier-general). 

It  was  in  1832,  also,  that  an  anti- tariff  convention  in  South  Carolina  issued 
the  famous  nullification  ordinance,  which,  on  the  i6th  of  December,  brought 
out  President  Jackson's  proclamation,  followed  by  the  sending  of  United  States 
vessels  of  war  into  Charleston  harbor,  with  good  effect.  During  the  events 
which  led  to  this  excitement  Col.  Riley  called  his  regiment  together  in  front 
of  the  court-house,  and  proposed  that  the  services  of  the  regiment  be  tendered 
to  President  Jackson.  The  proposal  was  received  with  enthusiasm.  Every 
man  was  willing  to  follow  his  colonel.  President  Jackson  appreciated  the 
prompt  offer  of  services,  and,  although  it  did  not  become  necessary  to  accept 
the  same,  he  expressed  his  warm  thanks  to  Colonel  Riley  afterward.  This  is 
the  nearest  the  regiment  ever  came  to  a  fight.  It  was  never  called  upon  for 
active  service.  In  1833  Colonel  Riley  was  appointed  brigadier  general  of  rifle- 
men, and  in  1834  he  succeeded  Major-General  Bowen  Whiting,  of  Geneva,  as 
major-general,  which  position  he  held  until  the  brigade  went  out  of  existence, 
several  years  later. 

Before  that  event  took  place,  however,  there  was  organised  and  added  to 
Gen.  Riley's  command,  in  1835,  the  Rochester  Pioneer  Rifles,  among  whose 
commanders  were  George  Dawson,  a  veritable  "fighting  editor,"  and  Judge 
Buchan.  This  company  fought  the  famous  bloodless  battle  known  among  the 
veterans  as  "Tod-Waddle."  The  writer,  in  an  interview  with  D.  M.  Dewey, 
one  of  the  participants  and  an  officer  of  the  company  at  the  time,  obtained  the 
following  account  of  the  affair.  It  appears  that  at  the  time  when  the  building 
of  the  Genesee  valley  canal  was  under  headway,  news  reached  Rochester,  of  an 
outbreak  among  the  laborers,  at  the  Rapids.  The  sheriff  ordered  the  Pioneers  to 
quell  the  riot  and  the  organisation  at  once  marched  to  the  scene  of  the  supposed 
disturbance  under  command  of  Captain  Dawson.  Upon  arriving  at  the  Rapids 
not  a  rioter  or  laborer  of  any  kind  could  be  found,  the  rumored  approach  of  the 


432  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

military  having  caused  a  general  stampede.  Disappointed  in  their  search  for 
gore,  the  Pioneers  prepared  for  the  homeward  march,  when  they  espied  a  negro 
in  front  of  a  tavern,  and  seizing  him  formed  a  hollow  square  with  their  captive 
in  the  center.  Thus  they  came  into  the  city,  and  that  solitary,  badly  frightened 
darkey  was  the  only  prisoner  of  war  that  met  the  gaze  of  the  expectant  and 
excited  populace.  They  gave  the  gentleman  of  color  his  liberty  in  front  of  the 
court-house,  amid  the  shouts  and  laughter  of  the  people.  Out  of  the  Pioneers 
afterward  two  other  organisations  were  formed. 

At  this  time  there  was  still  in  existence  "Van  Rensselaer's  cavalry,"  organ- 
ganised  about  1834.  It  had  been  preceded  by  Colonel  William  Charles's  cav- 
alry, which  was  the  first  organisation  of  the  kind  hereabouts.  The  other  was 
first  organised  as  a  company  of  mounted  dragoons,  with  K.  H.  Van  Rensselaer 
as  captain.  He  was  the  host  of  the  famoiis  Eagle  Tavern.  Finally  three  more 
companies  were  raised,  and  a  battalion  was  formed  with  Captain  Van  Rens- 
selaer as  major.  He  was  succeeded  by  Major  Mortimer  F.  Reynolds,  who  was 
the  leading  oflficer  until  the  disbandment  of  the  battalion. 

The  so-called  Canadian  rebellion  of  1837  furnished  the  Rochester  militia 
with  an  opportunity  to  face  public  opprobrium  rather  than  an  armed  enemy. 
Excitement  ran  high  here  when  it  became  known  that  British  soldiers  had  on 
the  night  of  December  29th  seized  the  steamboat  Caroline  on  the  American 
shore  and  sent  her  all  ablaze  Over  Niagara  fall's.  The  people  sympathised  with 
Mackenzie,  the  leader  of  the  insurrection,  and  his  Canadian  compatriots  on  Navy 
island,  and,  when  it  .was  wildly  rumored  that  the  "redcoats"  had  sent  the 
passengers  of  the  Caroline  to  destruction  with  her,  the  indignation  on  this  side 
of  the  border  became  so  great  that  the  president  deemed  it  best  to  issue  a  proc- 
lamation (January  5th,  1838)  enjoining  neutrality  upon  all  American  citizens. 
General  Scott  was  ordered  to  the  frontier  to  preserve  peace,  and  the  states  of 
New  York  and  Vermont  were  required  to  furnish  militia  to  disperse  those  on 
this  side  in  arms  against  the  government  of  Canada.  The  Twenty-fifth  regi- 
ment of  artillery,  commanded  by  Col.  Joseph  Wood,  went  from  Rochester,  in 
obedience  to  orders,  and,  traveling  as  far  as  Batavia  by  rail,  marched  from  there 
to  the  frontier.  Other  officers  of  the  regiment  were  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wil- 
hams  and  Captains  Francis  X.  Beckwith,  Amos  Soper,  Evan  Evans  and  Frank- 
lin Robb.  So  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  the  "Patriots"  were  the  people 
that  the  regiment  was  hissed  at  various  places,  and  the  proprietor  of  a  public 
house  refused  to  furnish  them  food  until  they  threatened  him  with  summary 
vengeance.  Luckily  the  expedition  led  to  nothing  more  serious,  and,  finding 
that  Navy  island  had  been  evacuated,  the  militia  returned  home. 

The  warlike  spirit  augmented  by  these  events  found  vent  in  the  near  future 
in  the  formation  of  several  crack  companies.  Two  of  these,  "  Williams's  light 
infantry"  and  the  Rochester  Union  Grays,  were  formed  out  of  the  Pioneer 
Rifles  and  other  members  of  the  old  rifle  regiments.     The  light   infantry,  or- 


The  Home  Guard.  433 


ganised  August  2d,  1838,  was  composed  of  those  who  favored  the  carrying  of 
muskets.  The  Grays,  organised  on  December  nth  of  the  same  year,  were  all 
decidedly  in  favor  of  rifles.  The  leading  spirits  who  formed  the  Grays  were 
the  staff  officers  of  the  old  regiment — Gen.  Lansing  B.  Swan  (who,  with  Gen. 
Burroughs,  codified  the  military  laws  of  the  state).  Colonel  Horace  Gay,  Col- 
onel Ariel  Wentworth,  Adjutant  Jesse  W.  Hatch  and  Major  H.  P.  Daniels, 
who  joined  as  privates.  At  the  first  election,  held  June  1 8th,  1839,  Lansing 
B.  Swan  was  elected  captain.  In  1840  the  company  was  reviewed  by  Presi- 
dent Van  Buren  on  Brown  square.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the 
veteran  corps  (which  was  organised  December  3d,  1855,  and  included  all 
those  who  joined  in  1838  and  who  had  been  members  up  to  January,  1854) 
the  captains  of  the  company  had  been  as  follows :  Lansing  B.  Swan,  John  G. 
Gray,  Charles  G.  Lee,  Nathaniel  Thompson  and  William  M.  Lewis.  Among 
the  first  officers'  of  the  veteran  corps  were  Gen.  Lansing  B.  Swan,  captain  ; 
Captain  John  G.  Gray,  first  lieutenant,  and  Col.  James  L.  Angle  (at  present 
one  of  the  new  justices  of  the  Supreme  court  for  this  district),  second  lieutenant. 
The  Grays,  although  originally  formed  as  a  rifle  company,  subsequently  adopted 
the  infantry  drill  and  still  later  became  an  artillery  company. 

The  "  battle  of  Lyell  Bridge,  "  an  illustrious  military  engagement,  occurred 
shortly  after  the  organisation  of  the  Rochester  City  Cadets,  September  19th, 
1839.  This  was  at  first  a  small  militia  company  composed  of  about  thirty 
clerks.  It  soon  trained  in  the  178th  regiment,  and  Lieut.  Pitkin  was  secured 
as  drill-master.  James  Elwood  was  elected  the  first  captain.  The  uniform  of 
the  company  was  a  blue  roundabout  and  bellows  cap,  silver  trimmings  and 
white  pantaloons.  This  was  changed  to  scarlet  coat,  blue  trousers  and  plumed 
hat,  some  time  after  the  company  had  been  reorganised  as  the  Rochester  Light 
Guards,  prior  to  1 849.  H.  S.  Fairchild  was  the  first  captain  elected,  and  the 
others  in  succession  were  :  Captains  Updyke,  D.  M.  Dewey,  Taylor,  Munger, 
Force,  Graham,  Fredenburg,  Madden,  I.  F.  Force  and  James  S.  Graham  (the 
last  in  1884,  the  company  having  been  reorganised  December  i8th,  1881). 
Sixty  five  members  of  the  Light  Guard  entered  the  army  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  rebellion,  as  company  A,  Thirteenth  regiment.  Sixty  members  arrived  at 
more  or  less  distinction;  thirty-four  held  commissions  from  lieutenants  up  to 
colonels  and  brigadier- generals.  The  io8th  regiment,  the  Eighth  cavalry  and 
the  140th  regiment  also  found  recruits  among  the  Light  Guards.  But  to  re- 
turn to  the  "  battle  of  Lyell  bridge."  It  grew  out  of  a  misunderstanding  re- 
garding the  music  of  the  day.  There  was  a  United  States  company  stationed 
here,  at  the  time,  its  barracks  being  in  the  old  jail  building  on  Fitzhugh  street. 
The  company  had  a  martial  band  and  the  Grays  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
.securing  the  same  for  parade,  but  the  officers  of  the  Cadets  had  two  or  three 
weeks  previously  secured  the  band  for  the  general  training,  in  which  both  or- 
ganisations were  to  appear.     After  the  review  on  the  field  beyond,  the  Lyell 


434  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

bridge,  the  Grays  demanded  the  music,  and  the  Cadets  refused  to  give  it  up. 
They  submitted  to  the  band  the  question  as  to  what  company  it  belonged  to. 
The  band  decided  in  favor  of  the  Cadets.  After  the  review  the  latter  marched 
off  with  the  music.  When  they  reached  Lyell  street,  however,  a  platoon  of 
the  Grays  in  single  file  crossed  over  the  fence  into  the  road  and  charged  bayo- 
nets. A  parley  followed  and  it  was  ascertained  that  the  bass  drum  which  the 
musicians  were  using  belonged  to  the  Grays.  The  drummer  was  ordered  to 
give  it  up  and  he  promptly  kicked  it  into  a  mud  puddle.  The  Grays,  having 
recovered  their  property,  marched  up  to  the  city,  lustily  beating  the  drum,  and 
the  Cadets  followed  with  joyful  sounds  made  by  the  snare  drum  and  fifes.  The 
"battle  of  Henpeck  "  also  belongs  to  the  Union  Grays.  In  1855  news  came 
that  laborers  repairing  the  canal  at  "the  wide-waters"  were  on  a  strike  and  had 
begun  a  serious  riot  The  sheriff  ordered  the  Grays  out  and  they  promptly 
left  for  the  scene  of  trouble  and  restored  order  after  making  several  ar- 
rests. 

On  April  15th,  1840,  the  German  Grenadiers,  the  first  German  company 
in  the  city,  was  formed.  Major  Joseph  Erbelding  has  to-day  in  his  possession, 
as  a  highly  prized  relic,  their  first  flag. 

The  Rochester  Artillery  was  organised  June  30th,  1840,  in  time  to  partici- 
pate with  the  Williams  Light  infantry,  the  Union  Grays,  City  Cadets  and  German 
Grenadiers  in  the  imposing  ceremonies  with  which  the  remains  of  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  exhumed  in  Livingston  county,  were  interred  in  Mount  Hope,  in  1841, 
as  detailed  in  another  chapter. 

The  Rochester  City  Guards  first  appear  in  the  records  of  1844,  ^nd  the 
German  Union  Guards  were  organised  October  25th,  1847.  I"  the  same  year 
Captain  Wilder  organised  a  company  here  for  service  in  the  Mexican  war. 

The  Rochester  City  Dragoons,  organised  in  1850,  were  the  heroes  of  one 
of  the  comical  "  battles  "  that  have  been  told  and  retold  at  reunions  and  camp- 
fires.  The  scene  of  the  exploit  in  question  was  on  Lake  avenue,  in  front  of 
an  old  toll-gate.  The  toll-gate  keeper,  knowing  that  he  could  not  compel  the 
militia  to  pay  toil,  was  in  no  mood  to  exert  himself  very  much  in  behalf  of  so 
many  "dead-heads."  Their  demands  that  he  raise  the  gate  were  regarded 
with  disdain,  and  a  charge  on  the  obstinate  obstruction  and  its  regulator  was 
at  last  found  necessary. 

The  Fifty-fourth  regiment  of  infantry  (organised  a  year  or  two  previous) 
was  in  1851  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Charles  D.  Titus,  and  its  dis- 
trict was  the  county  of  Monroe  lying  west  of  the  Genesee.  The  county  east  of  the 
river,  and  part  of  Ontario  and  Wayne,  were  under  the  protection  of  the  Fifty- 
third  regiment.  Col.  Robert  Hall  commanding.  In  1853  Gen.  Lansing  B.  Swan 
was  brigadier- general  of  the  Twenty-fifth  brigade,  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  with  headquar- 
ters at  Rochester.  Captain  Hubbard  S.  Allis  was  aide-de-camp ;  Major  C.  Gold 
Lee,   brigade  inspector;   Major  John  Thompson,  jr.,  judge-advocate;   Major 


The  Home  Guard.  435 


Charles  R.  Babbitt,  engineer ;  Major  George  Hand  Smith,  surgeon ;  Captain 
James  E.  Cheney,  quartermaster,  and  Captain  Edward  M.  Smith,  paymaster. 
The  Fifty-third  regiment  was  commanded  by  Colonel  James  L.  Angle,  with 
IDcllon  M.  Dewey,  lieutenant-colonel ;  Truman  T.  Morse,  major,  and  Lieut. 
George  W.  Martin,  quartermaster. 

In  1855  the  Fifty-fourth  regiment  included  all  of  Monroe  county  and  \yas 
commanded  by  Colonel  Harrison  S.  Fairchild ;  Belden  R.  McAlpine  was  lieu- 
tenant-colonel ;  John  T.  Griffin,  major  ;  Captain  Henry  H.  Langworthy,  sur- 
geon ;  Captain  Ely  S.  Parker,  engineer,  and  Lieut.  William  H.  Ward,  pay- 
master. The  regiment  was  composed  of  the  following  companies:  A  (Roch- 
ester Union  Grays),  C.  Gold  Lee,  captain  ;  B  (German  Grenadiers),  Frederick 
C.  Miller,  captain  ;  C  (Light  Guard),  Scott  W.  Updike,  captain  ;  D  (German 
Union  Guards),  G.  Seibert,  captain ;  E  (Citizens'  Corps),  Gilbert  S.  Jennings, 
captain;  F  (First  City  Dragoons),  James  Brackett,  captain.  In  1861  the  reg- 
iment included  Monroe  and  Wayne  counties,  and  the  companies  were  as  fol- 
lows :  A,  from  Lyons ;  B,  Rochester,  Fred  Miller,  captain ;  C,  Rochester, 
Warner  Westcott,  orderly ;  D,  Rochester,  Lorenzo  Sellinger,  captain  ;  E,  F,  G 
and  H  were  vacant ;  I,  Rochester,  James  Brackett,  captain  ;  K,  Rochester,  N. 
B.  Ellison,  first  lieutenant.  In  1863  we  find  Colonel  Charles  H.  Clark  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment,  which  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States  for  one  hundred  days,  July  26th,  1864,  and  the  next  day  left  for  Elmira, 
where  it  guarded  rebel  prisoners,  until  November  lOth.  The  regiment  had  at- 
tached to  it  the  Rochester  Dragoons,  which  also  performed  guard  duty. 

The  departure  of  the  regiment  had  left  Rochester  in  an  almost  defenseless 
condition,  and  it  was  not  long  before  rumors  of  dark  intentions  of  rebel  sym- 
pathisers began  to  circulate.  These  rumors  finally  reached  the  government 
and  under  date  of  November  2d  William  H.  Seward,  secretary  of  state,  wrote 
to  the  mayor  of  Buffalo,  stating  that  "  this  department  has  received  information 
from  the  British  provinces  to  the  effect  that  there  is  a  conspiracy  on  foot  to  set 
fire  to  the  principal  cities  on  the  northern  frontier  on  election  day."  This  hast- 
ened the  return  of  the  Fifty-fourth,  and  that  its  presence  reassured  the  citizens 
may  be  gathered  from  the  address  made  to  them  by  Mayor  Brackett,  who 
alluded  to  the  threatened  raids  and  the  feeling. of  security  which  had  been  re- 
stored. That  there  was  a  dangerous  element  right  at  honie  is  apparent  from 
the  fact,  suppressed  at  the  time,  that  the  regiment  upon  reaching  Rochester 
loaded  with  ball  cartridge  and,  while  marching  through  the  streets  with  fixed 
bayonets,  was  received  not  alone  with  loyal  cheers  but  with  secession  hisses. 
Company  K  and  another  company,  together  with  some  of  Major  Lewis's  artil- 
lery were  next  stationed  at  Charlotte,  where  they  overhauled  every  incoming 
vessel  for  invaders  or  munitions  of  war.  The  mayor  had  on  November  5th 
received  word  from  United  States,  agents  in  Canada  that  rebel  refugees  were 
preparing  to  burn  Rochester  and  Buffalo  before  the  9th,  and  this  fresh  confirm- 


436  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ation  of  previous  warnings  caused  not  only  the  sharp  lookout  at  the  port  of 
Genesee,  but  the  formation  of  vigilance  committees  and  special  police  in  the  city. 

Of  the  militia  organisations  which  rendered  good  service  to  the  Union 
cause  in  the  late  war,  none  can  show  a  better  record  than  the  Rochester  Union 
Grays,  whose  heroic  services  will  be  found  described  elsewhere.  Those  of  the 
Grays  who  did  not  go  to  the  front  became  the  First  battalion  of  light  artillery, 
N.  G.  S.  N.  Y.,  commanded  by  Major  William  M.  Lewis,  which  three  times 
offered  its  services  to  the  United  States  government.  They  were  not  accepted, 
however,  until  1864,  when,  for  128  days  from  August  2d,  the  battalion  helped 
to  guard  rebel  prisoners  at  Elmira,  leaving  here  shortly  after  the  Fifty-fourth. 
It  had  previously,  in  1863,  left  to  assist  in  quelling  the  New  York  draft  riots, 
going  as  far  as  Albany,  where  it  was  detained  for  guard  duty  for  a  time.  In 
1864  Michael  Heavy  was  captain  of  battery  A,  and  M.  R.  Quinn  captain  of 
battery  B.     The  battalion  numbered  164  men,  rank  and  file. 

The  home  guard  received  a  most  creditable  addition  during  the  war  in  the 
formation  of  the  Rochester  Union  Blues,  a  fine,  well-equipped  organisation  of 
patriotic  citizens.  The  officers  for  1 863-64  were  as  follows :  Charles  B.  Hill, 
captain;  Cornelius  Waydell,  first  lieutenant;  L.  A.  Pratt,  second  lieutenant; 
Charles  A.  Brackett,  first  sergeant;  Frank  B.  Mitchell,  second  sergeant ;  Charles 
A.  Dewey,  third  sergeant;  William  B.  Burke,  fourth  sergeant;  Frederick  W. 
Hawley,  fifth  sergeant;  Frank  Blossom,  first  corporal;  Cyrus  F.  Paine,  second 
corporal;  Fred.  B.  Watts,  third  corporal;  John  L.  Sage,  fourth  corporal^  Rev. 
George  D.  Boardman,  chaplain.  The  civil  officers  were  :  President,  Edwin  O. 
Sage;  vice-president,  Alexander  McVean;  secretary,  S.  A.  Ellis;  treasurer, 
C.  F.  Paine. 

There  were  no  sweeping  changes  made  in  the  militia  laws  imtil  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  unless  the  reorganisation  in  1846,  of  regiments  with  one  field 
and  no  staff  officer,  be  deemed  such.  Other  amendments  of  note  which  had 
come  up  since  the  time  of  the  nondescript  militia  were  an  increase  of  exemp- 
tion from  taxation  of  militiamen's  property  to  $1,000,  and  state  appropriations 
for  heating  and  lighting  the  armories.  In  1865  an  agitation  was  begun  in  re- 
gard to  what  afterward  figures  in  the  militia  statutes  as  a  uniform  fund,  $500 
being  appropriated  for  each  regiment,  which  sum  the  regiment  earned  by  doing 
a  specific  amount  of  military  duty  each  year.  This  in  1870  was  replaced  by 
an  arrangement  whereby  the  privates  and  non-commissioned  officers  were  pro- 
vided for  more  liberally.  In  lieu  of  uniforms  and  equipments  furnished  by  the 
state,  it  was  enacted  that  there  should  be  paid  by  the  state  to  the  military  fund 
of  each  regiment,  battalion  and  separate  troop,  battery  or  company  of  infantry 
a  sum  equal  to  $7  for  each  man  who  had  paraded  at  least  seven  times  during 
the  previous  year.  This  amount  was  increased  to  $8  under  the  arrangement 
of  1878.  To  meet  general  expenses  each  regiment  was  allowed  $1,000  if  lo- 
cated in  New  York  city,  and'  $500  if  in   the  rest  of  the  state.     This  amount 


The  Home  Guard.  437 


was  finally  increased  to  $1,500  per  regiment,  and  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the 
division  headquarters  $1,000  was  allowed  and  $500  more  to  brigade  head- 
quarters. After  the  war  Captain  Fred.  Miller's  troop  of  cavalry  was  organised, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Henry  Brinker,  the  last  major-general  of  this 
division.  On  May  4th,  1871,  the  Fifty- fourth  and  the  Light  artillery  rendered 
excellent  service  in  quelling  a  riot  among  strikers  on  the  canal  near  the  "Ox- 
bow," and  in  1877  both  these  organisations  and  Miller's  cavalry  were  on  duty 
along  the  line  near  Hornellsville  during  the  railroad  strikes. 

In  1880 'one  of  the  most  notable  courts- martial  in  the  history  of  the  Fifty- 
fourth  took  place  by  order  of  Gen.  Brinker.  The  principal  previous  courts- 
martial  were  those  of  Brigadier- General  Charles  H.  Clark,  who  was  dismissed 
from  the  service  in  1870  for  mismanagement  of  $15,000  funds  for  the  building  of 
a  fence  around  the  state  arsenal,  and  of  Colonel  George  A.  Begy,  who  was  found 
guilty  of  utterance  of  false  audits,  but  whose  sentence  was  reversed  by  Gov- 
ernor Robinson  in  1877.  The  subject  for  the  court-martial  April  19th,  1880, 
was  Jacob  Spahn,  major  and  engineer  of  the  twelfth  brigade,  seventh  division. 
He  was  convicted  of  the  charge  of  writing  certain  defamatory  articles  in  the 
military  column  of  the  Rochester  Democrat  &  Chronicle  (whose  military  editor 
he  was),  violently  attacking  the  Fifty-fourth  regiment.  He  was  cashiered  July 
4th,  1 880,  but  on  the  3 1st  of  the  same  month  the  civil  courts  granted  a  writ  of 
certiorari  in  the  proceedings.  Subsequently  the  sentence  was  reversed  and 
Major  Spahn  reinstated  by  order  of  Judge  Macomber.  Adjutant-General 
Townsend  appealed  to  the  general  term  of  the  Supreme  court,  which  affirmed 
the  decision.  A  further  appeal  was  taken  to  the  court  of  Appeals,  where  it  is 
still  pending. 

The  state  is  now  divided  into  four  military  divisions  —  in  place  of  the  eight 
divisions  and  fourteen  brigade  departments  formerly  existing  —  with  headquar- 
ters at  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Albany  and  Buffalo.  In  December,  1880,  the 
Fifty-fourth  regiment  was  disbanded,  only  one  company  being  continued  — 
namely,  company  E,  Captain  Henry  B.  Henderson  commanding,  which  was  at- 
tached to  the  division  headquarters  at  Buffalo,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Eighth 
Separate  company.  A  month  before  that  Captain  Miller's  troop  of  cavalry  had 
been  disbanded,  and  the  artillery  battalion  was  first  consolidated  from  two  bat- 
teries into  a  single  battery,  and  then  likewise  disbanded.  The  officers  and  men 
of  all  these  organisations  were  mustered  out  at  the  arsenal,'  January  27th,  1881. 


438  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  CEMETERIES  OF  ROCHESTER.i 

The  Early  Cemeteries  of  the  Village  and  the  City  —  The  Burial- Places  on  the  East  and  West 
Sides  —  Negotiations  for  a  New  Ground  —  Abandonment  of  the  Old  Places,  and  Transfer  to  Mount 
Hope  —  Description  of  the  Cemetery  —  The  Old  Catholic  Hurial-G  round  —  Necessity  for  a  New  Place 
of  Interment  —  Purchase  of  the  Land  and  Consecration  of  the  Ground  —  Description  of  the  HolySep- 
ulcher  Cemetery. 

THE  resting-place  of  the  dead  is  a  very  near  object  of  interest  and  affection 
to  the  waiting  .sojourners.  Almost  the  first  object  of  their  search,  it  is  not  only 
a  subject  of  anxious  solicitude,  but  serves  more  quickly  than  any  other  human 
need  to  unite  with  links  of  intercourse  and  sympathy  those  wayfarers  who 
gather  to  form  new  homes  and  who  sometimes  become,  and  perhaps  unexpect- 
ingly,  the  founders  of  large  and  prosperous  communities.  It  is  a  sure  sign  of 
enlightened  hope  when  men  halt  to  carefully  choose  their  place  of  sepulcher 
and  bestow  upon  it  that  care  and  beautifying  which  make  it  a  place  of  pleasant 
contemplation,  which  seem  to  relieve  the  mortal  struggle  of  many  of  its  moan- 
ing sorrows  and  make  the  shadow  of  the  grave  a  welcome  garment,  not  remote 
from  either  life.  Surrounded  with  leaves,  flowers  and  landscape  of  hill  and 
valley,  it  becomes  a  spot  where  family  and  kin  not  unwillingly  lie  down  and 
await  that  summons  which  will  cause  them  again  to  know,  even  as  they  are 
known. 

In  the  struggle  of  the  early  emigrants  in  this  then  western  wild  —  their  need 
of  unremitting  toil  for  the  living,  subduing  the  harsh  features  of  rock  and  forest 
and  noisome  swamp,  bringing  them  into  subjection  that  their  expectation  of 
happy  homes  might  be  realised  and  visible  — they  at  no  time  lost  sight  of  that 
spiritiial  comfort  which  was  fostered  by  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  those 
who  had  heralded  the  way  to  the  better  land.  And  so,  neither  neglect  nor 
sacrilege  chilled  these  affections  or  aspirations,  and  as  human  population  in- 
creased beyond  their  foretellings  they  reverently  carried  their  dead  from  their 
first  resting-place,  until  their  other  home  became  Mount  Hope,  "beautiful  for 
situation,"  and,  they  might  fondly  picture,  "the  joy  of  the  whole  earth." 

The  primitive  burial  spots  on  each  side  of  the  Genesee  river,  in  the  two 
towns  of  Gates  and  Brighton  —  the  one  in  Genesee,  the  other  in  Ontario  county 
and  soon  forming  the  hamlet,  first,  of  Genesee  Falls,  and  then  of  Rochester- 
ville  were,  however  remote,  in  very  central  portions  of  what  is  now  the  city  of 
Rochester.  Upon  the  west  side  of  the  river,  at  the  junction  of  Falls  street 
and  Sophia  street  —  now  Spring  street  and  Plymouth  avenue — the  early  pro- 
prietors of  the  so-called  One-hundred-acre  tract,  Colonel  Rochester,  Major 
Carroll  and  Colonel  Fitzhugh,  set  apart  for  burials  one-half  acre  and  conveyed 
the  land  to  the  village,  free  of  cost,  in  June,  182 1.      It  was  so  far  intentionally 

1  The  first  article  in  this  chapter  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Jonathan  H.  Child. 


Beginnings  of  Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  439 

predesigned  for  this  us^  that  even  more  was  designated  on  the  public  map.  We 
do  not  find  that  burial  lots  were  sold  by  the  village,  but  the  ground  was  free. 
Upon  the  east  side  of  the  river,  where  is  now  East  avenue,  upon  its  south  side 
and  opposite  Gibbs  street,  Enos  Stone  made  a  gratuitous  dedication  of  a  burial 
plot.     No  deed  was  executed,  but  space  was  free. 

Few  years,  however,  elapsed,  before  the  unexpected  growth  of  the  settle- 
ment made  it  incumbent  that  more  distant  grounds  should  be  obtained.  There 
were  secured  westerly  three  and  one-half  acres,  September  i8th,  1821,  in  even 
exchange  for  the  Sophia  street  ground,  upon  the  Buffalo  road,  where  now  stands 
the  Rochester  City  hospital.  There  were  purchased,  easterly,  two  acres  on 
June  loth,  1827,  for  $100.00,  upon  the  then-called  "state  road,"  and  now  Mon- 
roe avenue,  where  now  stands  public  school  number  15.  These  two  acres, 
although  purchased  June  loth,  1827,  of  Chester  Bixby,- had  been  by  him  re- 
served from  a  sale  of  contiguous  land  to  William  Cobb  and  others  on  October 
27th,  1822,  and  especially  excepted  from  that  conveyance  and  also  described 
on  an  accompanying  map,  as  a  "burying-ground."  There  is  no  doubt  that  it 
had  been  used  for  burials  several  years  prior  to  its  purchase  by  the  village  of 
Rochester.  The  bodies  resting  upon  the  Sophia  street  lot  were  transferred  to 
the  Buffalo  street  new  ground,  and  those  upon  East  avenue  to  the  Monroe 
street  new  ground,  and  in  the  case  of  Enos  Stone's  benefaction  the  disused 
ground  reverted  to  the  donor.  These  two  new  grave-yards  —  the  bne  called  the 
Buffalo  street  burying-ground,  the  other  the  Monroe  street  burying-ground  — 
supplied  for  many  years  the  requirements  of  the  village.  Yet  they  did  not 
suffice.  In  time,  about  1835,  they  were  found  inadequate  and  the  movement 
began  which  culminated  in  what  became  Mount  Hope  cemetery. 

It  had  been  more  than  fortunate  that  the  Buffalo  street  and  the  Monroe 
street  grounds  were  in  use,  for  the  mortality  from  cholera  in  1832  was  so  ex- 
treme, even  in  the  then  small  village,  that  the  unoccupied  land  was  all  required, 
and  this  gave  impetus  to  the  belief  that  the  usefulness  of  these  grounds 
would  soon  end.  Yet  both  these  cemeteries  had  become  very  dear  to  the  citi- 
zens. They  contained  the  dead  of  those  first  settlers  whose  names  are  familiar 
by  tradition  or  public  service,  and  in  the  after- satisfaction  which  reconciled 
their  friends  to  the  more  attractive  Mount  Hope  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that 
for. years  the  hesitation  and  reluctance  to  remove  their  dead  was  both  sorrowful 
and  deep,  even  if  the  increasing,  surrounding  throngs,  made  year  by  year  more 
apparent  the  distasteful,  yet  unavoidable,  intrusions  upon  what,  in  earlier  days, 
they  fondly  thought  would  give  them  place  for  secluded  and  peaceful  rest.  But 
the  necessity  for  ampler  grounds  became  pressing.  The  first  movement  was 
made  by  individual, citizens.  There  appears  to  be  no  public  record  of  the  fact, 
but  it  nevertheless  was,  that,  after  personal  consultation,  a  meeting  was  called, 
the  object  approved,  and  a  committee  appointed.  A  public  allusion  to  this 
meeting  is  found  in  a  preamble  to  a  resolution  offered  by  Alderman  John  Hay- 


440  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

wood,  in  the  common  council,  December  20th,  1836,  in  which  he,  calling  at- 
tention to  this  subject,  refers  "  to  a  meeting  of  citizens  previously  held."  Who 
were  its  active  movers,  and  when  held,  does  not  seem  to  appear,  but  the  recol- 
lection exists  that  the  committee  made  diligent  examination  in  the  suburbs  for 
suitable  cemetery  grounds.  Their  searches  were  extended  not  only  to  the  hills 
south  and  east  of  the  city,  but  northerly  on  the  river  slopes,  and  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Irondequoit  bay. 

It  may  not  be  inopportune  here  to  note  that  William  A.  Reynolds,  one  of 
Rochester's  most  public-minded  and  influential  citizens,  ceased  not  to  regret 
what  was,  in  his  judgment,  the  error  of  not  locating  the  cemetery,  and  one  of 
large  extent,  upon  the  western  bank  of  Irondequoit  bay.  The  citizens'  com- 
mittee, however,  made  report  recommending  the  purchase  of  the  first  fifty-three 
acres  of  Mount  Hope.  It  was  also  recommended  that  the  city  corporation  be 
invested  with  the  title  and  control.  The  ease,  as  it  now  exists,  of  obtaining 
legislative  authority  for  private  corporations  did  not  then  obtain,  and  the  diffi- 
culty and  uncertainty  of  securing  it  cannot  now  be  readily  appreciated.  This 
was  the  supposed  obstacle  to  a  private  cemetery  corporation  and  was  the  in- 
spiring cause  for  seeking  the  cooperation  of  the  municipal  government.  The 
common  council  favorably  responded.  In  accordance  therewith,  Alderman 
David  Scoville,  August  24th,  1836,  offered  a  resolution  "that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  purchasing  Silas  Andrus's  lot  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  or  any  other  lot  in  the  city,  for  a  burial  ground  and 
report  at  a  future  meeting  of  the  board."  This  was  adopted  and  the  chairman. 
Mayor  Abram  M.  Schermerhorn,  appointed  Aldermen  David  Scoville,  Manley 
G.  Woodbury  and  Warham  Whitney  as  such  committee.  On  the  20th  of  De- 
cember Alderman  Haywood,  in  the  resolution  before  alluded  to,  moved  that 
the  common  council  approve  of  the  recommendation,  both  of  the  citizens  and 
of  the  committee,  that  the  city  purchase  the  ground  of  Silas  Andrus  for  such 
purpose,  which  was  adopted,  and  on  December  27th  the  common  council  made 
provision  for  paying  for  the  land  by  authorising  an  issue  of  city  bonds  for 
$8,000,  which  loan  was  negotiated  at  par  by  the  mayor. 

On  January  loth,  1837,  John  McConnell  was  directed  to  devise  a  plan  for 
laying  out  the  grounds,  but  this  was  supplemented,  if  not  superseded,  June  22d, 
1838,  by  appointing  Aldermen  Elias  Pond,  Joseph  Strong  and  Isaac  F.  Mack; 
the  new  mayor,  Elisha  Johnson,  and  the  city  surveyor,  Silas  Cornell,  a  com- 
mittee to  procure  and  submit  plans  for  such  purpose.  This  committee  had 
some  correspondence  with  Major  David  Bates  Douglass,  LL.  D.,  a  distin- 
guished officer  in  the  United  States  army,  a  professor  of  civil  and  military  en- 
gineering at  West  Point,  a  president  of  Kenyon  college,  Ohio ;  a  professor  of 
mathematics  and  civil  engineering  at  Hobart  college,  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  who 
laid  out  the  grounds  at  Greenwood  cemetery,  the  Albany  cemetery  and  the 
Protestant  cemetery  at  Quebec.     A  difference  in  judgment  was  found  to  exist 


Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  441 

between  the  common  council  committee  and  Major  Douglass,  concerning  the 
manner  of  developing  the  new  cemetery,  and  the  result  was  that  his  valuable 
services  were  not  obtained.  The  report  of  the  committee  to  the  common  council 
was  made  on  the  3d  of  July,  next  after,  and  was  adopted. 

Silas  Cornell,  city  surveyor,  a  member  of  this  committee,  proposed  the 
name  "  Mount  Auburn  "  for  the  new  cemetery.  One  William  Wilson,  a 
laborer,  presented  to  the  common  council  several  accounts  for  services  in  1838, 
which  bills  recited  that  the  labor  was  performed  on  "  Mount  Hope.  "  The 
latter  phrase  gratified  the  public  ear  and  satisfied  its  judgment.  "  Mount 
Auburn  "  made  a  feebler  impression,  and  without  formal  adoption,  that  can 
be  found,  "  Mount  Hope  "  was  accepted  and  applied.  In  October  following. 
Mount  Hope  cemetery  was  dedicated  in  solemn  manner,  before  a  large  as- 
semblage, and  the  Rev.  Pharcellus  Church,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  society, 
delivered  the  oration.  In  acknowledgment  of  Mr.  Church's  address  the  com- 
mon council  tendered  him  the  following  vote  of  thanks :  "  In  common  council, 
city  of  Rochester,  October  i6th,  1838,  on  motion  of  Alderman  Abelard  Rey- 
nolds, Resolved :  That  the  bokrd  present  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Church  for  his  appropriate  and  able  address  delivered  at  the  dedication  of 
Mount  Hope  cemetery,  and  that  he  be  requested  to  furnish  the  common  coun- 
cil with  a  copy  for  publication  and  that  a  committee  of  two  be  appointed  for 
that  purpose.  Carried,  and  the  mayor,  Elisha  Johnson,  and  Alderman  Rey- 
'  nolds  were  appointed  such  committee.  " 

The  first  sexton  of  Mount  Hope,  as  the  keeper  was  called,  was  William  G. 
Russell,  appointed  by  the  common  council  in  July,  1838.  The  first  interment 
was  of  William  Carter,  who  died  August  17th,  1838.  He  was  a  venerable, 
exemplary,  humble  Christian,  and  had  through  life  adorned  the  Baptist  com- 
munion with  his  devotion.  It  was  fit  that  Mount  Hope  should  have  been  set 
apart  for  its  solemn  use  by  giving  its  first  shelter  to  the  remains  of  so  good  a  man. 
Since  then,  to  March  ist,  1884,  there  have  been  buried  35,345  bodies,  includ- 
ing 1,600  transferred  from  the  Buffalo  and  Monroe  street  grounds.  The  num- 
ber of  lot  owners,  to  the  same  date,  is  9,3 13,  besides  3,000  graves  used  without 
charge  by  those  unable  to  buy. 

It  is  interesting,  here,  to  pause  a  moment,  and  trace  the  history  of  Mount 
Hope  in  earlier  conveyances  of  its  land.  The  first  sale  of  the  original  plot  of 
fifty-three  and  eighty- six  hundredths  acres  was  April  30th,  1817,  when  Elijah 
Northrop  sold  it  to  Eli  Stillson,  father  of  George  D.  Stillson,  afterwards  its 
superintendent,  and  grandfather  of  George  D.  Stillson,  its  present  superinten- 
dent, for  $367.  Eli  Stillson  sold  it  to  John  Mastick  July  12th,  1821,  for  '$262, 
thus  incurring  a  loss  of  $105,  and  which  George  D.  Stillson,  his  son,  remem- 
bered that  his  father  deemed  a  severe  misfortune.  On  January  ist,  1822, 
John  Mastick  sold  it  to  Silas  Andrus  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  for  $287,  pocketing 
$25  in  less  than  six  months,  and,  fifteen  years  afterward,  Mr.  Andrus  sold  it 


442 


History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


to  Mount  Hope  cemetery  for  $5,386,  a  profit  of  more  than  $5,000,  which 
perhaps  sharply  exhibits  the  increase  of  supposed  values  prior  to  the  commer- 
cial revulsion  of  1837.  Including  this  land,  the  purchases  to  the  present  day 
have  been :  — 


WHEN  BOUGHT. 

ACRES. 

COST. 

GRANTORS. 

1837,  January  :i, 

53-86 

$  5,386.00 

Silas  Andrus. 

1837,  December  9, 

1. 21 

(  Wm.  Hamilton  exchanged 

.89 

Nominal. 

<     with  city,  10  adju.stbound- 

-32 

l    ary  lines. 

1839,  August  22, 

9-39 

1,878.00 

David  Stanley. 

1841,  April  15, 

9.02 

902.00 

Moses  Hall. 

1 861.  July  29, 

4-2"57 

3,000.00 

lillwanger  &  Barry. 

1864,  June,   13, 

S-33<Jo 

1,440.90 

Caleb  Pierce. 

"     21, 

7.8288 

1.947-79 

Caleb  I'ierce. 

1865,  January  2$, 

3-66 

3,000.00 

Eleazar  Conkey. 

"       May   I, 

52.17 

20,864.00 

A.  F.  &  G.  P.  Wolcott. 

"      November  3, 

22.74 

9,096.00 

15enj.  F.  &  Maria  Hall. 

1870,  May  4, 

„-^5 

1,200.00 

George  W.  Kintz. 

1872,  April  3, 

18.30 

14,640.00 

Wm.  Hamilton. 

1873,  April  29, 

.62 

3,780.00' 

CJeorge  W.   Kintz. 

1881,  October  14, 

.05 

450.00 

A.  F.  &  Kstate  G.  P.  Wolcott. 

187.76 

$67,584.69 

From  its  establishment  in  1838  to  now,  a  period  approaching  fifty  years, 
Mount  Hope  cemetery  has  received  from  that  portion  of  the  citizens  of  Roch- 
ester who  use  and  maintain  it  a  loving  attention  and  personal  watchfulness 
which  have  mainly  developed  its  beauty,  given  shape  to  its  picturesqueness, 
made  charming  its  scenes,  whether  in  lengthening  vista  or  in  half-concealed  and 
unexpected  bank  of  buds  or  vine;  in  contrast  of  hill  and  dell,  or  distant 
glimpses  of  the  Bloomfield  hills  with  exquisite  tints  reposing  as  if  upon  the 
sky,  or,  again,  catching  through  the  opening  groves,  sights  of  Ontario's  waters 
from  east  to  west,  fading  in  the  northern  horizon,  with,  at  times,  wonderful 
mirage  floating  in  the  air.  All  this  grace  has  reacted  upon  its  voluntary  servi- 
tors and  brightened  their  hopes  and  made  winning  the  call  which  beckoned 
through  such  a  portal  to  an  enduring  habitation.  It  has  not  been  mere  official 
direction  and  money  expenditure  which  have  made  so  satisfying  a  God's-acre, 
but,  from  the  natural  ornamentation  of  lawn  and  leaf,  the  shadow  of  the  glen 
and  the  sun  reflection  on  the  hill-side,  no  regrets  exist  that  its  means  were  not 
diverted  to  erect  inharmonious  exhibitions  of  stone  and  iron  to  compare  with 
those  whose  pride,  and  not  whose  gentler  instincts,  guided  their  ways.  And 
it  seems  appropriate  here  to  offer  a  passing  tribute  to  the  character  and  services 
of  a  few  of  those  who  have  more  immediately  directed  Mount  Hope,  and  left 
their  impress  upon  its  natural  loveliness. 

The  venerable  William  Brewster,  whose  form  was  seen  for  so  many  years 
in  our  streets,  in  his  daily  goings  out  and  in,  and  whose  character  was  fragrant 
with  the  purest  qualities  of  Christian  manhood,  was  for  years  the  active  trustee 
who  gave  his  time  a  freewill  offering  to  Mount  Hope.  It  was  his  quiet  firm- 
ness which  repelled  plans  that  meant  improvidence.     It  retained  Mount  Hope 


Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  443 

ill  that  condition  which  made  it  possible  in  after  years  to  give  it  fit  develop- 
ment. In  1865  the  opportunity  came.  George  D.  Stillson,  a  civil  engineer 
of  unusual  capacity,  a  man  peculiarly  urbane  in  demeanor,  of  the  precise  taste 
and  judgmentneeded  to  unfold  its  beauties,  became  its  superintendent  and  re- 
mained in  charge  until  his  death,  a  period  of  nearly  sixteen  years.  There 
were  features  requiring  his  dexterous  art.  In  portions,  drainage  was  needed; 
Mr.  Stillson  tunneled  hills  and  obtained  it.  In  other  portions  his  engineering 
aptitude  converted  low  grounds  into  bright  ponds;  he  made  waste  places  utile. 
Those  features  appearing  in  a"  succession  of  hills  and  valleys,  which  need  a 
master's  hand  to  reclaim  from  inutility  to  attractive  use,  found  that  master's 
hand  in  his  consummate  skill.  At  the  base  of  the  hills  were  covert  springs, 
all  unused.  At  his  bidding  they  clambered  upward  and  wandering  among  the 
paths  and  road-sides  freshened  the  grass  and  flowers.  The  birds  received  pro- 
tection from  the  fowler,  and  the  charm  of  their  summer  warblings  when  dawn 
appears  bestows  an  ecstacy  which  can  receive  no  adequate  portrayal.  To  all 
this  he  added  a  demeanor  .so  considerate,  so  in  harmony  with  the  homage  due 
the  surroundings  that  he  was  universally  beloved  and  his  death  universally  de- 
plored. The  commissioners  of  Mount  Hope  offered  this  appreciative  tribute 
to  his  memory  :  — 

Mount  Hope  Cemetery, 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  February  21st,  1881. 

By  commissioner  Newell  A.  Stone. 

Whereas,  Our  beloved  superintendent  has  fallen  asleep  and  gone  to  that  unknown 
land  whose  outlines  we  see  only  faintly,  it  is  fitting  and  just  that  the  commissioners  of 
Mount  Hope  should,  in  a  formal  way,  recognise  his  fitness  by  nature  and  cultivation 
for  the  place  he  has  so  long  honored,  and  bear  testimony  to  the  good  judgment,  skill, 
and  fidelity  of  their  late  friend  and  superintendent,  George  D.  Sdllson.  Thousands  have 
been  comforted  in  their  afflictions  by  his  kind  words,  thousands  have  been  assisted  by  his 
willing  hands,  and  tens  of  thousands  can  bear  testimony  to  the  genUe  sway  he  ever  had 
in  the  last  rites  to  the  buried  dead. 

Resolved,  That  to  the  widow  and  son  we  can  only  say  that  our  sorrow  is  second  only 
to  theirs,  and  while  in  all  the  future  they  will  miss  his  presence  and  love,  we  shall  also 
miss  his  counsel  and  judgment  in  the  affairs  .of  that  sacred  and  beloved  place  where  our 
friends  and  kindred  lie. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  published  in  the  daily  papers  and  sent  to  the 
family  of  the  late  superintendent. 

Frederick  Cook,  George  H.  Thompson,  Newell  A.  Stone, 

Commissioners  of  Mount  Hope  cemetery. 

It  has  been  a  pleasant  incident  in  Mr.  StilLson's  superintendency  that  the 
commissioners  of  Mount  Hope  uniformly  and  cordially  sustained  him.  To 
faithfully  apply  the  resources  to  the  administration  of  the  trust,  maintaining  the 
understood  but  unwritten  determination  of  its  legal  custodians  that  debt  should 
never  be  incurred  except  for  land  purchase ;  to  do  this  year  by  year  without 
faltering,  repelling  designs  of  pillage-seekers,  is  no  ordinary  proof  of  continuing 

29 


444  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

fidelity.  Mr.  Stillson's  heart  and  judgment  were  fixed  in  upholding  this  laud- 
able principle,  and  his  path  was  eased  by  the  warm  cooperation  of  those  who 
were  in  a  legal  sense  his  official  superiors. 

It  is  justice  to  record  here  the  important  relation  of  Commissioner  George 
G-  Cooper  to  the  welfare  of  Mount  Hope.  Mr.  Cooper  gave  his  generous,  un- 
recompensed  attention  for  many  years  as  one  of  the  trustees.  His  services  and 
those  of  Mr.  Stone  were  had  when  faithful  services  were  needed.  A  true 
memoir  of  Mount  Hope  should  say  that  Commissioners  Cooper  and  Stone  and 
Superintendent  Stillson  guarded  Mount  Hope  from  designs  to  load  it  with  lia- 
bilities, and  this  protection  enabled  their  successors  to  maintain  it  unharmed 
from  the  consuming  cancer  of  debt. 

The  annual  report  of  the  Mount  Hope  commissioners,  March  i.st,  1884, 
shows  that  there  have  been  appropriated  and  contributed  to  these  funds,  and 
of  general  moneys  of  the  cemetery  on  hand,  the  following:  — 

Repair   fund _ $18,605.00 

Perpetual  contracts . 7,308.81 

General  fund , 7,218.26 

$33.i32-°7 
Invested  as  follows :  —  - 

Monroe  County  Savings  Bank $12,927.00 

Rochester  Savings  Bank __ 6,387.33 

East  Side  Savings  Bank 5,658.38 

Mechanics'  Savings  Bank '. . 4,159.36 

City  of  Rochester  Water  Works  bonds 3,000.00 

City  of  Buffalo  and  Erie  County  bonds i ,000.00 

$33.'32.o7 
There  was  earned  as  interest  during  that  year:  — 

Repair   fund $    738.96 

Perpetual  contracts  _ 360.44 

General  fund :.. 369.48 

$1,468.88 
Resides  this,  let  it  be  again  .said,  no  debt  exists,  and  unused  land  remains  suf- 
ficient for  ordinary  requirements  for  years. 

It  is  a  most  creditable  and  satisfactory  feature  of  the  administration  of  Mount 
Hope  that  it  has  never  cost  the  city  a  dollar.  The  money  originally  borrowed 
upon  the  city  credit  for  its  first  land  purchase  was  reimbursed  from  its  receipts 
and  from  that  time  it  has  been  maintained  without  loan  of  money  or  credit.  Its 
means  have  been  supplied  by  that  portion  of  the  community  who  voluntarily 
use  it,  and  it  has,  as  before  stated,  gratuitously  supplied  ground  for  3,000  burials. 
Within  a  few  years  the  foundation  for  two  distinct  permanent  funds  has  been 
laid  for  its  maintenance  and  betterment.  In  one,  a  percentage  is  withdrawn 
from  the  general  receipts,  and  invested  for  the  production  of  annual  interest  for 
repairs.     A  clause  in  the  city  charter  provides  as  follows: — 


Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  445 

"  The  commissioners  of  Mount  Hope  cemetery  shall  cause  a  fund  to  be  provided 
from  the  receipts  of  the  said  cemetery,  by  appropriating  annually  not  less  than  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  gross  receipts,  which  shall  be  applied         ...  to  create  a  re- 

l)air  fund,  which  shall  not  exceed  $50,000,  which  shall  be  invested,  and,  as  soon  as  it  is 
of  sufficient  amount,  the  interest  shall  be  applied  solely  to  the  repairing  of  roads,  lawns, 
hill-sides,  monuments,  abandoned  lots  and  public  grounds,  and  such  repair  fund  shall 
never,  under  any  pretext  or  evasion,  be  diverted  from  this  declared  purpose,  and  the 
interest  thereof  shall  be  used  annually,  as  heretofore  directed." 

In  the  other,  the  municipal  government  has  provided  by  ordinance  for  the 
cu.stody  of  voluntary  contributions  of  money  frcfm  lot-owners  for  the  perpetual 
care  of  lots.     This  gives  hopeful  promise  of  large  advantage. 

Moiint  Hope  has  received  name  and  fame,  widespread,  not  only  for  its 
loveliness  of  aspect,  but  from  the  confidence  that  no  fiscal  embarrassment  would 
cause  neglect  that  would  dim  its  beauty  or  make  insecure  its  possession.  And, 
from  far  and  near,  Rochester's  pilgrim  children  turn  their  parting  thoughts  to 
Mount  Hope,  and  breathe  their  desire  to  be  buried  within  its  gates.  Among 
its  sleeping  inhabitants  is  one  whose  memory  might  well  give  lofty  dignity  to 
the  most  noble  scpulchor.  It  is  not  invidious  to  say  that  the  monument  to 
Myron  Holley,  the  founder  of  the  Liberty  party,  marks  the  grave  of  its  most 
notable  man.      Upon  a  plain  obelisk,  under  a  head  cut  in  cameo,  is  inscribed  :  — 

MYRON    HOLI.KY, 
HORN    IN   SAUSBUrV,  CONN., 

Al'RIL  29,  1776. 

DlKl)    IN    ROCHKSTKR,  N.  Y. 

MARCH   4,   184I. 

UK  TRUSTKI)    IN   COU 

AND 
I.OVEl)    HIS   NEIGIinuR. 

Upon  its  reverse  is  this :  — 

THE   LIIIERTY   PARTY 

OF   THE 

UNII'KI)   STATES   OF   AMERICA 

HAVE    ERECTED   THIS   MONUMENT 

TO   THE   MEMORY 

OF 

MYRON    HOI.I.EY, 

THE   FRIEND   OF   THE   SLAVE 

AND   THE   MOST   EFFECTIVE 

AS   WELL  AS 

ONE  OF   THE   EARLIEST  OF   THE 

FOUNDERS   OF   THAT   I'ARIY. 

This  tribute  of  grateful  appreciation  was  dedicated  in  June,  1844,  before  a 
gathering  of  six  thousand  people,  with  an  oration  by  Gcrrit  Smith,  and  a  hymn 
for  this  special  occasion  by  Rev.  John  Pierpont. 

In  i84t  a  well-intended  desire  was  conceived  to  establish  a  suitable  place 
on  Mount  Hope  for  soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  The  idea  embraced  not  only 
the  obtaining  a  plot  of  fair  proportions,  but  in  a  conspicuous  locahty,  and  to  be 
surmounted  with  an  imposing  monoh'th.  There  were  a  few  graves  of  Revolu- 
tionary soldiers  scattered  in  obscure  places,  which,  from  lack  of  headstones, 
were  becoming  lost  to  observation  and  remembrance.     These  could  be  gathered 


446  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  with  them  obtained  the  remains  of  about  twenty  soldiers,  a  detachment  of 
General  Sullivan's  army  which  had  been  especially  organised  by  Congress  in 
1779  to  disperse  the  savages,  British  allies,  whose  homes  and  refuge  were  in 
Western  New  York;  and  largely  in  the  Genesee  valley.  These  soldiers  were 
ambushed  and  massacred  near  the  head  of  Conesus  lake.  Their  commander, 
Lieutenant  Thomas  Boyd,  and  a  private  named  Parker  were  tortured  in  the 
valley  nearly  opposite  Geneseo.  In  the  case  of  Lieut.  Boyd,  so  terrible  was 
the  torture  that  the  recollection  of  his  sufferings  was  vivid  for  more  than  sixty 
years,  aroused  the  keenest  anguish,  and  could  not  be  related  without  shuddering. 

The  desire  to  establish  the  patriotic  burying-'Jilace  met  widespread  approval, 
and  at  once  took  form  and  effect.  The  Senate  of  the  state  of  New  York,  as- 
sembled in  Buffalo  as  the  court  for  the  Correction  of  Errors,  passed  a  resolu- 
tion of  commendation  and  made  this  record  August  19th,  1841  :  "That  the 
Senate  duly  appreciate  and  fully  approve  of  this  patriotic  movement  of  their 
fellow-citizens."  Public  meetings  were  held  in  neighboring  towns,  commending 
and  cooperating  with  the  project.  Preparations  were  made  to  constitute  the  occa- 
sion one  of  historic  importance.  The  spot  chosen  upon  Mount  Hope  was  a  con- 
ical hill,  rising  in  regular  form  about  sixty  feet,  and  overlooking  the  Genesee  river. 
The  ceremonies  of  dedication  and  funeral  honor  to  the  remains  of  Lieut.  Boyd 
and  his  comrades  were  held  August  21st,  1841.  Three  survivors  of  Sullivan's 
army  were  present  —  Major  Moses  Van  Campen,  aged  eighty-five;  Captain  El- 
nathan  Perry,  aged  eighty-one,  and  Mr.  Sanborn,  aged  seventy-nine,  the  last 
of  whom  "  first  discovered  the  mangled  bodies  of  Boyd  and  Parker  in  the 
grass."  There  were  present  other  Revolutionary  soldiers.  The  governor, 
William  H.  Seward,  delivered  the  oration.  The  burial  service  of  the  Protestant 
lipiscopal  church  was.  offered  by  Rev.  Elisha  Tucker,  as  a  representative  of 
Rev.  Dr.,  afterward  Bishop,  Whitehouse.  There  were,  besides  the  civic  author- 
ities of  Rochester,  the  citizens'  committees  of  adjoining  towns,  the  military,  the 
adjutant-general  of  the  state,  various  civil  organisations,  and  an  assemblage  of 
thousands  of  citizens. 

In  this  manner  was  begun,  with  well-intentioned  and  patriotic  purpose,  a 
Revolutionary  soldiers'  burying-place  at  Mount  Hope.  The  remains  qf  Lieut. 
Boyd  and  his  men,  collected  with  care  and  with  some  difficulty,  were  deposited 
in  a  temporary  wooden  urn  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground  upon  "Patriot  hill." 
During  the  period  which  elapsed  from  the  beginning  to  the  termination  of  this 
enterprise,  disputes  had  arisen,  partly  from  personal  envy  and  partly  from  po- 
litical antagonism,  which  became  serious  and  of  newspaper  notoriety.  The  un- 
fortunate result  was,  it  is  necessary  to  state,  that  no  interrene  burial  of  these 
bones  was  made,  no  monument  erected.  They  remained  in  the  wooden  re- 
ceptacle for  twenty  years,  until,  racked  by  summer's  heat  and  winter's  blasts,  it 
fell,  and  the  few  bones  remaining,  after  years  of  open  exposure,  were  collected 
and  removed,  together  with  a  few  soldiers'  bodies  which  had  been  interred  upon 


Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  447 

the  hill,  to  a  spot  which  was  at  least  better  protected,  and  "Patriot"  hill  was 
razed.  Better  would  it  have  been  had  Livingston  county  erected,  as  was  its 
noble  design,  pyramids  of  earth  over  these  dead,  as  its  tribute  of  honor,  than 
to  have  beheld  this  not  creditable  result.  , 

The  benevolent  and  eleemosynary  institutions  of  Rochester  have  generally 
obtained  burial  lots  at  Mount  Hope.  There  are  now  represented :  The  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  church,  the  Hebrews,  University  of  Rochester,  Firemen's  Be- 
nevolent association.  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  St.  Andrew's  (Scottish)  society,  Rochester  Gity  hospital,  Protestant 
orphan  asylum,  Home  for  the  Friendless,. Industrial  school.  House  of  Refuge. 

Among  the  conspicuous  citizens  of  Rochester  buried  at  Mount  Hope,  the 
body  of  Colonel  Nathaniel  Rochester,  the  founder  of  the  city,  is  one  of  its  pos- 
sessions. Of  the  thirty-seven  mayors  of  the  city  during  its  fifty  years  of  char- 
tered existence,  twenty-six  are  dead  ;  of  these,  two  are  buried  out  of  Rochester, 
and  the  remaining  twenty-four  at  Mount  Hope.  They  are :  Jonathan  Child, 
Jacob  Gould,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn,  Thomas  Kempshall,  Thomas  H.  Rochester, 
Samuel  G.  Andrews,  Elijah  F.  Smith,  Charles  J.  Hill,  Isaac  Hills,  John  Allen, 
William  Pitkin,  John  B.  Elwood,  Joseph  Field,  Levi  A.  Ward,  Hamlin  Stil- 
well,  John  Williams,  Maltby  Strong,  Rufus  Keeler,  Charles  H.  Clark,  Samuel 
W.  D.  Moore,  Hamlet  D.  Scrantom,  John  C.  Nash,  Edward  M.  Smith  and  A. 
Carter  Wilder. 

The  future  satisfactory  maintenance  of  Mount  Hope  cemetery  may  depend 
upon  the  degree  to  which  the  endowment  funds  receive  the  approbation  of  lot- 
owners.  As  the  grounds  extend,  the  maintaining  expenses  increase.  When 
but  a  few  acres  were  occupied,  the  roadways  and  paths  were  few.  Nearly  two 
hundred  acres  are  now  within  the  limits,  of  which  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
are  used  and  require  care.  No  taxes  are  imposed;  its  support  is  met  by  sales 
and  improvements  of  lots  and  interments.  .  Its  largest  source  of  income,  the 
sales  of  lots,  will,  of  course,  in  time  cease.  The  law  requiring  a  ten  per  cent, 
reserve  from  current  receipts  should,  ultimately,  furnish  means  for  the  protec- 
tion of  roads,  and  the  ordinance  permitting  the  perpetual  deposit  of  special 
funds  by  lot-owners  ought  to  receive  such  approbation  and  cooperation  that 
time,  death  and  forgetfulness  will  do  no  harm.  To  the  first  of  April,  1884, 
there  have  been  deposited  under  this  ordinance  $7,662.15. 

Mount  Hope  has  been  provided  with  becoming  structures  for  its  needs.-  An 
office  and  awaiting-rooms  of  pleasing  appearance,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $15,000, 
meet  the  visitor.  A  chapel  for  burial  services,  and,  connected  with  it,  a  sepul- 
criim,  are  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  A  residence  for  the  superintendent 
is  built  at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  In  convenient  places  are  a  few  cottages  for  labor- 
ers.    The  public  street  cars  carry  visitors  to  the  entrance. 

The  trustees  having  in  charge  the  cemetery  are  three,  called  commissioners 
of  Mount  Hope.     One  is  elected  annually  for  a  period  of  three  years  by  the 


448  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

common  council.  They  serve  with  no  compensation.  It  has  been  the  practice 
of  that  board  to  retain  the  commissioners  in  office,  term  following  term,  without 
regard  to  politics.  The  commissioners,  by  statute,  control  the  cemetery.  They 
appoint  the  superintendent  and  laborers  and  determine  their  pay.  The  city 
treasurer  is  the  treasurer  of  Mount  Hope.  The  funds  are  deposited  by  him  in 
the  savings  banks  and  drawn  subject  to  the  counter-signatures  of  the  commis- 
sioners.    These  funds  are  kept  distinct  from  the  city  funds. 

At  the  present  time  the  officers  are:  Comrnissioners  —  Newell  A.  Stone, 
Frederick  Cook,  George  H.  Thompson;    superintendent,  George  T.  Stillson. 

THE   CATHOLIC   CEMETERIES.^ 

The  cemetery  on  the  Pinnacle,  on  the  southeast  line  of  the  city,  is  the  oldest 
Catholic  cemetery  of  Rochester.  It  was  bought  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's 
church  from  Richard  Christie  in  1838.  It  contained  about  twelve  acres  of  land 
and  cost  about  $1,200.  It  was  bought  for  all  the  Catholics  of  the  city,  but  the 
German  Catholics  soon  after  established  a  separate  cemetery.  On  the  loth  of 
April,  i860,  fifteen  additional  acres  were  bought  from  Gideon  Cobb  at  $200 
per  acre,  and  at  the  same  time  four  acres  were  sold  of  the  cemetery  grounds  on 
Monroe  avenue  for  $1,000.  The  Pinnacle  was  the  burying-place  for  all  the 
English-speaking  Catholic  congregations  of  the  city,  until  1871,  when  it  was 
abandoned,  except  for  families  owning  lots.  In  that  year  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Mc- 
Quaid  established  a  new  cemetery  on  Lake  avenue,  large  enough  to  bury  the 
dead  of  all  the  CathoHc  churches  of  the  city.  No  burials  take  place  now  in  the 
Pinnacle  cemetery,  except  a  few  of  the  nearest  relatives  of  the  families  that  own 
lots  on  the  ground. 

St.  Joseph's  Cemetery. —  The  German  Catholics  of  the  city,  all  members  of 
St.  Joseph's  congregation,  established  a  Catholic  cemetery  about  1840  on  Lyell 
avenue.  The  land  (two  acres)  was  given  as  a  present  by  Mr.  Thiel.  When  St. 
Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  congregation  was  formed  this  church  bought  a  separate 
cemetery  on  Maple  street.  St.  Joseph's  church  also  abandoned  the  cemetery 
on  Lyell  avenue  and  opened  a  new  one  on  New  Main  street,  then  outside  the 
city  limits.  The  land  was  given  by  Bernard  Klem  in  1843.  This  cemetery 
was  closed  in  185 1.  Another  cemetery  was  opened  near  the  Central  road,  on 
Main  street,  in  1852.  This  one  also  was  abandoned  in  1871,  because  it  was 
wanted  by  the  railroad,  and  the  bodies  were  removed  to  Holy  Sepulcher  cem- 
etery, on  Lake  avenue  road. 

St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  cemetery  was  opened  on  Maple  street  in  1847. 
It  contained  about  two  acres  of  land.  It  was  closed  for  burials,  by  municipal 
authority,  in  1877. 

Holy  Family  Cemetery.  — The  burial-place  for  the  deceased  of  Holy  Family 

1  The  article  on  the  Catholic  cemeteries  was  prepared  by  Rev.  D.  Laurenzis,  under  the  supervision 
of  Bishop  McQuaid. 


The  Catholic  Cemeteries.  449 

church  was  opened  on  Maple  street  in  1864.  It  is  still  used  for  the  members 
of  this  congregation  only.     About  760  bodies  are  buried  here. 

St.  Boniface's  cemetery  was  opened  in  1866,  near  the  Pinnacle.  It  is  for 
members  of  this  parish  only.  Some  members  even  now  prefer  to  bury  their 
dead  in  Holy  Sepulcher  cemetery. 

Holy  Sepulcher  cemetery,  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  Lake  avenue  road, 
now  the  boulevard,  about  four  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city.  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  McQuaid,  seeing  that  the  various  cemeteries  of  the  parishes. were- too 
small  and  that  on  account  of  the  lack  of  funds  they  could  not  properly  be  cared 
for,  judged  it  proper  to  establish  one  common  cemetery  for  all  the  Catholic 
parishes  of  the  city.  Accordingly,  he  purchased  about  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  land  on  the  Lake  road  in  1871.  Under  his  personal  supervision  about 
thirty-five  acres  were  laid  out  in  lots  for  burials  the  same  year.  The  first  in- 
terment.took  place  September  i8th,  1871.  It  was  that  of  a  child  of  Walter  B. 
Duffy,  of  this  city.  In  1873  about  thirty  additional  acres  were  bought,  so  that 
the  whole  cemetery  contains  about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  of  which  about 
forty-five  acres  are  consecrated  —  thirty-five  on  the  east  side  of  the  boulevard 
and  tcii  on  tlic  west  side.     The  part  on  the  west  side  was  consecrated  in  1880. 

The  "Holy  Sepulcher  cemetery"  was  incorporated  April  24th,  1872.  The 
first  directors  were:  Rt.  Rev.  Bernard  J.  McQuaid,  Very  Rev.  James  M.  Early, 
Very  Rev.  George  Ruland,  Rev.  Patrick  Byrnes,  Rev.  Fr.  H.  Sinclair,  D.  D., 
Patrick  Barry,  A.  B.  Hone,  Louis  Ernst,  Patrick  Rigney,  John  B.  Hahn,  Daniel 
Scanlin,  Patrick  Mahon,  John  E.  Watters  and  Julius  Armbruster.  The  mort- 
uary chapel  (on  the  east  side),  of  stone,  was  built  in  1875-77.  Mass  is  offered 
up  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  those  who  are  buried  in  the  cemetery,  every 
Sunday,  and  several  times  during  the  week  in  the  month  of  November.  In  the 
course  of  time  a  chaplain  will  reside  at  the  cemetery  to  accompany  the  remains 
of  the  dead  to  the  grave  and  daily  to  offer  up  the  holy  sacrifice  for  the  souls 
of  all  who  are  buried  in  this  cemetery.  The  beautiful  gate-houses  on  the  east 
side  were  built  in  1882.  In  the  future  an  entrance  will  be  made  to  the  west 
side  similar  to  this.  A  stone  wall  will  be  built  around  the  cemetery ;  it  is 
already  partly  furnished.  Last  year  about  700  bodies  were  interred  in  the  cem- 
etery. Since  the  opening,  about  8,000  Catholics  have  found  a  resting-place  in 
this  beautiful  ground.  About  2,000  bodies  were  removed  to  this  place  from 
other  cemeteries,  mostly  from  St.  Joseph's  and  from  the  Pinnacle.  Thus,  in 
1884,  the  remains  of  about  10,000  Catholics  rest  in  the  Holy  Sepulcher  cem- 
etery. 

The  present  board  of  directors  consists  of  the  following  members  :  Rt.  Rev. 
B.  J.  McQuaid,  Rev.  Fr.  H.  Sinclair,  D.  D.,  Rev.  James  F.  O'Hare,  Rev. 
Jos.  Froehlich,  Rev.  James  Kiernan,  Louis  Ernst,  A.  B.  Hone,  John  E.  Watters, 
Patrick  Rigney,  John  B.  Hahn,  Julius  Armbruster,  Val.  Dengler,  James  O'Don- 
oughuc,  Charles  FitzSimons  and  William  C.  Barry.     Pierre  Meisch  has  been 


450  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

, 1 

superintendent  since  the  opening  of  the  cemetery.  His  residence  is  on  the  cem- 
etery grounds,  as.  is  also  the  residence  of  the  assistant  superintendent.  Both 
houses  are  of  frame,  on  the  west  side  of  the  boulevard.  A  large  green-house 
on  the  west  side,  under  the  special  care  of  Mr.  Meisch,  supplies  the  cemetery 
and  the  lot-owners  with  flowers.  The  cemetery  is  watered  from  three  large 
tanks  in  a  tower  near  the  Genesee  river.  The  water  is  drawn  from  a  pond  sup- 
plied by  springs  above  the  banks  of  the  river.  It  is  pumped  into  the  tanks  by 
steam  power. 


CHAPTER   XLII. 

AMUSEMENTS    IN  ROCHESTER,  l 

The  Entertainments  of  Early  Days  —  Tlie  First  Circus  —  Its  Cliange  into  a  Play-House  —  The  First 
Theater— Mr.  Whittlesey's  Prize  Address  —  Edmund  Kean's  Appearance  and  his  Speech — Dean's 
Theater — The  Rochester  Museum  —  Concert  and  Other  Halls  —  Corinthian  Hall  and  Academy  of 
Music  —  The  Grand  Opera  House  —  The  Driving-Park  —  The  Exploits  of  the  Track  —  .Slate  Fairs 
and  Shoots. 

IN  the  days  of  village  life  in  Rochester  the  people  were  chiefly  dependent 
upon  home  effort  for  amusement.  There  was  no  lack  of  fairs,  festivals,  con- 
certs and  amateur  entertainments.  The  periodical  canvas  shows  of  the  men- 
agerie and  circus  came  around  with  each  returning  summer.  At  periods  not 
far  apart,  some  showman  would  put  in  an  appearance  with  a  small  company 
and  give  a  series  of  stage  exhibitions  in  the  ball-room  of  a  village  tavern  or  in 
a  vacant  store  and  reap  a  harvest  of  "York  shillings"  from  the  pockets  of  the 
villagers  and  people  from  the  adjacent  country.  Among  the  entertainments  of 
this  sort  that  could  be  expected  year  after  year  with  no  abatement  of  interest 
was  one  known  as  "Sickels's  show,"  or  "the  Babes  in  the  Wood."  Sickels,  with 
his  wife  and  other  assistants,  would  unfold  in  some  tavern  or  hall  the  affecting 
spectacle  of  the  dying  babes  which  the  birds  were  covering  with  leaves,  to  an 
,iudience  who  testified  their  emotion  by  tears  and  sobs.  When  the  village  be- 
came large  enough  to  sustain  a  more  expensive  class  of  amusements  the  veteran 
Sickels  retired  to  the  neighboring  villages,  and  long  after  Rochester  became  a 
city  his  little  show-bills  decorated  the  bar-rooms  and  barn  doors  of  the  towns 
about.  As  late  as  1836  he  gave  a  series  of  exhibitions  at  Hanford's  Landing, 
which  is  now  in  the  corporation  limits  of  the  city. 

To  arrive  with  accuracy  at  the  dates  of  the  establishment  of  permanent 
places  of  amusement  in  the  village  is  difficult,  for  the  reason  that  the  news- 
papers, chiefly  weekly  issues,  gave  very  little  attention  to  such  matters,  and  the 

1  This  article  was  prepared  l)y  Mr.  Ceorge  G.  Cooper. 


Amusements  IN  Rochester.  451 

same  remark  may  apply  to  local  news  generally.  The  columns  of  the  papers 
of  those  days  were  filled  with  foreign  news  thirty  or  forty  days  old,  brought 
across  the  Atlantic  in  sail  craft.  The  editors  and  news  gleaners  of  the  village 
were  compelled  to  cater  to  the  wants  of  the  people  of  influence  in  this  locality, 
and  the  "influential"  class  was  chiefly  composed  of  emigrants  from  the  New 
England  states,  who  still  retained  the  prejudice  of  their  Puritanic  ancestors  who 
regarded  all  amusements  as  sinful,  and  the  theater  and  circus  as  the  special  in- 
ventions of  Satan  to  entrap  the  unwary.  So  dominant  was  this  prejudice  that 
it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  a  permanent  theater  or  play-house  could  be  es- 
tablished and  sustained  in  Rochester.  The  efforts  of  the  early  managers  of  the 
circus  and  theater  were  a  continual  struggle  against  this  prejudice,  often  at- 
tended by  disaster  and  but  rarely  rewarded  by  any  degree  of  success. 

In  1838,  four  years  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city,  Mr.  O'Rielly  pub- 
lished his  Sketches  of  Rochester,  in  which  he  gives  a  few  lines  to  the  subject  of 
amusements,  which  indorse  fully  what  has  been  said  above  in  respect  to  the 
feeling  adverse  to  amusements.     He  says  : 

"Theaters  and  circuses  cannot  now  be  found  in  Rochester.  The  buildings  form- 
erly erected  for  such  purposes  were  years  ago  turned  to  other  objects.  The  theater 
was  converted  into  a  livery-stable  and  the  circus  into  a  chandler's  shop.  The  distaste 
for  such  exhibitions  that  prevails  in  New  England  has  much  influence  here,  where  the 
population  is  so  largely  composed  of  emigrants  from  that  region." 

The  first  circus  established  in  Rochester  was  in  the  building  referred  to  by 
Mr.  O'Rielly  as  "converted  into  a  chandler's  shop."  It  was  established  about 
the  year  1824  and  was  located  on  the  east  side  of  Exchange  street,  with  its 
rear  on  the  mill  race,  near  the  jail.  It  was  a  large  wooden  structure,  and  the 
premises,  rebuilt,  are  now  occupied  by  a  builder.  While  this  establishment  was 
best  known  to  the  public  as  a  circus,  the  managers  did  not  confine  it  exclu- 
sively to  equestrian  exhibiting,  but  after  a  season  they  erected  a  stage  and  in- 
troduced dramatic  exhibitions  of  the  lighter  sort.  The  following,  taken  from 
the  Republican,  a  weekly  paper  of  that  time,  gives  an  idea  of  the  institution  on 
Exchange  street:  — 

"September  27th,  1825. — Rochester  Circus.  —  The  proprietor  most  respectfully  in- 
forms the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Rochester  and  vicinity  that  the  circus  will  be  open 
every  evening  this  week,  in  the  course  of  which  will  be  brought  forward  a  great 
variety  of  new  and  interesting  performances.  This  evening  the  performance  will  com- 
mence, for  the  first  time  in  this  place,  with  the  comic  scene  of  'the  Miller's  Frolic' " 

Six  weeks  later,  so  popular  had  the  dramatic  feature  become,  the  equestrian 
feature  was  abandoned  and  Thespis  held  the  boards  alone.  The  Republican  of 
November  8th  contains  the  following  in  relation  to  this  establishment :  — 

"Mr.  Davis,  late  of  the  firm  of  Gilbert,  Davis  &  Trowbridge,  respectfully  announces 
to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Rochester  and  vicinity  that  he  has  fitted  up  the  circus 
as  a  theater  and  will  open  it  this  evening,  Wednesday  Nov.  9th,  1825,  with  an  efficient 
company.  He  assures  the  public  that  no  exertion  will  be  spared  to  render  the  perform- 
ances in  every  way  worthy  of  their  patronage.  During  the  season  a  number  of  the  most 
admired  melodramas  will  be  brought  forward." 


4S2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  first  play  under  this  management  of  which  any  record  is  given  was  en- 
titled "the  opera  of  the  Mountaineers,"  and  this  was  given  on  Wednesday, 
November  9th,  1825,  with  the  following  cast:  Octavian,  Mr.  Davis;  Bnlcasin, 
Mr.  Trowbridge;  Killmallock,  Mr.  Gilbert;  Sadi,  Mr.  Smith;  Florenthe,  Mrs. 
Gilbert;  Agnes,  Mrs.  Thompson.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  play  a  number  of 
songs  were  rendered  and  the  entertainment  concluded  with  the  farce  entitled 
"the  Weathercock."  Performances  were  given  at  this  place  for  about  three 
months  when  it  was  abandoned  as  a  place  of  amusement. 

A  short  time  afterward  a  theater  was  constructed  and  opened,  with  a  part  of 
the  Exchange  street  company,  on  Buffalo  street  (now  West  Main).  The  site 
of  this  theater  was  later  occupied  by  a  building  known  as  the  Exchange  Hotel. 
It  is  now  the  site  of  the  building  of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  association. 
This  theater  was  practically  opened  on  the  28th  of  March,  1826,  with  the  melo- 
dramatic, spectacular  piece  entitled  "  the  Forty  Thieves."  The  formal  open- 
ing did  not  take  place,  however,  until  the  following  April.  At  the  opening  the 
manager  presented  Shakespeare's  tragedy  of  "Richard  HI."  This  was  probably 
the  first  attempt  to  present  a  Shakespearian  play  in  Rochester.  The  following 
was  the  cast:  King  Henry,  Mr.  Gilbert;  Prince  of  Wales,  Mrs.  Davis;  Richard, 
Mr.  Davis;  Buckingham,  Mr.  Trowbridge;  Lord  Mayor,  Mr.  Smith;  Queen 
Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Smith;  Duchess  of  York,  Mrs.  Baldwin;  Lady  Antic,  Mrs. 
Gilbert.  This  theater  was  closed  in  a  few  weeks,  as  the,  venture  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  been  a  success  in  that  locality.  This,  the  first  attempt  to  establish 
the  legitimate  drama  in  Rochester,  was  a  decided  failure.  The  love  of  the  sen- 
sational in  theatrical  seems  to  have  taken  the  patrons  of  the  drama  at  that  time 
quite  as  firmly  as  it  has  in  times  more  recent. 

The  next  attempt  to  establish  a  play-house  was  made  in  State  street,  on  a 
site  nearly  opposite  Market  street.  The  structure  erected  there  was  of  more 
commanding  proportions  than  anything  in  the  same  line  that  preceded  it.  The 
building  was  of  wood,  but,  it  was  not  very  ornamental  in  its  architecture.  The 
following  notices  of  the  establishment  are  found  in  the  Republican  of  May  9th, 
1826  :  "New  theater.  — This  building  is  nearly  completed,  and,  as  will  be  seen 
by  an  advertisement  in  our  paper,  will  be  opened  on  Monday  evening.  May 
15th.  Something  splendid  will  be  expected."  This  appears  to  have  been  the 
first  editorial  notice  of  a  theater  that  appeared  in  a  Rochester  newspaper. 
Those  which  subsequently  appeared  were  few  and  short.  The  advertisement 
referred  to  in  the  notice  is  as  follows:  — 

"Theater. —  Opposite  the  Mansion  House,  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Rochester 
and  vicinity  are  respectfully  informed  that  the  manager  intends  opening  the  new  theater 
on  Monday  evening  next,  with  new  and  splendid  scenery,  dresses  and  stage  decorations. 
Scenery  painted  by  Mr.  Hardy.  Previous  to  the  play  the  'prize  address'  will  be 
spoken  by  Mr.  Browner,  after  which  will  be  performed  Tobin's  elegant  comedy  of  'the 
Honey  Moon.' " 

R.  H.  Williams,  the  manager,  sustained  the  leading  part,  that  of  Diike  Aransa. 


Amusements  in  Rochester.  453 

The  afterpiece  on  this  occasion  was  what  was  called  in  the  bills  "the  opera 
of  the  Poor  Soldier."  The  "prize  address"  spoken  on  this  occasion  was  written 
by  a  lawyer  and  prominent  citizen,  Hon.  Frederick  Whittlesey.  It  is  a  cred- 
itable little  poem.  Mr.  O'Rielly,  in  his  Sketches,  gives  a  few  lines  of  the  ad- 
dress, omitting  all  relating  to  the  occasion  for  which  it  was  written.  It  is  now 
produced  entire  :  — 

"  PRIZE   ADDRESS 
"  iVrilkn  hy  FredcricklVhittlesey,  and  spoken  at  the  opening  of  the  Rochester  theater.  May  15///,  1826. 

"Scarce  thrice  five  suns  have  rolled  their  yearly  round, 

Since  o'er  this  spot  a  dreary  forest  frowned  : 
Where  none  had  dared  with  impious  foot  intrude 

On  nature's  vast,  unbroken  solitude; 
When  its  rude  beauties  were  unmask'd  by  man, 

And  yon  dark  stream  in  unknown  grandeur  ran; 
When  e'en  those  deaf'ning  falls  dashed  all  unheard, 

Save  by  the  timid  deer  or  startled  bird. 
Behold  a  change  which  proves  e'en  fiction  true  — 

More  Springing  wonders  than  Aladdin  knew  ! 
How,  like  a  fairy  with  her  magic  wand. 

The  soul  of  enterprise  has  changed  the  land  ! 
Proud  domes  are  rear'd  upon  the  gray  wolf's  den, 

And  forest  beasts  have  fled  their  haunts  for  men  ! 
On  yon  proud  stream,  which  with  the  ocean's  tide 

Joins  distant  Erie,  boats  triumphal  glide ; 
These  glittering  spires  and  teeming  streets  confess 

That  man,  free  man,  hath  quelled  the  wilderness, 
Before  him  forests  fell,  the  desert  smiled  — 

And  he  hath  rear'd  this  city  of  the  wild. 
Nor  these  alone  —  the  useful  arts  here  flourished 

Those  arts  which  his  free  energies  have  nourish'd ; 
And  science,  learning  and  tlie  drama,  too. 

Here  find  their  votaries  in  a  chosen  few ; 
As  this  fair  dome  so  quickly  rear'd  can  tell 

How  many  loved  the  drama,  and  how  well ; 
And  how  this  ville  approves  in  early  youth. 

The  drama's  morals,  and  the  drama's  truth. 
Immortal  Shakespeare !     Thou  the  drama's  sire, 

Who  wrote  with  pen  of  light  and  soul  of  fire, 
Smile  on  this  effort  to  extend  the  stage. 

To  mend  the  manners  and  improve  the  age ; 
To  you  who  promptly  lent  your  lib'ral  aid 

With  fervor  let  our  thanks  be  next  repaid  ; 
If  we  deserve  your  smiles  be  liberal  still ; 

If  not,  your  frowns  can  punish  us  at  will ; 
Should  we  prove  worthy  of  the  drama's  cause 

We  find  our  high  reward  in  your  applause." 


454  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  prize  offered  by  the  manager  for  this  address  was  an  elegant  copy  of 
Shaltespeare.  It  was  awarded  to  Mr.  Whittlesey  by  a  committee  of  citizens. 
It  appears  by  a  subsequent  notice  in  the  Republican  that  the  address  was 
spoken  by  Mrs.  H.  A.  Williams,  the  wife  of  the  manager,  and  not  by  the  gen- 
tleman announced  on  the  bills.  On  the  Thursday  evening  following  the  open- 
ing, Payne's  melodrama,  "Theresa,  or  the  Orphan  of  Geneva,"  was  presented 
to  a  large  and  delighted  audience.  During  the  season  many  of  the  noted  ac- 
tors appeared  on  this  stage,  among  them  Edmund  Kean,  who  appeared  July 
15th,  in  "  the  Iron  Chest."  The  papers  say  that  the  applause  was  loud  and 
frequent  on  the  occasion.  At  the  conclusion  Mr.  Kean  was  called  before  the 
curtain  and  addressed  the  audience  as  follows  :  — 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen :  The  very  flattering  applause  you  have  been  pleased  to 
bestow  this  evening  is  as  grateful  as  it  was  unexpected.  When  an  actor  is  fortunate 
enough  to  obtain  respect  for  a  private  action,  the  most  ardent  wish  of  his  heart  is  grati- 
fied. This  is  the  first  time  I  have  had  the  honor  of  appearing  before  a  Rochester  au- 
dience, but  I  may  be  allowed  to  indulge  the  hope  that  within  the  lapse  of  a  twelve- 
month I  shall  be  able  again  to  enjoy  the  satisfaction.  In  the  meantime  accept  my 
thanks  for  the  very  grateful  reception  I  have  experienced  this  evening." 

Notwithstanding  the  auspicious  opening  of  the  first  temple  of  the  drama, 
that  was  at  all  worthy  of  the  name,  its  success  was  not  of  long  duration.  The 
following  year  the  enterprise  was  abandoned  and  the  building  was  devoted  to 
other  objects.  This  was  the  theater  to  which  O'Rielly  alludes  as  having  been 
converted  to  a  livery  stable.  For  such  it  was  long  used  by  the  Messrs.  Chris- 
topher and  Charles,  who  are  remembered  by  all  old  citizens  as  actively  engaged 
in  the  business  in  this  city.  In  the  succeeding  years  up  to  the  time  a  city 
charter  was  obtained,  and  for  a  few  years  following,  spasmodic  attempts  were 
made  to  revive  the  drama,  but  with  only  partial  success.  So  long  as  the 
churches  frowned  upon  the  stage,  and  those  who  aspired  by  religious  profession 
or  wealth  to  give  tone  to  society  insisted  that  the  players  were  not  respectable 
and  that  play- goers  could  not  be  admitted  to  the  best  society,  it  was  idle  to 
think  of  maintaining  a  theater  in  Rochester.  The  press  partook  of  the  pre- 
vailing sentiment  and  gave  no  countenance  to  the  drama.  Even  as  late  as 
1849,  when  the  writer  of  this  was  connected  with  the  Daily  Advertiser,  the 
stockholders  and  directors  of  that  concern,  in  solemn  conclave  assembled,  for- 
bade the  editors  to  notice  theaters  or  circuses  in  the  editorial  columns,  and  the 
reason  assigned  for  this  action  was  that  a  contemporary  had  insisted  that  a  news- 
paper which  noticed  such  amusements  was  unfit  to  be  introduced  in  a  respect- 
able family. 

Despite  this  feeling  toward  the  drama,  as  the  city  increased  in  population, 
and  strangers  began  to  comment  on  the  absence  of  such  amusements  as  other 
towns,  of  even  less  population,  offered  to  visitors,  managers  from  abroad  came 
here  from  time  to  time  and  sought  to  establish  theaters.  About  1840  Edwin 
Dean,  a  veteran  manager,  who  was  then  conducting  the  Buffalo  theater,  came 


Amusements  in  Rochester.  455 

here  resolved  to  establish  a  play-house  to  be  run  in  connection  with  the  Buffalo 
concern.  He  took  what  was  then  known  as  Concert  hall,  in  the  upper  story 
of  the  "  Child  Marble  building,"  on  the  east  side  of  Exchange  street,  and  fitted 
up  a  modest  little  theater.  By  his  energy  and  good  management  he  sustained 
himself,  or  rather  induced  the  public  to  sustain  him.  In  time  another  story  of 
the  building  was  added  to  the  theater,  so  that  a  dress  circle  and  pit  were  pro- 
vided for  the  audience.  A  worthy  class  of  actors  was  employed  for  the  stock 
company  and  many  popular  stars  were  engaged.  Among  others  were  Edwin 
Forrest,  who  played  an  engagement  of  a  week,  when  the  price  of  tickets  was 
put  up  to  one  dollar,  and  the  house  was  crowded  nightly.  It  was  in  this  theater 
that  manager  Dean's  daughter  Julia,  who  afterward  became  distinguished  as  an 
iictrcss,  made  her  first  show  of  promise  in  the  profession.  She  was  a  child, 
and  took  inferior  parts,  such  as  those  of  pages  and  messengers.  She  was  always 
perfect  in  the  text  and  made  of  her  part  all  that  it  would  bear.  The  patrons 
of  the  Rochester  theater  in  those  days  may  have  enjoyed  in  later  times  the 
satisfaction  of  believing  that  the  encouragement  they  gave  the  youthful  actress 
helped  her  to  scale  the  ladder  of  fame  and  take  the  proud  position  she  subse- 
quently held. 

The  Rochester  Museum  was  for  many  years  a  resort  for  strangers  and  cit- 
izens who  sought  amusement.  It  was  established  in  the  upper  stories  of  a 
building  on  Exchange  street,  on  the  site  of  the  present  building  of  Smith  & 
Perkins,  wholesale  grocers.  The  museum  was  started  in  1825  by  a  Mr.  Bishop, 
who  conducted  it  for  about  twenty-five  years.  It  contained  a  rare  collection 
of  curiosities  for  the  time  it  was  in  operation.  In  the  latter  years  of  Mr.  Bish- 
op's management  he  annexed  to  the  museum  a  cosy  little  theater  to  accommo- 
date six  or  seven  hundred  people  and  with  a  small  company  gave  vaudevilles, 
farces  and  pantomimes.  A  year  or  more  later,  museum  and  theater  gave  way 
to  the  march  of  trade,  and  in  1852  the  prernises  were  occupied  by  the  company 
which,  in  that  year,  started  the  Daily  Union  newspaper. 

That  period  in  the  history  of  Rochester  extending  from  1845  to  1855  was 
marked  for  the  absence  of  interest  and  effort  in  theatricals.  There  was  nothing 
attempted  in  this  direction  that  is  worthy  of  mention.  The  principal  entertain- 
ments for  the  people  were  concerts,  fairs,  exhibitions  of  jugglery,  mesmerism, 
etc.  Negro  minstrelsy  was  then  in  its  infancy,  but  was  extremely  popular  in 
the  city.  Next  to  a  circus  a  minstrel  show  was  best  patronised.  The  principal 
place  of  amusement  in  those  days  was  Minerva  hall,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
South  St.  Paul  streets.  The  building  was  subsequently  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
when  rebuilt  the  hall  was  not  replaced. 

During  this  period  when  there  was  so  much  indifference  to  theatricals  there 
was  a  large  influx  of  Germans,  and  they,  being  a  people  given  to  amusements, 
devised  such  for  their  own  taste.  It  was  then  that  a  German  play-house  was 
opened  on  North  Clinton  street,  in  a  suburb  largely  inhabited  by  that  people. 


45 6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  Turn-verein,  a  society  for  gymnastic  exercises,  erected  a  building  for  a  club- 
house and  a  theater.  Here  for  some  years  there  were  given  German  plays,  but 
on  Sunday  evenings  chiefly.  The  place  was  conducted  in  an  orderly  manner, 
and  the  authorities  did  not  interfere.  The  reader  will  observe  that  it  was  in  the 
Puritanical  city  of  Rochester  —  nearly  the  last  of  all  the  towns  to  recognise  thea- 
ters as  legitimate  places  of  resort  for  moral  people  —  that  the  first  Sunday  thea- 
ter was  established  and  maintained  without  protest  from  press  or  pulpit. 

In  1849  ^  citizen  of  Rochester  distinguished  for  his  enterprise  and  liberality, 
and  long  since  deceased,  conceived  and  executed  a  plan  to  redeem  from  filth 
and  neglect  a  very  central  locality.  This  gentleman,  W.  A.  Reynolds,  erected 
the  large  building  on  Exchange  place,  north  of  the  Arcade,  and  through  his  in- 
fluence the  streets  in  that  locality  were  improved  and  thus  his  new  edifice, 
known  for  many  years  as  Corinthian  hall,  became  the  popular  resort  of  the  peo- 
ple for  instruction  and  amusement.  In  this  hall,  with  a  capacity  for  1,600 
people,  the  citizens  gathered  to  listert  to  the  most  eloquent  and  instructive  lec- 
turers and  renowned  singers,  and  to  witness  the  popular  hall  exhibitions  there 
offered.  Popular  as  was  this  place  of  resort,  it  did  not  meet  the  demand  of  a 
largely  increased  population.  Mr.  Reynolds  began  to  make  some  additions,  but 
ere  his  designs  were  carried  into  execution  he  sold  the  property  in  1865  to  Sam- 
uel Wilder,  who  continued  the  work  until  Corinthian  hall  became  an  attractive 
place  for  theatrical  and  other  scenic ' performances,  and  in  1879  it  was  reorgan- 
ised and  called  the  Corinthian  Academy  of  Music.  A  large  dress  circle  and 
spacious  gallery  were  arranged  to  accommodate  1,800  persons.  With  ample 
stage  appointments,  this  place  has  continued  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  play-go- 
ing public.  The  most  famous  members  of  the  dramatic  profession  have  ap- 
peared here,  and  the  traveling  combinations  have  here  presented  their  specialties 
with  more  or  less  popular  favor.  Still  further  enlargement  and  improvements 
to  increase  the  capacity  of  the  house  are  contemplated  and  will  doubtless  be 
completed  in  the  near  future. 

About  the  year  1855  another  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a  theater  in 
Rochester.  This,  like  previous  efforts,  was  made  by  Buffalo  managers.  Messrs. 
Carr  and  Warren,  of  the  Buffalo  theaters,  came  here  and  induced  the  manager 
of  the  Enos  Stone  estate  to  construct  a  hall  in  the  new  building  at  the  corner 
of  Main  and  South  St.  Paul  streets.  This  place  was  fitted  up  at  considerable 
expense  for  a  theater  by  these  gentlemen,  who  conducted  the  establishment 
for  several  years.  Mr.  Carr  succeeded  to  the  management,  a  regular  stock 
company  was  employed  and  stars  were  engaged  from  time  to  time.  After  Mr. 
Carr,  came  other  managers  who  conducted  the  establishment  with  more  or 
less  success,  but  none  with  overburthened  pockets.  On  the  morning  of  No- 
vember 6th,  1869,  this  theater  was  destroyed  by  fire.  On  the  night  previous 
E.  L.  Davenport  had  played  to  a  large  audience  in  a  piece  called  "the  Scalp 
Hunter,  "  and   his  entire  wardrobe  and  personal  effects  were  destroyed.     Pre- 


Amusements  in  Rochester.  457 

vious  to  the  fire  the  property  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  Judge  Finck  of 
Brooklyn,  who  in  due  time  caused  the  erection  of  a  building  on  this  site,  of 
large  proportions  and  better  adapted  to  the  drama.  The  auditorium  would 
seat  1,600  persons.  The  new  theater  became  popular  and  was  largely  patron- 
ised in  the  succeeding  years.  It  is  still  a  theater,  known  as  the  Grand  Opera 
House. 

The  changes  in  the  methods  of  doing  business  of  most  kinds  in  this  country 
have  included  the  theatrical  business.  Unless  it  be  in  the  great  metropolitan 
cities,  there  are  no  theaters,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term.  There  are'  no 
managers  who  direct  and  control  all  the  performances,  who  employ  actors, 
select  plays  and  cater  to  the  wishes  of  the  public.^  There  are  no  stock 
companies,  and  the  patrons  of  what  are  called  theaters  do  not  meet  night 
after  night  the  same  old  faces  on  the  stage,  with  only  a  change  of  costume  and 
character.  The  "  combination  "  is  now  the  style  in  theatricals.  Companies 
arc  formed  to  hippodrome  the  country  arid  present  one  piece,  of  which  the 
manager  has  exclusive  control.  Most  of  the  pieces  thus  presented  are  highly 
sensational,  and  while  many  are  largely  patronised  and  while  these  so-called 
theatrical  representations  may  "  make  the  unskillful  laugh,  they  cannot  but 
make  the  judicious  grieve."  The  two  theaters  of  Rochester  are  now  con- 
ducted by  a  single  manager,  who  rents  them  to  "  combinations  "  which  ap- 
pear one  after  another  in  succession,  before  the  public.  It  may  be  said,  perhaps 
without  injustice  to  anybody  concerned  in  presenting  this  class  of  amusements, 
that  those  are  best  patronised  which  rtake  the  most  attractive  display  of  inci- 
dents and  characters  on  the  bill  boards  in  the  public  streets.  Merit  of  play  or 
player  seems  to  have  little  to  do  with  the  problem  of  success  or  failure.  If  a 
theater  and  the  legitimate  drama  have  no  place  in  Rochester  it  is  not  to  be  as- 
sumed that  the  citizens  are  wholly  indifferent  to  pastimes  or  totally  absorbed 
in  the  business  of  money-making.  The  higher  order  of  art  is  not  neglected. 
Painting,  music  and  sculpture  have  their  votaries  here,  who  lose  no  oppor- 
tunity to  gratify  their  taste.  The  great  artists  from  abroad  do  not  pass  this 
city,  and  when  they  call  Jthey  are  patronised  by  intelligent  and  critical  audi- 
ences. While  there  are  sundry  musical  associations -maintained  by  amateurs 
as  well  as  professionals,  there  are  many  individuals  and  circles  devoted  to  the 
study  of  painting.  The  Powers  gallery  of  art  is  an  institution  of  which  Roch- 
ester is  proud.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  is  the  result  of  the  efforts  of  one 
individual,  it  may  be  truly  said  that  it  is  without  a  rival  in  excellence. 

Those  who  are  given  to  the  amusements  of  the  turf  find  in  this  city  a  driv- 
ing-park entirely  worthy  of  the  name.  The  company  controlling  this  institu- 
tion are  liberal  in  their  offer  of  purses,  and  they  draw  to  the  regular  exhibitions 
the  most  noted  horses  of  the  country.  It  was  on  this  park  that  Vanderbilt's 
•'Maud  S."  made  the  display  of  speed  that  placed  her  at  the  head  of  the  turf 
and  made  her  the  property  of  the  wealthie.st  citizen  of  the  United  States      The 


458  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

driving- park  is  located  on  high  ground  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  city, 
easy  of  access  by  steam  and  horse  railways.  The  grounds  are  spacious,  with 
an  excellent  mile  track,  ample  buildings  and  structures  adapted  to  the  place. 
The  grand  stand  will  cover  and  seat  ten  thousand  persons.  The  State  Agri- 
cultural society  holds  its  annual  fair  on  these  grounds,  and  the  Western  New 
York  agricultural  society  also  holds  its  fairs  here  at  times.  Ball-playing,  prize 
shooting,  bicycle  exhibitions  and  other  out-door  amusements  are  held  on  the 
grounds.  Skating  is  a  popular  amusement  and  exercise  with  the  youth  of  both 
sexes  in  Rochester.  In  the  winter,  when  the  ice  king  is  in  full  reign,  the  Erie 
canal  is  divided  in  sections  across  the  city  and  skating-rinks  are  crowded  with 
the  votaries  of  this  pastime.  There  are  also  other  ice  rinks  in  different  local- 
ities. In  summer  roller-skating  is  a  popular  amusement,  and  there  are  several 
halls  devoted  to  the  exercise.  These  are  multiplying  in  number  and  all  are 
well  patronised.  In  conclusion  it  may  be  said  truly  that  Rochester  is  not 
wanting  in  the  number  and  diversity  of  its  amusements.  Enterprising  citizens, 
who  believe  that  the  present  rapid  growth  of  Rochester  in  population  and  mate- 
rial wealth  must  continue,  are  contemplating  a  great  extension  of  amusement 
facilities.  At  least  two  companies  of  citizens  are  considering  propositions  to 
erect  large  opera-houses  or  theaters  to  meet  the  prospective  demand  for  more 
and  better  places  for  musical  and  dramatic  entertainments. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

THE  UNl)ER(;ROUNn  R.-MLROAl).' 

The  Flying  Bondmen  —  Their  Miseries  in  Servitude,  their  Privations  while  Escaping  —  Their  Arrival 
in  Rochester  and  tneir  Transit  to  Canada  —  The  First  Rendition  of  a  Fugitive  —  Her  Rescue,  her  Re- 
capture and  her  Liber.ition  by  Suicide  —  No  other  Slave  Ever  Returned  from  Rochester  —  Scenes  and 
Incidents  of  the  Harboring  of  Negroes  —  General  Reflections. 

A  HISTORY  of  Rochester  would  hardly  be  complete  without  some  reference 
to  the  wonderful  "  Underground  railroad,"  which  was  kept  in  active  opera- 
tion as  long  as  slavery  of  the  negro  race  continued.  The  secresy  of  its  construc- 
tions, its  marvelous  origin,  the  great  number  of  passengers,  the  amount  of  freight 
transported  thereon,  can  never  be  told.  All  its  work  was  done  in  the  dark. 
Although  it  had  its  depots,  stations,  passenger  agents  and  conductors  in  every 
state  in  the  Union,  daylight  never  shone  upon  it.  Its  stations  had  no  electric 
lights,  and  the  passengers  no  guide  aside  from  that  blessed  light  in  the  heavens 
known  as  the  North  star.      Ignorant  as  these  people   were  of  book-learning, 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mrs.  Amy  Post. 


The  Underground  Railroad.  459 

they  all  knew  where  to  find  the  luminary  which,  they  had  learned,  would  lead 
them  to  that  long-wished-for  goal,  Canada.  Sad  to  say,  this  starry  guide  was 
sometimes  shrouded  by  clouds,  and  they  would  be  obliged  to  hide  in  some 
friendly  cave  or  sickly  swamp  unless  they  were  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  some 
one  of  those  hospitable  depots  that  were  scattered  all  along  their  devious  way. 
Owing  to  these  delays,  their  journeys  were  long  and  tedious.  They  were  obliged 
to  subsist  principally  upon  nuts,  roots  and  such,  fruit  arid  berries  as  they  chanced 
to  find  in  the  woods ;  thus,  they  invariably  reached  this  end  of  the  journey  in 
in  a  pitiable  condition,  footsore  and  weary,  half  starved,  and  faint  for  want  of 
sustenance  appropriate  to  their  needs.  Their  backs  were  generally  covered 
with  scars,  and  frequently  with  unhealed  wounds  inflicted  by  the  relentless  slave- 
driver's  lash ;  often,  unable  to  go  further,  they  were  obliged  to  lie  by,  several 
days,  for  rest  and  recuperation. 

These  detentions  were  fearful  to  both  parties.  To  them  belonged  the  ever- 
harrowing  dread  of  being  discovered  and  dragged  back  to  such  bondage  as 
none  but  a  slave  can  describe  and  dread  ;  to  us  the  terrible  consciousness,  ever 
present,  that  we  could  never  insure  them  perfect  safety,  even  in  our  homes,  pur- ' 
chased  with  our  own  earnings.  After  all  this,  we  were  liable  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  minions  of  slavery  every  hour,  for  the  fugitive  slave  enactments 
had  become  the  law  of  our  hitherto  boasted  land  of  freedom,  and  to  disobey  it 
was  to  risk  our  lives,  our  freedom  and  our  fortunes.  Our  houses  were  some- 
times surrounded  by  hideous  yells  of  madmen,  and  terrible  were  the  battles 
fought  in  the  efforts  to  save  the  poor  fleeing  fugitives  from  the  grasp  of  their 
alleged  masters.  In  these  cases  the  masters  were  always  assisted  by  legal  com- 
missioners, and  their  willing  dupes  who  are  too.  often  found  in  every  city. 

As  we  recall  the  incidents  connected  with  the  work  of  the  Underground 
railroad  in  Rochester,  we  cannot  but  think  that  history  furnishes  nothing  more 
replete  with  deeds  of  heroic  daring  than  the  bold,  constant  and  efficient  help 
rendered  to  these  fleeing  fugitives  by  the  colored  men  and  women  of  this  city. 
They  were  always  ready  to  fight  for  a  fugitive  slave,  and,  if  they  failed  to  res- 
cue one  here,  they  would  form  a  company  of  stalwart  men  and  follow  the  party, 
spy  out  where  they  were  stopping  for  the  night,  and,  generally  finding  the 
watchman  asleep,  they  only  failed  once  to  return  in  triumph  with  their  rescued 
brother  or  sister.  This  failure  — •  as  related  by  Rev.  Thomas  James  of  this  city, 
now  eighty  years  of  age  —  was  in  connection  with  the  very  first  rendition  of  a 
fugitive  slave  from  Rochester,  which  took  place  in  1823.  The  victim  was  a 
woman  who  had  escaped  from  her  owner  at  Niagara  Falls  and  had  been  living 
in  this  city  for  some  time  with  her  husband,  who  was  a  barber  here.  The  judge, 
before  whom  the  hearing  was  had,  decided  that  she  should  be  returned  to  her 
master.  The  colored  people,  to  the  number  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  gathered  at 
the  entrance  of  the  court-house,  and,  as  she  was  brought  out  by  the  sheriff  and 
his  assistants,  they  succeeded  in  overpowering  the  officers,  got  possession  of  her 

30 


460  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  carried  her.  some  distance  before  they  were  overtaken.  In  the  meantime 
the  officers  had  received  reinforcements  and  succeeded  in  getting  her  into  their 
clutches  again.  They  then  threw  her  into  a  wagon,  when  the  officers  and  a  few 
other  ruffians  mounted  guard  and  drove  off  toward  Buffalo.  This  was  prior  to 
the  time  of  telegraphs  and  railroads.  The  colored  men  took  a  conveyance  and 
followed  on  as  fast  as  possible.  After  getting  a  number  of  miles  they  found 
they  were  on  the  wrong  track,  and,  as  the  officers  with  their  victim  had  so  much 
the  start  of  them,  they  were  obliged  to  give  up  the  chase.  The  poor  woman 
was  carried  to  Buffalo,  put  on  board  a  steamboat  bound  for  Cleveland,  to  be 
taken  from  there  to  Wheeling,  Virginia,  where  her  owner  lived.  The  thought 
of  being  forever  separated  from  her  husband  and  from  her  baby,  nine  months 
old,  and  the  dread  of  the  tortures  and  terrible  punishments  she  would  be  sub- 
jected to,  was  too  much  for  her,  and  she  ended  the  tragedy  by  cutting  her 
throat,  preferring  to  lie  down  to  rest  in  death. 

The  second  case  of  seizure,  which  occurred  in  1832,  terminated  more  fortu- 
nately for  the  slave.  A  woman  who  was  almost  white  was  stopping  at  the  Clin- 
ton House  with  her  master  and  mistress,  who  were  here  with  their  family,  in- 
tending to  spend  the  summer.  In  her  first  attempt  to  escape  she  was  caught 
by  her  master  just  as  she  was  leaving  the  hotel.  Her  owner,  thinking  his  prop- 
erty not  very  safe  here,  packed  up  immediately  and  that  afternoon  started  for 
the  East.  As  they  were  obliged  to  travel  by  stage  they  stopped  at  Palmyra 
for  the  night,  where  the  colored  men  who  had  followed  at  a  safe  distance  found 
them  about  midnight.  As  they  attempted  to  enter  the  hotel  they  were  fired 
upon,  but  they  were  in  such  numbers  and  so  well  armed  that  the  occupants  fled 
to. the  back  part  of  the  house,  leaving  the  slave  chained  to  a  bed-post  in  an  up- 
per room,  where  her  rescuers  found  her.  It  was  but  the  work  of  a  moment  to 
cut  the  chain  with  an  ax,  and  she  was  immediately  hurried  to  Sodus  Point. 

One  warm  and  beautiful  Sunday  morning,  three  very  gentlemanly-appear- 
ing colored  men  drove  up  from  the  railroad  depot  to  number  36  Sophia  street, 
in  a  carriage.  They  bore  no  appearance  whatever  of  being  fugitive  slaves,  so 
different  from  any  we  had  ever  seen  before,  in  dress,  language  and  deportment. 
We  quite  readily  acceded  to  their  strong  desire  to  stay  and  abide  in  Rochester, 
having  but  little  fear  of  even  their  nationality  being  detected ;  therefore  they 
freely  walked  the  streets  and  attended  church  with  the  colored  people.  They 
soon  found  employment,  which  they  faithfully  and  steadily  filled.  All  went 
well  with  them  for  several  months,  and  all  concerned  were  feeling  happy  over 
the  experiment,  when,  at  an  evening  session  of  one  of  our  anti-slavery  conven- 
tions at  Corinthian  hall,  it  was  whispered  around  among  us  that  a  Southern 
slave-master,  claiming  that  these  noble,  intelligent  men  belonged  to  him,  was 
then  in-  the  United  States  commissioner's  office  (not  exactly  in  the  same  build- 
ing, but  within  a  few  feet  of  it),  getting  authority  to  drag  them  back  to  unre- 
quited toil.  Think  of  it,  ye  lordly  men,  who  either  were  silent,  or  voted  for 
this  inhuman  law,  called  the  "  fugitive  slave  act."     Think,  too,  of  those  who  bore 


The  Underground  Railroad.  461 

the  persecutions  in  the  form  of  foul  slander  against  character,  bitter  denuncia- 
tions both  public  and  private,  and  social  and  religious  ostracism.  This  was  our 
reward  for  obeying  the  dictates  of  common  humanity,  "  and  for  remembering 
those  in  bonds  as  bound  with  them."  This  was  not  strange,  for  the  church  and 
the  clergy,  ministers  and  ciders  of  nearly  all  religious  denominations,  had  become 
the  abettors  and  apologists  of  slavery. 

Those  in  the  hall,  doubly  watched,  had  to- avoid  the  least  appearance  of 
fright  or  anxiety  in  countenance  or  movement,  but  the  time  for  action  was  at 
hand  —  something  must  be  done,  and  that  immediately,  for  one  of  the  very 
fugitives  was  then  in  the  meeting,  listening  for  the  first  time  to  the  refreshing 
national  language  of  "every  man's  right  to  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  hap- 
piness." He  seemed  to  be  just  realising  this  bopn  of  freedom,  when  Frederick 
Douglass's  tall  figure  appeared  before  us.  Stepping  into  the  broad  aisle,  he 
beckoned  the  fugitive  to  him,  speaking  something  which  no  one  else  heard.- 
They  quietly  left  the  hall,  and  the  present  agony  was  past.  The  next  day  we 
found  they  were  secreted,  separately,  though  very  anxious  themselves  to  be  to- 
gether. I  called  to  see  one  of  the  three  nearest  by  us  and  found  him  just  at  the 
top  of  a  flight  of  stairs,  defying  the  approach  of  officers  or  master,  with  abun- 
dant implements  of  warfare  at  his  command,  and  he  told  me  he  would  never  go 
back  alive.  I  told  him  I  hoped  he  would  not  take  the  life  of  any  one,  but  his 
freedom,  so  lately  found  and  enjoyed,  seemed  to  outweigh  all  things  beside. 
"  My  old  master  must  not  come  up  those  stairs  if  he  wants  to  live ;  he  is  not  fit 
to  live,  though  he  is  not  as  cruel  as  some  of  them."  The  three  were  brought 
together  on  the  third  day  of  anxiety.  Disguised  by  wearing  Quaker  bonnets 
and  thick  veils,  and  seated  on  the  back  seat  of  a  covered  carriage,  they  were 
quietly  driven  to  a  steamer  bound  for  Canada,  a  haven  they  at  first  so  much 
dreaded,  now  hailing  with  joy.  They  were  soon  engaged  as  hack  drivers  to 
and  from  Niagara  falls,  but  when  they  last  visited  us  they  were  going  to  Aus- 
tralia, hoping  for  an  easier  and  quicker  way  of  gaining  wealth. 

Many  other  stories  of  narrow  escapes  might  be  written;  one  must  suffice. 
One  Saturday  night,  after  all  our  household  were  asleep,  there  came  a  tiny  tap 
at  the  door,  and  the  door  was  opened  to  fifteen  tired  and  hungry  men  and 
women  who  were  escaping  from  the  land  of  slavery.  They  seemed  to  know 
that  Canada,  their  home  of  rest,  was  near,  and  they  were  impatient,  but  the 
opportunity  to  cross  the  lake  compelled  their  waiting  until  Monday  early  in  the 
morning.  That  being  settled,  and  their  hunger  satisfied,  together  with  a  com- 
fortable and  refreshing  sleep,  they  became  so  elated  with  their  nearness  to  per- 
fect and  lasting  freedom  that  they  were  forgetful  of  any  danger  either  to  us,  or 
to  themselves,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  be  con.stantIy  watched  through  the 
day  to  keep  them  from  popping  their  heads  out  of  the  windows  and  otherwise 
.showing  themselves.  The  husband  of  the  eldest  woman  was  a  slave,  while  his 
wife,  and  mother  of  the  children,  was  a  free  woman,  but  both  sons  and  daugh- 
ters had  married  slaves,  so  that  they  were  all  in  danger  of  being  sold  or  sepa- 


462  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

rated.  The  mother  of  the  children  seemed  to  be  much  more  intelligent  than 
her  husband,  who  had  been  obliged  to  work  on  his  master's  plantation  some 
distance  away  from  her  home.  She  said  the  South  had  "  all  gone  mad  after 
money,"  and  she  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  keep  them  from  being  stolen 
away  and  sold  into  slavery.  For  a  long  time  she  had  not  dared  to  sleep  with- 
out some  white  witness  in  the  house,  and  when  she  failed  to  get  one  she 
would  take  them  all  and  stay  on  the  outside  of  some  white  people's  house.  No 
colored  person's  testimony  could  be  allowed  in  court,  to  prove  that  they  were 
free  people,  which  reduced  her  to  this  necessity.  She  said  she  owned  quite  a 
large  farm,  and,  having  three  grown-up  sons  to  help  her  carry  it  on,  she  had 
several  horses,  cows  and  pigs  to  sell,  but  the  white  folks  would  not  buy  them 
of  her.  If  she  could  have  sold  them  for  what  they  were  worth  she  said  they 
should  have  had  enough  to  come  all  the  way  on  the  railroad;  '"but,"  she  said, 
"  I  don't  care  now;  they  may  have  them  all,  I  am  going  where  I  can  work  for 
more,  and  I  have  got  all  my  children  and  my  husband,  too,  thank  the  Lord." 
The  welcome  Monday  morning  came,  and  after  a  hearty  breakfast,  and  a  lunch 
for  dinner,  they  left  the  house,  with  all  the  stillness  and  quietness  possible,  and  we 
soon  saw  them  on  board  a  Canada  steamer,  which  was  already  lying  at  the  dock; 
with  them  on  board,  it  immediately  shoved  out  into  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
hoisted  the  British  flag,  and  we  knew  that  all  was  safe;  we  breathed  more  freely, 
but  when  we  saw  them  standing  on  deck  with  uncovered  heads,  shouting  their 
good-byes,  thanks  and  ejaculations,  we  could  not  restrain  our  tears  of  thankful- 
ness for  their  happy  escape,  mixed  with  deep  shame  that  our  own  boasted  land 
of  liberty  offered  no  shelter  of  safety  for  them. 

It  is. safe  to  estimate  the  number  of  those  who  found  their  way  to  Canada 
through  Rochester,  as  averaging  about  1 50  per  year,  and  thus  the  work  went 
bravely  on,  with  varying  success,  till  the  issue  between  freedom  and  slavery  had 
to  be  fairly  met  by  the  American  people.  The  time  for  compromise  was  past. 
The  South  appealed  to  the  sword  and  was  answered  with  equal  firnmess  and 
bravery  by  the  North,  but  it  was  not  till  many  a  fair  field  was  drenched  with 
blood  that  this  government  was  willing  to  concede  to  the  colored  people  their 
rights.  And  now,  in  looking  back  through  the  vista  of  years  to  this  long  and 
terrible  struggle  between  freedom  and  slavery,  we  would  laise  an  enduring 
monument  to  those  noble  souls  who  risked  all  that  life  held  dear  in  defending 
the  downtrodden  and  helpless  against  a  giant  wrong,  and,  as  they  look  across 
the  dark  valley  to  the  bright  land  beyond,  their  greatest  glory  will  be  that  they 
helped  to  break  the  fetters  that  bound  the  bodies  and  souls  of  their  fellow-men. 

Note.  —  Of  the  systematic  and  efficient  laljors  of  the  Ladies'  Anti-Slavery  society  —  the  fairs  tliat  it 
held  in  Corinthian  hall  and  elsewhere  (the  first  being  given  on  the  22d  of  February,  1842,  in  a  store  in 
the  Talman  block,  on  Buffalo  street),  the  lectures  that  were  given  under  its  auspices  during  several 
winters,  and  the  various  other  means  that  were  taken  to  raise  money  and  to  promote  public  interest  in 
the  cause  of  abolition  —  enough  might  be  said  to  make  another  chapter,  but  it  does  not  form  a  necessary 
part  of  an  article  upon  the  subject  of  the  Underground  railroad. 


The  Banks  of  Rochester.  463 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE  BANKS  OF  ROCHESTER,  i 

IJanking  Facilities  in  Early  Days  —  Establishment  of  the  Bank  of  Rochester  —  The  Bank  of  Mon- 
roe —  The  Rocliester  City  Bank  —  The  Bank  of  Western  New  York  —  The  Commercial  Bank  —  The 
Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  Bank — The  Rochester  Bank  —  The  Union  Bank  —  The  Eagle  Bank — 
The  Manufacturers'  Bank  —  The  Traders'  Bank  —  The  Flour  City  Bank  —  The  Monroe  County  Bank 
—  The  Perrin  Bank  —  The  Bank  of  Monroe  —  The  Bank  of  Rochester  and  the  German  American 
Bank  —  The  Commercial  National  Bank  —  The  Merchants'  Bank  —  The  Private  Banks  —  The  Sav- 
ings Banks. 

PRIOR  to  1824  the  banking  facilities  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  village 
of  Rochesterville  were  able  to  secure  were  granted  by  institutions  in  the 
neighboring  towns  —  at  Canandaigua  by  the  Ontario  bank,  at  Geneva  by  the 
Bank  of  Geneva,  at  Batavia  by  the  Bank  of  Genesee,  etc.  Ebenezer  Ely, 
whose  office  was  located  on  the  west  side. of  Exchange  street,  represented  the 
Ontario  bank,  and  it  was  his  practice  to  receive  paper  for  discount,  forward  it 
to  Canandaigua  by  such  convenient  means  as  offered,  receive  and  pay  over  the 
proceeds  and  also  to  act  as  the  agent  of  the  borrower,  in  receiving  and  forward- 
ing payment  for  maturing  paper.  The  business,  of  necessity,  was  limited  and 
uncertain,  but  in  some  measure  supplied  the  place  of  a  local  bank  for  two  or 
three  years  prior  to  the  organisation  of  the  Bank  of  Rochester.  The  subject 
of  an  application  to  the  legislature  for  a  bank  charter  was  first  mooted  in  18 17 
by  the  publication  of  the  following  notice  :  — 

"The  subscribers  and  their  associates  hereby  give  notice  that  they  shall  make  appli- 
cation to  the  honorable  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  New  York  at  the  next  session,  to 

be  incorporated  as  a  banking  company  under  the  name  of  the bank,  with  a 

capital  stock  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Rochester,  December  2d,  1817.  H. 
Montgomery,  Josiah  Bissell,  jr.,  Elisha  Johnson,  Azel  Ensworth,  Hervey  Ely,  D.  D. 
Hatch,  James  G.  Bond,  Elisha  Ely,  Ira  West,  A.  Hamlin,  Silas  Smith." 

In  1823  a  similar  notice  was  published.  In  both  instances  the  applications 
were  opposed  through  the  influence  of  the  neighboring  banks,  especially  of  the 
Ontario  bank,  and  were  defeated.  In  the  spring  of  1824  a  third  application  to 
the  legislature  was  successful  (through  the  efforts  of  Thurlow  Weed,  who  was 
sent  down  there  for  that  purpose),  and  on  the  19th  of  February  of  that  year  a 
charter  was  granted  to  the  Bank  of  Rochester.  Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Nathaniel 
Rochester,  Elisha  B.  Strong,  Samuel  Works,  Enos  Pomeroy  and  Levi  Ward, 
jr.,  were  named  as  'incorporators.  The  capital  was  fixed  at  $250,000,  and 
commissioners  were  appointed  to  receive  subscriptions  to  the  stock.  The  bank 
was  soon  after  organised  by  the  election  of  the  following  board  of  directors: 
Elisha  B.  Strong,  Levi  Ward,  jr.,  Matthew  Brown,  jr.,  Abelard  Reynolds,  James 
Seymour,  Jonathan  Child,  Ira  West,  Charles  H.  Carroll,  William  Pitkin,  Fred- 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  George  E.  Mumford.  Most  of  the  information  relating  to  banks 
now  in  existence  was  furnished  to  him  by  the  officers  of  those  institutions. 


464  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

erick  Bushnell  and  William  W.  Mumford.  Elisha  B.  Strong  was  elected  pres- 
ident, A.  M.  Schermerhorn  cashier,  and  John  T.  Talman  teller.  The  hours  of 
business  were  from  ten  to  two.  The  population  of  the  village  at  this  time  was 
about  S.ooo  souls  and  it  had  already  begun  to  attract  attention  as  a  manufac- 
turing point.  The  business  of  the  bank  gradually  increased,  so  much  so  that 
in  September,  1825,  it  was  enabled  to  declare  its  first  dividend  of  two  dollars 
per  share.  In  1830  Levi  Ward,  jr.,  became  its  president,  and  James  Seymour 
cashier.  In  1838  Mr.  Seymour  was  elected  president  and  David  Scoville  cash- 
ier. The  place  of  business  of  the  bank  was  on  Exchange  street,  in  the  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  Bank  of  Monroe.  Tl^e  original  charter  of  the  bank 
expired  in  1840,  and  was  renewed  and  extended  by  act  of  legislature,  in  the 
face  of  much  opposition,  to  the  year  1846,  when  the  bank  wound  up  its  affairs 
and  ceased  to  exist. 

The  second  bank  established  in  this  city  was  the  Bank  of  Monroe,  which 
was  organised  under  a  special  charter  in  the  year  1829,  with  a  capital  of  $300,- 
000.  Its  first  directors  were :  Henry  Dwight,  John  Greig,  Henry  B.  Gibson, 
James  K.  Livingston,  Jacob  Gould,  Elisha  Johnson,  Elijah  F.  Smith,  Charles  J. 
Hill,  Eben.  Ely,  Alexander  Duncan,  James  K.  Guernsey,  Abraham  M.  Scher- 
merhorn and  Edmund  Lyon.  It  was  located,  soon  after  its  organisation,  on  the 
corner  of  West  Main  and  State  streets,  and  continued  to  do  a  successful  busi- 
ness for  twenty  years.  A.  M.  Schermerhorn  was  its  first  president.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Alexander  Duncan.  Moses  Chapin  afterward  occupied  that  po- 
sition, as  also  James  K.  Livingston.  John  T.  Talman  was  the  first  cashier,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  Ralph  Lester.  Upon  the  expiration  of  its  charter  in  1 849 
the  affairs  of  the  bank  were  wound  up  by  Ralph  Lester,  E.  B.  Elwood,  Elias 
Pond  and  Thomas  Beals,  who  were  appointed  trustees  for  that  purpose. 

In  May,  1836,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  incorporating  the  Rochester 
City  bank,  with  a  capital  of  $400,000  and  appointed  commissioners  to  receive 
subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock,  directing  them  to  open  books  at  the  Eagle 
Tavern  and  to  allot  the  stock  among  subscribers.  There  had  been  for  some 
time  an  urgent  demand  for  an  increase  of  banking  facilities ;  public  meetings 
had  been  held  and  the  legislature  memorialised  on  the  subject.  The  demand 
for  the  stock  was  very  general.  No  subscriptions  for  more  than  twenty-five 
shares  were,  received,  but  before  the  books  closed  there  were  1,150  subscribers 
to  the  stock,  representing  nearly  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars.  Thomas 
Hart  and  Jacob  Gould  were  the  first  subscribers.  The  $400,000  capital  was 
allotted  among  these  subscribers  at  the  discretion  of  the  commissioners,  sub- 
jecting them  naturally  to  a  great  deal  of  criticism  for  the  course  adopted,  and 
the  allotted  shares  at  once  commanded  a  handsome  premium.  The  first  board 
of  directors  consisted  of  H.  B.  Williams,  Joseph  Field,  Henry  Martin,  Nathan- 
iel T.  Rochester,  R  G.  Tobey,  E.  F.  Smith,  F.  M.  Haight,  E.  M.  Parsons, 
Derick  Sibley,  P.  Garbutt,  A.  Baldwin  and  Robert  Haight.     Mr.  Williams  was 


-H^ 


Eiiy''-h,fH.B.I{allk  SoiTS.  .mwYorlc 


The  Banks  of  Rochester.  465 

elected  president.  In  1832  the  bank  was  established  in  its  building  on  State 
street,  which  it  continued  to  occupy  during  the  entire  period  of  its  existence. 
Thomas  H.  Rochester  succeeded  Mr.  Williams  as  president,  and  held  this  po- 
sition until  the  year  1858,  when  he  resigned  and  Joseph  Field  became  presi- 
dent. Fletcher  M.  Haight  was  cashier  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  that  position  by  Christopher  T.  Amsden  and  afterward  by  B.  F. 
Young,  who,  in  April,  1862,  resigned  his  position  as  cashier  after  a  continuous 
service  of  twenty-three  years,  and  in  July,  1863,  Charles  E.  Upton  was  elected 
cashier.  In  1864  the  capital  stock  was  reduced  to  $200,000,  and  in  October 
of  that  year  the  affairs  of  the  bank  were  wound  up,  and  the  First  National  bank 
organised  in  its  place.  The  stock  and  a'  small  surplus  was  returned  to  the 
shareholders  and  it  appeared  that  during  the  twenty- eight  years  of  its  exist- 
ence the  bank  had  paid  to  its  shareholders  an  average  of  about  nine  per  cent 
per  annum.  When  the  bank  closed  the  directors  were :  Joseph  Field,  presi- 
dent ;  Levi  A.  \yard,  Ezra  M.  Parsons,  Isaac  Hills,  Alfred  Ely,  E.  Darwin 
Smith,  Edmund  Lyon,  Robert  M.  Dalzell,  Ebenezer  Ely,  G.  W.  Burbank,  E. 
F.  Smith,  B.  F.  Young  and  C.  E.  Upton. 

The  First  National  bank,  which  succeeded  the  Rochester.  City  bank,  occu- 
pying the  same  building,  was  organised  in  October,  1864,  with  a  capital  of 
$100,000,  Ezra  M.  Parsons  being  president  and  C.  E.  Upton  cashier.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1865,  the  capital  was  increased  to  $200,000  and  again  in  August,  1 871,  to 
$400,000,  at  which  time  the  assets  of  the  Clarke  National  bank  were  purchased 
and  that  bank  absorbed.  During  the  war  of  the  rebellion  and  the  few  years 
succeeding  that  time,  a  period  of  great  speculative  activity,  this  bank  con- 
ducted a  very  successful  business,  dividing  to  its  shareholders  in  regular  and 
special  dividends  during  the  twelve  years  of  its  existence  an  average  of  eleven 
per  cent,  per  annum  on  its  stock,  until  August,  1872,  when  it  went  into  vol- 
untary liquidation,  and  transferred  its  assets  to  a  new  corporation,  organised 
under  the  state  laws  and  styled  the  City. bank  of  Rochester.  This  last-named 
corporation,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000,  continued  the  business  in  the  same 
locality  as  its  predecessors,  Ezra  M.  Parsons  being  its  president  and  Charles 
E.  Upton  its  cashier.  Thomas  Leighton  succeeded  Mr.  Parsons  as  president, 
and  subsequently  Mr.  Upton  became  president  and  so  continued  until  Decem- 
ber, 1882,  when  the  bank  failed,  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  by 
whom  its  alfairs  were  wound  up. 

The  fourth  bank  organised  in  this  city,  and  the  first  one  organised  under 
the  general  banking  law  of  1838,  was  styled  the  Bank  of  Western  New  York, 
was  established  in  1839  ^"^  was  located  in  the  Rochester. House  building  on 
Exchange  street,  south  of  the  canal.-  Its  nominal  capital  was  $300,000  and 
actual  capital  $180,000.  Its  directors  were  James  K.  Guernsey,  Gustavus 
Clark,  Henry  Hawkins,  Frederick  Whittlesey  and  Ezra  M.  Parsons.  Mr.  Guern- 
sey was  its  president  and  Mr.  Clark  its  cashier.     This  bank  was  an  outgrowth 


466  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

of,  and  closely  connected  with,  a  corporation  known  as  the  Georgia  Lumber 
company,  and,  upon  the  failure  of  this  latter  company,  was  forced  into  liquid- 
ation and  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  after  a  troubled  existence  of 
about  two  years.  One  peculiarity  of  the  business  at  this  time  was  the  author- 
ity possessed  by  banks  to  issue  drafts  payable  at  a  future  time  and  apparently 
without  any  limit,  and  the  Bank  of  Western  New  York  is  supposed  to  have 
suffered  from  over-confidence  in  parties  to  whom  it  had  intrusted  these  drafts 
to  a  very  large  amount. 

In  the  year  1839  was  also  organised  the  Commercial  bank  of  Rochester, 
with  a  capital  of  $400,000  and  a  board  of  thirty  directors,  namely :  Hervey 
Ely,  Everard  Peck,  Thomas  H.  Rochester,  Asa  Sprague,  Selah  Mathews, 
Thomas  Emerson,  Henry  S.  Potter,  Henry  P.  Culver,  Isaac  Moore,  Harvey 
Montgomery,  Oliver  Culver,  Seth  C.  Jones,  Silas  Ball,  Charles  Church,  William 
Kidd,  Erasmus  D.  Smith,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn,  Jonathan  Child,  Frederick 
Whittlesey,  Rufus  Keeler,  John  McVean,  Isaac  Lacey,  Preston  Smith,  John 
McNaughton,  Thomas  Kempshall,  Nehemiah  Osburn,  H.  Hutchinson,  Roswell 
Lockwood,  Jacob  Graves  and  Alexander  Kelsey.  Hervey  Ely  was  the  first 
president,  Everard  Peck  vice-president  (continuing  as  such  until  his  death,  in 
1854),  and  Thomas  H.  Rochester,  cashier.  In  1840  Asa  Sprague  was  elected 
president,  and  in  1843  George  R.  Clarke  was  elected  cashier;  in  1854  Mr. 
Clarke  was  made  vice-president  and  H.  F.  Atkinson,  cashier,  all  of  whom  re- 
tained these  positions  as  long  as  the  bank  continued  to  exist.  The  Commercial 
bank  commenced  its  business  in  the  second  story  of  the  building  on  Exchange 
street  then  occupied  by  the  Bank  of  Rochester  and  now  by  the  Bank  of  Mon- 
roe, where  it  remained  until  1841,  when  it  purchased  and  erected  a  banking- 
house  on  the  south  side  of  West  Main  street  now  occupied  by  a  part  of  the 
Masonic  block.  Upon  the  destruction  of  that  building  by  fire,  in  1856,  it  sold 
its  site  and  erected  a  new  banking  office  on  Exchange  street,  to  which  it  re- 
moved in  1856,  where  it  continued  to  do  business  until  its  dissolution  in  1866. 
The  bank  was  managed  with  great  ability  and  proved  to  be  a  profitable  invest- 
ment for  its  owners,  making  regular  and  frequently  large  special  dividends  to  its 
shareholders.  The  change  in  the  character  of  business  and  the  onerous  taxes 
imposed  upon  the  shareholders  furnished  the  reasons  for  the  closing  of  its  affairs. 

In  the  year  1839  the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  bank  of  Rochester  was  organ- 
ised, with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  Its  first  directors  were  A.  G.  Smith,  Elon 
Huntington,  Frederick  Starr  and  Charles  J.  Hill.  A.  G.  Smith  was  the  first 
president,  and  Elon  Huntington  cashier.  In  1857  the  capital  was  reduced  to 
$50,000,  and  Jacob  Gould  became  the  president.  Subsequently  the  capital 
was  increased  to  $100,000,  and  various  unsuccessful  efforts  were  made  to  place 
it  upon  a  satisfactory  basis.  Some  six  years  ago  it  was  forced  into  the  hands 
of  a  receiver,  by  whom  its  affairs  were  closed  up. 

In  the  year  1839  a  bank  styled  the  Exchange  bank  was  also  organised,  with  a 


The  Banks  of  Rochester.  467 

capital  of  $100,000.  G.  W.  Pratt  was  the  president,  and  James  H.  Pratt, 
cashier.  Its  name  appears  and  then  disappears,  with  nothing  to  show  what  it 
accomplished,  or  whether  its  existence  was  more  than  nominal. 

In  July,  184s,  Freeman  Clarke,  then  late  cashier  of  the  Bank  'of  Albion, 
opened  a  banking  office  in  the  Irving  hall  building  and  in  1847  organised  the 
Rochester  bank,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  of  which  Mr.  Clarke  was  president, 
and  P.  W.  Handy  cashier.  The  operations  of  the  bank  were  carried  on  in  the 
building  on  Exchange  street  formerly  occupied  by  the  Bank  of  Rochester.  In 
1853  Mr.  Clarke  retired  from  the  management  of  this  institution,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  H.  S.  Fairchild  and  a  short  time  later  the  bank  went  into  liquidation 
and  its  affairs  were  closed. 

The  Union  bank  of  Rochester  was  organised  on  the  20th  of  January,  1853, 
with  a  capital  of  $400,000.  Its  first  directors  were  Aaron  Erickson,  George 
H.  Mumford,  Ezra  M.  Parsons,  Azariah  Boody,  Edward  Roggen,  John  M. 
French,  Ephraim  Moore,  Rufus  Keeler,  Lewis  Brooks,  William  Garbutt,  William 
Churchill,  Melancton  Lewis,  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop,  James  W.  Sawyer,  Asa 
Sprague,  Elisha  Harmon,  William  Ailing  and  Samuel  Rand.  Mr.  Erickson 
was  the  first  president  and  continued  to  hold  that  position  during  the  existence 
of  the  bank.  In  June,  1853,  the  capital  was  increased  to  $500,000,  but  in  May, 
1864,  by  reason  of  the  increase  in  taxation  was  again  reduced  to  $400,000.  In 
August,  1853,  a  savings  department  was  established,  as  distinct  from  the  reg- 
ular discount  and  deposit  department,  and  continued  until  the  state  legislature 
compelled  its  abandonment.  The  affairs  of  the  bank  were  so  successfully  man- 
aged that  an  average  dividend  of  eight  per  cent,  per  annnm  was  returned  to 
the  stockholders  during  the  twelve  years  of  its  existence.  In  June,  1865,  the 
bank  passed  into  the  national  system,  and  so  continued  under  substantially  the 
same  management,  until  1872.  In  that  year  it  went  into  voluntary  liquidation, 
returning  to  its  stockholders  the  amount  of  their  stock  with  an  addition  of 
twelve  per  cent.,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  firm  of  Erickson  &  Jennings  as 
private  bankers.  The  business  has  been  conducted  in  the  same  manner  to  the 
present  time. 

In  August,  1850,  the  Eagle  bank  of  Rochester  was  organised,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  $100,000,  G.  W.  Burbank  being  the  president  and  Charles  P.  Bissell  the 
cashier.  Its  place  of  business  was  on  the  corner  of  East  Main  and  South 
Water  street.  In  1857  it  was  removed  to  the  Masonic  hall  block,  corner  of 
West  Main  and  Exchange  streets.  William  H.  Cheney  became  president,  and 
John  B.  Robertson  cashier,  and  the  capital  increased  to  $200,000. 

In  1856  the  Manufacturers'  bank  was  organised,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000, 
G.  W.  Burbank  being  the  president,  and  R.  S.  Doty  the  cashier.  The  place  of 
business  was  on  East  Main  street.  For  various  reasons  it  failed  to  meet  with 
the  success  which  its  projectors  anticipated,  and,  its  capital  becoming  impaired, 
an   act  was  passed  by  the  legislature  in  the  spring  of  1859,  authorising  the 


468  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Eagle  bank  and  the  Manufacturers'  bank  to  consolidate  and  to  form  a  new  in- 
stitution under  the  title  of  the  Traders'  bank  of  Rochester,  with  a  capital  of 
$250,000.  The  first  directors  of  the  new  bank  were  George  H.  Mumford,  John 
Crombie,  John  Haywood,  Araunah  Moseley,  Ralph  Lester,  George  C.  JBuell, 
Henry  S.  Potter,  Melancton  Lewis,  Roswell  Hart,  David  R.  Barton,  Owen  Gaff- 
ney,  Horatio  N.  Peck,  John  H.  Brewster,  Joseph  Hall  and  James  W.  Russell. 
The  first  officers  were:  President,  George  H.' Mumford;  vice-president,  John 
Crombie ;  cashier,  James  W.  Russell.  Mr.  Mumford  soon  after  resigned  and 
Mr.  Russell  became  president,  who  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Simon  L.  Brew- 
ster, who  has  since  continued  to  be  the  presidAit  of  the  bank.  The  bank  oc- 
cupied rooms  in  the  Masonic  hall  block  for  many  years,  until  it  removed  to 
its  present  quarters  on  State  street.  In  1865  this  bank  was  reorganised  as  a 
national  bank,  with  the  same  officers  and  directors.  The  bank  has  been  pru- 
dently and  successfully  managed  and  besides  making  regular  dividends  has  ac- 
cumulated in  surplus  and  undivided  profits  about  $330,000  and  reports  a 
deposit  of  about  one  million. 

In  February,  1856,  the  Flour  City  bank  was  established.  It  commenced  bus- 
iness in  a  back  room  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Corinthian  Academy  building. 
The  organisation  was  effected  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of  Francis  Gorton,  who 
became  its  first  president  and  held  that  position  till  his  death,  in  May,  1882. 
The  original  directors  of  the  bank  were  Francis  Gorton,  Ezra  M.  Parsons,  Sam- 
uel Rand,  Patrick  Barry,  Oliver  H.  Palmer,  Mortimer  F.  Reynolds,  Romanta 
Hart,  Lewis  Brooks  and  Samuel  Wilder.  Shortly  after  its  organisation  the 
bank  was  removed  to  the  ground  floor  of  the  Union  bank  building,  on  State 
street,  where  it  remained  until  that  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1868,  soon 
after  which  it  was  removed  to  rooms  in  the  Powers  block,  where  it  remained 
until  November,  1883,  at  which  date  it  took  possession  of  a  new  building  which 
it  had  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  Rochester  city  bank,  on  State  street.  In 
June,  1865,  the  bank  passed  into  the'  national  system  and  became  the  Flour 
City  National  bank.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Gorton,  Patrick  Barry  became 
the  president  of  the  bank.  The  capital  of  the  bank  was  originally  $200,000,  and 
in  1857  was  increased  to  $300,000.  Besides  paying  regular  dividends  it  has  dur- 
ing the  twenty-eight  years  of  its  existence  accumulated  in  surplus  and  undivided 
earnings  about  $235,000,  has  a  deposit  of  one  million  and  over,  and  by  its  pru- 
dent, conservative  management  has  at  all  times  commanded  the  confidence  of 
the  business  public. 

In  1857  the  Monroe  County  bank  was  organised,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
Freeman  Clarke  being  the  president.  It  occupied  the  building  on  State  street 
formerly  belonging  to  the  Rochester  savings  bank,  and  in  1 866  was  reorganised 
under  the  national  system  by  the  title  of  the  Clarke  National  bank.  In  1871 
the  affairs  of  this  bank  were  wound  up  and  its  assets  transferred  to  the  First  Na- 
tional bank. 


'/// 


/■/.,'/  '/,/,'//:'  iV'/i  S.  V     .-J-.-.v/JX 


The  Banks  of  Rochester.  469 


In  1857  Darius  Perrin  established  an  individual  bank  under  the  title  of 
the  Perrin  bank,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000  and  conducted  the  business  of  the 
bank  on  State  street  for  some  years,  when  it  was  discontinued. 

In  1867  the  Bank  of  Monroe  was  organised  under  the  general  banking  act 
with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  and  established  in  business  on  Exchange  street  in 
the  building  originally  occupied  by  the  Bank  of  Rochester.  Jarvis  Lord  was 
the  president,  and  William  'R.  Seward  cashier,  of  this  bank  from  its  organisa- 
tion until  the  year  1878,  \vhen  it  passed  into  the  control  of  Hiram  Sibley,  who 
afterward  became  its  president,  Mr.  Seward  remaining  cashier.  The  bank  has 
accumulated  a  surplus  of  about  $200,000. 

In  187s  the  Bank  of  Rochester  was  organised,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
afterward  increased  to  $200,000,  its  place  of  business  being  the  old  Rochester 
savings  bank  building,  on  State  street.  This  bank  succeeded  to  the  business 
of  the  firm  of  Kidd  &  Chapin,  private  bankers,  Charles  H.  Chapin  becoming  its 
president  and  continuing  to  hold  that  position  until  his  death,  in  1882.  Early 
in  1884  the  name  of  the  bank  was  changed  to  the  German-American  bank,  and 
Frederick  Cook  became  its  president. 

In  187s  the  Commercial  bank  of  Rochester  was  organised,  with  a  capital  of 
$100,000,  which  was  subsequently  increased  to  $200,000,  H.  F.  Atkinson  be- 
ing its  president.  In  1878  it  was  reorganised  under  the  national  system  as 
the  Commercial  National  bank,  under  which  title  its  businesss  is  still  continued, 
its  office  being  located  on  West  Main  street. 

Late  in  1883  the  Merchants'  bank  of  Rochester  was  organised,  with  a  cap- 
ital of  $100,000,  George  E.  Mumford  being  its  president  and  William  J.  Ashley 
its  cashier,  and  located  its  business  office  on  the  corner  of  East  Main  and  St. 
P^ul  streets. 

In  the  fore'going  list  no  mention  has  been  made  of  the  private  bankers. 
From  its  earliest  history  Rochester  has  been  favored  as  the  residence  of  many 
business  men  of  this  character,  men  whose  enterprise  and  capital  have  largely 
contributed  to  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city.  Ebenezer  Ely  was 
the  pioneer  of  this  department,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Geo.  W.  Pratt,  John 
T.  Talman,  Bissell  &  Amsden,  Abram  Karnes,  Daniel  W.  Powers  (whose 
business  was  established  in  1850),  Ward  &  Bro.,  AUis,  Waters  &  Co.,  Fair- 
child  &  Smith,  Erickson,  Jennings  &  Co.,  Stettheimer,  Tone  &  Co.,  Raymond 
&  Huntington,  Kidd  &  Chapin,  and  others  whose  names  will  be  recognised  as 
being  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city. 

The  sixth  savings  bank  incorporated  by  the  legislature  of  this  state,  and 
the  first  one  east  of  Albany,  was  the  Rochester  savings  bank.  Its  original 
charter  was  prepared  by  Vincent  Mathews  and  Isaac  Hills,  and  in  1829  an  in- 
effectual effort  was  made  to  secure  its  passage  by  the  legislature.  The  follow- 
ing winter,  however,  the  bill  was  passed  and  on  the  loth  of  May,  183 1,  the 
incorporators  met  at  the  Mansion  House  for  the  purpose  of  organisation.-  There 


47°  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

were  present  Levi  Ward,  Jacob  Graves,  Everard  Peck,  William  S.  Whittlesey, 
David  Scoville,  Edward  R.  Everest,  Willis  Kempshall,  Jonathan  Child,  Ezra 
M.  Parsons,  Ashbel  W.  Riley,  Albemarle  H.  Washburn,  Joseph  Medbery, 
Lyman  B.  Langworthy,  Elihu  F.  Marshall  and  Harvey  Frink.  Levi  Ward 
was  elected  president,  Harvey  Frink  treasurer  and  David  Scoville  secretary. 
The  bank  was  opened  for  business  in  the  old  Bank  of  Rochester,  on  Exchange 
street,  of  which  the  secretary,  Mr^  Scoville,  was  cashier,  where  it  remained 
until  1841,  when  it  removed  to  a  building  on  State  street.  In  1853  it  com- 
menced the  erection  of,  and  in  1857  occupied,  the  banking  house  on  the  cor- 
ner of  West  Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets,  where'it  is  now  located.  In  1875  the 
building  was  considerably  enlarged  and  improved.  Since  its  organisation,  and 
including  its  present  board,  the  bank  has  had  sixty-five  trustees,  all  prominent 
representatives  of  the  business  interests  of  the  city  from  its  earliest  history  to 
the  present  time.  The  business  of  the  bank  for  the  first  three  months  after  its 
organisation  was  represented  by  nine  accounts,  amounting  to  $114;  the  first 
deposit  of  $13  having  been  made  on  the  ist  of  July,  1831,  by  Harmon  Taylor. 
On  the  1st  of  January,  1832,  the  total  deposit  was  $3,429.82,  representing 
forty-two  accounts,  and  the  entire  receipts  for  the  month  of  February,  1832, 
were  $17.  Its  first  dividend,  of  $67.10,  was  paid  July  ist,  1832.  From  this 
small  beginning  the  growth  of  the  bank  has  been  constant  and  steady,  keep- 
ing pace  with  the  growth  of  the  city.  It  reports  on  the  first  day  of  January, 
1884,  after  an  existence  of  fifty-two  years,  accounts  on  its  books  to  the  number 
of  22,912  and  deposits  amounting  to  $10,358,304.87. 

The  Monroe  County  savings  bank  was  incorporated  on  the  8th  of  April, 
1850,  under  the  title  of  the  Monroe  County  savings  institution,  and  commenced 
business  on  the  3d  of  June  of  that  year,  in  the  office  of  the  Rochester  bank  on 
Exchange  street.  The  first  board  of  trustees  consisted  of  Levi  A.  Ward,  Ever- 
ard Peck,  Freeman  Clarke,  Nehemiah  Osburn,  Ephraini  Moore,  David  R. 
Barton,  George  W.  Parsons,  William  W.  Ely,  William  N.  Sage,  Alvah  Strong, 
Martin  Briggs,  Thomas  Hanvey,  Lewis  Selye,  Moses  Chapin,  Ebenezer  Ely, 
Daniel  E.  Lewis,  Amon  Bronson,  Joel  P.  Milliner,  Charles  W.  Dundas,  George 
Ellwanger  and  Theodore  B.  Hamilton.  Everard  Peck  was  the  first  president, 
and  Freeman  Clarke  the  first  treasurer.  In  1854  the  bank  was  removed  to  the 
building  on  Bufialo  street  then  known  as  the  "city  hall  building,  "  and  in  1858 
again  removed  to  the  Masonic  hall  block,  corner  of  Exchange  and  Buffalo 
streets.  In  1862  the  premises  on  State  street  now  occupied  by  the  bank  were 
purchased  and  a  handsome,  substantial  building  was  erected.  In  1867  addi- 
tional ground  was  secured  and  the  building  greatly  enlarged  and  improved  to 
meet  the  steadily  increasing  business  of  the  bank.  This  bank  occupies  a  prom- 
inent position  among  the  savings  institutions  of  the  state  and  has  always  num- 
bered among  its  trustees  some  of  the  most  conservative  and  successful  business 
men  of  the  city.  In  January,  1884,  it  reported  $6,039,399  on  deposit  and 
11,135  depositors. 


The  Banks  of  Rochester.  471 

In  the  year  1854  the  Six-Penny  savings  bank  was  organised  and  located  on 
North  St.  Paul  street,  near  East  Main  street.  Its  first  trustees  were  Ira  Belden, 
Nehemiah  Osburn,  Rufus  Keeler,  John  B.  Elwood,  Hiram  Sibley,  Romanta 
Hart,  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop,  James  H.  Gregory,  Elon  Huntington,  William 
Burke,  David  R.  Barton,  Horatio  N.  Curtis,  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  Andrew  J. 
Brackett,  Samuel  P.  Gould,  Philander  G.  Tobey,  Alexander  Williams,  John  C. 
Nash,  Simon  L.  Brewster,  George  Peck  and  Gideon  Cobb.  After  a  struggle 
of  four  years  it  became  evident  that  the  business  of  the  city  did  not  warrant  the 
continuance  of  this  bank  and  it  was  discontinued,  Levi  A,  Ward  having  been 
appointed  receiver  of  its  assets,  by  whom  its  affairs  were  wound  up;  ninety-five 
per  cent,  of  the  deposits  in  all  having  been  returned  to  the  depositors. 

In  April,  1867,  the  Mechanics'  savings  bank  was  incorporated  and  com- 
menced business  on  the  ist  of  June  of  that  year.  Its  first  trustees  were  George 
R.  Clarke,  Patrick  Barry,  Lewis  Selye,  Thomas  Parsons,  George  J.  Whitney, 
George  G.  Cooper,  Jarvis  Lord,  Samuel  Wilder,  Martin  Reed,  David  Upton, 
Charles  H.  Chapin,  Gilman  H.  Perkins,  Hamlet  D.  Scrantom,  Oliver  Allen, 
Edward  M.  Smith,  Abram  S.  Mann,  Charles  J.  Burke,  Chauncey  B.  Wood- 
worth,  A.  Carter  Wilder,  James  M.  Whitney  and  E.  E.  Sill.  George  R.  Clarke 
was  the  first  president,  and  John  H.  Rochester  the  first  secretary  and  treasurer. 
This  bank  at  its  organisation  became  the  owner  of  the  building  on  Exchange 
street,  previously  occupied  by  the  Commercial  bank,  and  has  continued  in  that- 
location  to  the  present  time.  It  secured  at  once  a  very  considerable  deposit, 
which  has  been  steadily  increasing  until  it  now  reports  a  deposit  of  about  $I,- 
500,000  with  2,771  depositors. 

In  April,  1869,  The  East  Side  savings  bank,  the  youngest  of  the  existing 
savings  banks  of  the  city,  was  incorporated  and  commenced  business  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year.  Its  first  trustees  were  Isaac  F.  Quinby,  Horatio  G.  Warner, 
Henry  S.  Hebard,  Hiram  Davis,  Michael  Filon,  William  N.  Emerson,  Hector 
McLean,  Edward  Ocunipaugh,  James  Vick,  Elias  Wollf,  Truman  A.  Newton, . 
J.  Moreau  Smith,  Pliny  M.  Bromley,  William  A.  Hubbard,  Araunah  Moseley, 
Abner  Green,  David  R.  Barton,  Erastus  Darrow,  Henry  Lampert,  Louis  Ernst 
and  Lucius  S.  May.  Its  business  office  has  been,  since  its  organisation,  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Clinton  streets,  though  it  has  recently  purchased  a  lot  on 
the  opposite  corner,  on  which  it  is  erecting  a  banking-house.  The  career  of 
this  bank  has  been  successful  and  its  growth  steady  and  constant.  It  now  re- 
ports deposits  amounting  to  about  one  and  a  quarter  millions,  and  depositors  to 
the  number  of  2,599. 


472  History  OF  the  City  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  RAILROADS  OF  ROCHESTER,  i 

The  Beginning  of  Railroads  —  The  First  One  Laid  in  America  —  The  Rochester  &  Carthage  Rail- 
road —  The  Tonawanda  Railroad  —  The  Auburn  &  Rochester  Road  —  The  Niagara  Falls  Road  —  The 
Rochester  &  .Syracuse  Road  —  Consolidation  into  the  New  Yorlc  Centr.ll  —  The  Elevated  Tracks  — 
The  Genesee  Valley  Road  —  The  Rochester  &  Pittsburg  Road  —  The  Hay  Railroad  —  The  IJelt  Rail- 
road —  The  Valley  Canal  Railroad  —  The  Street  Railroad. 

AS  a  rule  all  important  inventions  have  had  very  humble  beginnings,  and 
railroads  are  no  exception  to  this  rule,  for  in  the  tramways  which  were 
used  at  an  early  date  in  several  parts  of  England  we  find  the  germ  of  the  mod- 
ern railway.  These  roads  exhibited  little  or  no  progress  until  the  year  1716, 
when  the  rough  wooden  rails  were  covered  with  thin  plates  of  malleable  iron 
and  numerous  other  improvements  made,  all  tending  toward  the  reduction  of 
friction,  which  effected  considerable  economy  in  horse-power.  But  this  method 
was  both  slow  and  expensive,  and  what  was  needed  was  some  mechanical  ap- 
pliance suitable  to  the  purpose  of  railway  traction  which  would  obviate  the  dif- 
ficulty. Inventors  advanced  various  schemes  to  accomplish  this  end,  with  little 
success,  and  it  was  not  until  George  Stephenson  built  his  first  locomotive  that 
anything  like  practicability  was  attained,  and  although  this  was  an  improve- 
ment on  all  preceding  locomotives  it  was  nevertheless  a  somewhat  clumsy  and 
awkward  affair. 

In  the  year  1815  Stephenson  constructed  another  locomotive  engine,  in 
which  he  attempted  to  remedy  the  defects  of  his  first  endeavor.  In  this  he  was 
to  a  certain  degree  successful,  but  as  the  mechanical  skill  of  the  country  was 
not  adequate  to  the  forging  of  the  necessary  iron  work  he  was  compelled  to  re- 
sort to  a  substitute  less  complicated  and  within  the  ability  of  the  workmen  of 
the  day.  Some  time  after  this  the  attention  of  Mr.  Stephenson  was  called  to 
the  application  of  steam  power  to  purposes  of  passenger  traffic.  Accordingly, 
after  many  difficulties,  a  road  was  surveyed  and  built  from  Liverpool  to  Man- 
chester, which  was  the  first  successful  passenger  railroad  ever  built.  From  this 
time  forward  the  success  of  the  railroad  system  was  assured,  and  although  many 
obstacles  presented  themselves  they  were  surmounted  by  the  untiring  efforts  of 
Mr.  Stephenson,  justly  called  the  father  of  railroads. 

The  first  railroad  (qr,  more  properly  speaking,  tramway)  in  the  United  States 
was  built  it  1826,  by  those  interested  in  the  erection  of  Bunker  Hill  monument, 
and  was  used  for  the  transportation  of  granite  from  the  quarries  at  Quincy  to 
the  harbor  at  Boston,  a  distance  of  four  miles.  In  1827  a  similar  tramway  was 
built  at  Mauch  Chunk  for  the  transportation  of  coal  from  the  mines  to  the 
Lehigh  canal. 

The  first  passenger  road  was  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  fifteen  miles  of  which 

1  This  chapter  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Morley  B.  Turpin. 


The  Railroads  of  Rochester.  473 

were  opened  March  22d,  1830.  Although  locomotives  were  common  in  Eng- 
land, and  in  fact  two  or  three  had  been  imported  into  America,  this  road  con- 
tinued for  nearly  a  year  to  be  operated  by  horse-power.  There  would  be  no 
useful  end  gained  in  tracing  further  the  history  of  railroads  outside  our  own 
city,  but  suffice  it  to  say  that  after  the.  great  trunk  lines  were  built  they  were 
united  with  other  roads,  forming  a  network  whose  meshes  extend  over  the 
continent  of  America  in  all  directions,  connecting  the  east  with  the  west,  the 
north  with  the  south,  and  giving  to  every  farmer  in  the  land  a  market  for  his 
products  at  his  own  door. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1825  a  company  consisting  of  Elisha  Johnson, 
Josiah  Bissell,  Everard  Peck,  John  T.  Trowbridge,  Eleazar  Hills  and  others  was 
organised  under  the  name  of  the  Rochester  Canal  and  Railroad  company,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $30,000.  On  the  26th  of  March,  183 1,  an  act  was  passed 
by  the  legislature  empowering  them  to  construct  a  railroad  with  a  single  or 
double  line  of  track,  connecting  the  head  of  ship  navigation  on  the  Genesee 
river  with  the  Erie  catjal  in  the  city  of  Rochester.  Work  was  beguri  in  183 1  ; 
the  road  was  completed  and  in  use  in  January,  1833,  costing  about  $10,000 
per  mile.  The  line  was  located  by  Daniel  Bates,  surveyor,  and  had  its  south- 
ern terminus  at  the  canal  near  the  south  end  of  Water  street,  thence  running 
north  along  the  east  side  of  said  Water  street  to  a  point  near  Andrews  street, 
crossing  the  latter  at  an  angle  about  half-way  between  Water  and  St.  Paul 
streets,  following  the  last  mentioned  street  until  it  reached  a  point  opposite 
what  is  now  Lowell  street,  where  it  turned  slightly  to  the  west  and  followed  the 
high  bank  of  the  river,  at  some  points  passing  within  a  few  feet  of  its  edge.  The 
northern  terminus  was  at  the  village  of  Carthage,  four  miles  distant  from  its 
starting  point.  Through  this  distance  it  had  a  descent  of  254  feet  and  6  inches, 
156  feet  and  9  inches  of  which  was  within  1,000  feet  of  the  termination.  The 
coaches  in  use  on  this  road  resembled  somewhat  a  modern  street  car,  although 
they  were  much  larger.  They  were  open  at  the  sides  and  drawn  by  two  horses 
driven  tandem,  the  driver's  seat  being  on  the  top  of  the  car.  An  incline  was 
located  at  Carthage,  up  and  down  which  passengers  were  conveyed  by  means 
of  a  novel  arrangement.  Two  tracks  were  laid  side  by  side  ;  upon  one  was  a 
car  loaded  with  stone,  which,  in  descending,  was  made  to  draw  up  the  passen- 
ger car  on  the  other  track,  the  car  loaded  with  stone  being  in  its  turn  drawn 
up  by  a  windlass.  The  president  of  the  company  was  John  Greig,  of  Canan- 
daigua,  the  treasurer  A.  M.  Schermerhorn,  and  the  secretary  F.  M.  Haight. 
The  road  was  leased  by  Horace  Hooker  &  Co.  The  office  of  the  company 
was  located  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Water  streets,  in  the  building 
now  standing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  St.  Paul  and  Court  streets.  The  road 
continued  in  operation  until  about  1843,  when  it  was  abandoned. 

The  Tonawarida  railroad  was  the  first  road  using  steam  as  a  motive  power 
running  out  of  Rochester.     It  was  chartered  in  April,  1832,  for  a  period  of  fifty 


474  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

years,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000  in  shares  of  $100  each.  At  the  first 
election  of  the  company  the  following  officers  were  chosen:'  President,  Daniel 
Evans ;  vice-president,  Jonathan  Child ;  treasurer,  A.  M.  Schermerhorn ;  sec- 
retary, Frederick  Whittlesey.  The  road  entered  the  city  from  the  west,  cross- 
ing the  Erie  canal  a  short  distance  south  of  the  present  New  York  Central  bridge, 
thence  following  the  north  bank  of  the  canal  to  a  point  opposite  what  was  then 
the  United  States  Hotel,  subsequently  the  University  of  Rochester,  and  now 
occupied  as  a  tenement  house,  situated  oh  the  north  side  of  West  Main  street, 
directly  opposite  the  north  end  of  Caledonia  avenue.  The  route  was  surveyed 
by  Elisha  Johnson  and  completed  as  far  west 'as  South  Byron  in  1834,  to  Ba- 
tavia  in  1836  and  to  Attica  in  1842,  a  distance  of  forty- three  miles.  ' 

The  first  locomotives  used  on  this  road  were  built  at  Philadelphia,  and  ar- 
rived in  this  city  in  1836.  Locomotive  number  3  was  known  as  the  Batavia 
and  was  shipped  from  Paterson,  N.  J.,  where  it  was  built,  to  Rochester,  via 
the  Hudson  river  and  the  Erie  canal.  The  fourth  engine  was  built  at  Phila- 
delphia and  arrived  in  this  city  via  the  Auburn  &  Rochester  railroad.  The 
two  roads  not  being  then  connected,  the  engine  was  hauled  from  the  Auburn 
railroad  depot  on  Mill  street  to  the  Tonawanda  terminus  by  means  of  horses. 
These  locomotives  had  but  one  driving-wheel  on  each  side,  and  were  without 
pilots,  whistles  or  bells.  The  building  in  which  these  engines  were  housed  was 
situated  oa  Brown  street,  at  the  crossing  of  the  New  York  Centiral  railroad. 
The  passenger  cars  in  use  on  this  road,  which  were  constructed  in  this  building, 
were  about  fifteen  feet  in  length  and  held  about  twenty-four  persons,  three  or 
■  four  of  whom  were  accommodated  in  an  upper  story  in  the  center  of  the 
coach,  the  space  beneath  the  car  being  reserved  for  baggage.  The  first  train, 
in  charge  of  conductor  L.  B.  Vandyke,  ran  April  4th,  1837,  and  consisted  of 
a  mixture  of  freight  and  passenger  cars.  On  the  3d  of  May,  1837,  the  first 
regular  passenger  train  left  Rochester  for  Batavia.  On  the  same  day  a  meet- 
ing was  held  in  this  city,  presided  over  by  Silas  O.  Smith,  and  the  following 
gentlemen  were  appointed  a  committee  to  make  arrangements  for  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  event :  Messrs.  Sage,  Barton,  Haight,  Daniels  and  E.  D.  Smith. 
The  excursion  took  place  on  the  nth  of  May,  1837,  and  is  thus  described  in 
the  local  newspaper  of  the  day :  — 

"On  no  occasion  have  we  participated  in  a  more  pleasant  excursion  than  that  en- 
joyed yesterday  upon  the  event  of  the  completion  of  the  Rochester  and  Tonawanda 
railroad.  The  morning  was  delightful,  and  at  the  hour  designated  for  the  departure  of 
the  cars  they  were  thronged  with  our  citizens,  desirous  of  participating  in  the  celebration 
of  an  event  so  important  to  the  interests  of  our  city.  When  we  reached  the  depot,  the 
engine  was  panting  like  an  impatient  war-horse;  and  at  a  given  signal  it  sped  forward 
'like  a  thing  of  life.'  Hearty  cheers  from  the  multitude  scattered  along  the  line  of  the 
road  greeted  its  progress  and  gave  a  thrilling  animation  to  the  scene.  In  forty  minutes 
we  were  at  Churchville.  Its  inhabitants  gave  us  a  cordial  welcome.  As  we  bade  adieu 
to  their  kind  gratuladon.s,  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  showed  that  the  ladies  also  par- 
ticipated in  the  hilarity  of  the  scene  and  appreciated  the  important  influence  which  the 


Tpie  Railroads  of  Rochester.  475 

road  would  have  upon  the  prosperity  of  their  pleasant  village.  Five  minutes  carried 
us  over  the  three  miles  and  a  half  that  intervened  between  Churchville  and  Bergen. 
Here  too  we  were  most  heartily  welcomed.  The  inhabitants  for  miles  around  had  con- 
gregated to  witness  and  participate  in  the  festivity  of  the  day.  In  a  few  minutes  we 
were  at  Byron,  where  our  reception  was  peculiarly  pleasant.  Passing  through  one  of 
the  most  delightful  sections  of  the  country  the  eye  ever  beheld,  we  were  soon  at  Ba- 
tavia.  Here  all  was  animation.  The  road  for  a  mile  was  lined  with  citizens  whose 
cheers  were  long  and  loud,  and  the  thunders  of  the  cannon  called  into  requisition  on 
this  occasion  responded  to  the  'three  times  three'  which  was  elicited  from  the  cars  by 
this  reception.  At  the  place  of  landing,  the  company  was  received  by  the  corporation 
and  a  committee  of  citizens  of  Batavia,  and  escorted  to  the  Eagle,  whqre  a  most  sump- 
tuous dinner  was  served.  The  mutual  gratulations  of  the  citizens  of  Rochester  and 
Batavia,  thus  assembled  to  celebrate  the  completion  of  a  work  so  important  to  the  in- 
terest, of  both  towns,  were  most  cordial.  Our  neighbors  felt  that  with  them  it  was  es- 
pecially a  proud  day,  and  warmly  and  appropriately  did  they  evince  their  joy.  After  a 
few  hours'  tarry  at  Batavia,  passed  in  a  pleasant  interchange  of  good  wishes,  the  party 
returned,  delighted  with  the  excursion  and  pleased  with  themselves." 

The  first  accident  occurred  on  the  1st  of  May,  1848,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ber- 
gen, about  twenty  miles  west  of  this  city.  The  locomotive  of  a  western  bound 
train,  in  charge  of  William  Putnam,  struck  a  snakehead  and  was  thrown  com- 
pletely off  the  track.  The  engineer,  J.  Guile,  and  the  fireman,  J.  H.  Backus, 
were  considerably  injured  by  bruises  but  were  able  to  assist  in  putting  the  en- 
gine on  the  track. 

The  Rochester  &  Tonawanda  railroad  company  was  consolidated  with  the 
Attica  &  Buffalo  railroad  in  1850.  At  a  meeting  held  in  December  of  the  same 
year  the  following  directors  were  chosen  :  Dean  Richmond,  Henry  Martin,  F. 
H.  Tows,  Gaius  B.  Rich,  W.  Tomlinsbn,  Joseph  Field,  Frederick  Whittlesey, 
Asa  Sprague,  George  H.  Mumford,  Heman  J.  Redfield,  James  Brisbane,  Sam- 
uel Dana  and  W.  F.  Weld.  At  a  meeting  of  these  directors  Joseph  Field  was 
elected  president.  Dean  Richmond  vice-president,  Heni-y  Martin  superintend- 
ent, F.  Whittlesey  secretary,  J.  C.  Putnam  treasurer.  Trains  ran  from  Roch- 
ester to  Buffalo  in  1852,  and  a  year  later  the  road  was  consolidated  with  others 
to  form  a  part  of  the  New  York  Central. 

The  bill  authorising  the  construction  of  the  Auburn  &  Rochester  railroad 
passed  the  Assembly  April  27th,  1836.  Some  two  years  later  ground  was 
broken,  and  the  line  was  completed  to  Auburn,  a  distance  of  ninety-two  miles, 
about  1840.  The  cost  of  construction  was  $1,012,783,  including  fences,  de- 
pots, locomotives,  etc.  Subscription  books  were  opened  at  several  villages  along 
the  line,  with  the  following  results :  Rochester  $58,000,  Canandaigua  $141,- 
700,  Geneva  $168,500,  Seneca  Falls  $122,900,  and  from  various  other  sources 
$184,500;  total  $595,600.  A  meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  held  at  Geneva 
March  19th,  1837,  and  the  following  board  of  directors  was  appointed:  Henry 
B.  Gibson,  president ;  James  Seymour,  of  this  city,  vice-president ;  Henry 
D wight,  secretary;   Robert  C.  Nichols  of  Geneva;  James D.  Bemis,  Alexander 

31 


476  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Duncan  and  Peter  Townsend,  of  Canandaigua ;  Henry  Pardee,  of  Victor ; 
David  Short,  of  Manchester;  David  McNeil,  of  Phelps;  John  Sinclair,  of 
Waterloo ;  Samuel  J.  Bayard,  of  Seneca  Falls,  and  others. 

Meanwhile  work  was  pushed  rapidly  forward  under  the  directions  of  Messrs. 
Vedder,  Vedder  &  Co.,  who  held  a  contract  for  grading  the  first  seventeen 
miles.  Hiram  Darrow,  "a  Seneca  farmer  in  Ontario,"  was  the  overseer,  and 
Bartholomew  Vrooman,  formerly  of  the  Albany  &  Schenectady,  was  employed 
as  track-layer  and  foreman.  The  first  locomotive,  the  Young  Lion,  was 
brought  via  the  Erie  canal  and  used  for  construction.  The  first  engineer  was 
Asa  Goodale,  and  the  first  fireman  Joseph  Hoffman.  The  other  engines, 
Ontario  and   Columbus,  were  received   later  and  placed  in  charge  of  William 

Hart  and  Newell.     The  first  time-table  was  issued  September  loth, 

1840,  announcing  trains  to  leave  Rochester  for  Canandaigua  at  4  a.  m.  and  5 
p.  m.,  and  returning  leave  Canandaigua  at  6  a.  m.  and  7  p.  m.  A  train  left 
Rochester,  as  announced,  on  the  loth  of  September,  in  charge  of  engineer 
Wm.  Failing.  On  the  22d  of  September,  1840,  a  second  time-table  was  pub- 
lished. Three  trains  were  to  leave  Rochester,  at  4:30  a.  m.,  10  a.  m.  and  5 
p.  m.  The  road  was  completed  as  far  as  Seneca  Falls  in  July,  1841,  the  bridge 
across  Cayuga  lake  was  finished  the  last  of  September  and  the  road  opened  to 
Albany  the  following  Vnonth.  The  construction  of  the  road  was  of  the  rudest 
description.  The  strap  rail  was  then  in  use,  which  was  merely  a  strip,  of  iron 
two  inches  wide  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  thick,  spiked  to  a  six-by-six  scant- 
ling. These  rails  were  used  until  1848,  when  iron  ones  were  substituted.  The 
depot  in  this  city,  which  was  erected  in  1840,  stood  on  the  east  side  of  Mill 
street,  occupying  what  is  now  Central  avenue  and  the  present  embankment  of 
the  New  York  Central,  extending  from  Mill  street  to  the  Genesee  river.  It 
was  a  long  wooden  structure,  within  which  were  six  tracks;  a  single  one  ex- 
tended toward  Canandaigua  and  to  the  west  one,  after  the  Tonawanda  road 
became  consolidated  with  the  Buffalo  &  Attica.  The  superintendent  was 
Robert  Higham.  The  agent  in  this  city  was  John  B.  Robertson  ;  George  Leet, 
first  paymaster,  and  John  Sholtus,  depot  master. 

The  Niagara  Falls  branch  of  the  New  York  Central,  formerly  known  as  the 
Lockpprt  &  Niagara  Falls  railroad,  was  organised  April  24th,  1834,  with  a 
capital  of  $175,000.  In  1850  it  was  purchased  by  a  company  of  New  York 
capitalists  and  extended  from  Lockport  eastward  to  Rochester.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  stockholders  the  following  directors  were  chosen :  Joseph  B.  Varnum 
and  Edward  Whitehouse,  of  New  York;  Watts  Sherman,  of  Albany ;  Freeman 
Clarke,  Silas  O.  Smith  and  Azariah  Boody,  of  Rochester;  Alexis  Ward  and 
Roswell  W.  Burrows,  of  Albion ;  and  Elias  B.  Holmes,  of  Brockport.  At  a 
later  meeting  J.  B.  Varnum  was  elected  president ;  Alexis  Ward,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  Freeman  Clarke,  treasurer.  The  length  of  the  road  is  seventy-seven 
miles  and  was  opened  in  1852. 


The  Railroads  of  Rochester.  477  , 

The  Rochester  &  Charlotte  railroad  was  organised  on  the  3d  of  May,  1852, 
with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  Shortly  after  its  completion  it  was  merged  into 
the  New  York  Central. 

The  Rochester  &  Syracuse  railroad  was  chartered  in  August,  1850,  with  a 
capital  of  $4,200,000,  consolidated  in  1853  to  form  a  part  of  the  New  York 
Central. 

The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  railroad  was  the  result  of  the  con- 
solidation of  the  Tonawanda  road,  the  Auburn  &  Rochester  road,  the  Niagara 
Falls,  Lockport  &  Rochester  road,  the  Rochester  &  Charlotte  road  and  the 
Rochester  &  Syracuse  road,  effected  May  17th,  1853,  with  a  united  capital 
stock  of  $23,085,600  and  debts  assumed  to  the  amount  of  $1,947,815.72.  The 
depot  in  this  city  occupied  the  former  site  of  the  Auburn  &  Rochester  depot 
and  was  built  by  C.  A.  Jones  in  1851,  and  torn  down  in  1883. 

In  1882  the  business  of  the  Central  railroad  had  increased  in  so  large  a 
degree  that  the  passing  of  trains  became  a  continued  source  of  annoyance  and 
danger  to  the  citizens  of  Rochester.  So  many  accidents  had  occurred  and  so 
many  lives  had  been  lost  that  it  became  necessary  to  provide  some  means 
whereby  the  street  crossings  might  be  rendered  safe.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed by  ^  the  city,  consisting  of  Patrick  Barry,  George  C.  Buell,  Emory  B. 
Chace,  Frederick  Cook,  Henry  H.  Craig,  Frederick  Goetzman,  James  H.  Kelly, 
Wilham  Purcell,  James  E.  Booth,  Martin  Briggs,  Freeman  Clarke  and  Charles 
J.  Hayden,  who  were  to  confer  with  the  railroad  authorities  and  endeavor  to 
come  to  some  understanding  regarding  the  matter.  After  some  consideration 
it  was  resolved  to  elevate  the  track  above  the  street  crossings.  Accordingly, 
ground  was  broken  for  this  great  work  March  i8th,  1882,  and  it  was  prosecuted 
with  great  energy  until  September,  -1883,  when  it  was  virtually  completed. 
Although  the  undertaking  was  of  great  magnitude  it  was  successfully  carried 
on  without  hindrance  to  a  single  train  or  an  accident  of  any  importance.  Huge 
retaining  walls  were  built,  the  river,  the  mill-race  and  the  streets  were  spanned 
with  durable  iron  bridges,  millions  of  yards  of  earth  were  filled  in  between  the 
walls,  and  the  tracks  were  changed  and  thrown  over,  all  in  less  than  a  year. 
As  a  matter  of  information  we  give  the  various  amounts  of  material  used  in  the 
work  up  to  the  last  of  September,  1883  :  Earth  excavated,  54,898  yards;  loose 
rock  excavated,  3,793  yards;  solid  rock  excavated,  375  yards;  earth  filling, 
exclusive  of  excavation,  379,820  yards;  masonry,  39,812  yards;  timber  and 
plank,  11,670  feet;  wrought  iron,  61,323  pounds;  cast  iron,  31,307  pounds; 
spikes  and  nails,  12,977  pounds;  brick,  nearly  2,000,000.  The  contractor  for 
most  of  the  work  was  James  Smith,  of  Easton,  Fa.  The  new  train  house  was 
built  by  George  H.  Thompson  and  is  imposing  in  appearance  and  finely  fin- 
ished throughout.  It  is  682  feet  in  length  and  extends  from  Clinton  to  St.  Paul 
street.  It  contains  seven  tracks  (four  tracks  being  outside  of  it)  and  is  130 
feet  in  width.     The  work  of  erecting  this  building  began  June  29th,  1882,  and 


478  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

was  finished  in  the  summer  of  1883,  at  a  cost  of  $150,000.  The  amounts  paid 
to  contractors  to  October  15th,  1883,  were  as  follows:  James  Smith,  $377,- 
910.49;  Cragie,Rafferty&  Yeoman, $195,952.5 1 ;  Alden  &  Lassig,.$i25,ooi.l2; 
George  H.  Thompson,  $180,731.73  ;  Cheney  &  Marcellus,  $45,706. 10;  total, 
$925,301.95. 

The  Rochester  &  Genesee  Valley  railroad  extends  southward  from  Roch- 
ester to  Avon,  a  distance  of  eighteen  and  a  quarter  miles.  The  movement  to 
construct  a  road  was  made  at  a  meeting  held  December  27th,  1850.  John 
Vernon  was  chosen  president,  Wm.  Cuyler  vice-president,  and  B.  T.  Howard 
and  J.  R.  Bond  were  chosen  secretaries.  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  in  the 
village  of  Mount  Morris  on  January  15th,  185 1,  articles  of  association  were 
drawn  and  adopted  and  a  board  of  thirteen  directors  appointed.  On  March 
19th,  185 1,  the  following  directors  were  chosen:  James  Faulkner,  Charles  H. 
Carroll,  James  S.  Wadsworth,  John  Vernon,  Daniel  Fitzhugh,  Allen  Ayrault, 
Elijah  F.  Smith,  William  Pitkin,  Azariah  Boody,  Amon  Bronson,  Levi  A. 
Ward  and  Freeman  Clarke.  The  directors  elected  James  S.  Wadsworth  pres- 
ident of  the  board,  and  Freeman  Clarke  secretary  and  treasurer.  It  was  agreed 
by  articles  of  association  that  the  capital  stock  should  be  $800,000  and  the  title 
the  Rochester  &  Genesee  Valley  railroad  company.  Work  was  begun  Septem- 
ber 30th,  1852,  and  the  road  opened  to  Avon  in  1854.  Some  time  later  it 
was  leased  by  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  railroad  for  a  term  of 
ninety-nine  years.  The  road  at  present  is  in  a  very  poor  condition,  the  rails 
are  of  iron  and  are  much  battered  and  worn.  The  depot,  a  small  one-story 
brick  structure,  is  no  credit  to  the  company.  Improvements,  however,  are  soon 
to  be  made  in  the  way  of  rebuilding  the  road.  What  has  been  decided  to  be 
done  about  the  depot  and  terminal  facilities  in  this  city  has  not  been  made  pub- 
lic, but  it  is  said  that  the  prospects  are  that  a  passenger  depot  will  be  erected 
worthy  of  the  name. 

The  Rochester  &  State  Line  railway  was  incorporated  in  1869  and  extends 
from  the  city  of  Rochester  to  the  village  of  Salamanca,  in  Cattaraugus  county, 
a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  eight  miles.  The  work  of  confetruction  was 
begun  in  1872  and  on  the  15th  day  of  September,  1874,  the  road  was  opened 
for  traffic  to  the  village  of  Le  Roy,  twenty-five  miles  from  Rochester.  August 
6th,  1877,  it  was  completed  to  Warsaw,  forty-four  miles,  and  on  September  i8th 
of  the  same  year  to  Gainesville,  fifty-four  miles  from  Rochester.  The  road  was 
finally  completed  to  Salamanca  and  opened  for  regular  through  freight  and 
passenger  business  on  the  16th  of  May,  1878.  In  July,  1879,  the  majority  of 
the  stock  was  owned  by  William  H.  Vanderbilt  and  the  road  was  practically 
owned  and  controlled  by  him  until  that  year.  At  that  time  suits  were  brought 
against  the  railroad  company  by  the  city  of  Rochester  to  recover  $600,000 
which  had  been  contributed  toward  the  construction  of  the  road.  The  suits 
were  decided  against  the  city  and  in   favor  of  the  company.     Mr.  Vanderbilt 


The  Railroads  of  Rochester.  479 

dropped  out  of  the  management  and  the  road  was  unable  to  pay  the  interest 
on  the  first  mortgage  bonds,  which  fell  due  on  the  first  of  January,  1880,  when 
the  road  was  sold  and  purchased  by  Walston  H.  Brown  and  others.  A  com- 
pany was  organised  under  the  name  of  the  Rochester  &  Pittsburg  railway 
company,  and  the  line  extended  to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  A  large  and  handsome 
depot  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  West  avenue  and  Ford  streets,  and  the 
terminal  facilities  were  largely  increased.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  officers : 
President,  Walston  H.  Brown,  of  New  York ;  treasurer,  F.  A.  Brown,  of  New 
York ;  secretary,  Thomas  F.  Wentworth,  of  New  York ;  general  manager, 
George  E.  Merchant ;  chief  engineer,  William  E.  Hoyt. 

The  Bay  railroad  was  completed  in  the  year  1879  from  Rochester  to  the 
junction  of  Irondequoit  bay  with  Lake  Ontario,  a  distance  of  six  miles.  The 
terminus  of  the  line  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city.  This  is  a  very  pop- 
ular road,  as  it  affords  an  opportunity  for  cheap  and  rapid  transit  to  one  of  the 
most  delightful  regions  in  the  country.  The  present  officers  of  the  company 
are:  President,  Michael  Filon;  vice-president/  N.  H.  Galusha;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  N.  B.  Ellison. 

The  Rochester  &  Ontario  Belt  railroad  was  begun  in  the  year  1882  and 
completed  as  surveyed  by  R.  J.  Smith  in  1883.  It  passes  through  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  sections  of  the  county  and  is  destined  to  become  a  very  im- 
portant road  both  for  pleasure  and  for  freight  traffic.  The  portion  now  finished 
extends  from  the  northern  part  of  Rochester  to  Lake  Ontario,  a  distance  of 
about  six  miles,  and  is  generally  known  as  the  Windsor  Beach  railroad.  In  the 
latter  part  of  1883  the  road  was  purchased  by  the  Rochester  &  Pittsburg  rail- 
road company  and  has  since  then  been  operated  as  a  pleasure  road  in  connec- 
tion with  the  latter. 

The  Genesee  Valley  Canal  railroad  was  commenced  in  the  latter  part  of 
1 88 1  and  was  in  use  in  the  spring  of  1883.  It  runs  through  the  bed  of  the 
abandoned  Genesee  Valley  canal  and  traverses  a  delightful  and  fertile  section. 
The  building  of  this  road  brings  into  closer  communication  the  thrifty  farming 
communities  along  its  line,  and  as  Rochester  is  the  natural  metropolis  of  the 
Genesee  river  it  cannot  fail  to  be  greatly  benefited  by  any  new  development 
of  enterprise  in  any  part  of  the  territory.  Business  relations  that  have  hereto- 
fore been  confined  to  Buffalo  and  Elmira  will  now  in  most  cases  be  transferred 
to  Rochester,  as  easier  of  access  and  affording  in  some  respects  better  chances 
for  good  bargains.  The  road  for  its  entire  length,  from  Rochester  to  Olean, 
extends  through  a  rich  and  productive  agricultural  district,  and  where  were  only 
dullness  and  inactivity  a  few  months  ago  we  now  find  active  business.  New 
buildings  are  being  erected,  farms  improved  and  all  the  signs  of  a  prosperous 
community  are  to  be  seen.  The  road  is  yet  in  its  infancy  and  it  will  take  time 
to  show  all  that  the  Genesee  valley  is  tapable  of  receiving  in  the  way  of  im- 
provement.    The  road  enters  the  city  from  the  south  and  has  its  terminus  upon 


480  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

West  avenue  at  the  corner  of  Trowbridge  street.  It  is  controlled  by  the  Buf- 
falo, New  York  &  Philadelphia  company.  The  following  are  the  officers:  Pres- 
ident, J.  W.  Jones,  of  Philadelphia;  treasurer,  F.  J.  Buell,  of  Buffalo;  general 
superintendent,  George  J.  Gatchell;  superintendent  of  Rochester  division,  R. 
M.  Patterson. 

THE   STREET   RAILROAD. 

The  first  line  of  track  to  be  laid  by  the  Rochester  City  and  Brighton  railway 
company  was  the  Mount  Hope  route,  work  upon  which  was  begun  January  1st, 
1 863,  and  concluded  in  July  of  the  same  year.  ^  The  first  car,  in  charge  of  Dan- 
iel Warner,  passed  over  the  road  from  the  company's  depot  at  the  corner  of 
State  and  Center  streets,  to  Mount  Hope  and  return,  July  9th,  1863.  It  was 
driven  by  Jerome  Dowd  and  had  for  passengers  the  directors  of  the  road.  Cars 
were  not  regularly  run  on  this  route  until  the  22d  of  July.  The  Lake  avenue 
route  went  into  operation  at  the  same  time  with  the  Mount  Hope  line.  The 
first  car  passed  over  the  West  Main  street  branch  September  22d,  1863,  and  was 
in  charge  of  Mortimer  F.  Stilwell.  December  8th  car  number  6  made  the 
first  trip  over  the  East  Main,  Alexander  and  Monroe  streets  route,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  31st  of  that  month  that  cars  were  run  regularly  on  this  line.  It 
was  on  the  morning  of  .April  3d,  1873,  that  the  North  St.  Paul  and  Clinton 
streets  line  was  opened  for  business.  The  first  trip  was  made  to  the  Osburn 
House,  where  the  four  cars  on  the  line  were  met  by  Mayor  Wilder,  the  direc- 
tors, members  of  the  press,  and  others,  who  joined  in  the  excursion  over  the 
new  route.  On  November  14th,  1874,  the  first  trip  was  made  over  the  South 
avenue  route,  which  was  opened  for  general  business  four  days  later.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1878,  the  North  avenue  line  was  finished.  The  first  car  was  driven  over 
the  entire  St.  Paul  street  line  September  28th,  1878.  The  Allen  and  Jay  streets 
route  Was  built  in  the  spring  of  1880,  and  the  Park  avenue  and  Monroe  avenue 
extensions  were  made  in  the  summer  of  188 1,  at  which  time  the  Alexander 
street  loop  was  cut.  In  1883  the  Clinton  street  route  was  built  from  Main  to 
Ward  street.  The  Lyell  avenue  and  New  York  Central  depot  lines  were  built 
and  in  operation  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year.  The  Caledonia  avenue 
line,  connecting  with  that  of  North  St.  Paul  street,  was  begun  in  the  fall  of 
1883,  and  finished  recently.  The  company  have  in  daily  use  eighty-eight  cars 
and  four  hundred  and  twenty-four  horses,  and  employ  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  men.  The  present  officers  are:  President,  Patrick  Barry;  secretary,  C.  C. 
Woodworth;   treasurer,  C.   B.  Woodworth;  superintendent,  S.  A.  Green. 


Rochester's  German  Element.  481 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

ROCHESTER'S  GERMAN  ELEMENT,  i 

The  First  CJerman  Immigration  to  the  Genesqe  Valley  —  Indentured  Colonists  Followed  by  Volun- 
tary Immigrants  —  The  Settler's  Career  of  Industry  ^  His  Social  and  Religious  Life  —  He  Becomes  a 
Citizen  and  a  Soldier. 

A  COMPLETE  review  of  the  progressive  developtnent  of  our  Flower  city 
could  not  fittingly  ignore  the  German  element  of  its  population,  for  the 
immigrants  from  the  Fatherland  have  as  steadily  contributed  to  the  upbuilding 
of  this  busy  and  beautiful  metropolis  of  the  Genesee  valley  as  they  have  every- 
where else  in  the  United  States  fully  shared  in  the  mighty  trials  and  labors  that 
resulted,  within  a  few  brief  centuries,  in  raising  our  people  to  the  highest  plane 
of  civilisation. 

When,  therefore,  we  purpose  casting  a  retrospective  glance  upon  the  road 
traveled,  and  to  mark  the  share  the  different  constituents  of  its  citizenship  have 
had  in  its  progress,  it  is  meet  to  recall  to  the  immigrant  of  German  extraction 
not  only  what  he  himself  and  the  earlier  settlers  of  his  race  have  added  to  the 
general  advancement  and  the  common  weal,  but  also  the  opportunities  that 
have  here  been  set  before  him  ;  thus  a  realising  sense  of  these  mutual  relations, 
which  connect  him  with  the  soil  into  which  he  has  been  transplanted,  may  waken 
his  patriotism,  strengthen  his  self-reliance  and  confirm  his  public  spirit  and  love 
of  liberty. 

This  sketch  lays  no  claim  to  completeness,  and  on  this  score  the  indulgence 
of  the  reader  is  asked.  Scarcely  any  written  material  concerning  German  im- 
tnigration  being  obtainable,  it  became  necessary  to  collect  with  painstaking  care 
the  reminiscences  of  the  descendants  of  a  generation  now  passed  away  and  the 
experiences  of  pioneers  still  among  us,  to  compare,  sift  and  verify  them,  so  as 
to  present  the  reader  a  resume  of  the  subject  at  least  in  a  measure  clear  and 
correct.  Should  an  abler  pen  than  that  of  the  compiler  of  this  imperfect  essay 
be  animated  by  it  to  gather  up  the  scattered  threads  of  investigation,  so  as  to 
present  a  full  picture  where  he  has  but  drawn  a  brief  outline,  he  will  feel  amply 
repaid  for  the  time  and  trouble  expended. 

The  beginnings  of  German  immigration  into  the  Genesee  valley  are  to  be 
found  in  1792,  when,  according  to  Friedrich  Kapp  {History  of  German  Immi- 
gration into  America,  volume  I.),  two  ship-loads  of  German  emigrants  arrived 
at  New  York,  whose  passengers  were  bound  to  the  Genesee  Land  company,  and 
were  forwarded  to  the  western  part  of  the  state.  The  male  immigrants,  in  re- 
payment of  advances  made  to  them,  were  indentured  to  the  company  for  six 
years  of  service  at  an  annual  wage  of  thirty-four  and  a  half  Spanish  dollars,  and 

1  This  article  was  prepared,  in  German,  1)y  Mr.  Hermann  Pfafflin,  and  translated  by  Mr.  Max 
Lowenthal. 


482  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

a  further  compensation,  at  the  end  of  their  term,  of  twenty-five  acres  of  land, 
a  cow  and  calf,  a  pig  and  some  poultry  (subject  to  deduction  for  expenses  in- 
curred)—  providing  they  had  allowed  four  dollars  per  annum  of  their  pay  to 
remain  with  the  company.  Unfortunately  it  has  not  as  yet  been  definitely  as- 
certained at  what  point  the  grants  of  land  were  made  to  the  new-comers,  or 
what  was  their  subsequent  fate.  It  seems  probable,  however,  that  many  of  them, 
on  the  completion  of  their  term  of  service,  settled  at  Rush,  for  a  German  colony 
at  that  point  is  mentioned  early  in  the  century.  Doubtless  these  beginnings  of 
German  immigration  into  the  Genesee  country  were  the  first  links  between  the 
newly  colonised  regions  and  the  old  fatherland,  which  afterward  drew  the  stream 
of  German  emigration  to  Rochesterville.  In  the  period  from  1792  to  1815  the 
continent  of  Europe  was  torn  by  wars,  which  found  their  bloody  counterpart  in 
.  the  frontier  lands  of  North  America,  and  for  a  long  time  discouraged  immigra- 
tion and  deterred  the  few  arrivals  from  pushing  on  to  the  western  part  of  the 
state  ;  therefore  Rochesterville  saw  but  few  Germans  until  the  final  conclusion 
of  peace. 

During  the  nineteenth  century  German  immigration  became  distinguished 
from  that  of  the  preceding  era  by  its  voluntary  character.  Instead  of  the  whole- 
sale importation  of  cheap  laborers,  who  formerly  did  menial  service  in  the  new 
settlement,  frequently  under  oppressive  and  unjust  conditions,  there  now  ap- 
peared an  element  that  had  voluntarily,  and  for  objects  of  their  own,  relin- 
quished their  former  homes,  to  found  new  ones  in  a  new  world.  And  now  im- 
proved methods  of  navigation  increased  the  facilities  of  communication  between 
the  colonists  and  their  friends  and  relatives  in  the  old  home,  while  greater  ac- 
tivity in  journalism  and  Hterature  and  the  constantly  spreading  reports  of  the 
success  achieved  by  those  who  had  sought  the  western  world  awakened  a  grow- 
ing longing  for  the  new  Eldorado  in  all  who  were  dissatisfied  with  the  state  of 
affairs  in  their  native  country.  The  peasant,  groaning  under  the  load  of  taxes 
and  feudal  observances ;  the  mechanic,  hemmed  in  by  the  laws  of  the  guilds ; 
the  workman,  despairing  of  becoming  a  "master"  in  his  own  right  —  they  all 
grasped  the  pilgrim's  staff,  to  journey  to  that  land  of  liberty,  where  each  had 
the  prospect  of  independent  ownership  and  of  reaping  the  fruits  of  his  own 
toil,  and  thus  the  immigrant  of  the  nineteenth  century  reached  the  free  soil  of 
America,  a  free  man,  to  pursue  happiness  and  acquire  fortune,  at  his  own  risk 
and  in  his  own  way.  For  the  most  part  the  only  capital  these  immigrants  pos- 
sessed was  a  knowledge  of  agriculture  and  trades,  and  the  willingness  and  ability 
to  work.  And  work  they  found  to  do,  as  also  opportunities  for  enterprises  of 
their  own,  at  nearly  every  landing-place,  whereas  settlements  like  Rochester,  as 
yet  in  the  earliest  stages  of  growth,  offered  few  attractions  to  any  but  hardy 
frontiersmen  or  speculators  in  land.  Hence  it  was  that  not  until  the  industries 
of  the  village  had  become  somewhat  diversified,  did  the  stream  of  German  im- 
migration begin  to  pour  hither.     But  this  stream  grew,  in  an  ever-increasing 


Early  German  Settlers.  483 

volume,  when  Western  New  York  became  so  far  developed  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  create  an  industrial  highway  —  the  Erie  canal  —  to  connect  it  with  the 
east. 

Until  the  year  1830,.  however,  we  cannot  trace  to  exceed  six  German  fam- 
ilies, whose  names  have  been  preserved  to  us,  namely  :  those  of  Hau,  Klem, 
Aman,  Helben,  Eichhorn  and  Meier.  The  first  German  inhabitant  of  Roch- 
esterville  was  Jacob  Hau  (Howe),  whose  parents  left  Wurtemberg  for  Nova 
Scotia  when  he  was  a  mere  lad.  In  his  fifteenth  year  he  went  to  Boston,  where 
he  learned  the  baker's  trade  and  subsequently  married,  removing  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Rochesterville  in  18 14,  establishing  himself  in  business  there.  Leaving 
his  fatherland  at  so  tender  an  age  he  readily  adapted  himself  to  the  customs 
and  opinions  prevailing  in  his  new  home,  yet  retained  even  in  old  age  an  attach- 
ment to  his  native  language  and  his  countrymen,  and  many  of  the  earlier  im- 
migrants found  a  ready  adviser  and  interpreter  in  him.  He  died  in  1845,  widely 
respected  for  his  honorable  character. 

Considering  language,  and  not  territorial  division,  to  be  the  distinguishing 
factor,  the  Klem  family  rank  as  German  pioneers,  they  emigrating  in  181 5,  from 
Klittersdorf,  near  Strassburg(then  under  French  dominion).  Passing  their  first 
year  on  American  soil  in  Montreal,  they  came  to  Rochesterville  in  1816.  The 
little  settlement  was  as  yet  in  a  primitive  condition  ;  hence  the  arrival  of  a  fam- 
ily of  whom  none  spoke  an  Engli.sh  word  was  quite  an  event,  which  called  out 
all  the  villagers.  Father  Klem  purchased  a  plot  of  land  in  what  was  then  still  the 
open  country,  now  corner  of  East  avenue  and  Goodman  street,  which  with  labor 
he  cleared  off  and  turned  into  a  productive  farm.  Upon  this  land  he  raised 
the  first  garden  fruits  that  were  marketed  in  Rochesterville ;  thus  he  may  be 
considered  the  father  of  our  nursery  industry,  which  has  since  obtained  so  great 
a  growth  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  its  starting-point.  Bernhard  Klem,  who 
died  in  1879,  was  his  oldest  son;  his  parents  brought  him  to  the  Genesee 
country  when  he  was  seven  years  old.  An  incident  of  his  boyish  life  gives  a 
vivid  idea  of  the  hardships  of  a  settler's  career  and  the  enormous  exertions 
made  necessary  by  it.  A  christening  calling  his  mother  and  him  to  Albany, 
they  made  the  trip  thither  and  return  on  foot.  Soon  after  he  walked  to  New 
York,  meaning  to  earn  his  support  there  —  a  notable  undertaking  for  a  little 
ten- year-old,  in  the  then  condition  of  the  roads  and  the  country.  He  lived 
to  be  seventy  years  old,  and  dying  January  21st,  1879,  left  considerable  prop- 
erty to  his  seventeen  children.  Klem  was  a  devout  Catholic  and  bequeathed 
respectable  amounts  to  various  Catholic  institutions;  among  them  St.  Joseph's 
orphan  asylum  and  the  Catholic  Young  Men's  society  received  $1,000  each. 
In  Bernhard  Klem  died  one  of  those  pioneers  who  may  be  said  to  have  grown 
up  with  the  growth  of  our  city  and  whose  persevering  labors  to  change  the 
wilderness  into  a  flourishing  community  deserve  honorable  mention. 

Another  old  settler,  J.  Jager,  who  came  to  Rochesterville  in  February,  1831, 


484  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

from  Hauenstein  in  the  Palatinate,  relates  his  experiences  and  the  condition  of 
the  immigrants  in  a  life-like  manner : — 

"  The  trip  from  Wurtemberg  to  Havre  was  made  in  a  canvas-covered  cart,  and  took 
eighteen  days.  In  Havre  we  went  on  board  a  sailing  vessel,  in  which,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  day,  we  had  to  furnish  our  own  rations,  and  landed  in  New  York  after  a  pas- 
sage of  thirty-four  days.  The  journey  thence  to  Rochester  by  canal  boat  occupied  twelve 
days.  Our  arrival,  like  that  of  all  German  immigrants,  created  quite  a  sensation,  call- 
ing together  the  American  residents,  who  came  in  crowds  to  look  at  a  real  Dutch  family, 
and  to  be  amused  at  their  foreign  costumes  and  unintelligible  language.  Our  complete 
ignorance  of  English  caused  us  much  trouble;  however,  a  German  who  could  act  as  our 
interpreter  was  soon  found.  Formal  introductions  were  unknown ;  the  German  simply 
held  out  his  hand  to  his  countryman,  and  a  friendship  was  formed.  Although  the  few 
German  families  lived  widely  scattered  they  met  in  their  leisure  hours,  for  recreation,  with 
song  and  music.  Then  no  differences  of  rank,  condition  or  religion  were  known,  and  the 
progenitor  of  many  a  family,  now  anxious  to  acquire  aristocratic  airs,  amused  himself 
more  heartily  at  improvised  dances  than  would  now  be  possible  in  a  modern  fashionable 
ball-room.  At  the  same  time  the  German  families  were  esteemed  by  their  American 
neighbors,  who  had  learned  to  know  and  appreciate  them  as  honest,  faithful  and  indus- 
trious." 

This  Jager  took  an  active  interest  in  the  Free  Soil  movement  and  bestirred 
himself  in  organising  a  club  of  this  party  in  his  ward.  The  call  for  the  first 
Free  Soil  caucus  in  it  was  written  by  him  and  he  asserts  that  he  never  attended 
one  since  that  was  so  orderly  and  harmonious.  It  happened  that  but  one 
American  citizen  besides  Jager  appeared  and  they  organised  strictly  in  accord- 
ance with  parliamentary,  practice.  The  one  native  American  accepted  the  elec- 
tion to  the  presidency,  and  Jager  was  unanimously  chosen  to  be  .  secretary, 
whereupon  a  delegation  of  ten  was  nominated  for  the  convention  with  like  har- 
mony and  chosen  without  serious  opposition. 

Beginning  with  1830,  there  was  a  marked  increase  of  German  immigration 
into  this  country,  and  Rochesterville  received  its  share  ;  when,  therefore,  in  1834, 
the  city  was  incorporated  there  were,  according  to  the  estimate  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  period,  about  three  hundred  German  citizens,  which  number,  we  have 
reason  to  believe,  was  more  than  doubled  by  1 840. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  Rochester  were  still  in  their  infancy  up 
to  1837;  flour,  lumber  and  grain  were,  the  principal  products.  A,  large 
proportion  of  the  inhabitants,  especially  of  the  newly-arrived  immigrants,  eked 
out  an  existence  as  laborers  on  farms,  or  as  wood-choppers  in  the  employ  of 
the. numerous  saw-mills.  As  all  mechanical  industry  was  confined  to  supply- 
ing the  local  market,  it  found  but  a  very  limited  demand  ;  coopers,  ship- 
builders and  millwrights  received  the  best  wages,  and  among  them  the  German 
contingent  was  pretty  numerous.  Up  to  1838  the  number  of  Germans  en- 
gaged in  trade  was  insignificant.  The  business  directory  of  that  year  shows 
the  bakers,  Howe  and  Himmel,  Schehle,  a  shoemaker,  and  scarce  another  Ger- 
man name.  A  partial  explanation  of  the  omission  of  German  names  may  pos- 
sibly be  found  in   the  national  predilections  of  the  compiler,  yet  it  seems  to 


Early  German  Organisations.  485 

prove  that  at  that  time  the  business  enterprises  carried  on  by  Germans  were  of 
no  importance,  and  again,  many  a  German  name  may  have  been  translated, 
obUterating  the  evidence  of  its  derivation  —  thus  we  find  the  name  of  the 
baker,  Himmel,  transmogrified  into  Hebbens.  The  want  of  acquaintance  with 
the  language  of  the  country  naturally  proved  a  great  hindrance  to  the  German, 
and  exposed  him  to  all  sorts  of  fraud.  A  day  laborer's  wages  in  the  thirties 
were  from  five  to  six  shillings  a  day,  and  "  find  himself; "  mechanics  earned 
$1.00  to  $1.50,  of  which  but  half  was  paid  in  cash,  and  for  the  remainder  store 
orders  were  given,  by  means  of  which  the  workmen  were  fleeced  of  a  large 
share  of  their  wages.  There  were  instances  when  a  man  in  time  of  need,  in- 
sisting on  cash  payment  of  the  entire  amount  due  him,  was  compelled  to  sub- 
mit to  d  "shave"  up  to  nine  per  cent.  The  store-keepers  on  whom  the  "or- 
ders "  were  made  took,  for  the  most  part,  full  advantage  of  the  German's  ig- 
norance of  the  language  and  of  his  inability  to  protect  himself;  thus  one  of  the 
settlers  of  that  day,  when  the  yearly  accounting  was  had  with  a  merchant, 
found  an  entire  barrel  of  syrup  charged  him,  which  it  was  claimed  he  and  his 
family  had  consumed.  The  necessaries  of  life  were  then  very  cheap  ;  meat 
cost  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  cents  per  pound,  flour  from  three  to  four  dol- 
lars per  barrel.  Land  was  low  in  value  and,  unless  specially  productive,  many 
considered  it  of  no  account.  Thus  Adam  Weiss,  who  died  a  farmer  in  Pen  - 
field,  was  once  offered  three  acres  of  land  where  Vick  park  now  is,  as  pay  for 
one  summer's  work.  He  refused  the  offer,  thinking  it  inadequate.  Another 
German,  Franz  Goldsam,  known  as  "  Nasenfranz  "  —  that  is  "  Nosey"  Frank  — 
was  tendered  a  quantity  of  land  on  William  street,  in  payment  for  sawing  and 
•splitting  a  lot  of  wood ;  he  declined  acceptance,  as  having  no  use  for  it. 

The  scattered  German  families  occasionally  met  together  in  their  homes,  to 
amuse  themselves  with  music  and  song,  and  to  partake  of  a  thin,  small  beer, 
brewed  by  the  host  and  sold  by  him  to  the  company  by  the  gallon,  to  do 
which  no  license  was  then  needed.  Such  gatherings,  however,  were  isolated 
affairs,  for  a  higher  motive  that  might  serve  as  a  bond  of  union  was  lacking. 
This  want  was  noticeably  felt,  and  in  the.decennium  from  1830  to  1840  various 
attempts  were  made  to  supply  it.  The  better  educated  among  the  German  in- 
habitants now  and  then  assembled  their  countrymen  for  a  prayer-  meeting, 
where  the  part  of  preacher  was  taken  by  any  thought  capable  ;  at  other  times 
a  minister  from  abroad  would  visit  them,  to  address  a  small  circle  in  some  hall 
or  church  rented  for  the  occasion.  These  opportunities  to  satisfy  their  rehgious 
feelings  were  gladly  embraced  by  the  little  band  of  settlers,  without  regard  to 
creed  or  position.  As  the  German  population  grew  in  numbers  this  want  be- 
came more  urgent  and  a  plan  to  found  a  German  church,  after  having  been 
discussed  as  early  as  1830,  finally  met  realisation  a  few  years  later. 

The  first  signs  of  a  social  organisation  for  other  than  religious  purposes  are 
found  in   1832,  when  a  mihtia  company  was  formed,  under  the  style  of  the 


486  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

"  German  Grenadiers. "  They  wore  a  green  uniform,  with  red  facings,  and 
bearskin  caps.  Dr.  Klein,  their  first  captain,  drilled  them  in  the  old  market 
building,  on  Front  street.  George  EUwanger,  now  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  extensive  Mount  Hope  nurseries,  was  first  lieutenant;  George  Fleck,  who 
kept  an  inn  on  South  St.  Paul  street,  was  the  second  lieutenant.  The  com- 
pany's roster  contains  a  number  of  other  well-known  names,  as  S.  Meier,  Sell- 
inger.  Wolf,  Jager,  Yaumann  and  Knopf  Besides  the  above  company  the 
younger  portion  of  the  Germans  were  attracted  to  the  volunteer  fire  depart- 
ment, especially  to  the  hook  and  ladder  and  engine  number  2,  which  had  sev- 
eral German  members.  Number  2  was  knbwn  as  "Torrent, "  and  was  con- 
sidered the  crack  company  of  thCday.  The  first  German  fireman  whose  funeral 
received  the  honors  of  the  department  was  Valentine  Klein,  a  member  of  the 
hook  and  ladder  company,  buried  at  Mount  Hope  in  1843. 

The  German  churches  formed  the  most  important  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  German-American  population.  They  were  the  centers  around 
which  the  scattered  German  element  rallied  ;  in  them  the  German  language 
and  German  character  were  cultivated  and  preserved.  Transplanted  into 
strange  surroundings,  where  different  views  and  opinions  obtained,  expressed 
in  religious  forms  foreign  to  him,  and  with  which  he  was  but  rarely  able  to  be- 
come completely  affiliated,  the  German  immigrant,  whose  religious  feelings 
were  rooted  in  the  training  of  the  fatherland,  felt  a  longing  for  the  venerable 
religious  forms  of  his  old  home.  Wherever,  therefore,  a  sufficient  number  of 
Germans  were  settled,  the  desire  was  manifested  to  provide  for  religious  wants 
which  American  churches  were  unable  adequately  to  supply.  In  consequence 
of  this,  German  churches  were  founded,  in  which  the  spiritual  and  intellectual 
life  of  the  immigrant  German  found  characteristic  expression.  The  influence 
of  the  churches,  therefore,  radiated  far  beyond  forms  and  institutions  of  an  ex- 
clusively religious  nature,  for  inasmuch  as  their  membership  felt  themselves 
isolated  in  the  midst  of  an  American  population,  whose  points  of  view  and  con- 
ceptions differed  diametrically  from  their  own,  they  clung  closer  together,  in 
order  to  guard  their  political  and  social  rights. 

It  would,  therefore,  be  an  ungrateful  task  to  deny  the  German  churches  the 
important  share  they  have  exercised  in  molding  the  social  and  political  devel- 
opment of  the  German-American  element.  About  1830  effiarts  were  made  to 
form  a  congregation  from  the  German  families  settled  here.  Pastor  Miiller  oc- 
casionally preached  in  the  basement  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  but  none  are 
left  of  his  hearers,  nor,  of  all  the  aged  pioneers  whom  the  writer  consulted,  can 
any  recall  these  services.  However,  a  record  made  by  Pastor  Miihlhauser,  and 
kindly  furnished  to  us,  contains  a  list  of  names  of  the  principal  participants.  It 
shows  that  the  nucleus  of  a  church  organisation  under  Pastor  Miiller's  guidance 
was  formed  by  the  three  families  Engel,  Schwarz  and  Schneeberger  in  1832, 
and  that  in  the  following  year  a  congregation  was  regularly  founded  under  the 


^^^-^-r 


'^^^^ 


^'^__ 


Biographical.  487 


style  of  the  "United  Evangelical  church."  The  first  minister  was  Pastor  Wel- 
dcn,  who  was  succeeded  in  1834  by  Pastor  Fetter.  The  first  church  register 
kept  dates  from  the  latter  year.  From  it  subsequently  grew  the  German  Lu- 
theran Zion's  and  the  St.  John's  church,  and,  according  to  O'Rielly's  Sketches, 
Pastor  Fetter  estimated  the  number  of  his  communicants  to  be  eighty  in  1837. 

The  Rev.  J.  Probst  organised  a  German  Catholic  congregation  in  1835, 
which  worshiped  in  rooms  in  Ely  street,  until  the  building  of  St.  Joseph's 
church,  while  quite  a  number  of  German  families  remained  with  St.  Patrick's. 
In  addition  to  the  foregoing  must  be  counted  those  who  either  joined  American 
or  no  churches  whatever,  wherefore  it  seems  but  a  moderate  estimate  to  place 
the  entire  German  population  of  Rochester  at  600  at  the  close  of  the  thirties. 

The  social  and  industrial  condition  of  the  immigrants  in  the  period  just 
spoken  of  is  best  illustrated  through  biographical  sketches  which  the  compiler 
has  been  able  to  gather.  These  first  German  settlers  were  truly  pioneers,  for 
each  of  them,  by  means  of  the  intercourse  which  he  maintained  with  his  old 
home,  attracted  an  ever-increasing  stream  of  immigration,  which  has  not  ceased 
to  flow  to  this  day.  Alsatians,  Palatines,  Swabians,  men  from  the  Rhine  and 
Baden,  formed  the  principal  contingent  of  Rochester's  German  population,  as 
indeed  of  the  entire  country.  For  the  means  of  communication  and  the  dif- 
ficulties interposed  by  the  vexatious  customs  regulations  of  the  numerous  petty 
German  states  were  such  in  the  first  forty  years  of  the  current  century,  that  the 
short  cut  by  way  of  Havre  offered  facilities  for  emigration  which  other  parts  of 
Germany  were  deprived  of,  and  these  were  of  importance  when  the  limited 
means  of  the  intending  emigrant  are  considered.  As  the  new-comer  naturally 
sought  out  former  neighbors  for  aid  and  counsel,  a  grouping  by  clans  was 
formed,  which  may  still  be  traced  in  certain  parts  of  our  city,  though  it  is  now 
beginning  to  disappear  before  the  advance  of  industry  and  the  fusing  process 
of  nationalisation  gone  through  by  the  younger  generations. 

Among  the  earlier  pioneers  was  Joseph  Yawman,  who  had  settled  at  Sche- 
nectady in  1832,  and  there  carried  on  a  saw-mill  in  partnership  with  John 
Lutes,  afterward  Rochester's  German  mayor.  The  machinery  of  the  establish- 
ment was  decidedly  primitive ;  it  consisted  solely  of  a  couple  of  hand-saws 
worked  by  the  busy  hands  of  their  owners.  The  enterprise  resulted  in  quite  a 
success,  the  income  of  the  business  growing  daily,  for  the  sawing  of  a  cord  of 
wood  realised  the  extraordinary  sum  of  half  a  dollar.  After  six  months  of  this 
labor,  the  Yawman  family  once  more  took  up  their  pilgrimage  and  arrived  in 
Rochester  in  1832,  at  a  sorry  time,  for  the  cholera  ravaged  the  place  at  such  a 
rate  that  scarce  men  enough  could  be  found  to  bury  the  dead.  Hardly  had 
the  breath  left  the  body  when  the  victims  of  the  scourge  were  placed  in  rude 
coffins  and  were  buried  in  the  woods,  without  further  ceremony.  Yawman's 
parents  were  among  those  carried  off  by  the  cholera.  Yawman  established  a 
bakery,  in  which  the  first  cracker  machine  used  in  Rochester  was  operated. 


488  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Andreas  Kiefer,  a  millwright,  came  here  in  1833.  Many  of  the  mills  in 
Rochester  were  furnished  with  improved  modern  machinery  by  him,  among 
them  the  Clinton,  Granite,  Jefferson,  Washington  and  Crescent  mills.  Kiefer's 
labors  connect  him  closely  with  the  advancement  of  the  milling  interests,  to 
which  Rochester  owes  its  rise. 

Among  the  immigrants  in  the  thirties  was  Louis  Bauer.  He  made  the  bolts 
for  two  iron  canal  boats  then  building,  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  sending 
elsewhere  for  them,  he  being  the  first  such  craftsman  here.  All  the  iron  needed 
for  the  boats  had  to  be  hauled  from  New  York  in  wagons.  During  the  long 
period  of  his  residence  in  Rochester,  Louis  Baijer  has  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  many  industrial  enterprises  and  occupied  various  positions  of  trust 
upon  the  organisation  of  the  Rochester  German  fire  insurance  company,  becom- 
ing its  first  president. 

John  Lutes  (originally  Lutz)  came  to  Rochester  in  1835,' working  as  mill- 
wright for  various  firms,  later  in  an  establishment  of  his  own.  His  election  as  the 
first  mayor  of  Rochester  of  German  birth  took  place  in  1870,  and  his  honest 
and  energetic  administration  bore  witness  to  the  fact  that  he  appreciated  and 
labored  to  deserve  the  confidence  shown  him  by  his  fellow-citizens.  An  effort 
was  at  that  time  made  in  the  common  council  to  dispose  of  the  bonds  of  the 
Genesee  Valley  railroad,  owned  by  the  city,  for  $300,000,  and  Mayor  Lutes 
was  offered  $5,000  if  he  would  consent  to  the  sale,  but  he  rated  duty,  con- 
science and  the  obligations  of  his  official  oath  higher  than  the  acquisition  of 
money  meanly  got,  and  consequently  vetoed  the  resolution  of  sale,  thus  secur- 
ing to  the  city  an  income  of  $18,000  per  annum,  which  the  bonds  are  now 
earning.  To  enable  the  city  effectively  to  guard  its  interests  in  the  directory  of 
the  road,  the  mayor  bought  for  it  a  number  of  the  shares,  then  down  to  30, 
owing  to  the  watering  of  stock,  which  had  been  used  as  a  means  to  force  the 
city  to  surrender  its  bonds.  They  are  now  worth  1.15.  This  circumstance 
well  entitles  him  to  the  enduring  esteem  of  his  fellow- citizens. 

As  showing  the  increase  of  the  German-speaking  population  of  Rochester 
the  circumstance  is  recalled  that  in  1835  Johann  Schweitzer,  acting  as  agent 
for  the  New  York  Staats-Zeitung,  had  secured  for  that  journal  a  hundred  Roch- 
ester subscribers. 

The  Meyer  family  are  among  the  pioneers  of  1836,  the  father  and  eldest 
sons  engaging  in  boat-building  from  the  day  of  their  arrival,  while  the  younger 
boys,  sent  to  a  school  in  Brown  square,  were  led  rather  a  sorry  life  by  the 
native  scholars,  who  regarded  them  as  a  species  of  savages.  The  sons,  Fred- 
erick, Philip,  John  A.  and  C.  C,  have  continued  at  boat-building  and  now  own 
all  the  boat-yards  in  the  city,  save  one.  The  boats  they  have  built  have  played 
no  inconsiderable  part  in  enhancing  the  prosperity  of  the  city. 

Anton  Lerch  is  closely  connected  with  one  of  the  chapters  in  the  history 
of  Rochester's  earlier  Germans.     He  was  by  turns  shipwright,  cabinet-maker, 


Social  Progress.  489 


grocer,  farmer,  cooper  and  lumber-dealer,  but  is  of  interest  on  account  of  the 
prominent  position  he  held  in  a  celebrated  church-war  that  agitated  the  city 
for  nearly  a  decennium  from  1843  on,  and  was  prosecuted  with  great  bitterness. 
This  quarrel  of  the  "Blacks  and  the  Bacon  brethren,"  as  the  opposing  parties 
were  dubbed,  concerned  the  tide-deeds  to  the  real  estate  of  St.  Peter's  (Catholic) 
church.  They  were  held  in  trust  by  officers  of  the  congregation  for  some  time 
after  the  completion  of  the  new  church,  when  Pastor  Krautbauer  demanded 
their  surrender,  causing  intense  indignation  among  the  members.  The  trustees 
were  determined  in  their  refusal,  and  one  of  them,  Joseph  Vogele,  vowed  that 
"his  hand  should  wither  sooner  than  sign  a  surrender."  Pastor  Krautbauer, 
however,  gradually  obtained  the  assent  of  the  majority  of  the  members  to  his 
demands,  the  lapse  of  time,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  wearing  out  their  opposition. 
This  result  roused  the  "Blacks"  to  angry  demonstrations,  and  the  pastor  was 
a  number  of  times  forced  to  call  in  the  police  for  protection  against  his  oppo- 
nents, who  stormed  the  church  and  proceeded  to  auction  off  the  seats.  Vogele, 
notwithstanding  his  vow,  had  finally  joined  the  "Bacon  brethren"  and  was  so 
seriously  maltreated  in  a  tavern-row  that  he  died  a  few  weeks  later.  The  law- 
suits, which  had  been  carried  on  for  nine  and  a  half  years  with  great  acrimony, 
were  at  the  last  compromised  by  the  attorneys  of  both  parties,  the  result  being 
that  the  pastor  received  the  title-deeds  but  agreed  to  defray  the  total  legal  ex- 
penses incurred. 

The  period  from  1 8 14  to  1835  may  fitly  be  characterised  as  the  pioneer 
stage  of  the  German  population,  devoted  primarily  to  daily  toil  in  pursuit  of  nec- 
essaries and  the  preparation  of  new  homes.  Then  begins  a  new  era,  developing 
a  characteristic  German-American  social  life,  and  resulting  in  organisations  of  a 
permanent  nature.  The  immigrant  no  longer  sets  foot  in  a  strange  world,  but  on 
reaching  Rochester  is  received  with  the  sounds  of  his  native  tongue;  the  social 
usages  and  customs  of  his  former  home,  as  developed  on  the  soil  of  freedom, 
greet  him  and  link  him  indissolubly  to  the  new  fatherland.  He  begins  to  take 
an  active  and  more  independent  part  in  affairs  and  stamps  his  impress  on  the 
progress  of  his  adopted  country. 

Six  German  church  organisations  were  founded  from  1835  to  1850:  St. 
Joseph's,  183s;  Zion  Lutheran,  1838;  Trinity,  1842;  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul's,  1843; 
First  German  Baptist,  1848-49;  German  Methodist,  1849.  These  churches 
formed  the  centers  of  settlements  in  which  the  language  and  learning  of  Ger- 
many were  fostered,  the  older  settler  proving  the  adviser  and  instructor  of  the 
new-comer,  to  whom  were  pointed  out  the  principles  and  institutions  of  his 
adopted  country.  The  combination  of  German  industry  with  technical  knowl- 
edge gradually  brought  forth  industrial  enterprises  that  rank  with  the  most  im- 
portant in  the  city.  Among  them  is  deserving  of  mention,  as  a  pioneer  in  a 
branch  of  manufactures  that  since  became  of  great  note  here —  the  brewery  of 
George    Marburger.     The  march  of  improvement  has  already  swept  it  away, 


490  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

but  from  1841  till  the  New  York  Central  railroad  in  1882  demolished  it,  to  make 
room  for  its  new  depot,  |t  stood  high  in  its  line. 

As  before  mentioned.  South  Germany  furnished  the  chief  contingent  to  the 
immigrant  host,  until  the  famine  years  1846  and  1847  and  the  non-success  of 
the  revolutionary  movement  of  1848  forced  large  numbers  to  leave  middle  and 
northern  Germany.  Among  the  many  revolutionary  refugees  who  congregated 
in  the  principal  eastern  cities  an  organisation  was  formed,  called  "the  Sons  of 
Hermann,"  which  was  copied  in  Rochester,  under  the  name  of  Genesee  lodge 
O.  S.  H.  It  was,  with  the  exception  of  the  Grenadiers,  the  first  non-reUgious 
association  of  the  Germans  and  soon  numbered  among  its  members  the  most 
capable  of  the  settlers.  The  social  instinct,  which  is  so  strongly  developed 
among  Germans,  the  similarity  of  their  views  and  aims,  and  the  necessity  of 
cooperating  for  the  attainment  of  common  objects,  led  to  the  formation  of 
many  societies  for  purposes  of  mutual  aid,  amusement  and  instruction,  which 
still  flourish  and  exert  marked  influence  in  shaping  the  social,  intellectual  and 
political  life  of  our  German-American  population.  While  at  first  they  ap- 
peared utterly  strange  to  the  native-born  citizen,  there  is  now  gradually  and 
quietly  going  on  in  their  own  midst  a  part  of  that  great  process  of  amalgama- 
tion which  is  to  form  one  homogeneous  nation  from  out  of  races  originally 
diverse  in  habit,  sentiment  and  opinion.  By  the  example  set  him  in  American 
organisations  the  German  learned  the  typical  American  principle  of  self-help, 
self-control,  the  voluntary  subjection  to  laws  of  his  own  making,  readiness  in 
debate  and  in  public  speaking.  On  the  other  hand  our  German-American 
school  organisations  familiarised  the  native-born  population  with  the  educational 
principles  and  methods  of  Pestalozzi,  Froebel  and  others,  while  German  musi- 
cal-societies introduced  the  master- pieces  of  German  harmony  and  awakened 
the  love  for  them.  To-day  the  American  and  German  are  united  in  the  devo- 
tion to  music  and  song,  and  cultivate  them  in  common. 

Another  class  of  societies  which  have  taken  root  in  this  free  soil,  that  of 
the  Turners,  has  secured  attention  to  the  claims  of  bodily  training,  which  am- 
bition to  excel  intellectually  or  greed  of  gain  had  caused  to  be  neglected.  To 
them  may  justly  be  given  credit  for  the  introduction  of  calisthenic  exercises  in 
our  public  schools  and  the  systematic  drill  in  athletic  clubs  and  gymnasiums. 
Above  all,  these  German- American  associations  serve  to  foster  love  of  the  new 
fatherland  and  to  unite  their  members  to  the  common  country  and  its  people. 

The  years  from  1850  to  i860  form  a  period  in  which  our  German- Ameri- 
can element  reached  maturity  and  began  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  interests 
of  the  community.  During  this  time  eight  representatives  in  our  civic  councils 
were  taken  from  its  ranks;  three  German  journals  were  founded,  as  well  as 
additional,  societies  for  benevolent,  educational,  military  and  musical  purposes, 
showing  vigorous  efforts  to  advance  the  social  and  material  conditions  of  life,  as 
well  as  to  satisfy  intellectual  wants.     Whereas  many  of  the  German  societies 


German  Societies.  491 


appeared  opposed  to  one  another  by  reason  of  differences  in  religious  affiliations 
and  tendencies,  they  met  on  common  ground  in  their  desire  for  friendly  inter- 
course, their  love  of  the  German  language  and  enthusiasm  for  the  productions 
of  German  genius.  Popular  festivals  were  made  the  occasions  for  renewing  old- 
world  customs,  as  far  as  they  were  found  consonant  with  the  institutions  of  the 
country.  One  of  these,  held  June  28th,  1858,  was  participated  in  by  the  Ger- 
man Grenadiers,  Union  Guards,  Sharpshooters,  Rifle  Guards,  Turn-verein, 
Mannerchor,  Hermann's  Sohne  and  Freimanner-verein,  who  indulged  in  marks- 
manship, gymtjastic  and  musical  exercises,  an  address  being  delivered  by  Adolph 
Nolte,  editor  of  the  Beobachter.  The  program  of  the  day  shows  in  how  far  these 
features  of  life  in  the  old  fatherland  had  become  accHmated  in  the  new. 

Another  of  the  diversions  of  German  social  life  found  its  way  to  Rochester 
in  1853  in  the  shape  of  amateur  theatricals,  given  at  the  Jefferson  House,  on  a 
stage  of  primitive  sort  by  a  small  company  of  performers.  These  entertain- 
ments paved  the  way  for  performances  of  more  merit,  the  chief  actors  in  which 
are  still  held  in  grateful  remembrance,  among  them  talented  amateurs  like  R. 
Sauerteig,  H.  Geek,  Mrs.  Warncke,  and  professionals  of  note,  like  von  Osten, 
von  Alvensleben,  Scherer,  Neitmann,  Baureis,  Fortner,  Mesdames  Miller- Krause, 
Schaumburg,  Becker- Grahn  and  others.  Thus  it  is  to  be  seen  that  toward  the 
close  of  the  fifties  the  social  and  intellectual  life  of  our  Rochester  German  pop- 
ulation had  reached  quite  a  full  stage  of  development.  His  language  and  cus- 
toms having  taken  firm  root  in  the  Flower  city  it  had  become  a  home  to  the 
German  immigrant  to  which  he  was  dearly  attached,  which  fact  the  years  1 861 
and  thereafter  gave  him  abundant  opportunity  to  prove  and  to  show  his  readi- 
ness to  repay  his  debt  of  gratitude,  even  to  the  offering  up  of  life  and  limb. 

Of  additional  German  organisations  may  be  mentioned  the  First  German 
Baptist  church,  formed  in  1851  ;  Humboldt  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  1851  ;  the  Bru- 
dertreue  lodge  and  Schiller  lodge,  order  of  Harugaris,  both  in  1859.  From 
1850  on,  societies  for  mutual  aid,  and  under  the  patronage  of  the  various  Cath- 
olic churches,  were  organised,  as  the  St.  Peter's,  St.  Alphonsus,  St.  Boniface,  St. 
Joseph's,  St.  Paul's. 

The  Turn-verein  was  constituted  in  185  i  and  occupied  a  hall  erected  on 
leased  ground  in  August  of  the  same  year.  It  has  owned  and  rented  different 
buildings,  and,  after  meeting  with  a  loss  by  fire  in  1872,  was  forced  to  relinquish 
the  stately  building  it  had  erected.  Since  1883  it  has  again  owned  a  hall  built 
for  its  use,  on  North  Clinton  street,  opposite  Ward,  which  is  devoted  to  a  ra- 
tional system  of  bodily  exercises,  to  the  end  that  all  the  faculties  may  be  culti- 
vated and  a  generation  raised  up  that  shall  be  sound,  physically  and  mentally. 
Pursuing  these  objects,  the  Turn-verein  has  played  no  inconsiderable  role  in 
the  development  of  the  German-American  element  of  the  city,  for  many  years 
maintaining  a  school  which  subsequently  became  the  Real  Schule  under  the 
superintendency  of  Dr.  Rudolph  Dulon,  widely  known  as  a  liberal  speaker  and 
identified  with  the  introduction  of  the  German- American  school  system. 


492  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  first  German  singing-society  of  note  was  founded  in  1854,  being  the 
Mannerchor,  to  which  is  due  the  credit  of  having  aroused  an  interest  in  the  arts 
of  music  and  song  in  our  city.  It  has,  under  its  various  accomphshed  direc- 
tors, E.  Gundelsheimer,  F.  Meyering,  F.  Haack,  O.  L.  Schulz,  G.  Ganzel,  L. 
Bauer,  and  notably  under  the  direction  of  A.  Sartori  and  Henry  Greiner,  pre- 
sented to  our  community  the  choicest  works  of  the  musical  composers,  by  means 
of  concerts,  oratorios  and  operatic  performances.  Its  leading  achievements  are 
the  Schiller-jubilee,  celebrated  in  1859;  the  competitions  at  the  singing-festival 
which  took  place  at  Columbus  in  1865,  Chicago  1868,  Cleveland  1874;  the 
Sangerfest  held  in  Rochester  in  1869  and  the  jubilee  festival,  commemorating 
the  first  quarter-century  of  its  career,  in  1879,  which  was  participated  in  by  all 
musical  organisations  of  this  city  and  vicinity.  Its  high  standing  in  musical 
circles  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  it  returned  from  the  singing-contest  at  Co- 
lumbus, crowned  with  the  second  prize.  The  founding  of  the  Mannerchor 
marked  a  mile-stone  on  the  road  of  progress  of  our  German  community  and  it 
remains  to  this  day  a  pillar  in  its  social  and  intellectual  life. 

The  first  German  newspaper  published  in  Rochester  appeared  in  185  I,  being 
the  Beobachter  am  Genesee  (^^  Observer  on  the  Genesee")  G.  G.  Haass  and  H. 
Blauw,  proprietors,  which  in  1855  became  the  property  of  A.  Nolte,  who  issued 
a  daily  and  weekly  edition.  For  many  years  he  made  it  a  leading  German  or- 
gan of  the  Republican  party  in  Western  New  York  and  an  uncompromising 
advocate  of  advanced  principles.  Since  1883  this  journal  appears  as  the  Abend- 
post  und  Beobachter,  having  been  merged  with  the  newspaper  named  first  in  its 
composite  title.  The  Anzeiger  des  Nordens,  a  weekly  originally  edited  by  Dr. 
Kurz  in  1853,  passed  to  L.  W.  Brandt,  who  added  a  daily  edition,  styled  Roch- 
ester Volksblatt,  and  also  issued  the  Sonntags-jonrnal.  Upon  Mr.  Brandt's 
death  in  1881  his  widow  disposed  of  her  interest  to  Dr.  Makk,  who  now  edits 
and  publishes  these  journals. 

This  sketch  has  now  reached  a  period  in  which  German  life  had  taken  per- 
manent root  in  Rochester  and  had  stamped  an  impress  on  this  its  new  home. 
However  many-sided  its  development  proved,  and  though  the  adaptation  of 
old-world  customs  and  habits  to  the  free  institutions  of  the  republic  became 
more  general,  the  relations  which  linked  the  immigrant  to  the  new  fatherland 
grew  closer  and  firmer  still,  and  his  patriotism  became  ingrained,  as  he  triumph- 
antly proved  when  facing  the  fiery  ordeal  of  the  civil  war.  This  decisive  era 
offered  to  the  German  population  of  Rochester  an  opportunity  to  pay  a  debt 
of  gratitude  to  its  adopted  country ;  on  many  a  battle-field,  by  a  baptism  of 
blood  and  fire,  it  demonstrated  a  liberty-loving,  self-sacrificing  citizenship.  Long 
anterior  to  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  the  abolition  movement  had  found  ready 
sympathy  in  Germany  ;  the  pulpit,  schools  and  press  —  above  all,  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin  had  served  to  implant  deep-seated  loathing  of  the  barbaric  institution  of 
slavery.     When,   therefore,   the  time  came  for  the  final  struggle  between  the 


The  Germans  in  the  Union  Army.  493 

Union  and  the  slaveholders,  the  German  immigrant,  with  scarce  an  exception, 
sided  with  the  former,  and  his  aid  was  of  appreciable  service,  since  the  training 
of  his  native  country  had  made  him  apt  for  military  life  and  inured  him  to  its 
hardships. 

President  Lincoln's  call  for  volunteers,  issued  April  15th,  1861,  roused  the 
Germans  of  Rochester  to  a  high  pitch  of  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
The  Thirteenth  regiment,  which  was  organised  by  the  25th  of  the  same  month, 
contained  two  hundred  Germans,  among  them  one  purely  a  German  militia 
company,  the  first  one  in  Monroe  county,  which  had  previously  been  organ- 
ised and  drilled  by  Captain  Adolph  Nolte.  The  One  Hundred  and  Eighth  and 
One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  volunteer  regiments,  which  were  raised  in  1862, 
also  contained  German  companies,  in  addition  to  the  numerous  German  citizens, 
who  were  scattered  through  the  various  detachments  of  these  regiments,  as 
well  as  of  Brickel's  artillery.  Mack's  battery,  the  Eighth  and  Twenty-second 
cavalry.  All  these  organisations  were  repeatedly  under  fire,  and,  of  the  wreaths 
of  victory  which  they  have  won,  our  citizens  of  German  birth  may  justly  claim 
a  share. 

The  German  companies  in  the  above-named  regiments  were  as  follows : 
Thirteenth.  —  Co.  C,  Captain  A.  Nolte;  1st  Lieut.  John  Weiland  ;  2d  Lieut. 
J.  Fichtner;  64  privates.  Of  the  total  number  of  Germans  in  the  regiment, 
stated  at  200,  thirteen  were  killed  in  battle,  ten  died  in  hospital  of  wounds  re- 
ceived, thirteen  were  taken  prisoners  and  twenty-nine  wounded.  One  Hun- 
dred and  Eighth. — Co.  I,  Wilhelm  Graebe;  ist  Lieut.  John  Fellman;  2d 
Lieut.  Chas.  Amiet  (fell  at  Gettysburg,  July  3d,  1863).  The  regiment  num- 
bers 162  Germans,  of  whom  twenty  were  killed.  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth. 
—  Lieut.-Col.  Louis  Ernst;  Co.  B,  Capt.  Chr.  Spies;  ist  Lieut.  Aug.  Meier; 
2d  Lieut.  G.  Klein  (died  of  wounds  in  hospital).  Number  of  German  soldiers 
190,  of  whom  twenty-three  were  killed.  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  regi- 
ment. —  Co.  E,  Capt.  Peter  Imo;  64  Germans,  fourteen  of  whom  were  killed. 
Brickel's  artillery  contained  70  Rochester  German  soldiers  ;  Mack's  battery  10; 
Eighth  cavalry  52  ;  Twenty-second  cavalry  97. 

During  the  war  the  German- Americans  had  learned  to  appreciate  their  own 
power.  German  regiments  had  borne  their  part  on  the  battle-field  ;  German 
commanders  directed  moves  in  the  sanguinary  game ;  the  blood  of  Germans 
fertilised  the  soil  upon  which  was  to  bloom  a  new  harvest  of  freedom  and  pro- 
gress. The.  exultation  at  the  triumph  of  the  righteous  cause  awakened  a  self- 
dependent  spirit  in  the  German- American;  he  took  a  place  on  equal  footing 
alongside  his  fellow-citizen  of  Anglo-Saxon  descent.  The  intellectual  inher- 
itance brought  with  him  from  the  old  fatherland  he  contributed  to  the  blend- 
ing of  nationalities  in  progress  in  our  great  republic,  and,  rightly  judging  that 
the  process  of  nationalisation  would  be  carried  out  by  thfe  younger  generations, 
the  liberal  elements  gave  special  attention  to  educational  matters.      Many 


494  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

schools  were  founded  in  which  it  was  sought  to  supplement  the  American  by 
the  German  system  of  instruction,  to  mutual  advantage,  to  the  end  that  citizens 
might  be  trained,  uniting  within  themselves  the  best  characteristics  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  and  the  Teuton.  To  enable  the  German  element  to  contribute 
its  share  to  the  realisation  of  this  aim,  the  maintenance  of  its  language  —  its 
medium  of  intellectual  exchange  —  is  indispensable  ;  hence  this  purpose  remains 
a  leading  one.  The  movement  made  itself  felt  in  Rochester ;  the  parochial 
schools,  which  formerly  valued  instruction  in  German  only  so  far  as  it  enabled 
them  to  teach  morals  and  religious  doctrine,  in  many  instances  broadened  their 
field  of  usefulness  to  include  German  art,  science  and  literature.  In  1866  a 
school  was, founded,  patterned  after  the  German  real-schulen,  which,  while  en- 
tirely free  from  sectarian  bias,  sought  to  impart  a  thorough  German  education 
in  addition  to  the  ordinary  English  branches.  Opposed  by  intolerance  and  a 
mistaken  conception  of  its  purposes,  its  benefits  remained  confined  to  a  com- 
paratively narrow  circle  until  in  1883  the  Kochester  real-sch^/e  was  abandoned. 
Yet  it  deserves  the  credit  of  having  introduced  object  lessons  in  our  gity,  of 
demonstrating  the  feasibility  of  instruction  carried  on  in  both  English  and  Ger- 
man, as  also  of  technical  training,  its  kindergarten  being  the  first  one  opened 
in  Rochester  and  among  the  earliest  in  the  country  at  large.  Its  first  director 
was  Dr.  Rudolph  Dulon,  on  whose  death  in  1870  Hermann  PHifflin  succeeded. 
Amid  manifold  efforts  to  improve  their  new  home  the  love  for  the  old  was 
still  cherished  by  the  German-Americans.  The  changes  which  the  events  of 
the  years  1866  to  1871  wrought  were  therefore  watched  with  closest  interest; 
the  exultation  at  the  displacement  of  the  Lilliputian  principalities  by  a  Germany 
occupying  an  honored  place  among  the  powers  found  hearty  responses  here, 
and  Rochester's  German  societies  and  families  participated  freely  in  the  humane 
work  of  relieving  the  sufferings  of  the  wounded  soldiersof  the  fatherland.  The 
conclusion  of  peace  was  celebrated  by  a  festival,  again  renewing  the  spiritual 
cords  that  bind  together  the  old  land  and  the  new.  The  movement  for  the 
introduction  of  the  German  language  as  a  study  in  the  public  schools,  which 
had  been  active  in  the  leading  cities  of  the  country,  reached  Rochester  in  1872 
and  was  brought  to  a  successful  conclusion.  However,  the  want  of  proper 
supervision  of  the  new  branch  of  study,  the  dislike  with  which  it  was  regarded 
by  some  of  those  in  authority,  the  indifference  of  one  part  of  the  German  pop- 
ulation, and  opposing  intere.sts  on  the  other  hand,  speedily  made  an  end  of  the 
subject  in  our  public  schools.  Notwithstanding  the  protests  of  German  mass- 
meetings,  and  with  effective  aid  of  a  German  renegade,  the  tuition  of  German 
was  abolished  in  1877,  although  the  board  of  education  did  not  take  the  trouble 
to  offer  any  but  the  flimsiest  pretexts  for  their  action.  The  national  festival 
celebrating  the  centennial  of  the  proclamation  of  American  independence  elec- 
trified all  classes  of  our  population,  by  the  memories  it  aroused  of  the  blessings 
dating  from  that  event.     Preparations  were  made  by  citizens  of  German  birth 


Centennial  Celebration  of  German  Colonisation.         49s 

to  typify  their  patriotism  and  gratitude  to  the  land  of  their  adoption  in  a  char- 
acteristic manner.  On  the  dismissal  of  the  procession  —  which  had  united  all 
trades  and  professions,  all  official  bodies  and  private  corporations  —  the  German 
societies  formed  a  column  anew  and  marched  to  Franklin  square.  The  singers, 
intoning  a  festive  hymn,  inaugurated  a  solemn  rite  which  it  was  a  custom  of 
the  fatherland  to  observe  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  important  occa- 
sons  —  namely,  the  planting  of  a  German  oak.  Said  the  orator  of  the  day,  H. 
Pfafflin :  — 

"The  German  tree  on  American  soil  is  to  be  a  living  witness  to  our  successors  of 
our  thoughts  and  aspirations  on  our  republic's  day  of  honor,  and  to  awaken  in  the 
hearts  of  the  rising  generation  the  principles  which  animate  the  participants  in  this  festi- 
val. Strong  and  powerful,  like  the  oak,  may  the  Union  brave  all  storms!  Steadfast  and 
inseparable  as  its  roots,  may  she  ever  be  grounded  in  the  soil  of  truth  and  right!  Firm 
and  tenacious,  like  the  fiber  of  the  oak,  may  she  withstand  the  gnawing  worm  of  internal 
dissensions,  and  spread. her  mighty  branches  without  stint  in  all  directions,  harboring  in 
their  shade  only  free  and  happy  citizens  !  And,  like  the  oak,  durable,  may  she  stand  un- 
yielding in  storm  and  stress,  outlasting  generations  and  centuries !  " 

The  ties  of  consanguinity  and  common  feeling,  which  link  the  old  German 
fatherland  with  her  sons  across  the  sea,  again  grandly  asserted  themselves  in 
1882.  When  the  swollen  streams  carried  destruction  to  Germany's  fairest  fields, 
when  the  specter  of  hunger  and  want  hovered  threateningly  over  the  valleys 
of  the  Rhine  and  its  tributaries,  then  Rochester's  German  community  were 
among  the  first  to  reach  a  brotherly  hand  to  their  sorely  tried  kinsmen,  to  alle- 
viate misery  and  distress  entailed  by  nature's  devastating  power.  A  whole 
people  united  to  wind  a  wreath  of  gratitude  to  our  adopted  country  —  many  a 
leaf  falling  on  our  Flower  city,  whose  German  citizens  vied  with  each  other  in 
noble  rivalry  in  this  work  of  mercy.  The  8th  of  October,  1883,  witnessed  a 
demonstration  such  as  had  but  seldom  been  equaled  in  extent  arid  imposing 
features  in  our  busy  city;  it  commemorated  the  second  centennial  of  the  first 
German  colonisation  within  the  boundaries  of  the  United  States.  The  celebra- 
tion wasintended  to  impress  this  event  on  the  minds  of  the  German-American 
of  to-day,  causing  him  to  realise  his  part  in  the  building-up  of  the  country  and 
strengthening  his  attachment  to  it.  Nearly  all  German  societies  and  leading 
industries  took  part  in  a  procession,  which  was  estimated  to  have  contained 
5, 000  participants.  The  enthusiasm  called  out  by  this  pioneer- festival  resulted 
in  a  permanent  organisation  of  German  societies  and  a  large  body  of  citizens, 
under  the  style  of  the  "  German- American  society  of  Rochester,"  whose  object 
is  "  to  further  and  aid  German  imipigrants,  by  assisting  them  to  obtain  work, 
rendering  legal  advice,  providing  for  the  poor  and  needy,  by  the  establishment 
of  schools  and  such  other  institutions  as  may  tend  .  to  educate  intelligent  and 
useful  German-American  citizens." 

In  keeping  with  that  development  of  Rochester's  German  population,  as 
roughly  outlined  above,  was  their  rate  of  progress  in  social,  industrial  and  po- 


496  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

litical  fields.  Churches  and  societies  flourished  in  large  number,  and  the  enter- 
prise of  German- American  citizens  created  various  industrial  and  financial  in- 
stitutions of  considerable  magnitude.  New  singing-societies  established  during 
this  latter  period  are  the  Liedertafel,  the  Liederkranz  and  the  Germania,  to 
which  should  be  added  the  two  Swiss  societies,  whose  members,  while  not  Ger- 
mans, according  to  existing  political  divisions,  yet  are  allied  by  identity  of  lan- 
guage and  community  of  feeling  with  the  immigrants  from  Germany.  They 
are  the  Switzer  Mannerchor  and  the  Helvetia  Mannerchor. 

Rochester's  German  press  was  largely  remodeled  during  the  period  from 
1870  to  1884,  the  various  changes  culminating  in  a  consolidation  of  rival  dailies 
under  the  title  of  the  Rochester  Abendpost  und  Beobachter,  published  by  the 
German  Printing  and  Publishing  company,  under  the  joint  editorship  of  Adolph 
Nolte  and  Herman  Pfafflin.  Another  German  journal  is  the  Katholische  Volks- 
Zeitung,  published  and  edited  by  Joseph  A.  Schneider. 

A  feature  of  significance  called  into  activity  during  this  last- described  space 
of  time  is  the  organisation  of  a  German  department  of  the  theological  seminary, 
on  Alexander  street.  From  the  ranks  of  his  students,  now'increased  to  fifty,  Pro- 
fessor Rauschenbusch,  whose  ardor  in  the  course  of  German  culture  has  not 
lessened  with  increase  of  age,  yearly  sends  forth  apostles  imbued  with  his  devo- 
tion to  the  learning  of  the  fatherland.  Since  the  fall  of  1883  there  also  exists 
a  pro-seminary  for  German  clergymen,  which  effectually  aids  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  German  language. 

Our  intention  to  append  to  this  sketch  a  statistical  summary  of  Rochester's 
German  population  has  been  frustrated  by  the  neglect  of  various  church  and 
school  boards  to  furnish  the  information  needed  —  some,  indeed,  were  unable 
to  do  so.  The  authorities  of  eleven  of  the  German  churches  very  obligingly 
gave  the  desired  facts,  and  by  their  aid,  and  analogous  estimates  based  upon 
them,  we  are  enabled  to  make  an  approximate  calculation,  which  gives  as  a  re- 
sult the  estimate  that  Rochester's  German-speaking  population  numbers  from 
30,000  to  33,000,  or  nearly  one-third  of  its  entire  citizenship. 


Western  House  of  Refuge.  497 

CHAPTER  XLVn. 
REFORMATORY  AND  CORRECTIONAL. 

The  Western  House  of  Refuge  l  — Full  Description  of  tlie  Institution  —  Its  History  from  the  Be- 
ginning —  The  Monroe  County  Penitentiary  —  The  County  Jail. 

ON  May  8th,  1846,  the  New  York  state  legislature  passed  an  act  authorising 
the  establishment  of  the  Western  House  of  Refuge.  First,  the  act  pro- 
vides that  "during  the  (then)  present  session  of  the  legislature  the  governor 
shall  appoint  three  commissioners  to  locate  the  Western  House  of  Refuge  and 
to  procure  by  gift. or  purchase  a  site  therefor."  Second,  the  act  further  pro- 
vides that  within  two  months  after  the  location  shall  be  settled  and  the  site 
procured,  the  governor,  lieutenant-governor  and  comptroller  shall  appoint  three 
other  commissioners  to  erect  and  inclose  the  building.  Third,  that  the  gov- 
ernor, lieutenant-governor  and  comptroller  shall  appoint  fifteen  discreet  men  as 
managers,  and  divide  them  into  three  classes  of  five  each  ;  that  the  term  of 
office  of  the  three  classes  shall  expire  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  February  of  the 
first,  second  and  third  years  respectively  after  appointment;  that  whenever 
vacancies  occur  they  shall  be  filled  by  the  governor  with  the  consent  of  the 
Senate  ;  that  the  term  of  office  of  guch  managers  shall  be  three  years  as  near 
as  may  be,  and  that  the  term  of  office  of  one-third  thereof  shall  expire  on  the 
first  Tuesday  of  February  of  each  year ;  that  the  managers  shall  appoint  the 
superintendent  and  such  other  officers  as  they  deem  necessary  for  the  interest 
of  the  institution,  and  shall  have  power  to  make  all  such  rules,  ordinances, 
regulations  and  by-laws  for  the  government,  discipline  and  management  of  the 
said  House  of  Refuge,  its  inmates  and  officers  as  to  them  may  appear  just  and 
proper  ;  and,  finally,  that  the  managers  shall  make  to  the  legislature  a  detailed 
report  of  the  performance  of  their  duty  on  or  before  the  fifteenth  day  of  Jan- 
uary in  each  year. 

In  accordance  with  the  first  provision  of  the  act,  the  governor  appointed 
Daniel  Cady,  Abram  Bockee  and  W.  F.  Havemeyer  as  commissioners  to  locate 
the  institution.  In  June  following,  the  commissioners  located  the  Western 
House  of  Refuge  at  Rochester,  and  purchased  a  site  comprising  forty-two  acres 
of  land — paying  therefor  the  sum  of  $4,200,  being  at  the  price  of  $100  an 
acre.  Of  this  purchase  money  the  state  paid  $3,000,  and  citizens  of  Roches- 
ter paid  $1,200.  The  commissioners  appointed  to  erect  the  building  were 
William  Pitkin,  D.  C.  McCallum  and  Isaac  Hills,  under  whose  supervision  the 
house  was  erected  and  inclosed. 

The  managers  whose  names  first  appear  in  the  report  of  the  house  are 
Frederick  F.  Backus,  William  Pitkin,  Isaac  Hills,  Orlando  Hastings,  Alexander 

1  The  article  on  the  Mouse  of  Refuge  was  prepared  by  Rev.  William  Manning,  the  chaplain  of  the 
institution. 


498  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Mann,  Samuel  P.  Allen,  John  Greig,  Elijah  F.  Smith,  Abraham  M.  Schermer- 
horn,  Samuel  W.  D.  Moore,  Heman  Blodgett,  Jacob  Gould,  Joseph  Field, 
Edward  Roggen  and  Aristarchus  Champion. 

The  managers  appointed  Frederick  F.  Backus  president,  and  Isaac  Hills 
secretary  and  treasurer,  adopted  ordinances,  rules  and  by-laws  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  institution;  elected  Samuel  S.  Wood  superintendent,  H.  W.  Dean, 
M.  D.,  house  physician,  H.  H.  Goff  teacher,  Elizabeth  A.  Taylor  seamstress, 
and  on  August  nth,  1849,  the  Western  House  of  Refuge  was  opened  for  the 
reception  and  reformation  of  juvenile  delinquents. 

On  February  26th,  1850,  an  act  was  passed  (Erecting  the  several  magistrates 
having  criminal  jurisdiction,  and  who  shall  hold  courts  in  the  fourth,  fifth,  sixth, 
seventh  and  eighth  judicial  districts  of  the  state  (which  districts  embrace  forty- 
three  counties),  to  order  all  juvenile  delinquents  by  them  respectively  sentenced, 
to  be  removed  to  the  Western  House  of  Refuge  for  juvenile  delinquents  in  the 
city  of  Rochester.  By  an  act  establishing  the  institution,  each  county  from 
which  delinquents  should  be  committed  thereto  was  required  to  pay  to  the 
treasurer  thereof  the  sum  of  fifty  cents  a  week  for  the  support  of  each  delin- 
quent thus  committed.  By  an  act  passed  April  i6th,  1852,  this  requirement 
was  repealed  ;  since  which  date  provision  for  the  support  of  the  institution  has 
been  made  by  the  legislature  in  the  annual  appropriation  bill. 

The  act  establishing  the  house  authorised  the  commitment  thereto  of  male 
delinquents  under  eighteen  years  of  age  and  of  female  delinquents  under  the 
age  of  seventeen.  By  an  act  passed  April  loth,  1850,  the  law  was  so  changed 
as  to  restrict  the  commitment  of  males  to  those  under  sixteen  years  of  age,  and 
repealing  the  clause  which  authorised  the  commitment  of  feipales  to  the  West- 
ern House  of  Refuge. 

When  first  opened,  the  house  could  furnish  room  for  only  about  fifty  in- 
mates. In  the  second  year  a  wing  was  added,  increasing  the  capacity  to  two 
hundred.  This  wing  was  opened  September  ist,  1852.  A  second  wing  was 
completed  and  opened  in  1855,  increasing  the  capacity  to  four  hundred,  and 
subsequent  alterations  and  additions  have  enlarged  the  capacity  until  six  hun- 
dred boys  can  be  comfortably  accommodated.  The  superintendent  and  family 
have  from  the  first  resided  in  the  house,  and  a  number  of  the  overseers  besides 
the  assistant  superintendent  have  also  occupied  rooms  in  the  building. 

The  first  president  of  the  board  of  managers  was  Frederick  F.  Backus,  who 
held  the  office  nine  years,  until  his  death,  in  1858.  He  was  succeeded  by  William 
Pitkin  who  held  the  office  ten  years.  The  third  president  was  Levi  A.  Ward,  who 
held  the  position  but  one  year,  and  was  followed  by  Thomas  Cornes,  who  was 
president  three  years.  The  fifth  president  was  George  J.  Whitney,  who  was 
continued  in  office  eight  years,  until  his  death.  William  Purcell  succeeded  Mr. 
Whitney.  Mr.  Purcell  held  the  office  one  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Henry 
S.  Hebard,  who  held  the  office  one  year,  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  William 


Western  House  of  Refuge.  499 

N.  Sage.  Mr.  Sage  held  the  office  of  president  two  years,  when  his  term  as 
manager  expired,  and  William  Purcell  was  again  elected  president,  which  office 
he  holds  at  the  present  time.  Isaac  Hills  was  first  elected  to  the  double  office 
of  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  held  the  office  nineteen  years.  Alfred  Ely  was 
the  second  secretary  and  treasurer,  holding  the  office  one  year.  William  C. 
Rowley  followed  as  the  third  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  after  fourteen  years' 
service  he  is  still  filling  the  office  most  efficiently  and  acceptably.  The  names  of 
the  first  board  of  managers  have  been  given  on  a  preceding  page.  Their  suc- 
cessors'in  the  order  of  their  appointment  are  as  follows:  Amon  Bronson,  Isaac 
Hutts,  Gideon  Cobb,  Samuel  G.  Andrews,  James  P.  Fogg,  Elias  Pond,  William 
H.  Briggs,  Samuel  Richardson,  Myron  H.  Clark,  William  A.  Reynolds,  Addi- 
son Gardiner,  John  W.  Dwinellc,  Charles  J.  Hill,  William  S.  Bishop,  Patrick 
Barry,  Hamlin  Stilwell,  Levi  A.  Ward,  William  C.  Rowley,  Andrew  Brennan, 
D.  Cameron  Hyde,  George  J.  Whitney,  Ambrose  Cram,  George  W.  Rawson, 
Abram  Karnes,  Thomas  Cornes,  Alfred  Ely,  George  S.  Riley,  William  S. 
Thompson,  Louis  Chapin,  Louis  Ernst,  James  S.  Graham,  John  O'Donoughue, 
Jerome  Keyes,  William  Purcell,  John  Williams,  Ezra  R.  Andrews,  P.  Malone, 
Mortimer  F.  Reynolds;  William  N.  Sage,  Charles  H.  Monell,  William  Otis,  Wil- 
liam C.  Slayton,  D.  D.  S.  Brown,  Henry  S.  Hebard,  J.  D.  Decker,  Emory  B. 
Chace,  Fred  Cook,  Daniel  W.  Powers,  Louis  J.  Billings,  A.  M.  Semple,  Jonas 
Jones,  Ira  L.  Otis,  Valentine  F.  Whitmore,  Thomas  Raines,  Isaac  Gibbard,  J. 
Miller  Kelly. 

Samuel  S.  Wood  was  the  first  superintendent,  with  David  Dickey,  assistant 
superintendent.  Deacon  Dickey  held  the  office  of  assistant  superintendent 
about  six  months,  when,  much  against  the  wishes  of  the  superintendent  and 
managers,  he  resigned.  Artemas  W,  Fisher  was  appointed  to  the  position  thus 
made  vacant.  Mr.  Wood  performed  the  duties  of  his  position  with  fidelity  and 
success,  piloting  the  institution  through  the  trials  and  perils  of  its  infancy  and 
youth  until  its  weakness  changed  to  strength,  and  it  stood  among  the  established 
institutions  of  the  state.  After  nineteen  years  of  faithful  service  he  yielded  to 
other  and  younger  hands  the  burden  and  responsibility  he  had  carried  so  long. 
Elisha  M.  Carpenter  succeeded  Mr.  Wood  as  superintendent,  with  Mr.  Fi.sher 
remaining  assistant.  At  the  end  of  Mr.  Carpenter's  first  year,  Mr.  Fisher  left 
the  institution,  having  held  the  office  of  assistant  superintendent  nineteen  years. 
Francis  A.  Baker  succeeded  Mr.  Fisher  as  assistant.  Mr.  Carpenter  held  the 
superintendency  not  quite  two  years,  and  in  1 870,  Levi  S.  Fulton  was  elected 
superintendent,  with  Francis  A.  Baker  remaining  assistant.  Mr.  Baker  con- 
tinued assistant  fourteen  years,  until  1883,  when  he  resigned,  and  Samuel  P. 
Moulthrop  was  appointed  first  assistant,  and  Albert  S.  Little  second  assistant, 
Mr.  Moulthrop's  duties  being  confined  to  the  second  division,  composed  of  the 
larger  boys,  and  Mr.  Little's  duties  being  with  the  first  division  composed  of 
the  smaller  boys.     Each  assistant  superintendent  was  also  principal  of  the  school 


Soo  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

in  his  division.  In  practice  it  was  found  that  this  division  of  the  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  assistant  did  not  work  satisfactorily,  and  in  December,  1883, 
the  appointments  were  reconsidered,  and  Samuel  P.  Moulthrop  was  appointed 
deputy  superintendent,  which  office  he  now  holds  Elizabeth  A.  Taylor  was 
appointed  seamstress  in  1849  at  the  opening  of  the  house.  She  performed  her 
duties  quietly,  faithfully  and  conscientiously  for  thirty-three  years  until  1882, 
and  died  at  her  post  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  Very  soon  after  Mr.  Ful- 
ton was  elected  superintendent,  he  commenced  to  improve  the  condition  and 
surrounding  of  the  inmates.  The  long  dining-tables  were  changed  for  short 
ones  running  crosswise  in  the  dining-halls,  the  pewter  or  tin  plates  were  ex- 
changed for  white  earthenware,  the  tin  cups  for  drinking  at  the  meals  were  sup- 
planted by  glass  tumblers,  table-cloths  were  supplied  to  the  tables,  and  the 
quality  and  variety  of  food  was  correspondingly  improved.  These  improve- 
ments have  been  continued  to  the  present  time.  For  fourteen  years  Captain 
Fulton  has  discharged  the  duties  and  borne  the  responsibilities  of  superin- 
tendent, and  he  still  "holds  the  fort"  as  chief  executive  officer  of  the  institution. 

From  the  beginning  the  managers  comprehended  the  necessity  of  separat- 
ing the  comparatively  innocent  boys  from  the  adepts  in  vice  and  crime.  The 
subject  was  anxiously  discussed,  and  in  1863  it  formed  a  part  of  the  managers' 
report  to  the  state  legislature.  Some  effort  was  made  to  solve  the  difficult 
problem  of  how  to  do  it.  In  1856  the  schools  were  graded  as  first  and  second 
grade,  but  no  other  separation  was  effected.  In  1869  a  solid  stone  wall  was 
built  through  the  center  of  the  large  yard  which  forms  the  play-ground,  and 
in  1 870,  very  soon  after  Mr.  Fulton  became  superintendent,  the  boys  were  sep- 
arated into  first  and  second  divisions,  the  first  division,  composed  of  younger 
boys,  occupying  the  south  side,  and  the  older  boys,  composing  the  second  divis- 
ion, occupying  the  north  side,  of  the  division  wall.  The  schools,  work-shops, 
and  play- grounds  have  from  that  date  been  kept  apart,  so"  that  the  boys  of  the 
two  divisions,  at  work,  in  school,  and  at  play,  are  entirely  separated.  This  sep- 
aration, though  based  tipon  age  and  size,  rather  more  than  upon  moral  charac- 
ter and  condition,  was  an  advance  in  the  right  direction,  giving  a  better  chance 
to  protect  the  younger  boys  from  vicious  and  criminal  examples  and  influences. 
The  graduating  department,  of  which  more  will  be  said,  if  wisely  conducted 
should  give  another  advantage  in  the  same  direction. 

From  the  opening  of  the  house,  school  privileges  have  been  enjoyed  by  all 
the  inmates.  The  school-rooms  have  been  enlarged  and  otherwise  improved 
as  necessity  or  opportunity  occurred.  Since  1870  they  have  been  furnished 
with  the  best  modern  seats,  blackboards  and  other  convenient  apparatus.  Each 
division  has  a  male  principal,  with  two  female  assistants  in  the  first  division, 
and  four  female  assistants  in  the  second  division.  Each  female  teacher  in  the 
first  division  has  a  recitation  room,  to  which  her  classes  are  sent,  but  in  the 
second  division  the  large  hall  used  for  school  purposes  is  divided  by  sliding  glass 


Western  House  ok  Refuge.  501 

doors  into  five  school- rooms,  one  being  occupied  during  school  hours  by  the 
principal  and  the  other  four  by  his  assistants.  A  primary  department  has  been 
maintained  since  1862,  with  a  lady  principal.  Three  rooms  are  now  given  to 
this  department  of  the  school.  The  first  lady  principal  was  Mary  A.  Montrose, 
who  held  the  place  two  years.  Mary  A.  Logan  was  the  second  principal  and 
held  the  position  three  years.  In  1867  Anna  M.  Hollenbeck  received  the  ap- 
pointment and  holds  it  at  the  present  time.  The  principals  of  the  first  division, 
with  their  time  of  service,  have  been  Albert  G.  Morey,  one  year;  Hiram  D. 
Vosburg,  two  years  ;  Albert  Backus,  fifteen  years  ;  Robert  0.  Fulton,  one  year ; 
Samuel  P.  Moulthrop,  six  years ;  Albert  S.  Little,  who  now  holds  the  position. 

The  principals  of  the  second  division,  with  their  time  of  service,  have  been 
John  M.  Denton,  four  years ;  Elisha  M.  Carpenter,  nine  years ;  Peter  Brad- 
ley, one  year  ;  Clark  P.  Hard,  one  year  ;  Henry  C.  Woods,  two  years  ;  Francis 
A.  Baker,  seven  years  ;  William  H.  Whiting,  six  years ;  Daniel  C.  Rumsey, 
two  years  ;  William  B.  Mather,  one  year;  Samuel  P.  Moulthrop,  eight  months, 
and  Louis  F.  La  Point,  who  is  the  present  principal. 

For  many  years  the  school  hours  were  from  5  to  8  p.  m.  In  1883  the 
hours  in  the  first  division  were  from  7:30  to  10  a.  m.,  and  from  6:30  to  7:45  p. 
m.  A  recent  change  has  made  the  school  hours  for  both  divisions  the  same, 
viz.,  from  2:30  to  5:15  for  the  afternoon  school,  and  from  6:30  to  7:45  for  the 
evening  session,  the  evening  session  being  devoted  to  oral  and  object  teaching, 
and  to  preparing  the  lessons  for  the  next  day. 

Many  of  the  boys  when  admitted  were  unable  to  read,  a  milch  larger  num- 
ber were  unable  to  write,  while  the  large  majority  knew  nothing  or  next  to 
nothing  of  arithmetic  or  geography.  Nearly  all  when  discharged  have  been 
able  to  read  and  write  fairly,  and  a  large  proportion  have  gone  out  with  a  good 
degree  of  proficiency  in  arithmetic  and  geography,  while  many  have  obtained 
by  oral  instruction  a  rudimental  knowledge  of  grammar,  natural  philosophy 
and  physiology.  A  library  of  entertaining  and  instructive  books  has  been  free 
of  access  from  the  beginning,  to  which  additions  have  been  made  from  time  to 
time,  and  more  recently  a  large  number  of  papers  and  magazines  have  been 
added,  coming  fresh  as  they  are  issued.  The  list  includes  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  copies  of  the  following :  The  Youth's  Companion,  Harper's  Young  People, 
Harper's  Weekly,  Harper's  Monthly  Magazine,  Golden  Days,  Pansy,  Our  Little 
Men  and  Women  and  others  of  a  similar  character.  When  these  periodicals 
are  received  they  are  placed  in  files  and  passed  around,  till  all  who  desire  have 
had  the  reading  of  them.  No  dime  novels  or  flash  story  papers  are  ever  dis- 
tributed or  allowed  among  the  children. 

The  influence  of  faithful  moral  and  religious  teaching  has  from  the  first 
been  appreciated,  and,  with  only  one  short  interval  in  185 1,  a  chaplain  has  con- 
stantly been  emplyed  to  look  after  this  most  necessary  element  in  the  reforma- 
tion of  these  unfortunate  children.     The  first  chaplain's  name  does  not  appear  in 


S02  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  reports,  though  the  fact  is  mentioned  that  there  was  such  an  officer.  In  1852 
Rev.  Mr.  Perrin  was  chaplain,  in  1853  and  1854  Rev.  John  H.  Raymond  held 
the  position,  in  1855  Rev.  M.  B.  Anderson,  LL.D.,  was  appointed  chaplain  and 
continued  to  discharge  his  duties  until  i860,  when  Rev.  James  Nichols  re- 
ceived the  appointment,  which  he  held  until  1864,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
D.  W.  Marsh,  whose  term  of  office  was  one  year,  followed  by  Rev.  J.  W.  B. 
Clark.  At  the  end  of  one  year  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Morgan  was  appointed,  hold- 
ing two  years,  followed  by  Rev.  Jacob  Miller,  who  held  the  office  one  year,  and 
was  followed  by  Rev.  Wayland  R.  Benedict,  who  also  left  at  the  end  of  his  first 
year.  In  1870  Rev.  J.  V.  Van  Ingen,  D.  D.,-was  appointed  chaplain,  holding 
the  position  four  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  T.  C.  Reed,  D.  D.,  who 
remained  two  years.  In  1876  Rev.  Wm.  Manning  received  the  appointment 
of  chaplain,  which  he  .still  holds. 

From  the  opening  of  the  institution  no  religious  or  sectarian  distinction  or 
division  existed  among  its  inmates,  all  of  whom  were  under  the  care  and  in- 
struction of  the  chaplain  ;  assembling  in  school-room  and  chapel  for  moral  and 
religious  instruction  and  devotion.  But  in  1874  the  managers  appointed  a 
Roman  Catholic  priest  as  chaplain  to  the  inmates  whose  parents  or  guardians 
desired  for  their  children  the  ministrations  of  that  church.  An  immediate  di- 
vision was  effected,  a  line  being  drawn  between  Catholics  and  Protestants,  in 
all  their  religious  meetings.  The  Roman  Catholic  church  service  was  intro- 
duced and  is  continued.  The  first  priest  appointed  to  this  duty  was  Rev. 
George  I.  Osborn,  who  held  the  position  four  years,  and  performed  his  duties 
so  unobtrusively  and  courteously  as  to  command  the  esteem  of  all  who  were 
connected  with  the  institution.  In  1879  he  was  sent  to  another  field  of  labor, 
and  Rev.  William  McDonald  was  appointed  his  successor.  Mr.  McDonald  is 
now  occupying  the  position. 

Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Nichols  was  employed  as  Sunday-school  tep-cher  for  sixteen 
years,  from  i860  to  1876.  Her  Sunday-school  was  composed  of  the  smaller 
boys,  and  much  good  was  accomplished  by  her  faithful  labor  among  them. 
During  the  last  eight  years  a  Sunday-school  service  has  been  held  with  the 
boys  from  9  to  lO  a.  m.,  every  Sunday,  the  chaplain  giving  instruction,  and  at 
2: 30  p.  m.,  each  Sunday,  a  general  religious  service,  with  sermon  or  address, 
has  been  held  in  the  chapel,  the  chaplain  conducting  the  exercises.  At  9  a.  m., 
every  Sunday,  mass  has  been  said  with  the  Catholic  children  in  the  chapel,  and 
at  2:30  p.  m.  the  priest  has  met  the  boys  in  the  school-room,  for  such  instruc- 
tion as  he  desired  to  give. 

From  the  beginning,  the  inmates  have  been  favored  with  excellent  provis- 
ions for  the  preservation  of  health,  and  with  excellent  physicians,  for  the  pre- 
vention and  cure  of  sickness.  Dr.  Dean,  the  first  house  physician,  held  the 
office  one  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Frederick  F.  Backus,  who  discharged 
its  duties  during  six  years.    Dr.  H.  D.  Vosburg  held  the  position  two  years,  with 


Western  House  of  Refuge.  503 

Dr.  W.  H.  Briggs  as  consulting  physician,  after  which  Dr.  Briggs  held  the  office 
one  year.  In  i860  Dr.  Azel  Backus  became  the  house  physician,  and  has  filled 
the  office  for  twenty-four  years  with  signal  ability  and  success.  Dr.  Backus  still 
holds  the  office. 

In  the  year  1867  a  number  of  the  ladies  of  Rochester  sent  to  the  legislature 
a  memorial  setting  forth  the  need  of  some  place  of  refuge  for  young  girls,  who 
by  misfortune  or  crime  were  brought  into  evil  associations  and  practices,  and 
who  had  become,  or  were  becoming  criminals.  The  matter  rested  without  re- 
sult until  1 87 1,  when  Levi  S.  Fulton,  then  recently  appointed  superintendent 
of  the  Western  House  of  Refuge,  supported  by  William  Purcell  and  others,  re- 
newed the  agitation  of  the  subject.  Through  their  efforts,  the  press  in  nearly 
all  the  important  towns  of  Central  and  Western  New  York  was  induced  to  take  it 
up,  and  to  advocate  the  establishment  of  an  institution  so  greatly  needed.  The 
attention  of  the  legislature  was  again  and  persistently  directed  to  the  matter, 
and  under  this  influence  an  act  was  passed  on  May  1st,  1875,  providing  for  the 
establishment  of  a  female  reformatory  in  connection  with  the  Western  House 
of  Refuge.  The  building  was  completed  in  the  following  year;  Mrs.  M.  K. 
Boyd  was  appointed  matron.  Miss  Lilla  Hammond  teacher,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Mor- 
doff  housekeeper,  Miss  M.  E.  Neely  hospital  nurse.  Miss  M.  Cook  seamstress, 
and  on  October  3d,  1 876,  the  reformatory  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  in- 
mates. The  building  was  arranged  for  the  accommodation  of  100  girls,  and 
was  rapidly  filled  beyond  its  utmost  capacity,  the  number  in  the  third  year 
reaching  149.  In  1879  a  second  building,  designed  as  a  primary  department, 
was  erected,  and  occupied  by  the  smaller  gii-ls'in  1880.  The  appointment  of 
the  matron  has  proved  most  fortunate  for  the  institution  and  for  ihohe  who 
have  been  committed  to  its  care.  None  could  have  done  better,  few  could  have 
done  so  well,  in  the  difficult  and  trying  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  office. 
Mrs.  Boyd  still  holds  the  position.  In  the  beginning  of  the  second  year  after 
the  opening,  according  to  the  original  design  the  inmates  were  separated  into 
two  divisions,  on  a  basis  like  that  which  had  been  adopted  with  the  boys.  Miss 
Hammond  became  teacher  of  the  first  division,  and  Miss  E.  A.  Kavanaugh 
was  appointed  teacher  of  the  second  division.  In  1878  Miss  Kavanaugh  was 
compelled  by  failing  health  to  resign  the  duties  of  teacher,  and  MissAHce 
E.  Curtin  was  appointed  teacher,  a  position  which  she  is  still  filling  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  all  her  associates.  Miss  Hammond  filled  her  position  until  1882 
faithfully  and  successfully,  when  after  six  years  of  service  she  resigned,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Miss  L.  Pierce,  who  now  fills  the  office.  In  1878  Miss  Ada 
C.  Fyler  was  appointed  teacher  of  the  primary  department,  holding  the  office 
two  years.  She  was  followed  in  1880  by  Miss  CM.  Joslyn,  who  still  holds  the 
position.  The  superintendent,  deputy  superintendent,  physician  and  chaplain 
hold  the  same  relations  to  this  department  as  to  the  male  department.  The 
chaplain  holds  a  Sunday-school  or  Bible  class  with  the  girls  in  their  assembly 


504  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

room  from  11  to  12  a.  m.,  every  Sunday,  and  at.  2:30  p.  m.  The  girls  attend 
the  chapel  service,  occupying  the  convenient  and  spacious  gallery.  The  re- 
sults thus  far  accomplished  in  the  reformation  of  those  committed  to  this  re- 
formatory have  been  very  encouraging  to  its  friends  and  to  the  friends  of  this 
unfortunate  class  of  children.  Not  all,  but  many,  have  been  saved  frqm  a  life 
of  crime  and  shame  and  restored  to  virtue  and  usefulness,  thus  vindicating  the 
wisdom  of  its  establishment. 

The  whole  number  of  boys  received  from  the  opening  of  the  house,  on 
August  nth,  1849,  to  March  ist,  1884,  was  6,221.  Of  this  number  5,514 
have  been  returned  to  their  homes,  or  furnished  with  homes  elsewhere.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  have  escaped,  ninety-four  have  died  in  the  house  and  463 
are  still  inmates.  The  female  department,  from  its  opening,  October  3d,  1876, 
to  March  ist,  1884,  has  received  365  girls.  Of  this  number  260  have  been  re- 
turned to  their  homes  or  sent  to  new  homes,  six  have  died  and  ninety-nine 
remain  inmates  of  the  house. 

From  this  statement  it  appears  that  the  deaths  among  the  boys  during  the 
period  of  about  thirty-four  years  have  been  about  one  and  one-half  per  cent, 
and  less  than  one  and  three- fourths  per  cent,  among  the  girls.  When  we  con- 
sider that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  inmates  of  both  sexes  have  from  their 
infancy  been  exposed  to  surroundings,  privations  and  habits  unfavorable  to 
health,  and  that  many  of  them  when  brought  to  the  house  were  suffering  from 
inherited  or  contracted  disease,  the  mortality  is  much  less  than  might  reasonably 
be  expected,  and  reflects  credit  both  upon  the  careful  sanitary  provisions  and 
precautions  maintained,  and  upon  the  faithfulness  and  skill  of  the  house  physician. 

The  offenses  for  which  the  male  inmates  have  been  committed  have  been 
recorded  as  follows:  For  petit  larceny,  3,764;  vagrancy,  545;  burglary  and 
larceny,  419;  grand  larceny,  299  ;  assault,  or  assault  and  battery,  64;  disorderly 
conduct,  53  ;  malicious  mischief  or  malicious  trespass,  36 ;  arson,  32  ;  rape  or 
attempt  at  rape,  23;  truancy,  17;  robbing  post-office,  16;  forgery,  10;  high- 
way robbery,  10;  assault  with  intent  to  kill,  8;  manslaughter,  7;  robbery,  5  ; 
obtaining  money  or  property  under  false  pretenses,  5  ;  obstructing  railroad 
track,  4;  pocket- picking,  3;  threat  to  stab,  3;  intemperance  or  drunkenness, 
4;  unlawful  riding  on  cars,  3;  indecent  exposure,  3;  unmanageable,  2;  em- 
bezzling letter,  2;  receiving  stolen  goods,  2;  counterfeiting,  2;  murder  in  sec- 
ond degree,  i ;  perjury,  i ;  breaking  into  post-office,  i ;  keeping  house  of  pros- 
titution, I ;  stabbing,  i . 

The  offenses  for  which  the  female  inmates  have  been  committed  are  recorded 
as  follows:  For  petit  larceny,  130;  vagrancy,  95;  prostitution,  71;  disorderly 
conduct,  42;  incorrigibility,  5;  grand  larceny,  3;  street  begging,  i. 

Of  the  whole  number  of  boys  committed,  the  nativity  of  parents  is  recorded 
as  follows:  American,  2,148;  Irish,  1,931;  German,  838;  EngHsh,  442; 
French,  248;    Scotch,  91;    Canadian,  43;  Welsh,   16;    Italian,  7;    Poles,  7; 


Western  House  of  Refuge.  505 

Hollanders,  6;  Swiss,  5;  Spaniards,  3;  Russian,  2;  Swede,  i;  Hungarian,  i. 
The  colored  boys  have  been  classed  as  Americans,  and  have  numbered  199. 
Indians  are  classed  the  same  and  have  numbered  5.  Of  the  whole  number  of 
girls  committed,  the  nativity  of  parents  is  recorded  as  follows:  American,  153  ; 
Irish,  78;  German,  54;  Canadian,  23;  English,  22;  Scotch,  3;  Welsh,  3; 
French,  3 ;  Swiss,  2  ;  Prussian,  i ;  Finn,  i ;  Pole,  i ;  Hollander,  i ;  unknown  20. 
The  colored  girls  are  classed  as  Americans,  and  have  numbered  9. 

The  Western  House  of  Refuge  for  juvenile  delinquents  is  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  architecture  in  Western  New  York.  It  is  situated  one  and  one- 
half  miles  north  from  the  central  part  of  the  city  on  a  farm  of  forty-two  acres, 
which  is  owned  by  the  state,  and  forms  a  part  of  the  establishment. 

The  center  building  of  the  male  department  is  eighty-six  feet  in  length,  by 
sixty-four  in  depth,  and  four  stories  high  above  the  basement.  Two  wings  extend 
north  and  south,  each  one  hundred  and  forty-  eight  feet  long  and  thirty-two  feet 
deep,  and  three  stories  high  above  the  basement.  The  whole  building  is  three 
hundred  and  eighty-two  feet  in  length,  fronting  east  on  Backus  avenue.  Two 
other  wings,  extending  westward  and  of  the  same  dimensions  as  those  described, 
are  connected  with  the  front  at  the  extremities.  The  building  with  its  wings 
affords  room  for  the  superintendent  and.  family,  several  overseers  and  six  hun- 
dred boys. 

Directly  south  of  the  boy's  department,  and  separated  therefrom  by  a  solid 
stone  wall  twenty-two  feet  in  height,  stands  a  beautiful  building  in  the  Norman 
style  of  architecture,  with  a  frontage  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet.  This 
building,  with  another  and  somewhat  smaller  one  situated  two  hundred  feet  in 
rear  of  the  first,  constitutes  the  female  department  of  the  institution.  The  two 
buildings  are  conveniently  arranged  and  thoroughly  furnished  for  the  residence 
of  the  matron  and  her  assistant  officers,  and  for  the  comfortable  home  of  two 
hundred  girls. 

Directly  north  of  the  boy's  department  already  described,  and  correspond- 
ing in  distance  therefrom,  and  in  external  appearance  with  the  female  depart- 
ment, is  the  graduating  house  for  boys.  This  is  designed  as  the  temporary 
home  of  such  boys  as  by  good  behavior  shall  be  entitled  to  such  promotion 
previous  to  being  discharged  from  the  institution.  This  department  will  be 
occupied  by  such  boys  only  as  shall  be  found  trustworthy,  and  an  honorable 
discharge  therefrom  would  be  equivalent  to  a  certificate  of  good  character. 
This  building  is  not  yet  occupied,  but  much  is  expected  when  it  shall  be  opened, 
and  its  beneficent  influence  shall  become  active  to  awaken  and  encourage 
healthy  ambition  and  self-respect.  The  three  buildings  standing  in  line  pre- 
sent a  frontage  of  nine  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet  on  Backus  avenue.  The 
total  cost  of  all  the  buildings  comprising  the  Western  House  of  Refuge,  as  they 
now  stand,  is  $372,469.26.  This  noble  monument  of  state  beneficence  is  now 
in  the  thirty-fifth  year  of  its  history.      It  is  believed  that  thus  far  it  has   fairly 


So6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

; , 

met  the  just  expectations  of  its  founders  and  friends.  The  purpose  of  its  cre- 
ation, and  the  motive  for  its  support  is  to  reform  and  to  save  the  children  who 
could  not  or  would  not  be  otherwise  reformed  or  saved.  May  this  noble  pur- 
pose inspire  and  control  the  management  of  this  sacred  trust  to  the  end ! 

THE  MONROE  COUNTY  PENITENTIARY. 

In  1853  Joshua  Conkey,  Samuel  H.  Davis,  Ezra  B.  True  and  Lewis  Selye 
were  appointed  a  committee  for  the  erection  of  a  work-house,  where  men  might 
be  better  prepared  for  freedom  by  a  habit  of  constant,  hard  labor.  The  con- 
tract price  of  erecting  the  building  was  $22,707.60.  Ninety-two  cells  were 
suitably  furnished  and  Z.  R.  Brockway  was  appointed  superintendent.  The 
institution  began  business  with  a  capital  of  $7,000,  and  in  1854  the  income 
was  $4,000.  In  1856  there  were  seven  hundred  and  fifty-four  commitments, 
of  whom  four  hundred  and  ninety  were  foreigners.  In  1859  two  workshops 
were  erected,  and  a  south  wing  was  built,  having  thirty-two  cells.  In  the  fall 
of  i860  the  business  of  barrel-making  was  changed  to  that  of  finishing  staves, 
shoemaking,  however,  being  continued  as  the  chief  employment.  The  policy 
of  receiving  convicts  from  other  counties  was  found  advantageous,  and  con- 
tinued. The  total  income  for  i860  was  $22,729.30,  a  gain  of  $3,235.28,  and 
the  second  instance  in  history  of  realising  a  profit  from  a  penal  institution. 

The  buildings  were  destroyed  on  the  5th  of  January,  1865,  by  fire,  the 
damage  amounting  to  nearly  $20,000.  '  Again,  on  the  night  of  October  1st, 
1868,  a  fire  destroyed  the  frame  warehouse  and  other  structures  and  destroyed 
the  shops,  to  the  amount  of  $10,000.  In  1873  a  two-story  brick  workshop,  one 
hundred  and  eighty  by  thirty-four  and  a  half  feet,  was  built,  at  acost  of  $9,000. 
The  penitentiary  proper  is  a  four-story  brick  building,  with  two  wings.  In  the 
north  wing  are  the  cells  for  males,  the  females  being  in  the  south  wing.  One 
story  of  the  latter  comprises  the  female  department  for  the  manufacture  of 
shoes.     A  high  brick  wall,  inclosing  shops,  bounds  the  prison  yard. 

The  income  of  the  penitentiary  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1883, 
was  $23,413.87  ;  the  expenditures  were  $26,289.42.  The  number  of  prisoners 
in  confinement  was  two  hundred  and  seventy-four.  There  was  an  average  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  employed  in  the  shoe  manufacture,  which  is  the 
principal  industry.  Z.  R.  Brockway  served  three  terms  as  superintendent,  and 
then  resigned  to  take  charge  of  the  Detroit  House  of  Correction.  Captain 
William  Willard,  of  Connecticut,  ably  supplied  his  place  during  the  last  of  his 
unexpired  term.  Captain  Levi  S.  Fulton  long  and  efficiently  filled  the  position, 
which  requires  peculiar  qualifications.  Alexander  McWhorter  is  the  present 
superintendent.  Benjamin  F.  Gilkeson,  a  former  physician,  was  succeeded  by 
Dr.  J.  W.  Whitbeck.  Rev.  H.  A.  Brewster  first  served  as  chaplain,  without 
salary;  Dr.  Samuel  Luckey  served  till  his  death,  October  nth,  1869,  and  Rev. 
John  Baker  has  satisfactorily  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  since  then. 


The  Jail.  507 

THE  JAIL. 

This  establishment,  more  than  half  a  century  in  age,  has  long  been  the  dis- 
grace of  Monroe  county,  being  condemned  by  one  grand  jury  after  another, 
but  still  remaining  as  impregnable  to  all  moral  assaults  from  without  as  it  would 
be  to  those  material,  though  from  within  it  is  not  so  difficult  to  force  a  passage, 
as  has  been  shown  by  the  many  escapes  that  have  been  made  from  there  in 
other  years.  The  walls  are  strongly  built  of  stone,  and  could  probably  be  used 
to  advantage  in  the  enlargement  of  this  building,  if  that  course  were  taken  in 
preference  to  erecting  a  new  structure  on  another  site,  but  one  of  the  two  ac- 
tions is  imperatively  necessary  and  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  performed  before  the 
year  is  over.  In  early  days  the  vicious  and  hardened  inmates  were  separated 
from  those  confined  for  lighter  offenses,  but  for  a  long  time  past  all  have  been 
herded  together,  even  those  perfectly  innocent  persons  who  are  detained  as 
witnesses  being  thrown  into  contact  with  those  who  are  awaiting  trial  for  crimes 
of  all  descriptions.  No  censure  is  to  be  cast  upon  either  the  sheriff,  the  jailer 
or  any  of  the  deputies,  either  at  this  time  or  in  any  previous  term,  for  all  those 
oflficials  seem  to  have  done  as  well  as  possible  with  so  decayed  and  miserable  a 
structure,  their  vigilance  being  necessarily  increased  by  the  neglect  of  succes- 
sive boards  of  supervisors,  who  have  failed  in  their  duty  to  provide  a  decent 
and  safe  place  of  temporary  confinement  for  the  continually  increasing  number 
of  those  who,  for  a  variety  of  causes,  have  to  be  placed  under  lock  and  key. 
The  building  is,  of  course,  under  the  control  of  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  Frank 
A.  Schoeffel,  who  is  nominally  the  jailer,  but  it  is  in  immediate  charge  of  the  as- 
sistant jailer,  John  Cawthra;  the  physician  is  Dr.  E.  H.  Howard,  and  the  chap- 
lain William  Harris.  Six  executions  have  taken  place  within  the  inclosure  of 
these  gloomy  walls,  which,  though  mentioned  elsewhere  in  the  history  of  the 
city,  may  be  recapitulated  here:  Octavius  Barron  was  hanged  July  25th,  1838  ; 
Austin  Squires  November  29th,  1838;  Maurice  Antonio  June  3d,  1852;  Ira 
Stout  October  22d,  1858;  Franz  Joseph  Messner  August  nth,  1871,  and  John 
Clark  November  19th,  1875. 


So8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAPTER   XLVni. 

THE  ROCHESTER  RAPPINGS.  i 

Sounds  Heard  at  Hydesville  —  The  Fox  Family  —  Doings  on  March  31st,  1848  —  First  Supposed 
Intelligent  Response  —  Mrs.  Leah  Fish  and  Her  Investigations  —  The  Fox  Girls  Separated  — Ra]>- 
pings  on  the  Boat  — Investigation  in  Rochester  and  Use  of  the  Alphabet  —  Public  Investigation  Urged 
—  Committees  Selected  —  Corinthian  Hall  Investigation  —  Reports  of  Committees,  etc. 


THE  name  of  this  city  is  so  widely  associated  with  a  philosophy  or  rehgious 
belief  known  as  Spiritualism,  that  a  history  of  Rochester  would  be  in- 
complete without  some  account  of  the  origin  of  modern  spiritualism.  The 
"Rochester  rappings"  have  been  discussed  in  the  last  thirty- five  years  in  all 
civiHsed  lands,  by  believers  and  unbelievers,  and  the  believers  are  said  to  num- 
ber millions. 

Important  events  and  the  rise  of  religious  sects  have  made  notable  many 
towns  in  history.  Stratford-on-Avon  and  Shakespeare  are  thought  of  together; 
Salem  and  witchcraft  coine  to  mind  when  the  historian  talks  of  either;  Mecca 
and  Mahomet  are  associated  together,  as  are  Nazareth  and  the  carpenter's  son. 

The  sounds  which  soon  came  to  be  known  as  "  Rochester  rappings"  were 
first  heard  in  Hydesville,  a  little  hamlet  in  Wayne  county,  New  York.  The 
house  was  occupied  in  1848  by  John  D.  Fox  and  wife,  and  their  youngest  chil- 
dren, Margaretta  and  Catharine,  aged  twelve  and  nine  years  respectively.  Prior 
to  the  occupancy  of  this  house  by  the  Fox  family,  peculiar  noises,  it  was  said, 
had  been  heard  on  the  premises.  The  dwelling  was  owned  by  a  Mr.  Hyde,  a 
large  farmer  living  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  The  house  is  now  owned  by  A. 
W.  Hyde,  a  son  of  the  former  proprietor.  The  tenant  who  occupied  the  house 
in  1843-44  complained  of  hearing  unusual  noises,  and  one  Lucretia  Pulver,  a 
girl  residing  in  the  family,  reported  that  she  occasionally  heard  pounding  and 
other  noises  for  which  she  could  not  account.  Some  young  people,  whom  Lu- 
cretia invited  on  one  occasion  to  remain  with  her  over  night,  also  reported  that 
they  heard  noises  whiph  sounded  Hke  the  footsteps  of  a  person  passing  from  the 
bed-room  to  the  pantry,  then  down  the  cellar  stairs,  where  a  few  steps  were  ap- 
parently taken,  then  the  noise  suddenly  ceased.  The  wife  of  the  tenant  fre- 
quently stated  to  the  servant  girl  that  she  was  "sick  of  her  life;  that  she  often 
heard  footsteps  of  a  man  walking  about  the  house  all  night." 

In  1846  and  for  a  part  of  1847  the  house  was  occupied  by  Michael  Week- 
man.  His  story  was  that  he  heard,  on  various  occasions,  strange  noises.  He 
stated  that  one  evening,  about  nine  o'clock,  he  heard  a  rapping  on  the  outside 
door;  no  one  was  to  be  seen.  This  was  repeated  several  tirhes,  and  though 
Mr.  Weekman  opened  the  door  instantly,  after  hearing  the  rap,  he  saw  no  one. 
He  could  hear  the  heavy  blows,  feel  the  jar  of  the  door,  but  could  find  no  per- 
son that  caused  it.     A  little  daughter  of  Mr.  Weekman  was   greatly  disturbed 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Mr.  R.  D.  Jones. 


The  Rochester  Rappings.  509 

and  alarmed  by  the  noises  at  intervals,  and  sometimes  in  the  night  she  ran 
screaming  to  her  parents. 

In  the  fall  of  1847  John  D.  Fox  and  family  moved  from  Rochester  to  New- 
ark in  Wayne  county.  Circumstances  soon  after  led  Mr.  Fox  to  rent  the 
Hydesville  house,  and  he  succeeded  Mr.  Weekman  as  a  tenant  on  the  nth  of 
December,  1 847.  The  family  consisted,  as  before  stated,  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox 
and  their  two  young  daughters,  Margaretta,  aged  twelve  years,  and  Catharine, 
aged  nine  years.  Mr.  Fox  was  a  blacksmith,  and  he  rented  a  shop  in  Hydes- 
ville. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  were  devout  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
were  held  in  esteem  as  conscientious  Christian  persons  by  the  church  of  which 
they  were  members,  and  by  their  acquaintances  in  Rochester  and  in  Wayne 
county.  Mr.  Fox's  ancestors  were  from  Germany.  Mrs.  Fox's  family  were  of 
French  origin.  The  name  of  Mrs.  Fox's  father  was  Rutan,  and  both  on  the 
paternal  and  maternal  side  there  were  traditions  that  several  of  their  ancestors 
possessed  what  has  been  called  "  second  sight."  These  traditions  had  no  effect 
to  weaken  the  religious  faith  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox.  Neither  believed  in  ghosts 
or  haunted  houses.  The  first  night  the  family  of  Mr.  Fox  spent  in  the  Hydes- 
ville house,  strange  and  unaccountable  noises  were  heard,  which  alarmed  Mrs. 
Fox  and  the  children.  Mr.  Fox  at  first  quieted  the  alarm  by  saying  that  the 
shoemaker  across  the  way  was  probably  pounding  leather,  but  when  the  noise 
seemed  to  be  nearer,  and  in  the  house,  he  said  it  must  be  rats.  The  sounds 
continued,  and  were  heard  nearly  every  night.  Soon  the  noises  appeared  to 
come  from  tables  and  chairs,  and  then  the  father  charged  the  children  with 
causing  them.  But  when  he  saw  the  little  girls  pale  and  trembling  with  fright, 
and  heard  the  noises  on  the  walls  of  the  room,  and  on  furniture  distant  from 
the  children,  the  idea  that  the  little  girls  were  playing  tricks  was  abandoned. 
The  sounds  continued  through  January  and  February,  though  varying  in  char- 
acter. Sometimes  the  inmates  of  the  house  affirmed  that  the  noises  were  like 
the  sawing  of  wood,  and  fearful  groans  were  heard;  occasionally  a  heavy  body 
seemed  by  the  noise  to  be  dragged  through  the  rooms,  down  the  cellar  stairs, 
followed  by  a  sound  like  shoveling  in  the  cellar;  the  parents  saw  nothing,  but 
the  children  frequently  complained  that  some  invisible  thing  touched  them,  like 
a  hand,  and  they  asserted  that  there  must  be  a  dog  about  the  bed.  The  mother 
slept  with  the  girls  and  tried  to  quiet  their  fear.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  daily  united 
in  prayer  that  this  affliction  might  pass  from  them  —  that  they  might  live  in 
quietness.  They  hesitated  to  inform  the  neighbors  of  their  annoyance,  dread- 
ing their  ridicule;  the  mother,  however,  informed-  her  son,  David,  who  resided 
about  three  miles  from  his  parents.  He  listened  with  incredulity  and  tried  to 
convince  his  mother  that  it  was  all  imagination,  and  that  the  real  cause  "of 
their  annoyance  would  soon  be  discovered  and  then  she  would  laugh  at  her 
foolish  fears." 

On  Friday  evening,  March  31st,  1848,  the  family,  completely  worn  out  by 


5IO  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  disturbances,  proposed  to  retire  early,  and  if  possible  obtain  needed  rest. 
The  children  were  sent  to  bed  and  charged  to  "  lie  still,"  and  not  notice  the 
sounds.  The  parents  before  retiring  tried  the  windows  and  doors,  not  only  to 
see  if  they  were  perfectly  secure,  but  also  to  ascertain  if  the  noises  could  be 
made  from  the  outside.  As  they  shook  the  windows,  they  affirm,  the  noises 
seemed  to  be  louder  and  more  persistent,  as  if  in  mockery.  The  children  could 
not  sleep  and  left  their  beds  to  be  near  their  parents.  Catherine  —  or  Kate,  as 
she  was  called  —  having  become  so  familiar  with  the  sounds,  was  not  particu- 
larly frightened  when  in  a  lighted  room  and  with  her  parents.  This  evening, 
the  mother  said,  she  was  uncommonly  indiflferent,  and  in  childish  glee  com- 
menced talking  to  what  they  called  invisible  disturbers,  and  merrily  snapping 
her  fingers  called  out :  "  Here,  Mr.  Splitfoot,  do  as  I  do."  The  parents  sai'd 
the  response  was  instantaneous ;  the  invisible  rapper  sounded  the  number  of 
times  the  girl  snapped  her  fingers.  She  made  other  motions,  and  the  number 
was  immediately  sounded  by  raps.  At  length,  in  great  glee,  Kate  cried  out : 
"  Only  look,  mother,  look,  it  can  see  as  well  as  hear."  Mrs.  F"ox  conceived 
the  idea  that  whatever  could  see  and  hear,  and  intelligently  respond  to  queries, 
must  be  possessed  of  something  in  common  with  humanity.  She  said  to  the 
unseen  intelligence:  "Count  ten."  There  were  ten  raps.  She  asked  the  age 
,of  Margaretta  and  of  Kate,  and  the  sounds  responded  correctly,  as  she  affirmed 
they  did  to  other  and  more  difficult  questions.  Then  she  asked:  "  Are  you  a 
man  that  knocks  ?  "  No  response.  "  Are  you  a  spirit  ?  "  Then  there  were 
loud  and  distinct  rappings.  Again  :  "Will  you  rap  if  the  neighbors  are  called 
in?"  and  there  was  loud  rapping,  which  was  taken  as  an  affirmative  answer. 
Mrs.  Fox  then  went  for  a  Mrs.  Redfield  ;  she  came,  but  could  not  solve  the 
mystery,  and  other  neighbors  were  summoned. 

Among  the  persons  who  called  at  the  house  by  request  on  the  evening  of 
the  31st  of  March  was  William  Duesler,  residing  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
made  what  investigation  he  could  that  night,  and  in  company  with  others  con- 
tinued for  three  days  his  efforts  to  solve  the  mystery.  Twenty-two  persons 
besides  Mr.  Duesler  were  engaged  in  this  investigation  during  this  time,  and  all  of 
them  signed  a  statement  of  the  transactions  and  declaring  their  inability  to  de- 
tect any  trick  or  fraud  in  the  production  of  the  sounds.  This  statement,  with 
other  alleged  facts,  was  soon  after  published  at  Canandaigua  by  E.  E.  Lewis. 
This  pamphlet  of  forty  pages  was  entitled  "  A  report  of  the  mysterious  noises 
heard  in  the  house  of  John  D.  Fox  in  Hydesville,  Arcadia,  Wayne  county. 
Authenticated  by  the  certificates  and  confirmed  by  the  statements  of  the  citi- 
zens of  that  place  and  vicinity." 

Mr.  Duesler,  in  his  investigation  of  the  sounds,  asked  if  a  spirit  was  making 
the  noises,  and  if  it  was  an  injured  spirit,  and  received  what  was  understood  to 
be  affirmative  answers.  At  this  time  loud  and  repeated  sounds  were  interpreted 
to  mean  Yes,  and  silence,  No.     The  respqnses  indicated  that  the  sounds  were 


The  Rochester  Rappings.  S  i  • 

made  by  the  spirit  of  a  man  who  had  been  murdered  in  that  house  for  his 
money,  by  a  former  occupant,  and  that  the  body  was  buried  in  the  cellar.  Mr. 
Duesler  says: — 

"  I  went  into  the  cellar  with  several  others,  and  had  them  all  leave  the  house  over 
our  heads,  and  then  I  asked  :  '  If  there  has  been  a  man  buried  in  the  cellar,  manifest  it 
by  rapping  or  by  any.  other  sign.'  The  moment  I  asked  the  question  there  was  a  sound 
like  the  falling  of  a  stick  about  a  foot  long  and  half  an  inch  through,  on  the  floor  in  the 
bedroom  over  our  heads.  It  did  not  seem  to  rebound  at  all ;  there  was  but  one  sound. 
I  then  asked  Stephen  Smith  to  go  up  and  examine  the  room  and  see  if  he  could  dis- 
cover the  cause  of  the  noise.  He  came  back  and  said  that  he  could  discover  nothing, 
that  there  was  no  one  in  the  room  or  in  that  part  of  the  house.  I  then  asked  two  more 
questions  and  it  rapped  in  the  usual  way.  We  all  went  up  stairs  and  made  a  thorough 
search  but  could  find  nothing." 

On  the  3d  of  April  David  Fox  and  others  commenced  digging  in  the  cellar 
to  determine  if  a  body  had  been  buried  there.  Water  flowed  into  the  cellar  so 
freely,  in  consequence  of  heavy  rains,  that,  after  digging  down  two  or  three 
feet,  the  digging  was  suspended  for  a  time.  During  the  summer  it  was  resumed 
and  the  result  was  the  finding  of  a  plank,  beneath  it  a  vacant  space,  some  crock- 
ery (supposed  to  be  portions  of  a  wash-bowl),  charcoal,  quick  lime,  human  hair, 
and  a  portion  of  a  human  skull  Such  were  the  only  evidences  found  to  cor- 
roborate the  affirmations  made.  During  the  few  days  of  investigation  following 
the  31st  of  March  the  alphabet  was  used  in  trying  to  ascertain  names,  and  on 
one  occasion  the  name  of  Charles  B.  Rosna  was  obtained,  with  the  assertion 
that  he  was  the  murdered  man.  At  the  time  indicated  a  peddler  had  suddenly 
disappeared  from  the  neighborhood,  and  the  man  who  lived  in  the  house  at 
the  time  of  the  disappearance  of  the  peddler,  when  he  heard  the  results  of  the 
digging,  promptly  visited  Hydesville.  He  produced  a  certificate  of  character 
numerously  signed  by  those  who  knew  him,  declaring  they  "  had  never  known 
any  thing  against  his  good  character,  and  believed  him  to  be  a  matt  of  honest 
and  upright  life,  incapable  of  committing  the  crime  of  which  he  was  suspected." 
There  was  therefore  no  further  investigation  of  the  indicated  murder,  or  attempt 
to  find  the  perpetrator  of  the  alleged  crime. 

Mrs.  Leah  Fish,  a  married  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox,  was  a  music- 
teacher  who  lived  in  Rochester,  and  had  not  resided  with  her  parents  for  some 
years.  On  first  hearing  of  the  disturbance  in  her  father's  home  she  gave  little 
heed  to  it,  thinking  it  a  matter  that  would  soon  be  explained.  Continuing  to 
hear  of  the  disturbance  and  of  the  distress  it  caused  her  parents,  she  went  to 
Hydesville,  fully  believing  that  she  could  solve  the  mystery.  She  believed  her 
pious  and  truthful  parents  were  cruelly  slandered  when  charged  with  the  de- 
ception and  practices  imputed  to  them.  She  commenced  an  investigation  ;  she 
daily  heard  the  noises,  but  could  not  account  for  them.  She  thought,  how- 
ever, that  she  had  made  some  discoveries  in  regard  to  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  rappings  were  most  distinctly  heard,  and  the  responses  to  questions 
most  accurate.     She  observed  that  when  the  family  was  gathered  about  the 


$12  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

table  at  meal  time  the  rappings  were  more  distinct,  and  that  the  presence  of 
Margaretta  and  Catharine  were  requisite  for  the  more  positive  manifestations. 
She  declared  herself  convinced  that  there  was  no  fraud,  no  conscious  action  on 
the  part  of  her  little  sisters  that  produced  the  sounds,  though  the  knockings  were 
increased  .and  more  intensified  in  their  presence.  Mrs.  Fish  became  convinced 
there  must  be  some  change  in  the  family  to  stop  the  proceedings,  and  said : 
"Mother,  the  girls  must  leave  home  for  a  time,  and  then  all  will  be  quiet  and 
you  can  rest  in  peace."  She  thought  it  would  be  wise  also  to  separate  the  girls. 
Accordingly,  arrangements  were  made  to  send  Margaretta  to  visit  the  family 
of  E.  W.  Capron,  a  friend  residing  in  Auburn.*  Mrs.  Fish  said  she  would  take 
Catharine  to  Rochester.  She  went  on  board  a  canal-boat  with  Catharine,  then 
a  common  way  of  traveling,  and  congratulated  herself  that  she  had  succeeded 
in  securing  quiet  for  the  family,  and  in  putting  a  stop  to  the  noises  which  had 
been  the  occasion  of  so  much  annoyance.  The  boat  had  proceeded  but  a  few 
miles,  when  suddenly  the  same  Hydesville  rapping,  loud  apd  distinct,  was  heard 
on  the  floor  of  the  cabin.  Mrs.  Fish  was  startled  and  greatly  annoyed.  The 
raps  were  heard  at  intervals  all  the  way  to  the  city.  On  reaching  her  home 
the  knockings  loudly  greeted  her  unwilling  ears.  She  catechised  the  sounds, 
and  learned  that  "the  spirits,"  as  the  invisible  intelligences  affirmed  they  were, 
did  not  intend  to  cease  their  manifestations. 

Mrs.  Fish  was  greatly  perplexed  and  called  together  a  few  friends  for  con- 
sultation. George  Bush  and  wife  had  been  to  Hydesville  and  had  heard  the 
sounds,  and  they  were  among  the  number  whose  counsel  was  sought.  Lyman 
Granger,  a  prominent  citizen,  called  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Fish,  and  he  was  con- 
sulted. The  few  persons  to  whom  the  case  was  made  known  concluded  to  hold 
some  meetings,  quietly,  and  see  what  .they  could  find  out.  Very  soon  Isaac 
and  Amy  Post  heard  that  some  of  their  friends  were  listening  with  interest  to 
what  had  now  come  to  be  called  "spirit-rappings,"  and  they  thought  these  well 
known  persons  were  losing  their  good  sense.  One  of  the  investigators  called 
at  Mrs.  Post's  with  Catharine  Fox,  and  these  staid  friends  could  not  suppress 
their  smile  of  incredulity  when  it  was  suggested  that  then  and  there  they  should 
sit  down  and  listen  to  "spirit-rapping."  They  heard,  they  questioned,  and 
soon  joined  the  little  band  of  investigators.  Rev.  A.  H.  Jervis,  a  Methodist 
clergyman,  about  the  same  time  also  became  an  investigator  and  he  and  Lyman 
Granger  asserted  that  they  had  spiritual  manifestations  at  their  own  residences 
early  in  1 849,  without  the  presence  of  any  of  the  Fox  family. 

After  their  first  so-called  intelligent  responses  were  obtained  in  March,  1 848, 
until  near  the  close  of  1849,  comparatively  few  persons  paid  any  attention  to, 
or  were  interested  in  the  rappings.  A  few  individuals  in  Auburn  and  in  Roches- 
ter continued  to  be  deeply  interested,  and  occasionally  a  person  from  a  distance 
would  go  and  listen  tb  the  mysterious  rappings.  What  purported  to  be  the  spirits 
controlling  the  manifestations  in  the  summer  and  early  fall  months  of  1849 


The  Rochester  Rappings.  5 1 3 

(and  Franklin  and  Swedenborg  were  generally  mentioned  in  this  connection) 
expressed  a  desire  to  have  some  public  demonstration.  The  manner  of  com- 
munication was  by  calling  the  alphabet,  the  raps  responding  to  different  letters, 
which,  put  together,  formed  words  and  sentences.  This  method,  though  once 
or  twice  used  in  the  Hydesville  excitement,  was  not  thought  of  again  until  sug- 
gested in  the  summer  of  1848,  by  Isaac  Post.  After  that  it  was  the  adopted 
custom  of  getting  the  communications.  The  Fox  family,  and  their  friends, 
strongly  objected  to  the  idea  of  a  public  demonstration.  Mrs.  Fish  said  the 
odium  they  had  already  suffered  was  as  much  as  they  could  bear.  To  this,  the 
spirits  are  reported  to  have  replied  "they  could  not  always  strive  with  them" 
and  that  unless  they  consented  they  should  leave  them  and  in  all  probability 
withdraw  until  a  wiser  generation  and  more  willing  agents  would  listen  to  and 
heed  their  advice.  One  evening,  after  these  repeated  requ.ests  and  refusals,  the 
intelligences  announced  they  were  about  to  depart  and  that  in  twenty  minutes 
they  should  leave.  At  the  expiration  of  the  time,  these  words  were  spelled  out 
in  the  usual  manner:* "We  now  bid  you  all  farewell."  The  raps  ceased  and 
the  family  said:   "We  are  glad  to  be  rid  of  you." 

For  days  not  a  sound  or  rap  was  heard.  The  change  was  so  great  that  Mrs. 
P''ish  and  others  said  they  began  to  feel  that  instead  of  a  good  riddance  they  had 
met  with  a  loss.  The  friends  who  had  been  accustomed  to  holding  converse 
with  the  rappings,  and  who  thought  they  had  through  them  communicated  with 
departed  relatives  and  friends,  assembled  and  besought  the  invisibles  to  give 
token  of  their  presence.  There  was  no  response.  "The  spirits  have  left  us" 
was  the  daily  answer  of  Mrs.  Fish  to  those  who  called.  On  the  twelfth  day  of 
the  silence,  E.  W.  Capron,  of  Aubu);n,  and  George  Willetts,  of  Rochester,  called 
on  Mrs.  Fish  and  their  questions  in  regard  to  the  rapping  were  answered  as 
usual  —  "The  spirits  have  left  us."  Mr.  Capron  said:  "Perhaps  they  will  rap 
for  us,  if  not  for  you."  They  formed  a  circle  and  on  putting  the  often- repeated 
question,  "Will  you  rap  for  us?"  they  said  they  were  greeted  with  a  perfect 
storm  of  the  old  familiar  sounds,  and  that  the  family,  who  had  earnestly  prayed 
that  the  rappers  would  depart  from  them,  now  earnestly  besought  the  invisible 
friends,  "never  to  leave  nor  forsake  them." 

Immediately  on  the  return  of  the  rappings,  the  communications  again  urged 
the  importance  of  a  public  demonstration.  Mrs.  Fish  and  the  few  friends  upon 
whom  it  is  said  this  subject  was  pressed  dreaded  the  odium  of  taking  so  prom- 
inent a  position ;  the  rappings  urged,  and  the  answer  was :  "  The  cross  is  too 
great  to  bear."  Then  these  words' were  given  :  "The  greater  will  be  your  tri- 
umph." At  this  time  Catharine  had  gone  to  Auburn,  and  Margaretta  was 
with  Mrs.  Fish  in  Rochester.  The  sounds  were  equally  strong  in  the  presence 
of  either  of  the  young  girls.  One  evening  in  the  fall  of  1849  ^  circle  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Isaac  and  Amy  Post.  Amy,  being  occupied,  did  not  at  first 
join  in  the  sitting.     The  subject  of  the  public  meeting  was  spoken  of,  and  the 


514  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sounds  called  for  the  alphabet,  (five  sounds  in  rapid  succession  had  come  to  be 
understood  as  such  a  call),  and  these  words  were  spelled  out,  "Call  Amy." 
Mrs.  Post  came  into  the  room  and  the  communication  continued:  "Amy,  in- 
vite sixteen  persons  to  your  house  on  Thursday  evening  next  to  hear  the  rap- 
ping." Amy  asked:  "Whom  shall  I  invite?"  The  names  of  sixteen  promi- 
nent gentlemen  of  the  city  were  spelled.  Mrs.  Post  still  sought  direction  and 
said:  "How  shall  I  invite  theni?"  The  answer,  given  as  before,  by  the  spell- 
ing of  words,  letter  by  letter,  was:  "Through  the  post-office."  "What  shall  I 
say  to  them?"  queried  Amy,  again.  Then  the  form  of  the  invitation  was 
given  as  follows:  — 

"Mr. ,  you  are  invited  by  the  spirits  to  call  at   the   house   of  Amy 

and  Isaac  Post,  next  Thursday  evening,  at  eight  o'clock,  to  hear  spirit-rapping." 

Mrs.  Post  sent  the  invitation  precisely  as  dictated  to  each  of  the  gentlemen 
named,  all  of  whom  responded  except  ■  one  prominent  physician.  When  the 
company  assembled  on  the  evening  named,  the  rapping  commenced.  Some 
of  the  party  went  into  the  cellar;  the  sounds  were  above  them;  those  in  the 
parlor  said  the  raps  seemed  to  proceed  from  the  cellar.  The  rappings  were 
unusually  loud.  Some  proposed  to  ask  questions.  The  raps  spelled  out:  "We 
did  not  invite  you  to  get  communications,  but  hear  the  sounds,"  and  no  ques- 
tions were  asked.  Another  meeting  was  appointed  for  the  next  week,  at  the 
house  of  George  Willetts,  and  the  same  gentlemen  were  invited.  The  result 
of  this  gathering  was  the  same  as  before ;  loud  rappings  were  heard  in  all  parts 
of  the  room.  A  third  meeting  was  held.  Then  there  was  inquiry  as  to  the 
object  of  the  meetings  and  why  these  strangers  to  the  manifestations  were  in- 
vited. The  answer  was:  "We  wanted  pro^iinent  persons  to  hear  the  sounds 
who  should  know  they  were  not  the  result  of  trick  or  deception,  for  the  influ- 
ence they  may  exert  on  the  public  meeting;  and  more  than  all,  to  give  the 
friends  confidence  in  our  ability  to  make  the  sounds  in  a  public  meeting." 

A  meeting  of  a  few  friends  more  familiar  with  the  rappings  was  then  called 
at  the  house  of  Isaac  Post.  Some  felt  that  a  public  meeting  was  important, 
yet  all  shrank  from  being  prominent  actors  in  it,  and  silently  prayed  that  "  this 
cup  might  pass  from  them."  The  invisibles  were  persistent;  they  said  the 
meeting  must  be  held,  and  held  in  Corinthian  hall,  and  proceeded  in  the  usual 
way  to  give  directions.  November  14th,  1849,  was  appointed  as  the  time  for 
the  meeting.  E.  W.  Capron,  of  Auburn,  who  was  familiar  with  the  phenomena 
from  the  first,  was  selected  to  give  the  audience  a  history  of  the  manifestations, 
and  to  ask  for  a  committee  of  citizens  to  make  an  investigation.  Isaac  Post 
and  George  Willetts  were  appointed  to  attend  to  the  general  business  arrange- 
ments, Rev.  A.  H.  Jervis,  Nathaniel  Draper,  Lyman  Granger,  Amy  Post  and 
Mrs.  Pierpont  to  go  on  the  platform  with  Mrs.  Leah  Fish  and  the  medium, 
Margaretta  Fox.  When  the  names  of  the  above  mentioned  persons  were 
spelled  out  and  their  duties  assigned,  a  witness  of  the  proceedings  said,  "con- 


The  Rochester  Rappings.        '  515 

sternation  was  visible  on  every  countenance."  To  be  known  as  believers  in 
what  the  public  stigmatised  as  a  vile  and  wicked  deception  was  incurring,  they 
thought,  sufficient  odium,  and  now  to  be  placed  in  a  prominent  position  before 
an  iftcredulous  public  seemed  a  burden  too  great  to  bear.  The  rapping  ceased, 
and  upon  the  chosen  few  "fell  fear  and  trembling."  At  length  Rev.  A.  H. 
Jervis  arose  and  said:  "I  will  go;  I  am  not  afraid  to  face  a  frowning  world." 
The  others  then  agreed  to  perform  their  assigned  duty. 

The  meeting  was  held  on  the  evening  of  November  14th,  1849.  All  the 
persons  were  present  on  the  stage,  as  designated.  Mr,  Capron  gave  a  concise 
history  of  the  rappings  from  the  commencen\ent  to  that  time.  The  audience 
paid  profound  attention;  occasionally  during  Mr.  Capron's  remarks  a  distinct, 
though  muffled,  sound  of  the  raps  was  heard.  At  the  close  of  the  lecture  a 
committee  of  investigation  composed  of  five  prominent  citizens  was  appointed, 
with  instructions  to  report  on  the  subsequent  evening,  to  which  time  the  meet- 
ing adjourned.  The  committee  nominated  by  the  audience  we're  A.  J.  Combs, 
Daniel  Marsh,  Nathaniel  Clark,  A.  Judson  and  Edward  Jones.  The  committee 
spent  the  following  day  in  the  investigation,  and  on  the  evening  of  November 
15th  a  very  lar'ge  audience  assembled  in  Corinthian  hall  to  hear  the  report. 
The  committee  reported  substantially  as  follows:^ 

"That,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  persons  in  whose  presence  the  manifestations 
are  made,  the  committee  selected  the  hall  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance  as  the  place  for 
the  investigation;  that  the  sounds  were  heard  on  the  floor  near  where  Mrs.  Fish  and 
Margaretta  stood,  and  that  some  of  the  committee  heard  the  rapping  on  the  wall  behind 
them.  A  number  of  questions  were  asked,  which  were  answered,  not  altogether  right 
nor  altogether  wrong.  In  the  afternoon  they  went  to  the  house  of  a  citizen,  and  while 
there  the  sounds  were  heard  on  the  outside  (apparently)  of  the  front  door,  and  when  in 
the  house  on  the  door  of  the  closet.  When  a  hand  was  placed  upon  the  door,  and  when 
the  rapping  occurred,  ajar  was  sensibly  felt.  One  of  the  committee  placed  one  of  his 
hands  upon  the  feet  of  the  ladies  and  the  other  hand  on  the  floor,  and  though  the  feet 
were  not  moved  there  was  a  distinct  jar  of  the  floor.  When  the  ladies  were  separated 
at  a  distance  no  sound  was  heard,  but  when  a  third  person  was  interposed  between  them 
the  sounds  .were  heard.  On  the  pavement  and  on  the  ground  the  same  sounds  were 
heard.  The  ladies  seemed  to  give  every  opportunity  to  the  committee  to  investigate 
the  case  fully,  and  offered  to  submit  to  a  thorough  examination  by  ladies  if  desired.  All 
the  members  of  the  committee  agreed  in  reporting  that  the  sounds  were  heard,  but  they 
had  failed  to  discover  the  means  by  which  they  were  made." 

The  audience,  which  had  now  become  somewhat  excited,  had  expected  a 
different  report  —  one  that  would  effectually  explode  "the  foolish  humbug." 
Considerable  discussion  ensued,  and  some  asserted  that  the  investigation  had 
not  been  sufficiently  thorough.  The  meeting  therefore  resolved  to  adjourn  to 
the  next  evening  and  to  appoint -a  committee  that  "will  find  out  the  deception." 
The  following  named  persons  were  appointed  such  committee:  Dr.  H.  H.  Lang- 
worthy,  Frederick  Whittlesey,  D.  C.  McCallum,  WilHam  Fisher,  and  Judge  A. 
P.  Haskell,  of  LeRoy. 


5i6  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

To  avoid  all  possibility  of  fraud  or  collusion  the  investigations  of  this  second 
committee  were  conducted  at  the  office  of  Chancellor  Whittlesey,  who  was  one 
of  the  committee.  Mrs.  Fish  and  Margaretta  were  placed  in  various  positions 
in  the  room,  and  in  most  instances  the  sounds  were  heard ;  sometinies  on  the 
floor,  on  the  wall,  table,  chairs  and  on  the  door.  Dr.  Langworthy,  by  the 
stethoscope,  tested  the  possibility  of  the  sounds  being  produced  by  ventril- 
oquism, and  the  committee  were  unanimously  of  the  opinion  that  neither  ven- 
triloquism nor  machinery  produced  the  sounds.  The  response  to  questions  ex- 
hibited an  intelligence  that  puzzled  them.  Toward  the  close  of  the  day's  in- 
vestigations Chancellor  Whittlesey  happened  to  be  standing  with  Margaretta 
near  the  door  of  his  office,  when  loud  raps  were  sounded  upon  the  door.  He 
placed  his  hand  against  it  and  feeling  a  perceptible  jar  he  suddenly  opened  the 
door  to  see  who  was  upon  the  outside,  but  he  saw  no  one.  "Judge  Haskell," 
he  said,  "  will  you  step  outside  the  door  and  see  that  no  one  touches  it?" 
Judge  Haskell  went  into  the  hall,  closing  the  door  after  him.  Immediately 
there  were  heavy  raps,  and  the  jar  or  shaking  of  the  door  was  again  distinctly 
felt.  The  chancellor  called  Judge  Haskell  to  return,  and  said  :  "Judge  Haskell, 
did  you  touch  the  door  while  on  the  outside  ? "  "  I  did  not,"  said  the  judge. 
"Did  anyone  else?"  "No  one, "  was  the  answer.  This  last  performance 
was  such  an  astonishment  that  Mr.  Whittlesey  took  his  hat  and  immediately 
left  the  room,  and  did  not  return  to  further  aid  the  committee. 

By  the  evening  appointed  to  hear  the  report  of  the  second  committee, 
Rochester  was  ablaze  with  excitement.  A  crowd  packed  Corinthian  hall. 
When  the  committee  made  their  report  and  stated  that  they  had  failed  to  solve 
the  mystery,  there  was  a  stormy  and  excited  discussion  in  regard  to  methods 
of  investigation.  W.  L.  Burtis  said  if  he  could  be  on  the  committee  he  would 
give  one  hundred  dollars  if  he  could  not  expose  the  humbug.  L.  Kenyon 
said  if  he  could  not  find  out  the  trick  he  would  throw  himself  over  Genesee 
falls.  It  was  resolved  to  have  another  committee,  and  Messrs.  Burtis  and 
Kenyon  were  appointed  members  of  it.  In  addition  the  meeting  appointed  on 
the  committee  Dr.  E.  P.  Langworthy,  Dr.  Justin  Gates  and  William  Fitzhugh. 
The  third  committee  met  at  the  rooms  of  Dr.  Gates  in  the  old  Rochester  House. 
They  selected  several  ladies  to  assist  in  the  examination.  The  ladies  took  Mrs. 
Fish  and  Margaretta  to  a  private  room  and  there  made  the  most  thorough 
search  of  their  shoes,  stockings  and  of  every  garment  they  wore,  but  found 
nothing  by  which  the  rappings  could  be  made.  The  committee  of  ladies  cer- 
tified that  after  the  examination  of  the  clothing  they  placed  the  women  "  on  pil- 
lows, with  a  handkerchief  tied  around  the  bottom  of  their  dresses  tight  to  their 
ankles;  still  the  rapping  was  heard  on  the  wall  and  floor  distinctly." 

The  men  on  this  third  committee,  knowing  the  almost  universal  belief  that 
there  was  trick  or  deception  somewhere,  and  a  part  of  them  having  denounced 
the  other  committees  for  lack  of  shrewdness  and  thoroughness,  conducted  the 


The  Rochester  Rappings.  S^7 

examination  with  rigor  and  extreme  severity.  At  the  close  they  said  they 
could  not  detect  the  fraud.  Before  the  evening  meeting  it  was  rumored  that ' 
the  third  committee  had  been  no  more  successful  than  the  others,  and  the  ex- 
citement was  intense  as  the  crowd  gathered  in  Corinthian  hall.  Dr.  Lang- 
worthy  made  as  full  a  report  of  the  investigation  as  the  excited  state  of  the  au- 
dience would  permit.  Notwithstanding  all  these  precautions,  he  reported,  the 
sounds  wfcre  heard ;  they  were  heard  when  the  women  stood  on  large  feather 
pillows,  without  shoes,  when  standing  on  glass,  and  when  placed  in  other  posi- 
tions. Each  member  of  the  committee  separately  confirmed  the  report  of  their 
chairman. 

At  this  last  public  meeting  there  was  fearful  excitement.  Torpedoes  had 
been  distributed  among  "the  boys, "  and  the  rowdy  element  of  the  city  was 
largely  represented  in  the  hall.  Refusing  to  listen  to  the  statements  of  Dr. 
Langworthy,  on  the  suggestion  of  some  one  there  was  a  rush  for  the  platform 
and  for  the  "rappers."  At  this  juncture  S.  W.  D-  Moore,  then  police  justice, 
who  was  present  with  a  few  members  of  the  poUce  force,  and  with  them  was 
seated  near  the  stage,  jumped  upon  the  platform  with  .his  aids  and  ordered 
back  the  surging  crowd.  His  official  character  and  powerful  voice  for  a  mo- 
ment checked  the  rush,  but  such  madness  had  seized  the  audience  that  they 
again  rushed  forward,  the  rowdies  uttering  the  vilest  language  and  bitter  de- 
nunciations. The  powerful  arm  of  'Squire  Moore,  aided  by  a  portion  of  the 
policemen,  beat  back  the  crowd,  until  other  officers  piloted  the  women  by  a 
rear  door  to  a  place  of  safety..  Thus  ended  the  famous  "Corinthian  hall  in- 
vestigation. "  Mrs.  Leah  Fish,  the  elder  sister,  was  not  aware  at  the  time  of 
the  investigation,  her  friends  said,  that  she  possessed  any  of  the  powers  of  her 
younger  sister.  Soon  after  the  public  meetings  she  became  what  was  known 
as  a  "medium,"  the  knockings  coming  suddenly  and  with  much  force,  in  the 
absence  of  the   young  girls. 

Catharine  returned  to  Rochester  immediately  after  the  public  investigation, 
and  private  investigations  were  continued  by  various  parties.  Public  attention 
was  called  to  the  phenomena,  and  the  house  of  Mrs.  Fish  was  visited  by  per- 
sons from  many  distant  localities.  Among  the  persons  who  systematically 
pursued  the  investigation  after  the  Corinthian  hall  meetings  was  Judge  Has- 
kell, of  LeRoy.  He  had  served  on  one  of  the  committees,  and,  though  then 
unable  to  solve  the  mystery,  he  believed  that  a  more  thorough  and  systematic 
investigation  would  enable  him  to  do  so.  As  the  Fox  family  and  their  im- 
mediate friends  challenged  the  strictest  scrutiny,  he  determined  to  ascertain  and 
expose  the  mystery.  In  an  extended  account  of  his  investigations,  which  he 
subsequently  published,  he  says:  "I  commenced  the  work  as  I  would  a  diffi- 
cult problem  in  mathematics,  determined  that  I  would  not  be  deterred  by  any 
appearances  of  the  supernatural  nor  by  the  jars  and  'humbugs'  of  the  material 
world."     He  had  many  sittings,  and  under  varied  conditions.     He  called  to 


5i8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

his  aid  scientific  and  professional  men  from  Rochester  and  other  places  in 
Western  New  York.  At  some  of  the  sittings  the  judge  called  for  evidences 
of  the  power  of  "spirits"  over  matter,  and  in  answer  he  saw  "tables,  chairs 
and  bureaus  move  at  different  places  and  sometimes  against  the  apparent  efforts 
of  several  gentlemen,  and  in  the  daytime  without  anything  to  obstruct  the 
sight."  In  answer  to  the  question,  "What  is  your  mission  ?  "  the  reply  was: 
"  We  come  to  benefit  mankind,  by  imparting  important  truths,"  and  the  pre- 
diction was,  "We  shall  soon  be  permitted  to  commune  through  many  persons 
and  in  different  ways." 

The  sisters  remained  in  Rochester  some  months,  and  then  visited  New  York, 
Philadelphia  and  many  other  localities,  affording  to  the  curious  the  opportunity 
to  hear  the  sounds  and  to  witness  other  manifestations.  At  this  writing  (May, 
1884)  the  three  sisters  are  still  living.  Leah,  now  Mrs.  Underbill,  resides  in 
New  York  city ;  Margaretta  (Mrs.  Kane)  makes  her  home  in  Brooklyn,  and  the 
youngest,  Catharine,  is  living  in  London,  England,  and  is  the  widow  of  an 
English  barrister,  by  the  name  of  Jenkin.  The  sounds,  as  in  1848,  are  still 
heard  in  their  presence.  Other  and  varied  manifestations  are  said  to  occur  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  having  been  developed  by  what  in  1 849  was  designated 
as  "Rochester  rappings."  From  these  rappings  as  a  commencement  has  orig- 
inated modern  Spiritualism. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

THE  FINE  ARTS  IN  ROCHESTER.i 

Sketches  of  the  Early  Painters  of  Rochester  —  Art  Exhibitions  here  in  Former  Days  —  The  Sculp- 
tors and  the  Architects  —  Engraving  on  Wood,  Copper  and  Stone  —  Photography  —  Music  and  the 
Musicians  —  The  Art  Club  and  the  Art  Exchange. 

THE  personal  recollections  of  the  writer  must  date  from  the  year  1833,  as  I 
came  to  this  place  at  that  time ;  the  principal  facts  relating  to  the  fine  arts, 
previous  to  that  date,  have  been  given  by  Henry  O'Rielly  in  his  invaluable  work 
on  the  early  history  of  Rochester  and  Western  New  York. 

The  Painters. —  The  first  resident  artist  in  Rochester,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to 
learn,  was  Paul  Hinds,  who  practised  the  art  of  portrait  and  miniatvire-painting 
about  the  year  1820.  How  long  he  remained  here,  and  what  was  the  charac- 
ter of  his  work,  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  In  1823  Horace  Harding 
(brother  of  the  celebrated  painter  by  that  name)  practised  the  art  of  portrait- 

l  This  article  is  in  great  part  the  reproduction  of  an  article  by  Mr.  D.  M.  Dewey,  which  appeared  in 
another  work  a  few  years  ago^  It  has  been  altered  to  the  form  here  given,  mainly  by  Mr.  Dewey  him- 
self, and  brought  down  to  the  present  time. 


The  Fine  Arts  IN  Rochester.  5^9 

painting  here.  He  was  recognised  as  an  artist  of  fair  ability.  Among  his 
heads  was  one  of  the  late  Isaac  Moore.  In  1825  George  Arnold  made  his  res- 
idence here,  and  devoted  himself  in  part  to  ornamental  and  figure-painting.  He 
produced  many  figure-pieces  which  evinced  fine  talent.  Among  the  best  in 
that  line,  I  remember  well  the  painting  for  the  banner  of  the  "  Rochester  City 
CadetSj"  afterward  the  "  Rochester  Light  Guards."  This  was  painted  about 
1840,  and  attracted  universal  admiration  for  its  artistic  beauty.  It  was  painted 
for  the  ladies  of  the  city,  and  presented  to  the  company  by  them  with  unusual 
public  ceremonies.  Mr.  Arnold  still  resides  here,  enjoying  the  respect  of  all 
who  know  him.  J.  L.  D.  Mathies,  of  whom  Mr.  O'Rielly  speaks,  came  here  about 
the  year  1825  to  1828,  accompanied,  as  I  am  informed,  by  his  nephew — the  now 
famous  artist  William  Page,  of  New  York  —  both  of  whom  were  portrait-paint- 
ers. They  opened  a  studio  and  art  gallery,  consisting  of  their  own  paintings. 
Their  plan  seems  to  have  been  to  accumulate  a  number  of  paintings  for  the  art 
gallery,  which  would  prove  of  sufficient  interest  to  attract  visitors.  Mr.  Page 
painted  some  historical  pieces  —  one,  the  "Children  of  Israel  crossing  the  Red 
Sea;"  also,  the  head  of  an  "Old  Roman  in  Chains."  They  did  not  secure  pat- 
ronage sufficient  at  that  early  day  to  warrant  the  enterprise  of  the  gallery,  and 
gave  up  the  idea.  Mr.  Page  remained  here  about  one  year  and  then  returned 
to  New  York,  where  he  had  formerly  resided.  Mr.  Page  has  long  been  recog- 
nised as  one  of  the  greatest  American  painters.  Mr.  Tuckerman,  in  his  work 
entitled  Book  of  the  Artists,  says  of  him:  "  Of  all  American  painters,  William 
Page  is  the  most  originally  experimental.  He  has  studied  his  art  in  theory  as 
well  as  practice;  he  has  idealised  in  a  wide  range  of  speculations  as  regards  the 
process,  the  methods,  and  the  principles  of  adapting  them."  Mr.  Mathies,  hav- 
ing practised  painting  more  as  an  amateur  than  an  artist,  sooff  after  laid  aside 
his  pencil  and  easel  and  embarked  in  a  patent- right  business,  which  proved 
more  successful  in  a  pecuniary  way.  He  was  proprietor  for  some  years  of  the 
"Arcade  restaurant;  "  also  landlord  of  the  Clinton  Hotel  when  he  died,  about 
the  year  1834.  One  of  Mr.  Mathies's  most  celebrated  portraits  is  that  of  the 
Indian  chief  Red  Jacket,  now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  H.  G.  Warner  of  this 
city.  About  1827,  a  Mr.  Tuthill  erected  his  "easel  here  as  a  portrait-painter, 
and  executed  several  paintings.  Among  them  were  portraits  of  the  late  Dr. 
Matthew  Brown  and  his  wife;  also,  the  father  and  mother  of  the  late  William 
Atkinson.  It  was  in  this  year  that  Daniel  Steele,  a  portrait-painter  of  no  mean 
ability,  came  here.  Mr.  Steele  was  a  man  of  very  pleasing  address,  and  soon 
placed  his  pictures  in  the  parlors  of  a  large  number  of  our  best  families.  Among 
his  best  pictures  was  one  of  Horace  Gay;  also  one  of  General  Vincent  Mathews, 
which  is  now  hanging  over  the  judge's'bench  in  the  court-house.  Mr.  Steele 
remained  here  about  seven  years.  Philip  Boss  came  to  Rochester  about  1830, 
from  the  town  of  Clarkson,  in  this  county.  Possessing  some  talent  for  portrait- 
painting  as  an  amateur,  he  began  the  practice  of  his  art  here,  and  produced 
quite  a  number  of  very  satisfactory  portraits. 


S20  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Grove  S.  Gilbert  graduated  with  honor  at  the  Middlebury  academy,  about 
the  year  1825.  While  there,  his  genius  manifested  itself  in  drawing  very  life- 
like pen  and  pencil  sketches  of  his  school-mates.  His  first  essays  in  portraiture 
were  made  in  the  village  of  LeRoy,  from  whence  he  removed  to  Niagara,  Can- 
ada, where  he  spent  one  winter  in  teaching  school.  He  removed  to  this  city 
in  the  year  1834,  when  he  was  twenty-nine  years  of  age.  He  at  once  opened 
a  studio,  and  erected  his  easel  as  a  portrait-painter.  Without  the  advantage  of 
foreign  travel,  or  even  a  knowledge  of  the  works  of  the  best  masters,  and  hav- 
ing seen  but  few  examples  worthy  of  study,  he  seems  to  have  invented  his  own 
methods,  and  by  intuitive  genius  to  have  worked  out  a  system  of  his  own,  pro- 
ducing results  which  have  challenged  the  admiration  of  the  best  masters  in  the 
country.  During  the  past  fifty  years  Mr.  Gilbert  has  produced  a  very  large 
number  of  excellent  portraits,  including  those  of  many"  of  our  old  citizens.  He 
still  resides  here,  highly  respected  as  an  artist  and  as  a  gentleman.  Roy  Audy, 
a  portrait-painter  of  rather  feeble  talent,  made  his  temporary  residence  here  in 
the  year  1836.  He  painted  a  few  pictures,  among  which  \Vas  a  full  length  por- 
trait of  Elisha  Johnson,  one  of  our  most  prominent  citizens.  This  was  a  very 
showy  work,  and  attracted  some  attention.  Mr.  Audy  soon  left,  and  has  not 
since  visited  the  city  professionally.  Vincent  P.  Shaver,  a  portrait- painter  of 
more  than  ordinary  talent,  resided  here  from  about  the  year  1833  to  1838.  He 
had  a  remarkable  eye  for  color,  his  pictures  were  well  drawn,  and  he  generally 
succeeded  in  giving  true  expression  of  the  character  of  his  subjects.  He  painted 
the  head  of  General  Vincent  Mathews  for  the  members  of  the  bar,  which  was 
engraved  on  steel,  and  presented  to  Mr.  O'Rielly  for  his  Sketches  of  Rock 
ester,  and  appeared  in  that  work.  Alvah  Bradish  practised  the  art  of  portrait- 
painting  here  from  1837  to  about  1847.  He  painted  a  large  number  of  heads. 
He  was  a  man  of  decided  ability,  and  produced  works  of  great  merit.  He  may 
be  regarded  as  the  peer  of  any  artist  who  has  ever  made  his  residence  here. 
Among  some  of  his  best  heads  are  those  of  Silas  O.  Smith,  Dr.  Levi  Ward  and 
Orlando  Hastings.  R.  B.  Smith  was  a  contemporary  of  Mr.  Bradish,  and  is  still 
a  resident  of  the  city.  He  has  for  many  years  practised  portrait-painting,  and 
has  produced  many  good  likenesses.  Mr.  Smith  has  high  claims  for  respect  as 
an  artist,  as  he  has  thorough  theoretical  knowledge  of  his  profession,  and  is  a 
lover  of  art.  Colby  Kimball  came  here  about  1835,  having  in  charge  an  exhi- 
bition which  was  given  in  the  old  court-house,  at  twenty-five  cents  admission. 
The  show  consisted  of  several  paintings.  The  most  attractive  feature  of  the 
show,  however,  was  a  live  alligator.  Mr.  Kimball  concluded  to  remain  here, 
and  soon  began  painting  portraits.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker.  Of  the 
sixty  portraits  of  the  old  pioneers  now  hanging  in  the  court-house,  I  think  he  has 
painted  the  largest  number.  As  likenesses  they  are  generally  conceded  good. 
Thomas  LeClear  had  a  studio  in  the  Arcade  about  1858  or  1859.  While  here 
the  artist  gave  indications  of  that  talent  which  has  since  placed  him  at  the  head 


The  Fine  Arts  IN  RocHERTER.  521 

of  his  profession  in  this  country.  He  painted  a  few  heads.  The  only  one  I  can 
now  recall  is  that  of  Hubbard  S.  Allis,  who  was  at  that  time  a  clerk  in  the  post- 
office,  nearly  under  LeClear's  studio.  As  LeClear  became  identified  with  our 
city  in  his  early  efforts,  I  copy  from  Tuckerman  a  few  lines  in  reference  to  his 
s;.iccess  as  an  artist :  — 

"  Among  the  comparatively  few  American  portrait-painters  who  have  steadily  pro- 
gressed in  their  art  is  Thomas  LeClear.  To  his  native  faculty  for  imitation,  LeClear 
now  unites  a  remarkable  power  of  characterisation,  a  peculiar  skill  in  coloring,  and  mi- 
nute accuracy  in  the  reproduction  of  latent  as  well  as  superficial  personal  traits." 

John  Phillips,  the  now  celebrated  artist  of  Chicago,  was  in  his  youth  a 
farmer-boy  on  the  farm  of  H.  N.  Langworthy,  in  the  town  of  Greece,  in  this 
county.  He  was  a  pupil  of  LeClear  in  1839.  He  soon  left  for  the  West, 
where  he  has  succeeded  in  his  profession  to  an  eminent  degree.  He  has  visited 
us  for  a  few  months  at  intervals,  and  has  done  a  considerable  number  of  fair 
heads.  He  paints  with  a  rapid,  free  and  bold  hand,  often  producing  remark- 
ably fine  effects  in  relief.  I  have  known  him  to  paint  a  portrait  in  five  hours 
which  would  require  as  many  days,  if  not  weeks,  with  some  artists.  When  he 
chooses  to  devote  his  time  to  the  careful  expression  of  draperies,  he  can  hardly 
be  excelled.  As  a  successful  Rochester  boy,  he  deserves  honorable  mention  in 
our  sketches.  Eugene  Sintzenich,  a  landscape-painter,  came  here  about  1840. 
He  possessed  fair  talents  as  an  artist,  and  was  also  considered  a  good  teacher  in 
drawing  and  painting.  He  was  employed  by  Mr.  Reynolds  to  paint  views  of 
Niagara  on  the  walls  of  the  entrance  to  the  Arcade.  These  paintings  for  many 
yeais  attracted  much  attention.  He  died  here  in  the  year  1852.  John  Bow- 
man came  here  in  1841,  from  Pennsylvania,  and  opened  his  studio  as  a  portrait- 
painter  in  the  Arcade.  He  was  an  artist  of  more  than  ordinary  abilit)^  He 
painted  a  few  very  fine  heads  ;  among  which  was  one  of  Rev.  Dr.' Whitehouse. 
Harry  B.  Brent  came  here  about  1840.  He  painted  several  fine  landscapes 
from  nature;  one  in  particular  attracted  great  attention,  "the  residence  of 
Webster,  at  Mafshfield."  Another,  a  composition  of  singular  merit,  represented 
an  imaginary  view  of  the  scenery  of  the  Genesee  at  Rochester,  one  hundred 
years  ago.  James  Cleveland  practised  the  art  of  landscape-painting  here  about 
the  year  1840.  He  also  taught  drawing  and  painting.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
ability,  arid  did  much  to  increase  the  taste  as  well  as  to  develop  a  knowledge 
of  his  art  in  the  higher  sense  of  the  term.  James  Harris  came  here  about  the 
year  1845.  He  opened  a  studio  in  the  Arcade  as  a  landscape-painter  and 
teacher,  where  he  remained  for  many  years.  He  had  many  pupils  at  different 
times  ;  in  fact,  for  years  was  the  only  permanent  teacher  here.  He  had  the 
singular  faculty  of  inspiring  the  minds  of  his  .pupils  with  the  idea  that  he  was 
a  master  in  his  profession  ;  hence  he  was  quite  successful  as  a  teacher.  He  was 
modest  and  retiring  in  his  manner.  He  died  here,  having  the  personal  regard 
of  his  pupils  and  acquaintances.  T.  G.  Gale  practised  his  art  as  a  portrait  and 
figure-painter  here  about  the  year  1843,  ^^d  for  four  or  five  years  later.      He 


522  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

had  great  versatility  of  talent.  He  practised  nearly  all  branches  of  painting, 
often  attempting  large  historical  and  Scriptural  works.  A.  D.  Beecher  came 
hereabout  1863.  He  received  his  early  instruction  from  Colby  Kimball.  Pos- 
sessing native  genius,  he  soon  took  to  his  own  methods  in  painting.  He  was 
an  excellent  colorist,  and  produced  pleasing  pictures  as  well  as  excellent  like- 
nesses in  portraits.  His  genre  paintings,  fruit  and  flower  pieces  showed  talent. 
Isaac  E.  Wilbur  was  born  near  Avon,  Livingston  county.  He  early  exhibited  » 
talent  as  an  artist.  He  came  to  Rochester  about  i860,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  landscape-painting  in  which  he  steadily  progressed  until  he  attained 
an  enviable  position  as  an  artist. 

Miss  Helen  R.  Searle,  the  daughter  of  Henry  Searle,  early  evinced  a  de- 
cided talent  for  painting.  About  1865  she  began  painting  small  fruit  and  game 
pictures.  These  early  attempts  were  thoroughly  artistic,  and  soon  gave  her  a 
reputation  as  a  careful  student  of  nature.  She  was  selected  as  a  teacher  in 
drawing  and  painting  for  the  Bryan  female  seminary,  at  Batavia,  where  she 
remained  for  several  terms,  filling  her  position  with  rare  ability,  and  continually 
progressing  in  her  art  studies,  until  her  ambition  to  place  herself  in  the  front 
ranks  of  her  profession  caused  her  to  seek  instruction  in  European  schools  of 
art.  She  had  excelled  in  fruit-painting,  and  hence  she  left  for  Europe  to  find 
in  Preyor  —  the  leading  artist  in  Germany  in  that  line  of  art — at  Diisseldorf, 
a  master  under  whose  fostering  care  she  could  acquire  the  practice  she  so  ear- 
nestly desired.  Her  talent  was  appreciated  by  her  master,  and  by  her  devotion 
t(t)  her  chosen  profession  she  soon  produced  works  of  exceeding  beauty  and 
delicacy,  truthful  to  nature,  exquisite  in  drawing  and  color,  and  of  such  thorough 
artistic  character  as  to  command  large  and  remunerative  prices.  She  is  a  fin- 
ished artist,  and  reflects  great  credit  upon  her  native  city,  and  as  a  represent- 
ative of  the  female  artists  of  our  country.  Miss  M.  Louise  Wagner,  a  native 
of  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  received  the  rudiments  of  art  from  her  brother  Daniel  Wag- 
ner. They  removed  to  Rochester  and  opened  a  studio  in  the  Arcade,  in  1873. 
They  have  applied  themselves  mostly  to  portraiture  in  oil,  and  landscape,  fruit, 
and  flower-painting,  and  are  strictly  conscientious  in  all  that  pertains  to  their 
profession.  Christopher  W.  Forkel  is  a  portrait-painter.  He  is  a  Rochester  boy, 
who,  after  spending  several. years  in  New  York  and  Europe, 'has  returned  here 
and  become  a  resident  artist.  He  paints  pictures  of  fruit,  etc.,  which  reflect 
credit  on  him  as  a  promising  young  artist.  John  W.  Miller,  a  resident  artist, 
has  acquired  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  painter  of  flowers  from  nature.  He  is 
also  a  fresco-painter,  and  executes  work  in  that  department  of  art  with  great 
skill  and  refined  taste.  Horatio  Walker,  one  of  the  youngest  of  our  artists, 
has  within  a  few  years  developed  great  talent  as  a  painter  of  figure-pieces,  both 
of  men  and  of  animals.  His  merit  is  well  recognised  away  from  home,  so  that 
he  has  had  many  commissions  from  New  York  and  elsewhere  for  pictures  of  all 
sizes.     Harvey  Ellis,  James  Somerville,  James  H.  Dennis,  John  Z.  Wood,  Al- 


The  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester.  523 

fred  Perkins  and  D.  W.  Norton  are  promising  young  artists.     W.  J.  Lockhart, 
who  died  a  few  years  ago,  was  a  painter  of  rare  merit  for  one  of  his  age. 

Early  Art  Exhibitions.  —  It  was  the  custom,  some  thirty  or  forty  years  ago, 
to  have  meritorious  works  of  art  carried  about  the  country  and  exhibited.  Long 
before  any  suitable  exhibition  hall  was  erected  here,  the  court-house  and  the 
ball-rooms  of  our  hotels  were  used  for  such  purposes.  About  the  year  1843  a 
fine  collection  of  European  paintings,  including  a  full-length  portrait  of  George 
IV.,  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  was  exhibited  in  the  court-house.  A  little  later, 
the  great  painting  known  as  Page's  "Venus"  was  exhibited  in  the  National 
Hotel  ball-room.  Still  later,  the  first  piece  of  sculpture  ever  exhibited  here, 
Powers's  "Grfeek  Slave,"  was  shown  in  a  small  hall  in  a  building  where  the 
Flour  City  bank  now  stands.  Powell's  great  painting,  "De  Soto  discovering 
the  Mississippi,"  which  now  adorns  the  rotunda  of  the  capitol  at  Washington, 
was  exhibited  in  Corinthian  hall  soon  after  it  was  opened;  Peale's  "Court  of 
Death"  was  also  exhibited  in  the  same  place.  A  few  years  since  the  late  Wil- 
liam A.  Reynolds,  who  was  not  only  a  cultivated  amateur  and  lover  of  art,  but 
a  liberal  patron,  interested  himself  in  establishing  an  art  gallery  in  the  large  hall 
over  the  Rochester  savings  bank.  A  Mr.  Humphrey,  who  had  long  been  en- 
gaged in  other  cities  in  art  exhibitions,  took  the  general  management  and  pro- 
cured a  large  number  of  fine  paintings  for  the  exhibition,  including  Church's 
"Under  Niagara,"  Bierstadt's  "  Light  and  Shadow,"  and  other  celebrated  works. 
The  exhibition  for  a  time  proved  successful  but  was  finally  closed  for  want  of 
sufficient  patronage.  D.  W.  Powers,  in  1876,  soon  after  the  Powers  block  was 
fully  completed,  determined  to  finish  the  upper  suite  of  rooms  in  his  building 
for  a  spacious  permanent  gallery.  He  entered  upon  this  enterprise  with  his' 
usual  enthusiasm,  determined  that  it  should  be  an  honor  to  Rochester,  as  well 
as  creditable  to  himself  He  paid  a  flying  visit  to  Europe,  in  company  with 
connoisseurs  of  art  competent  to  aid  him  in  the  selection  of  suitable  pictures. 
In  a  very  few  months,  probably  the  finest  suite  of  rooms  anywhere  to  be  found 
in  this  country  —  devoted  to  art  proper  —  were  completed,  and  the  walls  filled 
with  creditable  works  of  the  old  masters,  as  well  as  many  originals  of  great 
merit,  together  with  several  pieces  of  fine  sculpture,  forming  altogether  a  pict- 
ure-gallery of  rare  merit,  for  which  Mr.  Powers  is  entitled  to  the  gratitude  not 
only  of  all  lovers  of  art,  but  of  the  citizens  generally  of  Rochester  and  Western 
New  York.  In  the  parlors  of  our  citizens  may  now  be  found  large  numbers 
of  valuable  works  of  art,  exhibiting  a  cultivated  taste  as  well  as  appreciation  of 
art.  Art  feeling  and  art  culture  here  have  been  greatly  stimulated  during  the 
past  few  years  by  some  few  persons  who  have  labored  efficiently  for  that  object, 
among  whom  no  man  is  entitled  to  greater  credit  than  M.  B.  Anderson,  president 
of  our  university,  who  is  an  accomplished  connoisseur.  His  course  of  lectures 
before  the  graduating  classes  of  the  university,  which  he  has  often  kindly  opened 
to  those  interested  in  art,  have  proved  of  great  value.      It  should  be  stated  here 

34 


524  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

that  he  was  the  first  college  president  in  the  United  States  to  inaugurate  a  sys- 
tem of  elementary  instruction  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  the  fine  arts,  espe- 
cially engravings,  for  the  young  men  committed  to  his  care,  as  a  starting-point 
in  art  culture  from  which  they  could  easily,  in  after-life,  by  study  and  observa- 
tion, become  intelligent  amateurs  and  art  critics. 

The  Sculptors.  —  Edward  C.  Clute  came  to  Rochester  in  1854,  and  re- 
mained about  two  years.  He  was  the  first  to  model  and  execute  in  marble  a 
life-size  bust,  in  Rochester.  His  bust  of  the  late  James  Chappell  excited  the 
admiration  of  art  critics  at  that  time.  He  also  executed  small  basso-relievos, 
medallions,  etc.,  of  exquisite  finish  and  beauty.  This  city  not  furnishing  patron- 
age, he  sought  employment  for  his  genius  in  other  climes.  Johnson  M.  Mundy, 
a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  came  to  Rochester  in  1863  and  opened 
a  studio  in  the  Arcade,  after  seven  years  of  study  in  the  studio  of  Henry  K. 
Brown,  of  Brooklyn.  After  1863  he  permanently  resided  in  Rochester  till 
within  two  years.  He  has  executed  in  marble  a  large  number  of  busts  of 
leading  citizens  of  Rochester  and  Western  New  York,  among  which  are  those 
of  Bishop  De  Lancey,  Dr.  Anderson,  Dr.  Chester  Dewey,  William  A.  and 
Abelard  Reynolds,  Pliny  M.  Bromley,  Fred  Douglass,  etc.  Among  other 
works  which  have  added  largely  to  his  reputation  are  designs  for  a  soldiers' 
monument,  a  memorial  monument  to  Charles  Sumner,  "the  Reaper,"  and 
several  figure-pieces.  His  products,  whether  from  chisel  or  pencil,  exhibit  a 
careful,  patient  study  of  nature  which  stamps  him  a  conscientious  worker.  J. 
Guernsey  Mitchell  is  a  young  sculptor  of  great  promise,  who  is  now  in  Paris, 
perfecting  himself  in  the  plastic  art.  .  He  is  the  maker  of  the  colossal  image 
of  Mercury,  surmounting  the  tall  chimney  of  Kimball's  tobacco  works,  and  he 
has  executed  many  beautiful  busts  in  marble. 

Architects  and  Architecture. — The  first  resident  architect  was  Captain 
Daniel  Loomis,  who  came  to  Rochester  in  1820.  He  furnished  plans  and  built 
the  first  county  jail  on  North  Fitzhugh  street,  and  twenty  years  later  the  stone 
jail  on  the  "  island.  "  He  was  also  the  builder  of  the  old  "  Center  market "  at 
the  foot  of  Market  street,  of  many  of  the  best  residences  of  the  third  ward 
erected  prior  to  1840,  and  many  of  the  business  blocks  erected  at  an  early  day, 
among  which  was  the  old  Rochester  bank  building.  He  died  in  1864,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Isaac  Loomis,  who  has  practised  this  profession  all 
his  life.  The  latter  is  the  architect  of  several  churches,  including  the  church  of 
the  Epiphany,  and  many  residences,  etc.,  in  this  city  and  the  towns  of  Western 
New  York.  W.  H.  Richardson  is  in  partnership  with  him.  Tinker,  Bolt  & 
Ryan  date  from  the  year  1828.  St.  Paul's  church  was  designed  and  erected 
by  them,  with  its  spire  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  high,  which  when 
nearly  completed  was  blown  down,  and  the  present  tower  substituted.  Jason 
Bassett  was  considered  the  leading  architect  of  the  city  from  1832  to  1840,  the 
period  of  his  residence  here.     He  had  a  penchant  for  the  pure  classic  Grecian 


The  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester.  525 

style  of  architecture,  of  which  the  old  City  bank  building  was  a  good  example. 
Mervvin  Austin  came  here  about  1845,  and  exerted  a  large  influence  on  public 
and  private  architecture  for  years,  at  a  time  when  the  city  was  growing  very 
rapidly  and  more  attention  was  being  paid  to  modern  styles.  The  old  court- 
house was  torn  down,  and  the  present  one  erected  by  him.  He  was  the  arch- 
itect of  Plymouth  church ;  he  also  introduced  the  Gothic  cottages  for  residence 
in  the  suburbs.     He  left  Rochester  some  time  since. 

A.  J.  Warner  settled  here  in  1847.  He  has  acquired  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion at  home  as  well  as  abroad.  His  work  has  been  done  mainly  during  a 
period  of  great  financial  prosperity,  when  large  wealth  had  been  accumulated 
and  our  rapidly  increasing  population  warranted  the  investment  in  more  costly 
and  elegant  buildings,  hence  his  work  is  eminently  more  commanding  in  ap- 
pearance than  that  of  many  of  his  predecessors.  Among  the  fine  and  costly 
buildings  of  which  he  is  architect  here  may  be  named  the  Powers  block,  the 
city  hall,  the  Free  academy,  the  First  Baptist  and  First  Presbyterian  churches, 
etc.  He  has  also  furnished  plans  for  many  private  and  public  buildings 
throughout  Western  New  York,  such  as  the  Soldiers'  Home,  Bath;  the  city 
hall,  Erie  county  jail  and  hospital,  at  Buffalo,  all  of  which  are  fine  specimens 
of  architecture  and  have  given  him  a  wide  reputation.  Frederick  A.  Brockett 
and  J.  Foster  Warner  are  now  associated  with  him.  Charles  Coots  was  for 
many  years  a  partner  with  A.  J.  Warner,  and,  though  a  young  man,  acquired 
a  fine  reputation  as  an  architect.  D.  C.  McCallum  practised  his  profession  in 
Rochester  about  the  year  1840,  and  for  a  few  subsequent  years.  He  was  an 
accomplished  architect,  and  held  a  high  position  in  his  profession.  Among  the 
prominent  buildings  erected  by  him  are  the  House  of  Refuge,  St.  Joseph's 
church,  St.  Mary's  hospital  and  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  building.  He  did  much 
to  improve  the  general  architecture  of  the  city.  His  drawings  and  studies 
were  carefully  made,  and  his  plans  well  adapted  to  location.  Henry  Searle 
came  here  in  the  year  1844,  and  for  some  twenty-three  years  was  profession- 
ally engaged  as  an  architect.  Among  the  public  buildings  erected  by  him 
are  the  Rochester  savings  bank,  in  pure  Grecian  style  and  of  rare  beauty;  the 
old  Third  church,. which  nas  located  on  Main  street,  corner  of  Stone,  a  Gothic 
structure  ;  the  Central  church,  on  Sophia  street;  the  Monroe  county  workhouse, 
the  Rochester  City  hospital  and  Corinthian  hall.  For  the  last-named  building 
he  invented  a  new  and  valuable  method  of  ventilation,  which  has  been  largely 
adopted  elsewhere,  reflecting  great  credit  on  him  as  a  genius  in  his  profession. 
He  acquired  a  large  reputation  throughout  Western  New  York,  and  designed 
the  court-houses  of  Lyons,  Canandaigua  and  Binghamton.  He  also  furnished 
designs  and  erected  the  House  of  Refuge  for  the  state  of  Michigan,  located  at 
Lansing.  Mr.  Searle  removed  from  here,  in  1867,  to  Washington,  D.  C.  His 
son  Henry,  who  for  eight  years  was  engaged  with  his  father  as  an  architect, 
removed  from  here  to  Washington,  D.   C,   in   1865,  and  established  himself 


526  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

there  as  a  professional  architect.  He  was  commissioned  to  make  drawings  and 
plans  for  the  improvement  and  enlargement  of  our  Rochester  savings  bank,  of 
which  his  father  was  the  original  architect,  which  plans  were  adopted,  and  in 
which  he  has  succeeded  admirably  in  preserving  and  carrying  out  the  original 
exquisite  Grecian  designs  of  the  original.  The  plans  nearly  double  the  original 
height,  adding  about  sixty  feet ;  they  also  enlarge  the  building  on  the  ground. 
John  R.  Thomas  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  here  in  1866.  He 
introduced  the  Mansard  roof,  which  was  first  applied  to  private  dwellings,  and 
has  made  a  specialty  of  the  study  of  Gothic  art,  believing  that  it  will  be  the 
architecture  of  the  future  in  this  country.  H^  designed  the  Rochester  theolog- 
ical seminary  buildings,  Sibley  hall,  on  the  university  grounds ;  the  Opera 
house,  the  Monroe  county  alms  house,  the  University  of  Virginia,  at  Char- 
lottesville, Virginia,  and  the  New  York  state  reformatory  buildings,  at  Elmira. 
In  1874  he  received  an  appointment  from  Governor  Dix  as  one  of  the  state 
architects,  and  was  assigned  at  once  to  the  charge  of  the  Reformatory  at  El- 
mira. J.  G.  Cutler  has,  for  some  years,  been  one  of  our  most  popular  archi- 
tects, having  designed  many  beautiful  buildings,  reflecting  credit  on  his  skill, 
among  which  the  Elwood  block  is  the  most  conspicuous.  The  Ellis  brothers, 
among  our  younger  architects,  are  highly  esteemed  for  their  artistic  skill.  They 
have,  already,  produced  many  fine  structures,  and  are  now  engaged  on  the 
•government  building,  (post-office,  etc.),  the  designs  for  which  exhibit  quite 
practical  utility  as  well  as  beauty.  Putnam  &  Block  have  designed  many  fine 
edifices  here,  and  the  name  of  Louis  P.  Rogers  is  associated  with  the  Warner 
building,  on  St.  Paul  street,  of  which  he  is  the  architect.  Henry  B.  Gleason 
has  a  high  reputation  in  the  profession,  while  Oscar  Knebel  and  Otis  &  Cran- 
dall  are  deservedly  popular.  The  latest  comers  are  Jay  Fay  and  John  R. 
Church. 

In  Gothic  architecture  we  have  two  fine  churches,  designed  by  the  cele- 
brated architect  of  Trinity  church.  New  York,  Mr.  Upjohn.  These  buildings 
are  worthy  of  mention  in  this  article  as  creditable  alike  to  the  parties  who 
caused  them  to  be  erected  and  to  our  city.  The  Unitarian  church,  on  Temple 
street,  in  the  pure  pointed  Gothic  style,  is  an  exceedingly  handsome  edifice  in 
its  proportions  and  style.  St.  Peter's  church,  on  Gibbs  street,  which  is  in  the 
Romanesque  Gothic,  presents  another  very  handsome  ecclesiastical  building. 

Engraving  on  Wood  arid  Copper.  —  The  earliest  wood-cut  engraver  here  was 
Martin  Cable.  He  made  a  few  coarse  wood-cuts  of  our  early  newspaper  offices, 
for  show-bills,  etc.  He  has  left  no  record  by  which  his  fame  could  be  perpet- 
uated. V.  R.  Jackson  commenced  engraving  here  about  1835.  He  engraved 
on  copper  and  wood;  also  the  first  copper-plate  map  of  the  city  was  made  by 
him  about  the  year  1840.  He  did  a  large  amount  of  work  on  wood,  and  was 
a  man  of  decided  talent  in  his  profession.  About  1845  Charles  Mix  came  here 
and  formed  a  copartnership  with  John  Miller,  under,  the  name  of  Miller  &  Mix. 


The  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester.  527 

This  firm  for  a  number  of  years  were  the  only  engravers  here.  They  executed 
first-class  work  on  steel,  copper  and  wood,  and  acquired  a  good  reputation  as 
artists.  Miller  moved  away,  and  Mix  continued  the  business  for  a  time,  when 
he  was  succeeded,  in  1850,  by  George  Frauenberger,  who,  as  engraver  on 
wood  or  copper,  as  a  draughtsman  in  mechanical  drawing,  and  as  a  horticul- 
tural draughtsman  from  nature,  has  acquired  an  enviable  reputation.  George 
D.  Ramsdell  and  E.  M.  Sasseville  are  also  good  engravers,  with  plenty  of  work 
on  hand. 

Lithography.  —  The  first  attempt  at  lithography  was  made  by  John  T. 
Young,  whose  name  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  O'Rielly  and  who  made  the  drawings 
for  his  history  of  Rochester.  Young  was  a  teacher  of  drawing,  and  an  excellent 
draughtsman.  He  made  drawings  of  the  upper  and  lower  falls,  which  were  sent 
to  New  York  to  be  lithographed.  He  had  other  fine  drawings  which  he  thought 
he  could  lithograph  here,  and  for  that  purpose  purchased  a  lithographic  press 
and  the  material  for  lithographing,  which  was  established  in  a  room  in  the  Ar- 
cade. He  obtained  the  services  of  a  New  York  lithographer,  and  commenced 
business.  He  died  soon  after.  In  1865  the  business  was  established  again  by 
Adolph  Nolte,  who  employed  four  hand-presses  and  the  requisite  number  of 
men  to  keep  them  running  by  hand.  The  business  went  on  with  varied  success 
until  the  year  1871,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  F.  Muntz  &  Co.  This 
firm  greatly  enlarged  the  business,  introduced  modern  steam-presses  as  well  as 
all  the  modern  improvements  in  the  art,  obtained  the  best  artists  in  this  country 
and  from  Europe,  and  soon  began  to  produce  lithography,  plain  and  in  colors, 
equal  in  every  respect  to  anything  seen  in  this  country.  The  firm  name  was 
changed  in  1875  to  Mensing,  Rahn  &  Stecher,  and  the  business  is  now  done 
under  the  title  of  "the  Lithographic  and  Chromo  company  of  Rochester,  New 
York.''  This  firm  have  recently  erected  a  large  building  on  North  St.  Paul 
street  for  their  increasing  business.  The  present  firm  name  is  Mensing  & 
Stcchcr.     Another  establishment  is  that  of  Karle  &  Co. 

Photography.  —  Daguerreotypes  were  made  here  as  early  as  the  year  1841 
by  Thomas  Mercer,  who  opened  the  first  daguerreotype  gallery.  It  was  situ- 
ated in  the  Arcade.  During  the  few  succeeding  years  quite  a  number  of 
daguerreotype  galleries  were  started,  until  tjie  photographic  process  was  in- 
vented, when  an  extensive  photograph  establishment  was  opened.  Mr.  Powel- 
son  about  this  time  opened  the  photograph  gallery  on  State  street.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Wm.  Roberts,  and  subsequently  by  J.  H.  Kent,  who  may  be  said 
to  have  done  more  than  any  other  artist  in  that  line  to  establish  the  artistic 
character  of  the  photograph.  He  has  recendy  received  the  highest  award  from 
the  American  photographers'  association.  Jacob  Barhydt  commenced  the  bus- 
iness of  photography  about  the  year  1870.  He  associated  with  him  Sherman 
Gregg,  who,  since  Mr.  Barhydt's  death,  has  conducted  the  business  alone  and 
ranks  high.     At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  United  States  Photographic  society 


528  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

these  parties  received  the  prize  offered  for  the  best  collection  of  photographs, 
an  honor  conferred  upon  Rochester  art  through  their  skillful  operations.  A 
number  of  photograph  galleries  have  been  opened  here,  of  which  it  would  be 
proper  to  speak,  but  for  want  of  sufficient  data  their  names  only  can  be  men- 
tioned. Among  the  most  skillful  artists  who  may  be  named  among  the  early 
men  were  Mr.  Appleby,  Chauncey  Perry ;  of  the  later  ones,  Taylor  &  Bacon. 
This  firm  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Bacon,  an  estimable  artist,  who  still  continues 
the  business.  M.  Monroe,  G.  W.  Godfrey,  B.  F.  Hale,  L.  Sherman,  John  W. 
Taylor,  R.  H.  Furman,  B.  P.  Grossman,  A.  E.  Dumble  (with  whom  is  B.  F. 
Mixer,  an  artist  in  water-colors)  and  others  are  now  carrying  on  the  work. 

Music.  —  The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  my  address  entitled  Musical 
Reminiscences  of  Rochester,  delivered  at  the  opening  of  the  Rochester  Acad- 
emy of  Music  in  1 863 :  — 

"  The  occasion  which  has  called  us  together  seems  a  fitting  one  on  which  to  review 
the  past  musical  history  of  our  city.  From  this  evening  we  may  date  a  new  era.  The 
earlier  village  history,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  music,  must,  for  want  of  an  historian,  remain 
shrouded  in  mystery.  I  may  say,  however,  that  before  any  churches  or  church  bells 
were  seen  or  heard  here,  on  Sundays  the  villagers  were  called  together  at  the  school- 
house  for  public  worship  by  the  music  of  an  old-fashioned  tin  dinner-horn.  I  begin  with 
the  first  introduction  of  a  church  organ  here,  in  the  year  1825,  at  St.  Luke's  church.  I 
believe  that  Daniel  Clark  was  the  first  organist  here.  He  was  employed  to  play  the  or- 
gan and  lead  the  choir  at  St.  Luke's  until  a  regular  organist  could  be  employed.  The 
earliest  organist  and  composer  of  note  was  Rev.  William  Staunton,  doctor  of  divinity  and 
musical  doctor,  now  of  the  city  of  New  York  (this  title  of  musical  doctor  has  only  been 
conferred  upon  some  three  or  four  Americans).  Mr.  Staunton,  then  recently  from  Bos- 
ton, while  preparing  for  the  ministry,  had  charge  of  the  choir  and  organ  at  St.  Luke's. 
He  i)ossessed  rare  musical  abilities  as  an  organist  and  composer.  The  late  Benjamin 
Hill  was  among  our  earliest  and  best  teacliers  of  the  piano-forte,  and  practised  his  pro- 
fession from  about  the  year  1830  to  1858.  He  was  organist  at  Saint  Paul's  church  for 
many  years,  and  was  highly  esteemed  not  only  as  an  accomplished  teacher,  but  as  a  per- 
fect specimen  of  the  'fine  old  English  gentleman.' 

"  The  earliest  effort  to  establish  a  musical  society  upon  a  grand  scale  was  made  about 
the  year  1833.  It  resulted  in  the  organisation  of  a  society  called  the  '  Rochester  Acad- 
emy of  Music'  Its  principal  officers  were  Hon.  Addison  Gardiner,  president;  James  M. 
Fish,  secretary  ;  and  General  L.  B.  Swan,  treasurer.  The  society  immediately  engaged 
the  celebrated  ballad  singer  and  composer,  Henry  Russell,  as  leader  and  conductor.  Mr. 
Russell  possessed  rare  qualities  as  a  vocalist.  The  great  secret  of  his  wonderful  success 
as  a  ballad-singer  lay  in  his  clear  and  distinct  enunciation  of  words,  together  with  a  pe- 
culiarly clear  and  musical  voice.  The  society  fitted  up  rooms  in  the  Child  block,  oppo- 
site the  old  Rochester  House,  on  Exchange  street,  which  for  several  years  was  used  for 
musical  purposes,  under  the  name  of  Concert  hall.  About  1839  some  eight  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  former  members  of  the  Academy,  organised  a  musical  club,  for  the 
practice  of  glees  and  Hght  music.  This  club  had  for  its  conductor  Lucius  Bell,  and  for 
pianist  Miss  Marian  McGregor.  The  first  soprano  was  the  late  Mrs.  Dalzell,  of  Wheel- 
ing, Virginia,  then  Miss  Harriet  Williams.  The  club  gave  several  amateur  concerts,  the 
proceeds  of  which  were  given  to  the  Female  Charitable  and  local  societies.     The  last 


The  Fine  Arts  in  Rochester.  529 

concert  given  was  for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  fund  with  which  to  erect  a  monument  to 
the  late  Prof  Samuel  Cooper.  The  monument  was  erected  in  Mount  Hope,  and  was 
the  first  erected  on  these  grounds.  About  1840  the  Rochester  Union  Grays  gave  a 
series  of  invisible  concerts  at  the  National  Hotel  —  the  singers  being  placed  behiild  a 
screen.  Knoup,-  one  of  the  most  wonderful  players  in  the  world  upon  the  violoncello, 
accompanied  by  Madame  De  Gone  on  the  guitar,  gave  a  concert  at  the  National  Hotel. 
The  Rainer  family  of  Tyrolese  minstrels  sang  in  the  same  hall.  JBraham,  the  great 
English  tenor,  also  sang  in  this  hall.  The  first  negro-minstrel  concert  was  given  by  the 
renowned  Christy,  at  the  Eagle  Hotel. 

"The  first  public  hall  designed  for  concert  purposes  was  erected  by  Anson  House, 
on  the  corner  of  St.  Paul  and  Main  streets.  It  was  called  Minerva  hall,  and  was  opened 
by  Mr.  Dempster  in  one  of  his  ballad  concerts.  About  the  year  1840  Leopold  De 
Meyer,  the  'lion  pianist,'  gave  his  wonderful  performance  in  that  hall.  Henry  Herz,  the 
Parisian  pianist,  and  Sivori,  the'renowned  violinist  and  direct  successor  of  Paganini,  also 
gave  their  performances  at  this  hall.  Several  musical  societies  have  been  organised  since 
that  time.  An  attempt  was  made  about  1843  to  reorganise  the  Academy  of  Music. 
Robert  Barron  was  selected  as  leader,  and  rehearsals  were  had  at  the  session-room  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church.  It,  however,  proved  short-lived.  The  next  effort  in  the 
way  of  a  society  was  the  organisation  of  what  was  called  the  'Rochester  Harmonic  so- 
ciety,' under  the  leadership  of  the  late  Prof.  Charles  Wilson,  a  deservedly  popular  and  well 
known  music-teacher.  Robert  Barron  also  assisted  as  musical  conductor.  Its  principal 
first  soprano  was  Mrs.  Hattie  Brown  Miller,  whose  musical  talent  is  too  well  known  and 
appreciated  to  need  any  praise  from  me.  This  society  was  for  a  while  quite  successful, 
and  gave  several  popular  concerts.  It,  however,  had  its  day,  and  passed  off  the  stage 
about  the  time  that  the  Jenny  Lind  furor  and  the  rage  for  concerts  by  foreign  artists 
commenced.  Mr.  Perkins,  the  father  of  the  present  band-leader,  Perkins,  was  among 
our  earliest  musicians,  and  a  band-master  of  more  than  ordinary  talent,  and  for  many 
years  he  furnished  our  band- music.  Captain  Cheshire,  a  well-known  bugle-player,  for 
many  years  occupied  so  prominent  a  position  that  he  should  not  be  forgotten.  About 
the  year  1840  Captain  Adams  organised  his  celebrated  brass  band.  Captain  Alexander 
Scott  succeeded  him.  These  two  bands  were  so  celebrated  at  home  and  abroad  as  to  be 
worthy  of  notice. 

"The  first  regular  music  store,  for  the  sale  of  sheet-music  and  musical  instruments,  was 
opened  about  1834  by  B.  C.  Brown,  who  carried  it  on  for  a  few  years.  Harvey  Warren, 
about  1837,  opened  an  extensive  music  store  for  the  sale  of  music,  piano-fortes,  and  mu- 
sical instruments  generally.  He  was  a  vocalist  and  a  good  choir-leader,  and  had  charge 
for  a  year  or  two  of  the  music  of  St.  Luke's  church.  He  finally  sold  his  business  to  the 
late  Rev.  George  Dutton,  who  carried  it  on  for  several  years,  when  he  closed  the  estab- 
lishment in  1853.  The  late  James  Murray,  a  vocalist  and  choir-leader,  practised  his 
profession  for  over  thirty  years  in  Rochester  and  Western  New  York.  The  late  B.  W. 
Durfee  was  for  many  years  an  acceptable  teacher  of  vocal  music,  and  a  choir-leader 
here,  and  for  some  time  had  charge  of  the  music  in  our  public  schools.  About  i860  the 
late  Prof  Fred  Miller  took  up  his  residence  here.  He  possessed  fine  musical  talent  and 
culture,  and  played  well  upon  most  musical  instruments.  In  1849  Mr.  Reynolds  erected 
his  Corinthian  hall  building.  The  success  of  this  hall,  and  the  benefit  it  has  conferred 
upon  the  musical  community,  are  well  known.  Completed  at  a  time  when  concerts  by 
first-class  artists  had  become  popular  it  has  for  sixteen  years  been  the  popular  place  for 
music  of  all  kinds.     This  hall  is  remarkable  for  being  the  most  perfectly  constructed  for 


530  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

acoustic  effects  of  any  in  this  country,  and  it  has  been  visited  by  architects  from  Boston 
and  other  cities,  specially  to  get  its  proportions  for  perfect  sound.  In  1859  Prof.  J.  S. 
Black  took  up  his  residence  here,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  as  a 
teacher  of  vocal  music,  his  specialty  being  the  culture  of  the  voice.  In  the  course  of  a 
year  he  had  gathered  around  him  many  pupils  and  admirers.  He  conceived  the  idea 
of  a  new  musical  society  for  the  practice  of  a  higher  order  of  music.  A  class  was  readily 
formed,  and  the  practice  entered  upon  with  all  that  zeal  which  usually  characterises  new 
societies.  The  board  of  directors  of  the  Rochester  savings  bank,  in  the  construction  of 
their  noble  edifice  for  a  banking-house,  and  in  a  spirit  of  devotion  to  art,  wishing  to  con- 
fer upon  the  community  a  munificent  gift  which  should  reflect  credit  alike  upon  the  city 
and  the  institution  they  represent,  had  designed  and»constructed  this  magnificent  hall  as 
a  perpetual  gallery  for  purposes  of  art  and  art-culture.  Already  had  a  grant  of  incor- 
poration been  obtained  from  the  legislature,  and  an  organisation  been  perfected  under 
the  title  of  'the  Rochester  Academy  of  Music  and  Art.'  To  perfect  and  carry  out  the 
plans  of  this  institution,  it  remained  only  to  organise  the  society  under  these  officers  and 
take  possession  of  these  rooms." 

The  Rochester  Academy  of  Music  went  on  successfully  for  two  or  three 
years,  when  Prof.  Black  removed  from  the  city  to  Indianapolis,  and  Prof.  Henri 
Appy  was  called  from  New  York  as  musical  director  of  the  institution.  Mr. 
Appy  came  to  this  country  with  the  Jenny  Lind  troupe  bi-ought  over  by  P.  T. 
Barnum,  of  which  he  was  the  leading  violin  soloist.  The  Academy  prospered 
under  his  administration  for  a  time,  but  was  finally  given  up,  when  Mr.  Appy 
concluded  to  establish  his  permanent  residence  here.  John  H.  Kalbfleisch,  an 
accomplished  teacher,  organist  and  pianist,  has  done  much  to  elevate  the  stand- 
ard of  music  here.  He  organised  the  Philharmonic  society,  and  has  been  prom- 
inent in  musical  circles  for  many  years.  Herve  D.  Wilkins  has  been  a  success- 
ful teacher  here  on  the  organ  and  piano  for  several  years  past.  He  is  regarded 
as  an  accomplished  organist  as  well  as  pianist.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  or- 
gans of  several  of  our  leading  churches  for  years.  He  has  spent  some  time  in 
European  schools  of  music,  especially  in  Leipsic,  in  fitting  himself  as  a  teacher, 
and  now  ranks  among  our  best  artists.  Mrs.  C.  S.  P.  Gary,  a  lady  pianist  and 
music-teacher,  who  for  some  years  past  has  been  connected  with  the  Philhar- 
monic society  as  pianist,  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  our  best  musicians.  R.  F. 
C.  Ellis  had  a  fine  reputation  as  music- teacher  on  the  piano  as  well  as  organ. 
He  for  many  years  had  the  organ  in  St.  Luke's  church,  and  composed  some 
music  for  the  chants,  etc.  The  Rochester  Philharmonic  society,  organised  about 
ten  years  ago,  met  with  varied  financial  success,  the  public  patronage  not  being 
at  any  time  what  it  should  be.  The  gentlemen  composing  the  society  labored 
hard  to  keep  it  in  existence.  It  did  much  to  elevate  the  character  of  our  in- 
strumental music,  as  well  as  to  cultivate  the  public  taste,  by  giving  each  winter 
a  series  of  concerts,  under  the  direction  of  Professor  Henri  Appy  as  leader. 
The  Mannerchor,  a  most  successful  German  musical  society,  has  been  in  exist- 
ence here  for  ten  years  or  more.  It  has  given  many  concerts,  and  afforded 
great  satisfaction   to   all   lovers   of  German  chorals  and  songs.     The  society 


The  University  and  the  Theological  Seminary.  531 

adorns  the  cause  of  music.  We  have  at  present  several  musical  societies,  all  of 
which  deserve  meritorious  mention.  Among  the  most  prominent  are  the  Ora- 
torio society,  the  Orchestra  society,  the  Mendelssohn  vocal  society,  the  Arion, 
the  Liedertafel  and  the  Liederkranz. 

The  Rochester  Art  club  had  its  origin  in  meetings  begun  in  1872,  for  the 
purpose  of  drawing  from  life,  but  the  club  was  not  actually  formed  until  1879. 
The  following  were  the  first  officers :  President,  James  H.  Dennis ;  vice-presi- 
dent, Miss  Emma  Lampert;  secretary,  W.  F.  Reichenbach ;  treasurer,  John  Z. 
Wood.  The  object  of  the  society  is  the  cultivation  and  advancement  of  the 
industrial  and  fine  arts  and  the  promotion  of  social  intercourse  among  its  mem- 
bers. In  1882  the  club  was  incorporated,  the  charter  members  being  James 
H.  Dennis,  Harvey  Ellis,  J.  Guernsey  Mitchell,  James  Somerville,  Horatio 
Walker,  John  Z.  Wood.  Exhibitions  are  held  in  the  spring  of  every  year  which 
are  patronised  by  the  best  artists  of  the  country.  The  club  has  a  high  reputa- 
tion away  from  home,  and  many  of  the  productions  of  its  members  and  its  stu- 
dents have  been  hung  on  the  walls  at  exhibitions  in  New  York  and  have  found 
a  ready  sale  in  that  city.  The  officers  for.  the  present  year  are :  President,  Har- 
vey Ellis ;  vice-president,  John  Z.  Wood ;  secretary,  Horatio  Walker ;  treas- 
urer, James  Somerville. 

The  Art  Exchange,  was  organised  February  ist,  1881,  by  the  election  of 
the  following  officers  :  President,  Miss  Lois  E.  Whitney  ;  manager,  Mrs.  E.  P. 
Reed.  The  object  of  the  association  is  the  advancement  of  the  artistic  in- 
dustries. Instructions  are  given  in  drawing,  engraving  and  water-color  paint- 
ing and  cooking  by  competent  teachers.  The  officers  for  the  present  year  are: 
President,  Miss  Lois  E.  Whitney  ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Elmer  Smith  ;  recording  sec- 
retary. Miss  Stella  Shuart ;  corresponding  secretary.  Miss  Belle  Watson  ;  foreign 
secretary,  Miss  Belle  Clarke.     The  rooms  are  in  the  Powers  building. 


CHAPTER  L. 
the  university  and  the  theological  seminary.  1 

Madison  Universily  —  Plans  for  its  Removals  A  New  University  Established  at  Rochester  —  Its 
Founders  and  Trustees  —  Its  Influence  on  the  City  —  Its  Course  of  Study  —  Its  Lectures,  its  Library 
and  its  Museums  — Its  Benefactors  and  its  Buildings  —  The  Theological  Seminary  —  Full  Description 
of  the  Institution. 

AS  early  as  1820,  when  the  Baptists  of  the  state  of  New  York  numbered  but 
28,600,  they  established  at  Hamilton,  in  Madison  county,  a  college  which 
"had  one  object  only  and  exclusively  —  namely,. to  furnish  means  for  the  edu- 
cation of  young  men  who  shall  give  evidence  of  a  call  to  the  ministry."  ^  In 
1839,  against   considerable  opposition   and.  mainly  through  local  influences,-'' 

1  The  article  on  the  university  was  prepared  by  Prof.  J.  H.  Gilmore. 

2  First  Half  Century  of  Madison,  p.  39.  '  Ibid.,  p.  42. 


532  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

other  than  candidates  for  the  ministry  were  admitted  to  this  college,  but  it  re- 
tained, until  very  recently,  something  of  the  character  given  to  it  by  its  found- 
ers. In  the  lapse  of  time,  some  of  the  trustees  and  instructors  of  Madison 
university,  and  still  more  of  the  members  of  the  Baptist  denomination  through- 
out the  state,  became  dissatisfied  with  this  singleness  of  purpose.  The  idea 
was  dawning  upon  the  Baptists  of  the  state  of  New  York  that,  if  education  is 
a  good  thing  for  the  clergy,  it  is  a  good  thing  for  the  laity,  and  that  even  those 
who  "give  evidence  of  a  call  to  the  ministry"  will  be  none  the  worse  preach- 
ers and  pastors  for  rubbing  and  filing  their  minds,  during  their  college  course, 
against  those  who  have  law,  medicine,  or  mercantile  life  in  view.  Meanwhile 
many  deemed  Hamilton  an  unsuitable  site  for  such  an  institution  as  the  Baptists 
of  the  state  of  New  York  would,  inevitably,  demand.  However  attractive  the 
rural  beauty  of  its  surroundings,  however  free  from  temptations  and  well 
adapted  to  purposes  of  study,  Hamilton  —  the  Hamilton  of  that  day  —  was 
difficult  of  access,  altogether  apart  from  the  rushing  tide  of  human  thought  and 
activity,  and  quite  too  much  engrossed  in  the  affairs  of  the  "university,"  which 
played  an  important  part  in  church  and  village  politics.  Such  considerations 
as  these  induced  many  thoughtful  and  devout  Baptists  in  different  parts  of  the 
state  of  New  York  to  regard  the  removal  of  Madison  university  from  Hamilton 
as  absolutely  essential  to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  that  institution  —  nay, 
to  its  continued  existence. 

The  causes  which  have  just  been  indicated  resulted  in  a  strenuous  effort  to 
secure  the  removal  of  Madison  university  to  what  some  deemed  a  more  favor- 
able locality.  Rochester  was  convenient  of  access  to  the  east  and  west  and 
partook  alike  of  the  refinement  and  culture  of  the  one,  the  bustling  activity  of 
the  other.  It  sustained  intimate  relations  to  Canada  on  the  north,  and  was 
rapidly  assuming,  intimate  relations  with  Pennsylvania  on  the  south.  It  was  a 
city  noted  for  the  intelligence  and  piety  of  its  people,  the  center  of  a  rich  agri- 
cultural region  which  was,  at  that  time,  almost  entirely  destitute  of  facilities  for 
higher  education.  There  was,  west  of  Cayuga  bridge,  a  district  nearly  as  large  as 
the  state  of  Massachusetts,  and  with  a  population  estimated  at  530,000,  which 
contained  only  one  college,  and  that  comparatively  insignificant.  Of  this  re- 
gion Rochester  was  the  natural  center.  The  Baptists  of  Rochester  wanted  a 
college  (a  desire  which  their  fellow-citizens  of  other  denominations  abundantly 
shared)  and  were  willing  to  work  for  it,  pray  for  it,  give  to  it.  Such  were  the 
considerations  by  which  the  Baptists  of  Western  New  York  convinced  their 
brethren  in  the  eastern  and  central  part  of  the  state  that,  if  Madison  university 
was  to  be  removed  at  all,  Rochester  was  the  place  for  it.  They  were  weighty 
considerations — considerations  which  had  twice  before  led  other  denominations 
to  contemplate  the  establishment  of  a  college  in  the  Flour  city.  It  is  in  some 
respects  unfortunate  that  the  reasons  which  determined  the  new  location  were 
so  strong.    That  location  was  substantially  settled  before  any  decision  had  been 


■  The  University  Chartered.  533 

made  upon  the  general  question  of  removal.  It  was  naturally,  therefore,  left 
to  the  Baptists  of  Rochester  and  vicinity  to  take  the  initiative  in  agitating  the 
question  of  removal ;  and  equally  natural  that,  if  they  did  so,  they  should  be 
accused  of  being  actuated  solely  by  self-interest.  Heedless  of  the  imputation 
to  which  they  subjected  themselves,  "a  meeting  of  the  friends  of  Madison  uni- 
versity" assembled  at  the  First  Baptist  church  in  Rochester,  September  12th, 
1847,  ^fid  a  motion  was  unanimously  carried  "that  it  be  regarded  the  sense  of 
this  meeting  that  Madison  university  be  removed  to  Rochester.  "  At  a  meet- 
ing of  the  citizens  of  Rochester,  held  in  the  city  hall,  October  28th,  1847,  the 
idea  of  establishing  a  university  in  Rochester  was  emphatically  indorsed,  and 
pecuniary  assistance  was  freely  pledged  to  it  by  leading  men  of  various  de- 
nominations. 

The  action  taken  by  the  Baptists  of  Rochester  was  indorsed  by  a  majority 
of  their  brethren  thoughout  the  state,  but  legal  obstacles  were  thrown  in  the 
way  of  the  projected  removal  of  Madison  university  to  the  banks  of  the  Genesee. 
Application  was,  accordingly,  made  for  a  charter  authorising  the  establishment 
of  a  new  university  at  Rochester,  and,  at  the  suggestion  of  William  L.  Marcy 
(who  had  from  the  first,  been  an  earnest  promoter  of  the  new  enterprise),  this 
application  was  made  not  to  the  legislature,  where  it  would  have  undoubtedly 
met  with  strenuous  opposition,  but  to  the  regents  of  the  university.  ^  In 
response  to  this  application  a  provisional  charter  was  granted  by  the  regents, 
January  31st,  1850,  which  sanctioned  the  establishment  of  the  University  of 
Rochester,  provided  that  $130,000  be  subscribed  for  this  purpose  in  two  years, 
of  which  sum  $30,000  was  to  be  invested  in  sites  and  buildings,  and  $100,000 
in  permanent  endowment.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1850,  the  petitioners  sub- 
mitted to  the  regents  "  satisfactory  proofs  that  suitable  buildings  had  been  pro- 
vided for  the  use  of  said  institution,  and  also  that  funds  to  the  amount  of  $100,- 
000,  with  which  it  is  intended  to  provide  for  such  institution  or  college,  have 
been  secured  by  valid  subscriptions  of  responsible  parties.  "  Whereupon,  the 
regents,  February  14th,  1851,  issued  the  charter  under  which  the  university  is 
at  present  organised  —  which  still,  however,  contained  the  proviso  that,  within 
five  years,  the  regents  must  be  satisfied  that  at  least  $100,000  had  been  per- 
manently invested,  in  state  or  national  bonds  or  in  mortgages  on  unincumbered 
real  estate  worth  double  the  amount  of  the  mortgage,  in  order  that  the  charter 
might  become  perpetual — a  provision  complied  with  in  186 1,  when  the  charter 
became  perpetual. 

The  charter  thus  granted  (which  is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  the  old  charter 
of  Columbia  college  in  the  city  of  New  York)  simply  invests  the  corporation  of 
the  university  "with  all  the  privileges  and  powers  conceded  to  any  college  in 

1  Not  only  did  the  idea  of  such  an  application  to  the  board  of  regents  originate  with  Governor  Marcy, 
but  it  was  largely  due  to  his  personal  influence  that  that  body  was  induced  to  grant  even  a  provisional 
charter  to  an  institution  which  had  ndt  a  foot  of  land  nor  a  dollar  in  money,  and  no  very  definite  ideas 
as  to  when  either  was  to  be  obtained. 


534  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

this  state,  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  the  sixth  section  of  the  statute  entitled 
'an  act  relative  to  the  university,'  passed  April  5th,  18 13."  The  charter  did 
not  vest  the  control  of  the  university  in  any  religious  denomination.  It  simply 
created  a  self-perpetuating  board  of  trustees,  twenty-four  in  number,  who  hold 
office  for  life,  but  who  may  be  removed,  by  vote  of  their  associates,  for  non-at- 
tendance at  three  successive  annual  meetings.  Twenty  of  the  trustees  named 
in  the  charter  ^  were  Baptists,  and  the  Baptists  have  thus  maintained  an  effective 
control  over  the  university,  though  different  religious  denominations  have  always 
been  represented  in  its  board  of  trustees  and  its  faculty  of  instruction,  and  a 
majority  of  its  students  are  generally  from  other  than  Baptist  families.  In  its 
chapel  and  recitation  rooms  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians, 
Romanists  and  Jews  meet  on  a  perfect  equality.^  The  religious  convictions  of 
each  are  respected,  in  so  far  as  this  may  be  done  consistently  with  a  dominant 
purpose  to  impart  instruction,  in  every  department  of  study,  from  a  thoroughly 
evangelical  point  of  view. 

The  university  maintains  no  separate  preaching  service,  deeming  it  wisest 
and  best  that  its  students  associate  themselves  with  the  religious  communities 
in  the  city  and  receive,  from  week  to  week,  such  religious  instruction  as  is 
adapted  to  an  ordinary  congregation.  The  Christian  men  of  the  university  are, 
however,  associated  for  religious  work  in  a  Young  Men's  Christian  association. 
This  association  holds  a  weekly  prayer-meeting,  in  which  all  the  students  par- 
ticipate, and  a  class  prayer-meeting  is  held  by  each  class  at  the  close  of  the 
Saturday  morning's  lecture. 

The  university  has  no  connection  with  either  the  state  or  the  general  govern- 
ment. In  1857  the  state  of  New  York  granted  the  university  $25,000  toward 
the  erection  of  a  permanent  building  for  library,  chapel  and  recitation  rooms, 
upon  condition  that  the  friends  of  the  university  raise  a  like  sum  for  its  benefit. 
This  condition  was  met  by  General  John  F.  Rathbone,  of  Albany,  who  gave 
$25,000  to  constitute  a  library  fund  for  the  institution.  With  this  exception, 
the  university  has  received  no  aid  from  either  the  state  or  the  nation.  It  has 
no  organic  connection  with  the  public  school  system  of  the  city  of  Rochester ; 
and  yet  it  is,  practically,  the  cap-stone  of  that  system,  and  its  influence  is  felt 

1  The  names  of  those  citizens  of  Roche.sler  who  have  1)een  members  of  the  board  of  trustees  are  ;  John 
N.  Wilder,  1850-1858;  Frederick  Whittlesey,  1850-1851;  William  Pitkin,  1850-1869;  Everard  Peck, 
1850-1854;  David  K.  Barton,  1850-1871  ;  E.  F.  Smith,  1850-1879;  Elon  Huntington,  1850-;  Edwin 
Pancost,  1850-1867;  WiUiam  N.  Sage,  1850-;  Azariah  Hoody,  1853-1865  ;  Jacob  Gould,  1854-1867; 
Gideon  W.  Burbank,  1854-1873;  Henry  W.  Dean,  M.  D.,  1859-1878;  Edwin  O.  Sage,  1867-;  Hiram 
Sibley,  1868-;  William  A.  Reynolds,  1870-1872 ;  Martin  W.  Cooke,  1871-;  Francis  A.  Macomber, 
1871-;  Freeman  Clarke,  1872-;  Edward  M.  Moore,  M.  D.,  1872-;  Rev.  Charles  J.  Baldwin,  1878 -; 
These  names  are  certainly  a  guarantee  both  of  the  catholicity  of  the  university  and  of  its  eminent  re- 
spectability. 

2  In  illustration  of  this  point — four  difierent  denominations  are,  at  present,  represented  in  the  board 
of  trustees,  and  four  in  the  faculty.  The  students  reported  in  the  catalogue  for  1884-85  are  connected 
either  personally  or  by  family  ties,  with  the  following  denominations  :  Baptists,  74 ;  Presbyterians,  34  ; 
Methodists,  11;  Episcopalians,  7;  Congregationalists,  2;  Universalists,  2;  Catholics,  2;  Jews,  2; 
Unitarians,  i :   Free  Methodists,  i ;   Disciples,  I ;  Evangelical  Lutherans,  I ;  German  Lutherans,  i. 


OjlGANISATION  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY.  535 

to  the  lowest  grade  of  our  primary  schools.  Three  scholarships,  yielding  free 
tuition  in  the  university,  are  awarded,  each  year,  to  students  fitted  for  college 
in  th-e  public  schools  of  the  city;  and  thus  through  the  existence  among  us  of 
the  university  an  intelligent  and  industrious  young  man  can  secure,  free  of  cost, 
a  college  education.  The  first  time  these  city  scholarships  were  awarded  (in 
185 1)  Patrick  O'Rourke  (a  Catholic),  Thomas  Dransfield  (a  Presbyterian)  and 
Simon  Tuska  (a  Jew)  were  the  recipients.  O'Rourke  subsequently  received  an 
appointment  to  West  Point,  and  Ephraim  Gates  (a  Baptist)  took  his  place.  '  But 
for  the  city  scholarships,  none  of  these  men  would  have  received  a  college  edu- 
cation. Mr.  Tuska  (who  died  in  1872,  while  in  charge  of  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogue in  Memphis,  Tennessee)  was  one  of  the  most  learned  and  most  liberal 
men  ever  graduated  by  the  university. 

It  may  be  stated  that  440  Rochester  boys  and  three  Rochester  girls  have 
availed  themselves  of  the  privileges  of  the  university,  and  that  181  Rochester 
boys  have  completed  a  course  of  study  and  received  degrees.  The  three  Roch- 
ester girls  point  toward  coeducation,  and  it  is  certainly  worth  mentioning  that 
the  late  Lewis  H.  Morgan  left  his  entire  estate  to  the  university  (after  the  de- 
cease of  his  wife  and  son)  to  provide  facilities  for  the  higher  education  of  wo- 
men. It  will  be  safe,  therefore,  to  predict  that,  fifty  years  hence,  the  catalogue 
of  the  university  will  make  a  better  showing  so  far  as  the  gentler  sex  is  con- 
cerned, but  the  figures  that  we  give  show  that  it  has  already  proved  itself  a 
benefit  and  a  blessing  to  the  city  of  Rochester.  Probably  not  one  quarter  as 
many  Rochester  boys  would  have  received  a  college  education  but  for  the  ex- 
istence of  a  college  at  their  very  doors ;  and,  meanwhile,  the  University  of 
Rochester  has  done  much,  in  a  general  way,  to  elevate  the  tone  of  Rochester 
society.  Its  officers — and  especially  President  Anderson — have  been  fore- 
most in  every  literary,  social,  patriotic  and  religious  way. 

The -trustees  of  the  new  university  met,  informally,  at  Rochester  May  13th, 
1850,  and  appointed  a  committee  of  seven  to  mature  a  plan  of  instruction.  The 
first  duly  called  and  notified  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  University  of  Roch- 
ester (which,  it  may  be  said  in  passing,  is  the  legal  title  of  the  institution  —  not 
"Rochester  university,"  nor  " Mr.  Anderson's  school")  was  held  in  the  commit- 
tee room  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  September  l6th,  1850.  The  trustees  or- 
ganised, under  the  provisional  charter  granted  by  the  regents,  by  the  election 
of  John  N.  Wilder,  president ;  Wm.  N.  Sage,  secretary,  and  Edwin  Pancost, 
treasurer.  The  committee  on  course  of  instruction  —  appointed  May  13th, 
1850  —  reported  at  this  meeting  and  their  recommendations  were  substantially 
adopted.  Six  professorships  (with  a  salary  of  twelve  hundred  dollars)  were 
created  —  of  which  five  were  filled  by  the  following  appointment :  A.  C.  Ken- 
drick,  D.  D.  —  Greek  language  and  literature ;  John  F.  Richardson,  A.  M.  — 
Latin  language  and  hterature;  John  H.  Raymond,  A.  M. — history  and  belles 
lettres  ;  Chester  Dewey,  D.  D.  —  the  natural  sciences ;  Samuel  S.  Greene,  A. 


536  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

M.  —  mathematics  and  natural  philosophy.  The  chair  of  intellectual  and  moral 
philosophy  (the  presidential  chair)  was  not  at  this  time  filled.  The  executive 
duties  of  the  president  were  subsequently  discharged  by  Dr.  Kendrick ;  while 
Rev.  John  S.  Maginnis,  D'  D.,  professor  of  theology  in  the  Rochester  theolog- 
ical' seminary,  gave  instruction  in  this  department.  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Conant, 
D.  D.,  also  connected  with  the  theological  seminary,  was  subsequently  secured 
as  instructor  in  elementary  Hebrew.^ 

The  trustees  further  voted,  at  this  meeting,  that  the  new  institution  should 
go. into  active  operation  on  the  first  Monday  in  November,  1850,  and  authorised 
the  executive  board  to  lease  and  fit  up  for  the  temporary  use  of  the  university 
a  building  on  Buffalo  (now  West  Main)  street,  formerly  known  as  the  United 
States  Hotel.  Suitable  rooms  for  chapel  exercises,  recitations,  etc.,  were  fitted 
up  in  the  building  designated ;  the  under-graduates  of  Madison  flocked  to  the 
temporary  quarters  which  the  building  afforded  them ;  and,  on  the  day  pre- 
scribed, the  University  of  Rochester  was  an  accomplished  fact.  Its  first  cat- 
alogue reported  eight  instructors  and  seventy- one  students.  In  July,  185  i,  it 
graduated  a  class  of  ten.  The  progress  of  the  new  institution  was  so  sudden 
and  so  wonderful  that  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  according  to  Mr.  Wilder,  used 
it  as  an  illustration  of  Yankee  enterprise  —  saying  that  a  landlord  in  Rochester 
had  an  old  hotel  which  he  thought  would  rent  for  more  as  a  university, 
so  he  put  in  a  few  books,  sent  for  a  coach-load  of  professors,  bought  some 
philosophical  apparatus,  and,  by  the  time  green  peas  were  ripe,  he  had  grad- 
uated a  large  class  of  students. 

The  university  started  on  its  career  of  usefulness  with  two  literary  societies 
—  the  Delphic  and  Pithonian  —  which,  for  some  years,  maintained  a  vigorous 
existence.  The  "Greek  letter"  societies  were,  at  once  (1850),  represented  by 
the  Alpha  Delta  Phi  fraternity,  which  was  followed,  in  1851,  by  the  Delta  Psi; 
in  1852  by  the  Delta  Upsilon  (at  first  the  "Equitable  fraternity");  in  1856 
by  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon;  in  1858  by  Psi  Upsilon;  in  1867  by  the  Theta 
Delta  Chi  (since  defunct);  in  1884  by  the  Chi  Psi.  The  university  has  never 
antagonised  these  societies;  but  has  sought — and  that  successfully  —  to  make 
them  an  adjunct  to  instruction  and  discipline.  The  first  commencement  was 
held  in  185 1.  A  sermon  was  preached  before  the  Judson  society  of  Inquiry 
by  Rev.  William  R.  Williams,  D.  D.,  of  New  York;  an  oration  and  poem  were 
delivered,  before  the  literary  societies,  by  Henry  Ward  Beecher  and  Park  Ben- 
jamin. The  papers  of  current  date  say  that  "the  procession  was  the  largest 
and  most  imposing  civic  procession  ever  seen  in  the  streets  of  Rochester,  and 
Corinthian  hall  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity." 

1  Of  the  professors  named  above,  Dr.  Kendrick  had  been  connected  with  Madison  university  since 
1832,  Dr.  Conant  since  1835,  Dr.  Maginnis  and  Prof.  Richardson  since  1838,  Prof.  Raymond  since 
1840.  Prof.  Greene  did  not  accept  the  appointment  tendered  him,  and  the  chair  of  matliematics  was 
temporarily  filled  by  E;  Peshine  Smith,  afterward  interpreter  of  international  law  at  the  court  of  Japan. 
The  other  appointees  entered  upon  the  duties  of  their  respective  departments  at  the  opening  of  the  uni- 
versity.    The  name  of  Albert  H.  Mixer  also  appears  in  the  first  catalogue  as  tutor  in  languages. 


President  Anderson.  —  Numerical  Data.  537 

In  1853  Martin  B.  Anderson — the  first,  and,  thus  far  the  only,  president 
of  the  university  —  entered  upon  his  duties.  He  was  born  at  Brunswick, 
Maine,  February  12th,  1815;  graduated  at  Waterville  college  (now  Colby 
university)  in  1840.  The  following  year  he  spent  in  theological  studies  in  New- 
ton Center,  Massachusetts.  In  1841  he  was  recalled  to  his  alma  mater  zs  tutor. 
In  1843  he  was  appointed  professor  of  rhetoric.  In  1850  he  resigned  and  be- 
came editor  of  the  New  York  Recorder,  then  the  leading  Baptist  paper  of  the 
country.  His  personal  history  since  that  date  has  been  identified  with  that  of 
the  university  over  which  he  has  so  ably  presided.  In  the  same  year  it  was 
voted  to  accept  the  gift  of  eight  acres  of  land,  valued  at  $10,000,  which  was 
tendered  to  the  university  as  a  permanant  site  by  Azariah  Boody.  The  land 
thus  secured  was  that  on  which  Anderson  and  Sibley  halls  now  stand.  Seven- 
teen acres  in  addition  to  Mr.  Boody's  gift  were  subsequently  purchased,  with 
the  idea  of  laying  it  out  in  house-lots,  by  the  sale  of  which  the  endowment  of 
the  university  might  be  promoted.  This  idea  was  abandoned  after  lots  enough 
had  been  sold  to  seriously  mar  the  beauty  of  the  campus.  Many  objected  to 
the  location  as  too  remote  from  the  center  of  the  city.  Others  would  have 
been  satisfied  with  a  location  equally  remote  —  on  the  west  side.  Among  the 
other  sites  mentioned  were  Lake  View,  the  Wadsworth  tract,  the  Munger  tract. 
Brown  square,  and  the  Warner  property,  opposite  Mt.  Hope.  Anderson  hall, 
subsequently  erected  on  this  ground  by  R.  Gorsline  &  Son,  cost  (including  fur- 
niture) $39,521.12.     The  building  was  occupied  in  1861. 

In  1 861  the  war  of  the  rebellion  broke  out  and  Professor  Quinby  raised  a 
regiment  for  two  years'  service  —  the  first  two  years'  regiment  raised  in  the 
state;  though  mustered  in  as  the  Thirteenth  New  York  volunteers.  In  the 
fall  of  this  year  Professor  Quinby  resigned  his  colonelcy  and  resumed  his  chair, 
which  had  been  temporarily  filled  by  Alonzo  J.  Howe  (of  the  class  of '56).  In 
1862  he  was,  however,  appointed  brigadier- general  of  volunteers  and  was  ab- 
sent in  command  of  a  division  in  the  army  of  the  Mississippi,  till  January,  1864. 
The  existing  classes  were,  during  this  and  the  following  years,  almost  broken 
up,  and  the  entering  classes  were  naturally  small,  through  enlistments  in  the 
Union  army. 

The  number  of  admissions  to  the  university  is  uniformly  in  excess  of  the 
number  in  the  Freshman  class;  some  years  very  largely  so  —  thus,  while  the 
number  admitted  as  Freshmen  in  1875  was  thirty-eight,  the  entire  number  of 
new  students  was  fifty-five.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  attendance  at  the  uni- 
versity fluctuates  with  the  prosperity  or  adversity  of  the  nation.  In  1856  the  • 
entering  class  numbered  forty-seven  and  the  entire  number  of  students  was  163. 
In  1857,  the  year  of  the  great  panic,  the  Freshman  class  dropped  to  thirty-four, 
and  the  next  year  to  twenty-eight.  In  1 860  the  university  recovered,  its  lost 
ground.  It  had  forty-five  Freshmen  and  a  total  attendance  of  168.  Then  the 
rebellion  broke  out,  and,  through  the  absorption  of  a  generation  of  students  in 


538  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  army  and  the  tendency  given  toward  practical  rather  than  sedentary  life, 
the ,  Freshman  class  gradually  drops  to  nineteen.  The  numbers  regularly  in- 
crease until  1873,  when  the  university  touches  high-water  mark,  reporting  fifty- 
three  Freshmen  and  173  in  all.  Then  another  financial  crisis  breaks  upon  us, 
and  the  numbers  again  diminish. 

The  University  of  Rochester  has  two  courses  of  instruction  :  I.  The  class- 
ical course,  extending  through  four  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  these 
who  have  satisfactorily  met  the  requirements  of  the  faculty  are  admitted  to  the 
degree  of  bachelor  of  arts.  II.  The  scientific  course,  extending  through  four 
years  and  requiring  the  Latin  of  the  classical  course  as  essential  to  the  success- 
ful prosecution  of  the  modern  languages  and  the  mastery  of  scientific  terminol- 
ogy. In  the  place  of  Greek,  a  more  extended  course  of  study  is  prescribed  in 
the  physical  sciences  and  in  other  departments  promotive  of  general  culture. 
Those  who  satisfactorily  complete  this  course  are  admitted  to  the  degree  of 
bachelor  of  science.  Two  thousand,  two  hundred  and  sixty  hours  are  spent  in 
the  recitation- room  by  a  student  during  his  entire  course.  These  2,260  hours 
are  apportioned,  in  the  case  of  a  classical  student,  as  follows :  Latin  language 
and  literature  (including  Roman  history),  256  to  320  hours;  Greek  language 
and  literature  (including  Greek  history),  246  to  356  hours;  French  language 
and  literature,  130  to  152  hours;  German  language  and  literature,  1 16  to  186 
hours;  English  language  and  literature,  96  hours;  comparative  philology,  1 1 
hours;  pure  mathematics,  232  to  257  hours;  applied  mathematics,  202  hours; 
natural  sciences,  252  to  407  hours;  logic  and  rhetoric,  no  hours;  elocution, 
37  hours;  intellectual  and  moral  philosophy,  94  hours;  history,  121  hours; 
political  economy  and  constitutional  law, .71  hours;  general  jurisprudence  (op- 
tional), 70  hours;  history  of  art  and  principles  of  art  criticism,  14  hours.  It 
will  be  seen  that  the  university  cannot  be  accused  of  giving  undue  attention  to 
Latin,  Greek  and  the  pure  mathematics  —  especially  when  it  is  remembered 
that  these  studies  are  mainly  pursued  early  in  the  course,  when  a  student's 
time  is  less  valuable  than  it  is  after  he  has  attained  to  greater  discipline  and 
maturity. 

Following  the  example  of  Madison  university,  the  University  of  Rochester, 
when  first  organised,  established  intimate  relations  with  a  private  school  which 
had  been  already  established  in  the  city  (the  "Rochester  collegiate  institute  ") ; 
and,  for  a  few  years,  that  school  was  distinctly  recognised  in  the  catalogues  as 
"the  university  grammar  school.  "  In  1854  all  connection  with  that  school 
(which  has  since  ceased  to  exist)  was  severed.  In  1856  the  university,  hoping 
thus  to  create  a  feeder  for  itself,  advanced  $10,000  (which  has  since  been  repaid, 
principal  and  interest)  toward  the  "  Brockport  collegiate  institute,  "  now  the 
Brockport  Normal  school.  With  these  exceptions,  the  University  of  Rochester 
has  had  no  connection  with  any  "  preparatory  department, "  and  is  not  likely 
to  have.  Ample  facilities  for  fitting  boys  for  college  are  afforded  by  the  public 
and  private  schools  of  Rochester  and  its  immediate  vicinity. 


PhofD     by    i^-ant,     Rocha  iKir  H  Y. 


/Mianlrc    Poblishinq  &.  Loqravn-i     LJoNV 


^.fJ.J^ 


The  Faculty.  539 


The  same  impulse  that  gave  birth  to  the  University  of  Rochester  gave 
birth,  also,  to  the  Rochester  theological  setninary.  The  two  institutions  were 
established  in  the  same  year  and,  mainly,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
same  men.  At  first  they  occupied  the  same  building  (that  of  the  university), 
and  it  was  supposed  that  they  would  ultimately  erect  permanent  buildings  on 
the  same  lot.  There  was  from  the  first,  however,  no  organic  connection  be- 
tween the  two  institutions  ;  and  to-day  —  though  cordially  sympathising  and 
cooperating  with  each  other  —  they  have  separate  corporations,  separate  treas- 
uries, separate  local  habitations  and  separate  faculties  of  instruction.  The  ex- 
istence in  Rochester  of  a  well  endowed  and  thoroughly  equipped  theological 
seminary,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  has,  however,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  precluded  all  thought  of  a  theological  department  in  the 
university.  Nor  has  there  been  serious  thought  of  the  establishment  of  depart- 
ments of  law  and  medicine.  Indeed,  overtures  looking  to  this  end  have  been 
rejected,  with  the  idea  that  it  is  wise  to  fully  supply  the  demand  for  academic 
instruction  before  attempting  to  train  men  in  special  departments  of  study. 
Neither  the  Baptists  of  New  York  nor  the  citizens  of  .Rochester  feel  the  need 
of  a  law  school  or  a  medical  school,  as  they  felt  the  need  of  a  college  thirty- 
odd  years  ago ;  and,  until  they  do  feel  this  need,  it  is  hardly  wise  to  attempt  to 
supply  it.  A  school  of  applied  science  is,  undoubtedly,  already  demanded  by 
the  Baptists  of  the  entire  country  and  the  people  of  Western  New  York ;  and 
it  is  hoped  that  the  university  may,  at  no  distant  day,  supply  that  want.  Had 
the  state  of  New  York  divided  the  land  grants  of  the  United  States  be- 
tween existing  institutions,  instead  of  concentrating  them  upon  the  founda- 
tion of  a  new  institution,  such  a  school  would  have  been  now  in  successful 
operation  in  Rochester,  and  would  be  sustained  as  only  a  great  agricultural 
and  manufacturing  center  can  sustain  such  an  institution.  The  foundation  of 
such  a  school  has,  indeed,  already  been  laid  in  the  ample  cabinets  of  the  uni- 
versity and  in  its  chemical  laboratory. 

The  faculty,  as  at  present  constituted,  consists  of  Martin  B.  Anderson,  LL.  D., 
president,  Burbank  professor  of  intellectual  and  moral  philosophy;  Asahel  C. 
Kendrick,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Munro  professor  of  the  Greek  language  and  litera- 
ture;  Lsaac  F.  Quinby,  LL.  D.,  Harris  professor  of  mathematics  and  natural 
philosophy;  Samuel  A.  Lattimore,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D.,  professor  of  chemistry; 
Albert  H.  Mixer,  A.  M.,  professor  of  modern  languages ;  Joseph  H.  Gilmore, 
A.  M.,  Deane  professor  of  logic,  rhetoric  and  English  literature;  Otis  H.  Rob- 
inson, A.  M.,  professor  of  mathematics,  and  librarian;  William  C.  Morey,  Ph. 
D.,  professor  of  history  and  pohtical  science;  Henry  F.  Burton,  A.  M.,  professor 
of  Latin ;  Harrison  E.  Webster,  A.  M.,  professor  of  geology  and  natural  history  ; 
George  M.  Forbes,  A.  M.,  assistant  professor  of  Greek;  Herman  K.  Phinney, 
A.  M.,  assistant  librarian.  Among  those  who  have  been  connected  with  the 
faculty  in  the  past,  and  whose  names  have  not,  hitherto,  been  mentioned,  are 

35 


S40  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Prof.  S.  S.  Cutting,  D.  D.  (1855-68),  and  Prof.  Henry  A.  Ward  (1861-75),  both 
of  whom  have  done  much  —  though  in  widely  different  directions  —  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  and  reputation  of  the  university. 

The  university  campus  is  twenty-three  and  a  half  acres  in  extent,  and  is 
situated  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
business  center.  The  buildings  of  the  university  are  three  in  number.  Ander- 
son hall,  which  was  completed  in  1861,  is  a  severely  plain,  but  extremely  sub- 
stantial, structure  of  brown  stone,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length  by  sixty 
in  breadth,  with  a  central  projection  of  fifteen  feet  in  front  and  rear  and  orna- 
mental projections  at  either  end.  It  is  three  stories  in  height,  with  a  basement 
—  which  appears  as  such  in  front  but  constitutes  an  additional  story  when  the 
building  is  viewed  from  the  rear.  This  building  (which  could  not,  to-day,  be 
erected  for  less  than  $75,000)  is  devoted  to  chapel  and  recitation-rooms. 

In  1 87 1  Hiram  Sibley  of  Rochester  promised  the  university  a  fire-proof 
building,  to  cost  not  less  than  $75,000,  for  the  accommodation  of  its  library. 
In  i872  the  foundations  for  the  building  were  laid.  In  1877  it  was  made  the 
receptacle  of  the  library,  and  in  1883  the  geological  and  mineralogical  cabinets 
were  transferred  to  the  upper  story.  The  building  is  situated  on  the  college 
campus,  fronting,  like  Anderson  hall,  on  University  avenue,  but  between  that 
structure  and  Prince  street.  Its  dimensions  are  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  by  sixty,  with  a  projection  of  twenty  feet  in  the  center  of  the  front.  The 
building  has  only  two  floors  —  though  the  walls  are  fifty-two  feet  in  height, 
from  the  water-table  to  the  cornice  —  but  each  story  is  ultimately  to  be  divided 
by  iron  galleries  so  that  the  structures  will  really  furnish  four  stories  in  two. 
The  upper  story  is  used  for  the  cabinets  of  the  university,  the  lower  .story,  which 
will  afford  shelf-room  for  90,000  volumes,  being  ample  for  library  purposes  for 
some  time  to  come.  The  building  is  absolutely  fire  proof  and  cost  not  less  than 
$100,000,  the  whole  expense  being  assumed  by  Mr.  Sibley,  who  stipulated 
merely  that  it  be  open  for  a  free  reading  library  forever  to  the  citizens  of 
Rochester. 

The  president's  mansion  is  not  situated  upon  the  campus,  but  on  a  lot  of 
land,  four  acres  and  a  half  in  extent,  upon  the  corner  of  University  avenue  and 
Prince  street.  This  lot  was  purchased,  with  funds  subscribed  by  the  citizens  of 
Rochester,  in  1868.  There  was  then  standing  upon  it  a  substantial  brick  resi- 
dence, which  had  been  built  but  a  few  years.  This  building  was  considerably 
enlarged,  and  entirely  remodeled  and  refitted,  so  as  to  adapt  it  to  its  present 
purpose.  The  grounds,  also,  were  tastefully  improved  and  rendered  at  once 
attractive  and  useful.  This  property  (which  is  owned  by  the  university,  but 
occupied,  rent  free,  by  the  president)  is  valued  at  $48,000. 

The  library  of  the  university  is,  as  yet,  comparatively  small,  but  is  more 
valuable  than  many  larger  libraries,  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  acquired 
mainly  by  purchase.     It  contains  more  than  20,000  volumes,  in  the  purchase 


The  Library  and  Cabinets.  54^ 

of  which  preference  has  been  given  to  those  works  that  arc  demanded  by  the 
officers  and  students  for  the  successful  prosecution  of  their  inquiries  in  the 
various  departments  of  study.  A  fund  of  $50,000  (the  gift  of  Gen.  John  F. 
Rathbone  and  Lewis  Rathbone  of  Albany)  is  devoted  to  the  maintenance  and 
increase  of  the  library ;  and  a  card  catalogue,  which  is  accessible  to  every  vis- 
itor, makes  its  contents  easily  available.  All  the  students  may  draw  books  from 
the  library,  and  are  aided  in  consulting  it  by  the  librarian  and  other  members 
of  the  faculty.  The  library  is  also,  through  the  generosity  of  Hiram  Sibley, 
accessible,  as  a  free  reading  library,  but  not  as  a  lending  library,  to  the  general 
public.  The  library  is  open  daily,  throughout  the  year  (excepting  on  Sundays 
and  legal  holidays),  from  r  to  5  p.  m.,  and  the  officers  in  charge  will  show  every 
attention  to  visitors. 

The  cabinets  of  geology  and  mineralogy  were  collected  by  Professor  Henry 
A.  Ward  during  ten  years  of  extensive  foreign  travel  and  during  many  careful 
visits  to  the  most  fruitful  American  localities.  They  were  purchased  in  1862 
by  the  citizens  of  Rochester  for  $20,000  (a  sum- much  less  than  their  estimated, 
value,)  and  presented  to  the  university.  Dr.  Torrey,  of  Columbia  College,  New 
York,  says  that  "no  geological  cabinet  in  the  United  States  can  compare  in 
magnitude  and  value  with  this,"  and  that  the  mineralogical  cabinet,  "although 
it  is  not  the  best  in  the  United  States,  is  excelled  by  very  few  and  is  admirably 
selected  for  the  purpose  of  instruction."  "For  fullness  and  perfection  of  speci- 
mens," says  President  Loomis,  of  Lewisburg  university,  "it  is  superior  to  any 
cabinet  which  I  have  ever  seen."  Professor  Sillman,  jr.,  characterises  it  as 
"  the  most  extensive  geological  museum  in  the  United  States  "  and  predicts 
that  it  "will  ultimately  attract  students  from  all  parts  of  the  country"  —  a  pre- 
diction which  is  already  realised.  These  cabinets  have  recently  been  transferred 
to  the  upper  story  of  Sibley  hall,  and  are  now  being  arranged  in  new  cases  of 
the  most  improved  construction. 

Through  the  liberality  of  the  late  Lewis  Brooks,  of  this  city,  the  foundation 
has  been  laid  for  a  cabinet  of  archaeology  by  the  purchase  of  a  small  but  well  au- 
thenticated collection  of  flint  and  bronze  instruments  from  the  drift  region  of 
Abbeville  and  St.  Acheul,  in  France.  To  this  cabinet  have  been  added  a  very 
choice  collection  of  stone  implements  from  the  vicinity  of  Copenhagen,  an  equally 
choice  collection  of  North  American  stone  implements,  and  numerous  specimens 
of  pottery  from  the  tomb  of  the  Incas. 

Something  has  also  been  done  toward  establishing  an  art  gallery.  In  1871 
President  Anderson  began  to  give  lectures  to  the  Senior  class  on  the  history  of 
art.  These  lectures  were  at  first  delivered  between  the  final  examinations  of 
the  class  and  the  annual  commencement,  and  attendance  on  them  was  optional. 
They  were,  in  1872,  transferred  to  the  fii-st  term  of  the  Senior  year,  becoming 
a  regular  Saturday  morning  exercise.  In  1874  the  Saturday  mornings  of  the 
first  and  second  terms  of  the  Senior  year  were  devoted  to  this  purpose ;  and 


542  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  course  was  extended  so  as  to  cover  a  historical  outline  of  the  growth  of  the 
several  fine  arts  and  some  general  principles  applicable  to  each.  An  incentive 
to  this  enlargement  of  the  course  was  found  not  only  in  the  obvious  advantages 
of  such  a  course  of  instruction  to  the  student  but  in  the  interest  manifested  by 
the  general  public,  who  tested  the  capacity  of  President  Anderson's  recitation- 
room  to  the  utmost.  This  course  of  instruction  naturally  created  a  demand  for 
illustrative  material,  a  demand  which  has  been,  to  some  extent,  supplied  (through 
the  liberality  of  various  friends  of  the  university,  but  especially  of  John  Fahy 
of  the  class  of  '66)  by  the  purchase  of  a  collection  of  engravings,  chromo-litho- 
graphs  and  autotypes  illustrative  of  the  masterpieces  of  architecture,  sculpture 
and  painting,  This  collection  has  been  gradually  and  carefully  made  with  a 
view  not  only  to  the  significance  of  the  subjects  illustrated,  but  also  to  the  ar- 
tistic skill  displayed  in  handling  those  subjects  so  that  an  engraving,  for  instance, 
shall  not  only  illustrate  a  masterpiece  of  painting,  but  be  itself  a  masterpiece  of 
engraving.  Illustrative  material  of  another  kind,  in  the  shape  of  models,  casts, 
etc.,  is  imperatively  demanded,  in  order  to  give  the  highest  efficiency  to  the 
course  of  art  instruction ;  and  we  mention  what  has  been  accomplished  in  this 
direction  partly  in  the  hope  that  some  lover  of  art  may  help  the  university  to 
do  something  more  and  better.  Its  friends  indeed  have  not  forgotten  the  £es- 
thetic  wants  of  the  university,  though  their  benefactions  have  not  always  taken 
the  form  of  illustrative  material  for  class-room  use.  The  alumni  have  presented 
to  the  university  a  marble  bust  of  President  Anderson,  chiseled  by  Johnson 
Mundy,  of  Rochester.  The  sons  of  Robert  and  William  Kelley  have  presented 
portraits  of  their  revered  fathers,  painted  by  Huntington  of  New  York,  and  at- 
tractive as  works  of  art  even  to  those  who  had  not  personally  known  and  hon- 
ored the  men  whom  they  represent.  This  example  led  to  the  presentation,  by 
the  alumni,  of  portraits  of  President  Anderson  and  Professors  Kendrick  and 
Quinby.  In  1876  a  portrait  of  Prof  John  F.  Stoddard,  the  founder  of  the  Stod- 
dard prize  medal,  was  added  to  the  collection;  and  still  more  recently  the  walls 
of  the  faculty  room  have  been  adorned  with  a  fine  portrait  of  President  Ander- 
son, painted  by  Eastman  Johnson.  The  library  has,  also,  been  made  the  recep- 
tacle of  a  fine  bust  of  Frederick  Douglass,  chiseled  by  Johnson  Mundy,  and  its 
reading-room  contains  a  series  of  eighty  choice  lithographs,  illustrative  of  arch- 
itectural subjects,  which  have  been  colored  (with  scrupulous  attention  to  his- 
torical accuracy)  by  the  most  eminent  English  water  colorists.  The  value  of 
this  absolutely  unique  collection  is  estimated  at  $5,000,  and  it  was  given  to  the 
university  by  Rev.  E.  L.  Magoon,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia.  In  books  illustrative 
of  the  department  of  art,  the  library  is  —  thanks  to  the  benefactions  of  Hiram 
Sibley,  Rezin  A.  Wight,  of  New  York,  and  Dr.  Magoon  —  exceptionally  rich. 
The  cabinets  and  art  collection  of  the  university  are  open  to  the  public  every 
afternoon  from  i  to  5. 

In  1868  a  chemical  laboratory  was  temporarily  fitted  up  in  the  basement  of 


Facilities  for  Instruction.  543 

the  university.  The  accommodations  thus  afforded  being  found  insufficient, 
the  laboratory  was,  in  1873,  transferred  to  the  first  floor  of  the  university 
and  considerably  enlarged.  It  still,  however,  affords  tables  for  only  twenty- 
four  students,  and  undergraduates  who  desire  to  take  analytical  chemistry 
(which  is  an  elective  study  during  the  Junior  and  Senior  years)  are  sometimes 
compelled  to  apply  for  this  privilege  a  year  in  advance.  The  pressure  upon 
the  laboratory  is  also  considerable  from  students  of  medicine  and  pharmacy, 
and  even  from  farmers  and  mechanics  who  desire  to  fit  themselves  for  the  in- 
telligent pursuit  of  their  vocation.  The  laboratory  is  as  well  fitted  and  equip- 
ped as  is  possible  in  view  of  its  temporary  nature  and  crowded  condition,  and 
is  so  conducted  by  Professor  S.  A.  Lattimore  as  to  command  the  unqualified 
respect  of  those  who  are  familiar  with  its  workings.  A  building  to  be  devoted 
entirely  to  the  natural  sciences  is,  however,  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to 
give  to  this  department  that  development  which  it  already  claims. 

During  the  past  year  a  room,  near  the  chemical  lecture  room  in  Anderson 
hall,  has  been  suitably  arranged  for  a  chemical  cabinet,  which  consists  of  such 
raw  and  manufactured  articles  as  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  application  of 
chemical  processes  to  the  industrial  arts,  and  it  is  hoped  to  make  this  cabinet 
an  especially  attractive  and  valuable  adjunct  to  the  work  of  instruction. 

The  university  is  fairly  well  supplied  with  apparatus  for  the  illustration  of 
applied  mathematics  and  the  physical  sciences,  though  much, of  the  most  use- 
ful apparatus  represents  a  greater  outlay  of  the  instructor's  skill  and  ingenuity 
than  of  money.  In  these  departments  the  attempt  is  made  first  to  develop 
in  the  mind  of  the  student  distinct  conceptions  of  scientific  principles.  Class- 
room illustrations  of  those  principles  are  then  given  to  such  an  extent  as  may 
be  necessary  to  classify  those  conceptions  and  impress  them  on  the  memory. 
In  giving  instruction  in  physiology  and  zoology,  which  are  taught  mainly  as 
comparative  sciences,  the  extensive  private  collections  of  Prof  Henry  A.  Ward 
are  at  the  disposal  of  the  instructor  and  are  freely  used  in  the  class-room. 

The  university  has  never  contemplated  the  establishment  of  an  astronomical 
observatory,  believing  that  such  an  establishment  does  not  render  any  service 
to  general  education  which  is  at  all  commensurate  with  the  vast  expense  which 
it  entails,  and  that  the  country  is  already  supplied  with  such  institutions  even 
in  excess  of  the  demands  of  special  scientific  discovery  and  investigation.  The 
need  was  felt,  however,  of  a  telescope  which  should  enable  the  classes  in  as- 
tronomy actually  to  observe  the  phenomena  which  are  described  in  their  text 
books,  and  practically  to  apprehend  at  least  the  simpler  processes  of  the  trained 
observer.  On  mentioning  this  want  to  John  B.  Trevor,  the  president  of  our 
board  of  trustees,  he  promptly  agreed  to  supply  it,  and,  after  consultation  with 
Dr.  Wm.  Harkness  of  the  Washington  observatory  (a  member  of  the  class  of 
'58),  an  instrument  which  can  be  made  serviceable  not  only  for  class  instruction 
but  even  for  purposes  of  special  investigation,  was  ordered  of  Alvin  Clarke  & 
Sons,   of  Cambridgeport,   and  permanently  mounted   in  a  building  specially 


544 


History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


erected  for  that  purpose.  This  instrument  is  mounted  equatorially,  has  a  focal 
length  of  seven  feet  six  inches  and  a  six-inch  object  glass,  is  supplied  with  right 
ascension  and  declination  circles  and  so  arranged  that  clock-work  can  be  added, 
at  slight  expense. 

In  1 849-50,. when  the  question  of  an  establishment  of  a  college  at  Roch- 
ester was  pending,  $130,000  was  subscribed  —  partly  by  residents  of  Roches- 
ter and  vicinity,  partly  by  members  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  other  parts 
of  the  state  to  secure  this  end.  Of  this  subscription,  all  but  about  five  per  cent, 
was  paid  into  the  treasury.  In  1862  $20,000  was  raised  in  Rochester  and  its 
vicinity,  for  the  purchase  of  the  Ward  cabinet  of  geology  and  mineralogy. 
Lewis  Brooks  headed  the  subscription  list  with  the  sum  of  $5,000.  The  other 
principal  Rochester  subscriptions  were:  Levi  A.  Ward,  $1,500;  Freeman- 
Clarke,  $  1 ,000  ;  William  A.  Reynolds,  $1,000;  Aristarchus  Champion,  $500; 
John  W.  Dwindle,  $500;  Aaron  Erickson,  $500;  Samuel  L.  Selden,  $500; 
Hiram  Sibley,  $500;  Addison  Gardiner,  $350;  Isaac  R.  Elwood,  $250;  Fred- 
erick Starr,  $250;  Don  Alonzo  Watson,  $250. 

In  1865  an  attempt  was  made  to  raise  $100,000  among  the  members  of 
the  Baptist  denomination,  for  the  more  adequate  endowment  of  the  university. 
This  movement  was  conducted  by  Dr.  Cutting,  and  the  entire  amount  was 
pledged,  but  only  about  $80,000  was  paid  into  the  treasury.  In  1867-68 
$19,650  was  raised  by  the  citizens  of  Rochester  to  purchase  a  residence  for  the 
president  of  the  university,  which  sum  was  augmented  by  a  donation  of  $12,- 
500  from  John  B.  Trevor,  of  New  York.  In  187 1  another  attempt  was  made 
to  add  $100,000  to  the  permanent  endowment  of  the  university.  This  effort, 
which  was  conducted  by  Rev.  Edward  Bright,  D.  D.,  of  New  York  (editor  of 
the  Examiner  &  Chronicle,  President  Anderson's  old  paper),  was  entirely  suc- 
cessful. A  similar  attempt  was  made  in  1876,  but  it  resulted  in  but  slight  im- 
mediate addition  to  the  endowment  fund.  Meanwhile  the  expenses  of  the 
university  largely  exceeded,  year  by  year,  its  receipts,  and  were  steadily  eating 
up  all  subscriptions  for  its  support  that  were  not  definitely  designated  as  trust- 
funds.  Strenuous  efforts  were  necessary  to  place  the  university  on  a  sound 
financial  basis,  and  those  efforts  were  crowned  with  success  in  1880,  when, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  President  Anderson,  the  addition  of  $256,800 
to  the  permanent  endowment  fund  was  announced.  The  names  of  the  givers 
were :  — 

John  H.  Deane,  New  York,   . 
John  B.  Trevor,  New  York,  . 
Jeremiah  Millbank,  New  York, 
John  D.  Rockefeller,  Cleveland,  O., 
Lewis  Rathbone,  Albany, 
John  F.  Rathbone,  Albany,    . 
Col.  Wm.  H.  Harris,  Cleveland,  O., 
Mrs.  Stillman  Witt,  Cleveland,  O., 
.Samuel  S.  Constant,  New  York,     . 
William  A.  Cauldwell,  New  York,  . 


$100,000 

Col.  James  T.  Griffin,  London,  Eng., 

$5,000 

50,000 

Charles  J.  Martin,  New  York,  . 

1,000 

25,000 

Rev.  Edward  Bright,  New  York, 

1,000 

25,000 

Rev.  Robert  B.  Hull,  New  York,      . 

1,000 

12,500 

Robert  Colgate,  New  York, 

1,000 

12,500 

Byron  E.  Huntley,  Brockport,  . 

1,000 

6,000 

Jacob  Hayes,  New  York, 

500 

5,000 

Benjamin  R.  Jenkins  (estate),  Toledo,  0., 

100 

5,000 

Rev.  Elias  H.  Johnson,  Providence,  R.  I., 

100 

5,000 

Sargent  &  Greenleaf,  Rochester, 

100 

Financial. 


545 


Of  this  sum  $45,000  was  designated  to  endow  the  Deane  professorship  of 
logic,  rhetoric  and  English;  $50,000  was  set  apart  as  the  John  H.  Deane  fund 
for  the  assistance  of  the  sons  of  Baptist  ministers;  and  $25,000  went  to  increase 
the  Rathbone  library  fund.  Rochester  names  are  ponspicuous  by  their  absence 
in  this  last  subscription;  but  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  Rochester  and  its  im- 
mediate vicinity  had,  previous  to  1876,  contributed  to  the  support  of  the  uni- 
versity the  sum  of  $228,239.  The  names  of  all  those  who,  up  to  the  date  of 
this  history,  have  subscribed  $5,000  or  more  toward  the  purchase  of  lots, 
erection  of  buildings,  furnishing  of  library  and  cabinets,  permanent  endowment, 
or  current  expenses  of  the  university,  is  as  follows:  — 

$120,275.00 
112,538.06 
102,279.00 


*  John  B.  Trevor,  Yonker.s, 

*  John  H.  Deane,  New  York,    . 
Hiram  Si1)ley,  Rochester,  . 
*John  F.  Rathbone,  Albany,     . 

*  William  Kelley,  Rhinebeck,     . 

*  Charles  Pratt,  Brooklyn, 

*  Tracy  H.  Harris,  New  York   . 
'Joseph  B.  Hoyt,  .Stamford,  Conn., 

*  Jeremiah  Millbank,  New  York, 

*  John  I).  Rockefeller,  Cleveland,  O 
.State  of  New  York,    . 

*J.  F.  Wyckoff,  New  York,       . 
"James  B.  Colgate,  Yonkers,     . 

*  Gideon  W.  Burbank,  Rochester, 

*  Lewis  Rathbone,  Albany, 

*  Oren  Sage  and  family,  Rochester, 


44,425.00 
.  33.5SO-°o 
32.438-33 
30,250.00 
30,100.00 
25,000.00 
25,000.00 
25,000.00 
24,280.0c 
20,000.00 
17,500.00 
14,075.00 
12,865.00 


"  Lewis  Roberts,  Tarrytown, 
Hon.  Azariah  Boody,  Rochester, 
"  Mrs.  Stilhnan  Witt,  Cleveland,  O., 
"John  N.  Wilder,  Albany,  . 

*  Col.  Wm.  H.  Harris,  Cleveland,  O. 

*  Thomas  Cornell,  Rondout, 

*  Rev.  E.  L.  Magoon,  D.  D.,  Phila.,  Pa, 
"  John  Munro  and  family,  Elbridge, 

*  Rezin  A.  Wight,  New  York,     . 
Isaac  Sherman,  New  York,  . 

*  Roswell  S.  Burrows,  Albion,     . 

*  Samuel  S.  Constant,  New  York, 

*  William  A.  Cauldwell,  New  York, 
Lewis  Brooks,  Rochester,    . 

*  Col.  James  T.  Griffin,  London,  Eng, 

*  Mrs.  Ann  E.  Waters,  Brooklyn, 


$10,925.00 
10,250.00 
10,000.00 
10,000.00 
9.591-38 
8,087.48 

,  8,397.08 
6,500.00 
5,300.00 
5,200.00 
5,000.00 
5,000.00 
5,000.00 
5,000.00 
5,000.00 
5,000.00' 


We  have  marked  with  an  asterisk,  in  this  list,  those  who,  by  personal  or  family 
ties,  are  connected  with  the  Baptist  denomination,  in  order  to  give  a  partial 
answer  to  the  question  why  the  University  of  Rochester  regards  itself  as  a 
Baptist  college.  As  the  result  of  the  subscriptions  that  have  been  given  in 
detail,  the  university  reported,  on  the  ist  of  June,  1883:  — 

Unproductive  property  to  the  value  of    .         .         .         .       $435,275.48 
Productive  property  to  the  value  of  ....         449,006.99 

Total, .         .       $884,^82.47 

The  expenses  of  the  university  for  the  year  ending  June  1st,  1883,  were 
$35,797.37;  the  income  was  $39,135.88,  showing  a  balance  on  the  right  side 
of  $3,338.51.  This  state  of  things  has  existed  ever  since  the  subscription  to 
the  endowment  fund  made  in  1880 ;  and,  that  the  balance  may  not  immediately 
be  on  the  wrong  side,  John  B.  Trevor  and  John  D.  Rockefeller  have  recently 
pledged  $1,000  apiece  per  annum  for  five  years  to  help  to  meet  current  ex- 
penses. If  their  subscriptions  are  not  needed  for  this  purpose,  they  will  go  to 
swell  the  endowment  fund.  Meanwhile  the  friends  of  the  university  already 
contemplate  such  additions  to  its  permanent  endowment  as  will  greatly  enlarge 
its  sphere  of  usefulness. 

The  expenses  for  a  student  at  the  university  are,  for  tuition  twenty  dollars 
a  term ;  for  incidentals  (including  janitor's  salary,  and  use  of  library)  five  dollars 


546  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

a  term  —  making  the  amount  payable  to  the  college  seventy- five  dollars  a  year, 
or  just  about  one- third  of  what  the  education  of  a  student  costs.  The  univer- 
sity has  no  dormitories  —  conforming,  in  this  respect,  not  to  the  English,  but 
to  the  German  model,  which  is  yearly  growing  in  favor  in  the  United  States. 
In  a  city  of  the  size  of  Rochester  suitable  accommodations  for  more  students 
than  the  University  of  Rochester  is  likely  soon  to  number  can  readily  be  found. 
It  is  not  necessary,  then,  to  lodge  the  students  in  barracks.  Nor  is  the  idea  of 
monkish  seclusion  which  is  typified  by  the  English  quadrangle  (an  institution  that 
results  in  a  seclusion  anything  but  monastic)  adopted  by  the  trustees  of  Roches- 
ter as  a  necessary  condition  of  student  life.  •  They  believe,  instead,  that  it  is  — 
physically,  mentally  and  morally  —  better  for  the  student  to  be  subjected,  so  far 
as  may  be,  to  the  influence  of  a  Christian  home ;  and  to  learn  to  regard  himself 
as  an  integral  part  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides.  Meanwhile  it  is 
found,  by  careful  comparison,  that  dormitories  (which  are  objectionable  on  every 
other  ground)  can  not  be  vindicated  on  the  plea  of  economy ;  and  that  our 
poor  students  would  be  better  off  if  the  amount  invested  in  creating  and  main- 
taining an  abnormal  and  unhealthy  condition  of  student  life  were  devoted  to 
relief  funds.  The  average  price  paid  at  Rochester  for  a  furnished  room,  suit- 
able -for  two  students,  is  about  two  dollars  per  week  —  which  is  less,  on  the 
average,  than  dormitory  accommodations  would  cost  the  students  in  money,  to 
say  nothing  of  morals.  Boarding  can  be  obtained  in  private  families  for  from 
three  dollars  and  a  half  to  five  dollars  per  week. 

Forty  scholarships  yielding  free  tuition  (sixty  dollars  a  year)  are  open  to 
candidates  for  the  ministry  who  are  approved  by  the  Union  for  Ministerial  Ed- 
ucation and  by  the  president  of  the  university.  Twelve  similar  scholarships 
(three  each  year)  are  awarded  as  prizes  for  excellence  in  the  studies  in  the  Roch- 
ester city  schools  preparatory  to  college  ;  and  four  similar  scholarships  (one 
each  year)  are,  through  the  generosity  of  John  H.  Deane,  open  to  competition 
by  graduates  of  the  Brockport  Normal  school.  Twelve  other  scholarships  (en- 
dowed by  various  individuals  at  an  expense  of  $i,ooo  each)  afford  free  tuition 
to  any  student  who  shall  be  approved  by  the  faculty  as  especially  worthy  of 
assistance.  There  is,  also,  a  fund  of  $50,000  contributed  by  John  H.  Deane, 
of  New  York,  the  interest  of  which  is  to  be  devoted  to  the  assistance  of  the 
sons  of  Baptist  ministers  who  require  aid  in  procuring  an  education  —  prefer- 
ence being  given,  other  things  being  equal,  to  students  from  the  states  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey.  The  university  has  received  from  Isaac  Sherman,  of 
New  York,  the  sum  of  $5,000  as  a  permanent  endowment  for  a  post-graduate 
scholarship  in  the  department  of  political  economy,  and  John  P.  Townsend,  of 
New  York,  has  pledged  the  income  of  the  same  sum  to  endow  a  similar  schol- 
arship in  the  department  of  constitutional  law  and  the  history  of  political  insti- 
tutions. These  scholarships  are  awarded  to  those  two  members  of  each  grad- 
uating class  who,  during  the  third  term  in  the  Senior  year,  pass  the  best  and 


The  University.  547 


the  second-best  examination,  respectively,  on  some  French  treatise  on  political 
economy,  and  some  German  treatise  on  political  history,  to  be  designated  by  the 
faculty.  The  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  is  paid  to  each  of  the  suc- 
.  cessful  competitors,  at  graduation ;  and  an  additional  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  if  he  shall,  within  two  years  after  graduation,  present  to  the  faculty 
a  thorough  and  exhaustive  written  discussion  of  some  specially  assigned  eco- 
nomic or  political  theme. 

The  prizes  of  the  university  are  sufficient  to  stimulate  its  undergraduate 
members  to  healthful  activity,  though  not  of  such  a  nature  as  to  render  them 
much  pecuniary  assistance.  Thirty-five  dollars  is  divided  among  the  best  two 
or  three  speakers  out  of  the  first  twelve  men  in  point  of  scholarship,  in  the  Soph- 
omore class  —  these  prizes  being  endowed  by  Dr.  Beadle,  of  Philadelphia,  in 
commemoration  of  his  friend  Dr.  Dewey.  The  university  has  received  from 
one  of  its  alumni.  Rev.  R.  B.  Hull,  of  New  York,  the  sum  of  $1,000  to  endow 
a  prize  which  is  given  to  the  member  of  each  Senior  class  who  shall  present  the 
best  essay  —  not  exceeding  3,000  words  in  length  —  upon  a  subject  selected  by 
the  faculty.  A  medal  of  the  value  of  one  hundred  dollars  in  gold  (endowed  by 
John  F.  Stoddard)  is  given  to  that  member  of  the  Senior  class  who  passes  the 
best  examination  on  some  text  book  work,  assigned  by  the  faculty,  in  extension 
of  the  regular  mathematical  course;  and  presents  the  best  dissertation  on  some 
mathematical  topic  assigned  for  special  investigation.  Two  gold  medals,  of  un- 
equal value  but  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  sixty  dollars  (given  by  Isaac 
Davis,  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts),  are  awarded  for  the  best  and  the  second- 
best  graduating  oration  —  tiiought,  expression  and  delivery  being  taken  into 
account.  In  addition  to  these  endowed  prizes  small  gratuities  are  open  to  com- 
petition by  the  Freshman  class  in  the  department  of  mathematics;  by  tlfe  Soph- 
omore class  in  the  department  of  Latin;  by  the  Junior  class  in  the  department 
of  Greek.  The  custodians  of  the  university  are  disposed  to  render  all  the  assist- 
ance in  their  power  to  poor  but  worthy  young  men  who  are  in  pursuit  of  an 
education.  Such  men,  if  approved  by  the  society  for  ministerial  education,  may 
expect  one  hundred  dollars  a  year  toward  their  expenses  from  that  source. 
Other  students  are  occasionally  aided  from  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the  presi- 
dent; though  bis  means  in  this  direction  are  altogether  too  limited.  It  is  felt 
to  be  a  duty,  however,  to  provide  for  the  sons  of  the  rich  as  well  as  for  the 
children  of  the  poor.  While  due  honor  is  paid  to  those  who  are  struggling,  in 
adverse  circumstances  of  poverty  and  want,  to  secure  an  education,  and  every 
effort  is  made  to  help  them,  honor  is  paid  also  to  those  who  are  struggling  in 
adverse  circumstances  of  luxury  and  affluence  for  the  same  end.  It  is  believed 
that  rich  and  poor  should  meet  together  in  perfect  equality  in  the  recitation 
room,  receiving  from  the  instructor  that  consideration  and  respect  which  their 
diligence  and  correctness  of  deportment  may  deserve.  It  is  intended  to  have 
regard,  in  the  organisation  of  the  university,  to  the  wants  of  the  rich  and  poor 


548  .  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

alike;  and  see  to  it  that  wealthy  Baptists  shall  not  be  able  to  plead  the  lack  of 
a  college  of  their  own  which  is  fully  up  to  the  demands  of  the  age,  as  an  excuse 
for  sending  their  sons  to  Yale  or  Harvard. 

The  number  of  students  who  have,  since  the  organisation  of  the  university, 
completed  the  classical  course  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  B.  is  753.  The  num- 
ber who  have  completed  the  scientific  course  and  received  the  degree  of  B.  S.  is 
44.  The  whole  number  of  graduates,  down  to  and  including  1883,  is  797.  The 
name,  residence,  and  occupation  of  the  alumni  of  the  university  —  together 
with  some  facts  respecting  their  personal  history  —  are  indicated  in  the  last 
general  catalogue.  It  will  be  seen  from  an  inspection  of  this  list  that  of  797 
graduates  more  than  200  (including  such  names  as  Bridgman,  of  New  York ; 
Goodspeed,  of  Chicago ;  Crane,  of  Boston  ;  Sage,  of  Hartford ;  Fulton,  of 
Brooklyn ;  Telford  and  Chilcott,  of  China ;  Jameson,  of  Bassein)  have  entered 
the  Christian  ministry;  while  nearly  150  (represented  by  Henry  Strong  and  J. 
M.  Bailey  of  Illinois,  Judge  A.  W.  Tourgee  of  North  Carolina,  E.  S.  Chitten- 
den of  Minnesota,  and  Judge  F.  A.  Macomber  of  our  own  city)  have  studied 
law.  Some  twenty-five  have  studied  medicine,  and  nearly  as  many  (including 
Manton  Marble  of  the  World,  Joseph  O'Connor  of  the  Buffalo  Courier,  and 
Rossiter  Johnson  of  Appleton's  Cyclopedia)  have  filled  the  editorial  chair. 
More  than  100  have,  as  teachers,  transmitted  the  influence  of  the  university  to 
other  institutions  of  learning.  Among  the  latter  we  may  mention  Galusha 
Anderson,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  president  of  the  University  of  Chicago  ;  Lemuel 
Moss,  D.  D.,LLD.,  president  of  Indiana  university ;  Merrill  E.  Gates,  LL.  D., 
president  of  Rutgers  college ;  Truman  J.  Backus,  LL.  D.,  principal  of  the 
Packer  institute,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  ;  Wm.  C.  Wilkinson,  D.  D.,  professor  of 
rhetori?  in  the  Rochebter  theological  seminary ;  Wm.  Wirt  Fay,  professor  of 
moral  philosophy  in  the  United  States  naval  academy  ;  Prof  William  Hark- 
ness,  of  the  United  States  naval  observatory ;  Norman  Robinson,  professor  of 
natural  history  and  chemistry  in  Bethel  college,  Ky. ;  Norman  Fox,  professor 
in  William  Jewell  college,  Mo. ;  A.  J.  Howe,  professor  of  mathematics,  and  J: 
C.  Clarke,  professor  of  Greek,  in  the  University  of  Chicago;  D.  H.  Robinson, 
professor  of  mathematics  in  the  University  of  Kansas;  Otis  H.  Robinson,  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics;  Wm.  C.  Morey,  professor  of  history,  and  George  M. 
Forbes,  professor  of  Greek,  at  Rochester;  Milton  G.  Potter,  professor  of  an- 
atomy in  Buffalo  medical  college;  Carl  T.  Kreyer,  professor  in  Kauchang 
Miau ' college,  China;  Albert  T.  Barrett,  professor  of  mathematics  in  Mary 
Sharpe  college,  Tennessee  ;  John  C.  Overhiser,  professor  in  the  Brooklyn  Poly- 
technic institute;  Malcolm  McVicar,  LL.  D.,  of  the  Potsdam  Normal  school; 
F.  B.  Palmer,  LL.D.,  of  the  Fredonia  Normal  school;  Wm.  J.  Milne,  LL.D., 
of  the  Normal  school  at  Geneseo;  Frank  S.  Capen,  of  the  Normal  school  at 
Cortland;  J.  F.  Forbes,  of  the  Brockport  Normal  school. 

It  is  not  alone  in  the  learned  professions,  however,  that  our  graduates  are 


The  University.  549 


found.  They  may  be  met  with  on  the  farm,  at  the  counting-house,  in  the  ma- 
chine-shop, and  wherever  met  they  evince  an  independence  of  thought,  a 
breadth  of  culture  and  an  adaptation  to  the  exigencies  of  practical  life,  which  are 
equally  essential  to  success  in  secular  and  sacred  callings. 

When  the  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  broke  out,  the  alumni  of  the 
university  numbered  (including  the  class  then  about  to  graduate)  198,  Of  this 
number,  twenty-five  (or  about  one  in  eight)  entered  the  Union  army.  A  large 
number  of  the  undergraduates  also  enlisted  —  five  of  whom  came  back,  at  the 
expiration  of  the  war,  to  complete  their  studies,  but  most  of  whom  never  re- 
turned. Three  undergraduate  members  of  the  university  and  seven  of  its  alumni 
fell  in  the  service  of  their  country:  Brig.  Gen.  J.  C.  Drake,  1852  ;  Capt.  Sidney 
E.  Richardson,  1853;  Capt.  Wm.  E.  Bristol,  1856;  Lieut.  Theodore  E.  Baker, 
1857;  Sylvanus  S.Wilcox,  i860;  Capt.  Chas.  H.  Savage,  1861  ;  Lieut.  Joseph 
Webster,  1861  ;  Lieut.  Wm.  C.  Hall,  1863;  Lieut.  Wm.  E.  Orr,  1864;  Capt. 
J.  Harry  Pool,  1865.  The  memory  of  those  who  thus  perished  is  perpetuated 
by  a  memorial  tablet  in  the  university  chapel.  The  Interpres  for  1865  con- 
tained a  list  of  Rochester  students,  fifty-four  in  number,  who  served  during  the 
rebellion.  So  far  as  it  is  known,  only  one  graduate  of  the  university  entered 
the  Confederate  army;  he  was  faithful  to  the  Cause  that  he  espoused  an,d  sealed 
his  devotion  by  his  death. 

On  the  whole,  the  friends  of  the  University  of  Rochester  may  well  congrat- 
ulate themselves  on  what  it  has  accomplished  during  the  first  twenty-four  years 
of  its  existence,  and  yet  those  years  have  been  rather  a  struggle  for  existence, 
a  preparation  for  real  life,  than  life  itself  The  board  of  trustees  and  the  faculty 
of  instruction  count  not  themselves  to  have  attained  the  end  which  they  set 
before  them  at  the  outset;  neither  do  they  deem  the  institution  which  has  been 
the  object  of  such  tender  solicitude  and  such  earnest  toil  altogether  perfect. 
The  foundations  of  such  a  university  as  shall  be  a  blessing  to  every  citizen  of 
Western  Now  York  have  been  laid,  and  laid  solidly  and  well.  The  superstruct- 
ure begins  to  show  a  little,  just  enough  to  indicate  what  the  design  of  the  edi- 
fice is ;  but  it  still  remains  to  rear  the  stately  walls  and  crown  the  completed 
structure  with  its  ample  dome.  Looking  forward  and  pointing  upward,  the 
friends  of  the  university  devoutly  adopt  the  legend  which  is  inscribed  upon  its 
seal  and  say:  "  God  helping  us,  we  hope  for  better  things  than  these."  Strong 
in  the  affection  of  a  noble  band  of  alumni  who  are  yearly  increasing  in  influence 
and  in  wealth,  freed  from  the  inexorable  necessity  of  providing  for  daily  neces- 
sities at  whatever  sacrifice  of  permanent  advantage,  blessed  with  intelligent  and 
powerful  friends,  who  already  have  its  prospective  wants  under  thoughtful  con- 
sideration, the  University  of  Rochester  may  well  hope  for  better  things.  Its 
friends  fix  their  eyes  to-day  upon  the  future  rather  than  the  past. 

And  yet  the  past  is  fraught  with  precious  memories,  which,  in  surveying 
the  history  of  the  university,  can  hardly  fail  to  press  upon  us.     Many  who  have 


5  so  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

toiled  most  earnestly  and  prayed  most  fervently  for  the  University  of  Roches- 
ter have  passed  away.  Of  the  living  —  of  Anderson  and  Kendrick,  of  Sage 
and  Rathbone,  and  of  that  noble  band  of  benefactors  who  have  recently  ral- 
lied to  the  support  of  the  university,  Trevor  and  Deane,  Sibley  and  Rockefeller, 
Wyckofif  and  Hoyt,  Millbank  and  Pratt  —  we  may  not  now  speak  as  they  de- 
serve. But,  to  John  N.  Wilder  and  Oren  Sage;  to  Frederick  Whittlesey  and 
Everard  Peck ;  to  William  L.  Marcy  and  Ira  Harris ;  to  the  brothers  Rob- 
ert and  William  Kelley ;  to  Chester  Dewey  and  John  F.  Richardson  ;  to  Gideon 
W.  Burbank  and  Tracy  H.  Harris  the  university  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude 
which  may  well  find  fuller  expression  evert  now.  No  man  was  more  active 
with  tongue  and  pen  in  pleading  the  cause  of  removal  and  advocating  the  fit- 
ness of  Rochester  to  become  the  seat  of  a  great  university  than  John  N.  Wilder. 
His  earnest,  shrewd  and  practical  spirit  infused  life  into  the  friends  of  the  uni- 
versity and  enabled  him  to  render  it  service  which  was  fully  recognised  by 
placing  him  at  the  head  of  the  board  of  trustees.  Back  of  John  N.  Wilder  — 
and  a  power  nearer  to  the  throne  >vhich  determines  the  failure  or  success  of  any 
undertaking  —  was  Deacon  Oren  Sage,  a  man  whose  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education  was  all  the  more  intense  from  his  own  scanty  opportunities  and  a 
man  who,  perhaps,  did  more  than  any  other  to  enlist  the  Baptists  of  Western 
New  York  in  the  new  enterprise.  Fellow-citizens  of  Deacon  Sage,  but  iden- 
tified with  other  denominational  interests  —  the  one  an  Episcopalian,  the  other 
a  Presbyterian  —  were  Chancellor  Whittlesey  and  Everard  Peck,  both  of  them 
trustees  of  the  university  and  each  largely  instrumental  in  conciliating  to  the 
new  institution  that  confidence  and  support  which  'it  has  ever  received  from  the 
people  of  Rochester.  The  services  of  Governor  Marcy  and  Judge  Harris  were 
largely  in  the  line  of  their  profession  and  have  already  been  specifically  men- 
tioned. Both  of  them  were,  till  the  close  of  life,  keenly  alive  to  the  interests 
of  that  university  which  they  had  done  so  much  to  found.  The  brothers,  Rob- 
ert and  William  Kelley  were  men  who  combined  with  the  practical  shrewdness 
of  Wilder  and  the  sturdy  good  sense  of  Marcy  something  of  the  devout  and 
winning  spirit  of  Deacon  Sage.  Robert,  especially,  was  a  man  of  generous 
culture  and  did  much  to  shape  the  course  of  study  in  the  university.  When, 
in  1856,  he  resigned  his  position  on  the  board  of  trustees  (in  order  to  accept 
an  appointment  to  the  board  of  regents),  he  was  succeeded  by  his  brother, 
William,  who,  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Wilder,  was  appointed  president  of  that 
body,  a  position  which  he  filled  for  fourteen  years.  During  all  that  time  he 
rendered  services  to  the  university  which  few  men  of  his  means  and  social  po- 
sition would  have  cared  to  undertake.  Among  its  friends  the  university  has 
known  none  truer  and  better  than  Robert  and  William  Kelley.  The  grave, 
sweet  smile,  which  gleams  from  the  canvas  that  perpetuates  their  memory,  falls 
upon  us  above  the  dusty  volumes  in  our  library,  like  a  benediction.  Dewey 
and  Richardson  brought  to  the  university  reputations  already  matured,  and  gave 


The  Theological  Seminary.  551 

to  it  the  ripest  fruits  of  years  of  culture.  Their  memory  is  still  cherished  by 
generations  of  students  whom  they  influenced  for  good,  and  lingers  even  yet 
in  college  halls.  The  name  of  Gideon  W.  Burbank  must  ever  be  associated 
with  the  presidential  chair,  which  he  endowe.d  at  a  sacrifice  that  he  did  not 
realise  at  the  time,  but  which  he  never  regretted  ;  and  with  his  name  is  linked 
that  of  Tracy  H.  Harris,  the  noble  young  merchant  whose  lamented  death  cut 
short  a  career  of  beneficence  that  bid  fair  to  have  few  equals  ever  among  the 
Christian  laymen  of  America.  Truly  the  university  which  at  the  end  of  its 
first  generation  can  recall  such  benefactors  as  these  has  a  heritage  in  the  past  as 
well  as  a  hope  for  the  future. 

ROCHESTER   THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY.^ 

Rochester  theological  seminary  was  founded  in  1850.  Up  to  this  time  the 
only  Baptist  school  for  literary  and  theological  training  in  the  state  of  New 
York  was  Madison  university,  situated  at  Hamilton.  In  1847  many  friends  of 
education  throughout  the  state,  with  a  view  to  securing  for  this  university  a 
more  suitable  location  and  a  more  complete  endowment,  sought  to  remove  the 
institution  to  Rochester.  This  project  was  opposed  by  friends  of  Hamilton, 
legal  obstacles  were  discovered,  the  question  was  carried  into  courts,  and  the 
plan  of  removal  was  finally  abandoned  as  impracticable  Not  so,  however,  the 
plan  of  establishing  a  theological  seminary  and  university  at  Rochester.  Rev. 
Pharcellus  Church,  D.  D.,  with  John  N.  Wilder  and  Oren  Sage,  devoted  much 
time  and  energy  to  awakening  public  sentiment  in  behalf  of  the  new  enter- 
prise. A  subscription  of  $130,000  was  secured  for  the  college.  Five  professors 
in  Hamilton  —  Drs.  Conant  and  Maginnis  of  the  seminary,  and  Drs.  Kendrick, 
Raymond,  and  Richardson  of  the  university  —  resigned  their  places,  and  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  similar  positions  in  the  new  institutions  at  Rochester.  In  No- 
vember, 1850,  classes  were  organised  in  the  Rochester  theological  seminary  as 
well  as  in  the  University  of  Rochester,  and  instruction  was  begun  in  temporary 
quarters  secured  for  the  purpose.  Many  students  came  with  their  professors 
from  Hamilton.  The  first  class  graduated  from  the  theological  seminary  num- 
bered seven  members,  and  the  first  published  catalogue,  that  of  1851-52,  en- 
rolls the  names  of  two  professors  and  of  twenty-nine  students. 

Although  the  early  history  of  the  seminary  was  intimately  connected  with 
that  of  the  University  of  Rochester,  and  the  two  institutions  at  the  beginning 
occupied  the  same  building,  there  has  never  been  any  organic  connection  be- 
tween them,  either  of  government  or  of  instruction.  While  the  university  has 
devoted  itself  to  the  work  of  general  college  training,  the  Rochester  theological 
seminary  has  been  essentially  a  professional  school,  and  has  aimed  exclusively 
to  fit  men,  by  special  studies,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  .  It  has  admitted 
only  college  graduates  and   those  who  have  been  able  successfully  to  pursue 

1  This  article  was  prepared  by  Rev.  Ur.  A.  H.  Strong,  the  president  of  the  seminary. 


SS2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

courses  of  study  in  connection  with  college  graduates.  Beginning,  with  the 
two  professorships  of  theology  and  of  Hebrew,  it  has  added  professorships  of 
ecclesiastical  history,  of  New  Testament  Greek,  of  homiletics  and  pastoral  the- 
ology, and  of  elocution.  Besides  its  two  original  professors  —  Rev.  Thomas  J. 
Conant,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  John  S.  Maginnis,  D.  D.  —  it  has  numbered  in  its 
faculty  the  names  of  Ezekiel  G.  Robinson,  John  H.  Raymond,  Velona  R. 
Hotchkiss,  George  W.  Northrup,  Asahel  C.  Kendrick,  R.  J.  W.  Buckland, 
Horatio  B.  Hackett,  William  C.  Wilkinson,  Howard  Osgood,  William  Arnold 
Stevens,  Albert  H.  Newman,  T.  Harwood  Pattison  and  Benjamin  O.  True. 
To  Rev.  Ezekiel  G.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  LL.  B.,  however,  professor  in  the  semi- 
nary from  1853  to  1872,  and  from  1868  to  1872  its  president,  the  institution 
probably  owes  more  of  its  character  and  success  than  to  any  other  single  man. 
His  successor  in  the  presidency  and  in  the  chair  of  Biblical  theology  is  Rev. 
Augustus  H.  Strong,  D.  D.,  who  has  .now  (1884)  for  twelve  years  held  this 
position. 

In  1854  a  German  department  of  the  seminary  was  organised.  The  Ger- 
man Baptist  churches  of  the  country,  which  in  1850  were  only  ten  in  number, 
have  now  increased  to  more  than  one  hundred.  This  constant  growth  has  oc- 
casioned a  demand  for  ministers  with  some  degree  of  training.  The  German 
department  is  designed  to  meet  this  necessity.  In  1858  Rev.  Augustus  Rausch- 
enbusch,  D.  D.,  a  pupil  of  Neander,  was  secured  to  take  charge  of  this  work, 
and  in  1872  Rev.  Hermann  M.  Schaffer  was  chosen  as  his  colleague.  The 
course  of  studies  in  the  German  department  is  four  years  in  length,  and  being 
designed  for  young  men  who  have  had  little  preparatory  training,  is  literary 
as  well  as  theological.  This  course  is  totally  distinct  from  the  regular  course 
of  the  seminary,  which  is  accomplished  in  three  years. 

When  the  seminary  began  its  existence  it  was  wholly  without  endowment, 
and  dependent  as  it  was  upon  the  churches  for  means  to  defray  its  current  ex- 
penses as  well  as  to  support  its  beneficiaries,  the  raising  of  a  sufficient  endow- 
ment in  addition  was  a  long  and  arduous  work.  The  first  securing  of  sub- 
scriptions for  the  maintenance  of  instruction  in  theology,  and  for  the  support 
of  beneficiaries,  was  done  by  Rev.  Zenas  Freeman.  It  has  required  thirty  years 
of  effort  since  that  time  to  bring  the  endowment  of  the  seminary  to  a  point 
where  it  is  sufficient  to  meet  the  necessary  annual  expenses  of  the  institution, 
even  apart  from  rhe  support  of  beneficiaries.  The  sum  first  sought  to  be  se- 
cured was  $75,000.  This  was  not  obtained  until  after  ten  years  had  passed. 
In  1 868  the  funds  of  the  seminary  had  reached  $100,000;  in  1874,  including 
subscriptions  of  $100,000  yet  unpaid,  they  amounted  to  $281,000;  in  1884, 
including  subscriptions  of  $79,006  yet  unpaid,  they  amount  to  $485,000. 
Adding  to  this  sum  the  real  estate  of  the  seminary,  valued  at  $123,000,  its 
library  valued  at  $32,000,  and  other  property  to  the  extent  of  $6,500,  the  total 
assets  of  the  institution  may  now  be  stated   as  amounting  to   $647,000,   from 


The  Theological  Seminary.  553 

which,  however,  is  to  be  subtracted  an  indebtedness  of  $10,000,  leaving  its 
net  property  $637,000.  When  all  subscriptions  are  paid  in  and  its  debts  are 
cancelled,  the  institution  is  expected  to  have  a  productive  endowment  of 
$450,000,  an  amount  sufficient  to  maintain  its  operations  only  upon  condition 
that  the  churches  shall  continue  to  provide,  as  they  have  hitherto  done,  by 
annual  contributions,  for  the  support  of  students  preparing  for  the  ministry. 
Although  much  still  remains  to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  enlargement  of  its 
facilities,  and  although  large  sums  may  still  be  wisely  invested  in  buildings, 
lectureships  and  scholarships,  whenever  the  generosity  of  its  friends  shall  pro- 
vide the  means,  its  present  condition  is  greatly  encouraging.  This  compara- 
tive prosperity  of  later  years  has  been  due,  under  Providence,  to  the  wise  and 
liberal  gifts  of  a  few  tried  friends  of  the  seminary,  among  whom  may  be  men- 
tioned the  names  of  John  B.  Trevor,  ofYonkers,  N.  Y. ;  Jacob  F.  Wyckoff,  of 
New  York  city;  John  D.  Rockefeller,  of  Cleveland,  O. ;  William  Rockefeller, 
of  New  York;  Charles  Pratt,  of  Brooklyn;  Joseph  B.  Hoyt,  of  Stamford,  Conn. ; 
James  O.  Pettengill,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  John  H.  Deane,  of  New  York; 
Charles  Siedlcr,  of  Jersey  City,  N.  J.;  William  A.  Cauldwell,  of  New  York; 
Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Witt,  of  Cleveland,  O.,  and  Jeremiah  Millbank,  of  New  York. 

The  seminary  instruction  was  for  some  years  given  in  the  buildings  occupied 
by  the  yniversity  of  Rochester.  In  1869,  however,  the  erection  of  Trevor  hall,  at 
an  expense  of  $42,000,  to  which  John  B.  Trevor,  of  Yonkers,  was  the  largest 
donor,  put  the  institution  for  the  first  time  in  possession  of  suitable  dormitory  ac- 
commodations. The  gymnasium  building,  adjoining,  erected  in  1874,  and  cost- 
ing, with  grounds,  $12,000,  was  also  a  gift  of  Mr.  Trevor.  In  1879  Rockefeller, 
hall,_costing  $38,000,  was  built  by  John  D.  Rockefeller,  of  Cleveland,  O.  It  con- 
tains a  spacious  fire-proof  room  for  library,  as  well  as  lecture-rooms,  museum, 
and  chapel,  and  furnishes  admirable  and  ample  accommodation  for  the  teaching 
work  of  the  seminary.  In  addition  to  these  buildings  the  German  Students' 
Home,  purchased  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  furnishes  a  dormitory  and" 
boarding-hall  for  the  German  department. 

The  library  of  the  seminary  is  one  of  great  value  for  theological  investiga- 
tion. It  embraces  the  whole  collection  of  Neander,  the  great  German  church 
historian,  which  was  presented  to  the  seminary  in  1853  by  the  late  Roswell  S. 
Burrows,  of  Albion,  N.  Y.  It  also  contains  in  great  part  the  exegetical  appa- 
ratus of  the  late  Dr.  Horatio  B.  Hackett.  Valuable  additions  have  been  made 
to  it  from  the  "Bruce  fund"  of  $25,000,  subscribed  in  1872  by  John  M.  Bruce, 
of  Yonkers,  and  further  additions  from  this  source  are  hoped  for.  The  generous 
subscription  in  1879  of  $25,000,  by  William  Rockefeller,  of  New  York  city,  has 
furnished  means  for  extensive  enlargement,  so  that  the  library  now  numbers- 
over  20,000  volumes,  and  it  is  well  provided  in  all  the  various  departments  of 
theology.  In  1 880  the  "  Sherwood  fund,"  contributed  by  the  late  Rev.  Adiel 
Sherwood,  D.  D.,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  furnished  the  means  for  beginning  a  mu- 


554  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

seum  of  Biblical  geography  and  archaeology,  intended  to  provide,  in  object  les- 
sons, valuable  aids  for  the  study  of  the  Holy  land,  its  customs  and  its  physical 
features. 

Thus  the  Rochester  theological  seminary  has  grown  from  small  beginnings 
to  assured  strength  and  success.  Its  early  years  were  years  of  trials  and  finan- 
cial struggle ;  but,  founded  as  it  was  in  the  prayers  and  faith  of  godly  men,  it 
has  lived  to  justify  the  hopes  of  its  founders.  Of  those  who  took  a  deep  inter- 
est in  its  feeble  beginnings  should  be  mentioned  the  names  of  Alfred  Bennett, 
William  R.  Williams,  Justin  A.  Smith,  Zenas  Freeman,  Alvah  Strong,  Friend 
Humphrey,  E.  E.  L.  Taylor,  E.  Lathrop,  J.  S.  Backus,  B.  T.  Welch,  William 
Phelps,  Lemuel  C.  Paine,  H.  C.  Fish,  A.  B.  Capwell,  N.  W.  Benedict,  G.  C. 
Baldwin,  G.  D.  Boardman,  A.  R.  Pritchard,  Henry  E.  Robins.  All  these  have 
been  officers  of  the  New  York  Baptist  Union  for  Ministerial  Education  or  mem- 
bers of  its  board  of  trustees.  The  financial  management  of  this  board  has  been 
such  that  no  loss  of  funds,  of  any  significance,  intrusted  to  its  care,  has  ever 
occurred. 

The  results  of  the  work  of  the  seminary  can  never  be  measured  by  arith- 
metic. As  its  purpose  has  been  to  make  its  graduates  men  of  thinking  ability 
and  of  practical  force,  as  well  as  students  and  preachers  of  the  word  of  God,  it 
has  leavened  the  denomination  with  its  influence,  and  has  done  much  to  give  an 
aggressive,  independent,  manly  tone  to  our  ministry  The  names  of  its  former 
students  are  enough  to  show  that  its  training  has  combined  in  equal  proportions 
the  intellectual  and  the  spiritual,  the  theoretical  and  the  practical.  During  the 
thirty-three  years  of  the  seminary's  existence,  and  up  to  the  present  year  ( 1 884), 
84s  persons  have  been  connected  with  the  institution  as  students,  of  whom  660 
have  attended  upon  the  English  and  185  upon  the  German  department.  Of 
the  660  in  the  English  department,  484  have  been  graduates  of  colleges,  and 
84  have  pursued  partial  courses  in  colleges.  Seventy  different  colleges  and  44 
different  states  and  countries  have  furnished  students  to  the  seminary.  Of  stu- 
dents, 402  have  completed  the  full  three-years'  course,  including  the  study  of  the 
Hebrew  and  Greek  scriptures;  239  have  pursued  a  partial  course,  or  have  left  the 
seminary  before  graduating.  The  average  number  of  students  sent  out  each  year 
has  been  19.  The  number  of  students  during  the  last  seminary  year  has  been 
87,  of  whom  5 1  were  in  the  English  department.  Of  its  former  students,  44 
have  filled  the  position  of  president  or  professor  in  theological  seminaries  or  col- 
leges; 35  have  gone  abroad  as  foreign  missionaries,  and  33  have  been  mission- 
aries in  the  West;  22  have  been  secretaries  or  agents  of  our  benevolent  socie- 
ties, and  5  have  become  editors  of  religious  journals.  With  such  a  record  in 
the  past,  and  in  the  present  more  fully  equipped  than  ever  before  for  its  work, 
there  seems  to  open  before  the  seminary  a  future  of  the  utmost  promise.  It 
remains  only  to  state  that  the  Rochester  theological  seminary  is  maintained  and' 
controlled  by  the  New  York  Baptist  Union  for  Ministerial  Education,  a  society 


The  War  Record.  555 


composed  of  contributing  members  of  Baptist  churches,  and  that  th^  actual 
government  and  care  of  the  seminary  is  In  its  details  committed  to  a  board  of 
trustees  of  thirty- three  members,  eleven  of  whom  are  elected  by  the  Union  an- 
nually. The  present  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  is  John  H.  Deane,  of 
New  York,  and  the  corresponding  secretary  is  Rev.  Samuel  P.  Merrill,  of  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.  The  corresponding  secretary  will  furnish,  on  application,  copies 
of  the  annual  catalogue,  containing  a  full  list  of  the  officers  of  the  Union,  of  the 
faculty,  of  the  seminary,  and  of  the  present  students  of  the  institution,  together 
with  a  complete  account  of  the  curriculum  of  studies,  and  of  the  methods  of 
beneficiary  aid  to  those  who  need  it  in  their  course  of  preparation.  From  all 
who  are  purposing  to  study  for  the  ministry,  as  well  as  from  all  who  are  willing 
to  contribute  in  large  or  in  small  sums  to  its  work,  the  institution  invites  cor- 
respondence. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

THE  WAR    RECORD.l 

What  Rochester  Did  to  Save  the  Nation  —  The  Regiments  and  Other  Organisations  Raised  in  the 
City  and  Sent  to  the  Field  —  A  Brief  Account  of  their  .Service  —  Their  Achievements  and  their  Losses 
—  The  General  Officers  from  the  City  —  The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

IN  chapter  XXI.  allusion  has  been  made  to  the  state  of  public  feeling  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  great  rebellion  —  the  intense  excitement,  which  deep- 
ened into  an  enthusiasm  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the  community.  Refer- 
ence has  also  been  made  to  the  noble  and  generous  response  in  money  and 
moral  support  so  freely  given  by  our  business  men,  aided  by  the  city  and  county 
officials.  Aside  from  the  amoimt  of  money  contributed  by  the  city  for  boun- 
ties and  to  promote  enlisthients,  added  to  the  almost  fabulous  amounts  paid  by 
individuals  during  the  war  for  substitutes,  the  rapidity  with  which  local  regi- 
ments and  other  organisations  were  filled  by  eager  recruits  in  1861  and  '62 
attests  the  patriotism  of  Rochester.  During  the  first  year  enlistments  were 
made  by  officers  authorised  by  the  governor.  Early  in  1862,  however,  recruit- 
ing was  under  the  supervision  of  a  "war  committee"  of  citizens  of  Monroe 
county,  commissioned  by  the  governor  of  the  state  to  assist  him  in  the  work 
of  raising  and  organising  troops  under  the  call  for  "three  hundred  thousand 
more."  Judge  J.  C.  Chumasero  was  chairman  and  Captain  S.  W.  Updike  sec- 
retary of  this  committee.     Dr.  M.  B.  Anderson,  Gen.  John  Williams  and  others 

1  This  chapter  vi'as  prepared  under  the  supervision  of  a  committee  of  George  H.  Thomas  post,  G. 
A.  R.,  of  which  Capt.  A.  L.  Mabbett  was  chairman.  The'  various  descriptions  of  different  organisa- 
tions, regimental  and  otherwise,  were  furnished  by  officers  conhccted  with  those  commands,  respectively. 

36 


S56   .  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

were  efficient  members.  Among  other  functions  it  exercised  that  of  selecting 
the  officers  raised  under  its  supervision  and  nominated  them  to  the  governor, 
who  then  issued  to  the  officers  their  commissions. 

The  real  test  of  patriotic  devotion  of  any  community  to  the  country,  in  this 
hour  of  its  deepest  need,  was  demonstrated  in  the  number  of  men  it  furnished 
for  the  army.  Nearly  or  quite  5,000  recruits  were  credited  to  the  city  of  Roch- 
ester during  the  war.  The  average  total  vote  cast  in  Rochester  in  the  years 
1860-1— 2— 3  arid  4  was  7,176.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  number  of  men 
the  city  furnished  to  suppress  the  rebellion  was  more  than  equal  to  two-thirds 
of  its  entire  voting  population.  In  the  subjoined  history  of  the  organisations 
raised  in  Rochester  and  its  immediate  vicinity  we  have  only  space  to  narrate 
briefly  the  more  prominent  incidents  in  their  service.  Many  of  these  com- 
mands, representing  one  or  more  companies  from  this  city,  have  been  barely 
alluded  to,  a  fuller  history  being  precluded  by  our  limited  space,  and  in  some 
instances  a  lack  of  data  from  which  to  compile  it.  It  will  be  understood  that 
all  the  organisations  are  of  New  York  volunteers  and  that  the  regiments  are  in- 
fantry, unless  otherwise  specifically  designated. 

The  Thirteenth  Regiment. — This,  known  as  the  "Rochester  regiment"  was 
recruited  in  April,  1861,  in  Rochester  and  vicinity,  with  the  exception  of  two 
companies  —  B,  from  Dansville,  and  K,  from  Brockport.  The  first  impulse 
given  toward  the  birth  of  the  "Old  Thirteenth"  came  from  the  Rochester  Light 
Guard  (company  C,  S4th  N.  Y.  S.  M.),  captain  R.  F.  Taylor,  many  of  whose 
members  did  gallant  service  in  the  army  during  the  civil  war.  Immediately 
after  President  Lincoln's  proclamation,  calling  for  volunteers,  members  of  the 
Light  Guard  met  in  their  session-room  in  the  old  armory  on  Exchange  street, 
signed  the  roll  volunteering  their  services,  and  began  the  organisation  of  a  com- 
pany* which  became  the  nucleus  of  the  Thirteenth  New  York  volunteers.  Other 
companies  were  soon  raised  and  on  April  25th  five  companies,  having  obtained 
the  required  number  of  men  and  passed  inspection,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  state  for  two  years  unless  sooner  discharged. 
The  companies  first  organised  were  raised  by  Captains  Robert  F.  Taylor,  Leb- 
beus  Brown,  Adolph  Nolte,  Francis  A.  Schoeffel,  H.  B.  Williams.  Then  fol- 
lowed those  of  Captains  Hiram  Smith,  George  W.  Lewis,  Wm.  F.  Tulley,  Hor- 
ace J.  Thomas  and  Carl  Stephan.  One  company  was  wholly  German,  the  oth- 
ers were  of  mixed  nationality,  about  three-fourths  being  American- born.  The 
companies  thus  recruited  took  their  departure  May  4th  for  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  the 
place  designated  as  the  military  rendezvous  for  Western  New  York,  and  were 
there  organised  as  a  regiment,  which,  on  the  14th  of  May,  numbering  780  offi- 
cers and  men,  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  for  the  period  of 
three  months.  The  regimental  officers  were :  Prof  Isaac  F.  Quinby,  of  Roch- 
ester university,  colonel ;  Carl  Stephan,  of  Dansville,  lieutenant-colonel ;  Oli- 
ver L.  Terry,  of  Rochester,  major  ;  David  Little,  of  Rochester,  surgeon  ;  George 


The  War  Record.  557 


W.  Avery  of  Rochester,  assistant  surgeon  ;  Montgomery  Rochester,  of  Roches- 
ter, quartermaster;  Charles  J.  Powers,  of  Rochester,  adjutant;  J.  D.  Barnes,  of 
Binghamton,  chaplain.  At  Elmira,  clothing,  arms  and  equipnients  were  i.ssued 
to  the  men.  On  the  29th  of  May  the  regiment,  uniformed  in  a  baggy  suit  of 
gray  shoddy  and  armed  with  muskets  (old  flint-locks  altered  over),  took  its  de- 
parture for  the  seat  of  war,  as  told  in  chapter  XXI.  The  train  was  stopped  just 
outside  of  Baltimore,  and  the  regiment  alighted.  Orders  were  given  to  load, 
and  each  man  was  supplied  with  three  rounds  of  cartridges.  With  bayonets 
fixed  and  muskets  at  half-cock,  led  by  Colonel  Quinby,  they  took  up  the 
line  of  march  through  the  city.  The  company  on  the  right  and  the  one  on  the 
left  marched  in  full  company  front,  sweeping  the  street  from  curb  to  curb,  the 
other  companies  marching  in  column  by  fours.  This  formation  was  made  to 
guard  against  and  repel  any  attack  which  the  Baltimore  roughs  might  feel 
inclined  to  make.  The  sidewalks  were  crowded  by  spectators,  but  no  dem- 
onstration on  the  part  of  the  "Plug-Uglies"  was  made,  though  curses  and 
threats,  muttered  low  and  deep,  were  frequently  heard.  Arriving  in  Washing- 
ton on  the  31st,  the  Thirteenth  went  into  camp  on  Meridian  hill  the  next  day, 
and  remained  there  until  June  3d,  when  the  regiment  crossed  the  Potomac  to 
Fort  Corcoran,  Va.,  and  engaged  in  camp  and  picket  duty  until  July  i6th. 
Before  this  time  some  changes  in  the  regimental  staff  and  company  officers  had 
taken  place.  Several  officers  had  resigned,  Captain  R.  F.  Taylor  (Co.  A) 
had  been  promoted  to  be  colonel  of  the  Thirty-third,  and  Lieut.  George  C.  Put- 
nam was  promoted  captain  in  his  place.  The  regiment  was  brigaded  under 
General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Tyler's  division.  On  July  i6th,  with  three  days'  ra- 
tions, the  regiment  started  for  Manassas,  reached  Vienna  and  bivouaced  there 
that  night,  and  the  day  following  marched  beyond  Fairfax  Court-House.  Early 
on  July  1st  it  came  on  the  Bull  Run  battle-ground,  filed  into  the  woods  and 
slung  knapsacks,  each  company  in  a  pile  by  itself,  and  started  across  the  field 
in  light  marching  order,  soon  coming  under  fire  in  support  of  Griffin's  battery. 
In  the  afternoon  the  regiment,  led  by  Col.  Quinby,  advanced  to  the  attack  and 
was  immediately  engaged  under  a  sharp  fire.  Troops  in  other  parts  of  the 
field  began  to  give  way,  and  were  shortly  in  full  retreat.  The  Thirteenth  was 
ordered  to  fall  back,  which  it  did  in  good  order  and  was  about  the  last  regiment 
to  leave  the  field,  having  a  perfect  organisation  around  the  colors.  The  strength 
of  the  regiment  in  action  was  600,  killed  12,  wounded  26,  missing  and  taken 
prisoner  27.  The  men  returned  to  the  Potomac  and  went  into  camp  near  Fort 
Corcoran  three  miles  from  the  river.  On  August  2d  Col.  Quinby  resigned. 
The  three  months  for  which  some  of  the  regiment  were  sworn  into  the  United 
States  service,  only,  had  expired,  and  great  dissatisfaction  prevailed  among  the 
men  because  the  government  had  decided  to  hold  the  regiment  for  two  years. 
The  regiment  also  became  reduced  by  discharge  under  the  "minor  act."  On 
August  27th  John  Pickell,  of  Frostburg,  Md.,  formerly  of  the  United  States 


558  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

army,  assumed  command,  having  been  appointed  by  Gov.  Morgan.  About 
January  1st  the  regiment  was  strengthened  by  about  300  recruits.  During  the 
winter  many  promotions  tool<  place  from  the  ranks  of  the  regiment  and  a  num- 
ber were  transferred  to  the  Twenty- fifth  (a  New  York  regiment  in  the  same 
brigade),  which  had  become  totally  demoralised  and  its  colonel  (James  E.  Ker- 
rigan) dismissed  from  the  service.  All  through  the  winter  the  regiment  re- 
mained at  Fort  Corcoran,  guarding  that  and  other  forts  and  doing  severe  mili- 
tary duty. 

On  the  1 6th  of  March,  1862,  the  advance  "on  to  Richmond"  was  begun. 
Going  to  Alexandria,  the  Thirteenth  embarked  there,  reached  Fortress  Mon- 
roe on  the  24th  and  arrived  at  Yorktown  April  5th  under  command  of  Lieut- 
Col.  Carl  Stephan,  Col.  Pickell  having  been  discharged  from  the  service  about 
that  time.  During  the  siege  of  Yorktown  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  doing 
picket  duty  and  digging  trenches.  April  24th  Col.  E.  G.  Marshall  assumed 
command  of  the  regiment.  May  4th  a  detail  of  lOO  men  from  the  regiment 
were  on  picket  before  Yorktown,  and  early  in  the  morning,  discovering  that 
the  enemy  had  evacuated  the  place,  they  overran  the  fortifications  and  town. 
On  April  8th  the  regiment  joined  Franklin's  division  at  West  Point  on  the  York 
river.  At  Old  Church  it  destroyed  some  bridges  across  the  Pamunky  river 
and  at  Hanover  Court-House,  on  May  27th,  it  was  engaged  in  the  battle,  routing, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  section  of  Griffin's  battery,  two  North  Carolina  regiments 
which  left  27  dead  and  wounded  and  90  prisoners  captured.  On  May  30th  it  re- 
joined the  brigade  (Martindale's)  at  the  Chickahominy,  and  on  June  26th 
marched  to  Mechanicsville  and  remained  on  the  skirmish  line  at  that  battle  dur- 
ing the  afternoon  and  on  picket  that  night.  The  next  day  (the  27th)  it  was 
hotly  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Gaines  Mills,  repulsing,  twice,  an  attack  from  a 
large  superior  force  which,  after  the  regiment  had  been  subjected  to  a  severe 
artillery  fire,  charged  with  great  impetuosity  and  bravery.  The  Fifth  Ala- 
bama, directly  in  front  of  the  Thirteenth,  was  repulsed  with  great  loss,  its 
battle-flag  being  captured  by  the  Thirteenth.  The  strength  of  the  regiment  in 
that  battle  was  about  400;  loss  loi  men  killed,  wounded  and  taken  prisoners. 
The  remainder  crossed  the  Chickahominy  that  night  and  White  Oak  swamp 
the  next  day.  Through  all  the  rest  of  the  combined  fighting  and  retreating 
which  constituted  the  famous  "seven  days'  battles"  the  Thirteenth  bore  its  full 
share  of  danger  and  of  exposure,  gaining  glory  and  losing  in  every  engage- 
ment a  number  of  its  force.  After  participating  in  the  battles  of  Turkey  Bend 
and  Malvern  Hill,  in  both  of  which  it  repulsed  the  rebels  at  every  attack,  the 
regiment  left  the  peninsula  on  the  14th  of  August.  Its  subsequent  career  em- 
braced the  bloody  battles  of  the  "second  Bull  Run,"  Antietam  and  Fredericks- 
burg, and  in  all  of  these  terrific  struggles  the  Old  Thirteenth  sustained  the  bril- 
liant reputation  which  it  had  previously  acquired.  Its  losses  in  all  its  fights 
amounted  to  465  in  killed,  wounded  and  taken  prisoners.     It  came  home  on  the 


The  War  Record  559 


2d  of  May  and  was  received  with  an  ovation  by  its  fellow-citizens,  who  wel- 
comed it  with  open  arms.  Its  officers  on  its  return  were  :  E.  G.  Marshall, 
colonel ;  Francis  A.  Schceffel,  lieutenant-colonel ;  George  Hyland,  jr.,  major  ; 
Job  C.  Hedges,  adjutant;  Samuel  S.  Partridge,  quartermaster;  David  Little, 
surgeon  ;  Charles  E.  Hill  and  Isaac  V.  Mullen,  assistant  surgeons ;  E.  M. 
Cooley,  Mark  J.  Bunnell,-  Jerry  A.  Sullivan,  John  Weed,  Charles  C.  Brown, 
A.  Galley  Cooper,  Henry  Lomb,  captains;  James  Hutchison,  E.  P.  Becker, 
Homer  Foote,  J.  Elliott  Williams,  J.  M.  Richardson,  J.  H.  Wilson,  John  Marks, 
Edward  Martin,  W.  R.  McKinnon,  first  lieutenants  ;  James  Stevenson,  James 
D.  Bailey,  Thomas  Jordan,  John  Cawthra,  Gustav  Spoor,  W.  J.  Hines,  E.  F. 
Hamilton,  D.  S.  Barber,  E.  C.  Austin,  second  lieutenants. 

The  Twenty-fifth. — The  Twenty-fifth  has  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of 
Rochester  soldiers,  from  having  been  brigaded  with  the  Thirteenth  from  shortly 
after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  to  the  expiration  of  its  time  of  service,  from  which 
regiment  it  received  Lieut. -Col.  E.  S.  Gilbert,  Major  Sheppard  Gleason,  Cap- 
tains B.  F.  Harris,  Thomas  E.  Bishop,  J.  S.  Graham,  W.  W.  Connor  and  Albert 
W.  Preston  and  First  Lieutenants  Thomas  Coglan  and  W.  W.  Bates,  all  of 
whom  had  been  non-commissioned  officers  or  privates  in  the  Old  Thirteenth, 
and  who  applied  for  and  passed  examination  before  Gen.  Martindale  and  were 
transferred  and  promoted  into  the  Twenty- fifth.  The  regiment  became  noted 
for  its  discipline  and  management  and  was  engaged  at  Yorktown  and  Hanover 
Court- House,  where  it  lost  nearly  half  its  numbers,  thirteen  commissioned  offi- 
cers out  of  twenty-four  being  killed  or  wounded.  Col.  C.  A.  Johnson  being 
wounded  in  the  thigh  at  Mechanicsville.  Its  other  battles  were :  Gaines  Mills, 
White  Oak  Station,  Malvern  Hill,  Second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  Shepard's  Ford, 
Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville.  It  was  mustered  out  in  New  York  city  in 
July,  1863. 

The  Twenty-sixth. — This  was  organised  at  Elmira,  where  it  was  mustered 
in,  and  was  known  as  the  "Utica  regiment."  Company  G  (captain,  Gilbert  S. 
Jennings,  who  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major)  and  company  H  (cap- 
tain, Thomas  Davis)  were  recruited  in  Rochester.  It  was  a  two-years'  regiment, 
under  command  of  Col.  Wm.  H.  Christian.  The  regiment  served  most  of  the 
time  in  the  defenses  at  Washington,  until  the  spring  of  1862.  It  was  engaged 
at  Bull  Run,  Centerville,  Antietam  and  Fredericksburg.  It  returned  to  New 
York  in  the  spring  of  1863  and  was  mustered  out  May  14th. 

The  Twenty-seventh.  —  This  was  raised  to  serve  two  years,  with  Col.  H.  W. 
Slocum  as  its  commander  and  J.  J,  Chambers  lieutenant-colonel.  The  regi- 
ment contained  one  company  (E)  which  was  raised  in  Rochester  —  captain, 
George  G.  Wanzer ;  lieutenants,  Charles  S.  Baker  and  E.  P.  Gould.  It  was 
mustered  into  the  service  May  29th,  at  Elmira;  was  in  the  first  fight  at  Bull 
Run,  where  it  was  the  second  regiment  to  engage  the  enemy,  charging  them 
with  fixed  bayonets  and  driving  them  back.     It  suffered  very  severely  here, 


56o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

being  at  short  range  and  holding  the  rebels  in  check  until  forced  to  fall  back. 
Here  its  colonel  was  badly  wounded.  On  the  promotion  of  Col.  Slocum,  James 
J.  Bartlett  was  placed  in  command.  Operations  commenced  in  the  spring  of 
1862  with  a  sharp  fight  at  West  Point  and  then  on  through  the  Peninsula  cam- 
paign, where  the  Twenty-seventh  bore  a  prominent  and  gallant  part,  covering 
itself  with  glory  at  Mechanicsville  and  Gaines  Mills,  Gen.  Slocum  commanding 
the  division  to  which  it.  belonged  and  Col.  Bartlett  their  brigade,  Lieut.-Col. 
Adams  commanding  the  regiment.  It  was  present  and  engaged  at  Antietam 
and  at  Fredericksburg.  Its  term  of  service  having  expired,  it  returned  home 
and  was  mustered  out  May  21st,  1863.  Captein  Wanzer  had  been  promoted 
major,  and  E.  P.  Gould  captain  of  the  company.  Henry  L.  Achilles,  jr.,  now 
of  this  city,  commanded  company  K,  which  was  raised  at  Albion. 

The  Twenty -eighth.  —  This  was  recruited  principally  in  neighboring  coun- 
ties, though  a  large  number  enlisted  from  Rochester,  distributed  through  its  dif- 
ferent companies,  Captain  Charles  H.  Fenn  of  this  city  raising  a  portion  of  his 
company  here.  He  entered  the  service  as  first  lieutenant,  but  was  soon  pro- 
moted to  the  command  of  his  company  (F).  The  regiment  was  engaged  at 
Winchester  on  May  24th,  1862,  but  its  greatest  achievements  were  at  Cedar 
Mountain  on  August  9th,  1862,  where,  with  the  Forty-sixth  Pennsylvania,  it 
bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  Three  successive  times  Crawford's  brigade,  in 
which  it  was  serving,  with  these  two  regiments  in  the  advance,  was  hurled  des- 
perately against  the  enemy's  lines  before  their  advance  could  be  checked.  This, 
however,  was  at  a  terrible  sacrifice,  and  at  the  close  of  the  action  but  150  men 
could  be  mustered  from  the  gallant  Twenty- eighth.  At  Antietam  and  Chan- 
cellorsville  the  regiment  also  won  distinction.  At  the  latter  place  a  portion  of 
the  command  were  taken  prisoners,  being  flanked  by  superior  force.  The  colo- 
nel, Dudley  Donnelly,  was  killed  at  Cedar  Mountain.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Lieut.-Col.  Edwin  F.  Brown,  who  commanded  the  regiment  during  the  remain- 
der of  its  service.  Being  a  two  years'  regiment  it  was  mustered  out  June  2d, 
1863. 

The  Thirty-third.  —  Although  no  company  organisations  in  this  regiment 
could  be  claimed  as  distinctively  belonging  to  Rochester,  a  large  number  of 
men  were  enlisted  here.  In  September,  1862,  240  recruits  from  this  city  joined 
the  regiment,  which  was  raised  mainly  in  the  counties  of  Livingston,  Ontario, 
Seneca,  Yates  and  Wayne.  It  was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Elmira,  May 
22d,  1861,  eight  days  after  the  Thirteenth,  from  which  regiment  its  colonel  was 
chosen  —  Captain  Robert  F.  Taylor.  He  was  an  excellent  officer  and  soon  had 
the  Thirty-third  in  efficient  condition.  In  the  Peninsula  campaign  the  regiment 
participated  in  nearly  all  of  the  engagements  ;  particularly  distinguishing  itself 
for  bravery  in  charging  and  repulsing  the  advancing  enemy  at  Williamsburg, 
for  which  the  command  was  warmly  complimented  by  Gen.  McClellan  person- 
ally.    At  Mechanicsville,  Gaines  Mills,  Savage's  Station  and  Crampton  Gap  the 


The  War  Record.  561 


Thirty-third  bore  its  part  with  honor,  and  at  Antietam  a  heavy  loss  was  sus^ 
tained.  In  storming  the  heights  at  Fredericksburg,  it  was  also,  hotly  engaged 
and  won  distinction.  The  term  of  service  was  for  two  years,  and  the  regiment 
was  mustered  out  May  I2th,  1863. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifth.  —  This  was  organised  at  Rochester  and  Le 
Roy,  the  men  being,  mainly,  recruited  in  the  counties  of  Monroe,  Niagara,  Gen- 
esee and  Cattaraugus  ;  companies  G,  Captain  McMahon  ;  H,  Captain  Bradley, 
and  I,  Captain  Purcell,  enlisted  in  Rochester  and  vicinity.  James  M.  Fuller,  of 
Le  Roy,  was  its  colonel,  Henry  L.  Achilles,  sr.,  its  first  lieutenartt-colonel, 
Howard  Carroll,  of  Rochester,  succeeding  him  on  the  consolidation  of  this  with 
the  Ninety- fourth  New  York,  which  occurred  in  March,  1863.  John  W.  Shedd, 
of  Lc  Roy,  was  major,  and  Daniel  A.  Sharpe,  of  Rochester,  adjutant.  The 
regiment  was  mustered  into  service  at  Camp  Upham,  Le  Roy,  the  i6th  of  No- 
vember, 1 86 1.  The  men  of  Monroe  county  were  mostly  of  the  Irish  nation- 
ality, possessing  zeal  and  patriotism.  They  were  ordered  to  Washington  soon 
after  their  organisation  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  brigaded  with  cavalry,  artil- 
lery and  other  infantry,  the  brigade  comprising  some  2,500  men,  and  com- 
manded by  Gen.  Duryea.  They  were  present  at  Manassas,  May  26th,  and 
from  May  24th  to  June  3d,  when  they  arrived  at  Front  Royal,  they  endured 
severe  and  successive  marches  over  bad  roads,  without  baggage  or  tents —  ex- 
periences often  more  trying  to  the  courageous  soldiers  than  fighting  itself 
About  the  middle  of  June  they  left  Front  Royal,  and  were  ordered  to  move 
forward  when  Pope  was  engaging  Jackson  at  Bull  Run.  They  did  not  reach 
the  field  until  late  in  the  day,  when  they  received  a  volley  from  the  rebel  artil- 
lery, but-  no  loss.  August  30th,  1862,  they  were  in  the  battle  of  Centerville. 
In  this  action  Gen.  Duryea  was  wounded  in  the  hand,  but  retained  his  position 
in  the  field.  After  preliminary  firing,  and  some  heavy  skirmishing,  they  were 
surprised  toward  night,  by  a  concealed  battery,  supported  by  infantry,  which 
opened  upon  them.  They  charged  nobly,  but  were  overpowered  by  the  enemy, 
and  forced  to  retire.  The  battles  of  this  staunch  regiment  coniprised  Cedar 
Mountain,  Rappahannock,  Thoroughfare  Gap,  Second  Bull  Run,  Chantilly, 
South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  Colonel  Fuller  resigned,  and  Colonel  Carroll, 
who  succeeded,  was  fatally  wounded  at  this  last  battle,  and  died  a  month  later. 
Also,  at  Bull  Run,  company  I  was  badly  cut  up,  coming  out  with  only  thirteen 
men  out  of  thirty-three.  In  October  Major  John  W.  Shedd  was  commissioned 
colonel.  They  again  participated  in  another  battle,  that  of  Fredericksburg, 
December  13th.  The  regiment  was  subsequently  consolidated  with  the  Ninety- 
fourth.  Captain  John  McMahon,  of  this  city,  afterward  raised  the  i88th  regi- 
ment and  was  commissioned  its  colonel. 

-  The  One  Hundred  and  Eighth.  —  The  first  three  regiments  organised  in  this 
state  under  the  call  for  300,000  troops  were  to  be  honored  as  the  banner  regi- 
ments.    The  1 08th  was  the  second  of  these  regiments,  being  mustered  in  at 


562  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Rochester  August  i8th,  1862.  It  had  been  recruited  in  less  than  a  month,  the 
107th  having  been  mustered  at  Elmira  five  days  earlier.  The  field  and  staff 
were :  Colonel,  O.  H.  Palmer  ;  lieutenant-colonel,  C.  J.  Powers  ;  major,  George 
B.  Force;  adjutant,  John  T.  Chumasero;  quartermaster,  Joseph  S.  Harris; 
surgeon,  J.  F.  Whitbeck ;  assistant-surgeon,  W.  S.  Ely ;  chaplain,  James 
Nichols.  The  companies  were  commanded  as  follows ;  Company  A,  Capt.  H. 
B.  Williams ;  B,  Capt.  H.  S.  Hogoboom ;  C,  Capt.  Wm.  H.  Andrews ;  D, 
Capt.  J.  G.  Cramer ;  E,  Capt,  A.  K.  Cutler ;  F,  Capt.  F.  E.  Pierce ;  G,  Capt. 
T.  B.  Yale ;  H,  Capt.  E.  P.  Fuller ;  I,  Capt.  Wm.  Graebe ;  K,  Capt.  Joseph 
Deverell.  The  regiment  left  Rochester  August  19th,  reached  New  York  the 
2 1st  and  was  tendered  a  grand  ovation  on  its  way  to  the  barracks  in  the  city 
hall  park.  It  left  the  next  day  for  Washington,  going  into  camp  on  the  ground 
occupied  by  the  Old  Thirteenth  the  year  before.  August  30th  the  first  sound 
of  cannonading  was  heard  in  the  direction  of  Bull  Run  and  Centerville ;  and 
September  4th  the  men  had  their  first  experience  of  a  call  "  to  arms  "  for  active 
service.  Orders  were  soon  received  to  "fall  in,"  and  after  several  days'  march 
they  were,  near  Keetysville,  on  the  i6th,  under  fire  all  day.  On  the  17th, 
opposite  the  Dunkers'  church,  they  opened  on  the  enemy  not  thirty  rods  dis- 
tant with  a  rapid  determined  fire.  All  day  they  held  their  stand  before  the 
enemy's  batteries,  and  on  making  a  charge  captured  the  colors  of  a  North  Car- 
olina regiment  with  166  prisoners.  The  regiment  suffered  severely,  26  killed, 
124  wounded,  47  missing,  a  total  of  197  men.  Among  the  killed  were  Major 
Force  and  Lieutenants  Tarbox  and  Holmes.  In  the  death  of  Major  Force  the 
regiment  suffered  a  severe  loss.  He  was  a  superior  drill  officer,  as  well  as  a 
gallant  soldier,  and  to  him  the  regiment  owed  largely  the  rapid  progress  it  had 
made  in  drill  and  discipline.  From  Antietam  to  Harper's  Ferry,  fording  the 
river  waist  deep,  camping  at  Bolivar  Heights,  on  October  29th  the  regiment 
marched  across  the  Shenandoah,  thence  to  Snicker's  Gap,  where  friend  and  com- 
rade exchanged  welcome  greetings  with  the  boys  of  the  Thirteenth  and  the 
140th.  December  12th  they  crossed  the  Rappahannock,  and  the  order  was 
given  for  an  advance  upon  the  works  at  Fredericksburg.  Their  division  — 
French's,  of  Sumner's  corps  —  was  in  line  for  the  charge,  the  io8th  at  the  front. 
Here  their  heroism  won  for  them  immortal  honor.  To  take  the  first  position 
of  earthworks,  they  must  be  carried  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  They  rushed 
forward,  under  a  raking  fire ;  faltered  but  soon  re-formed,  advanced  at  double- 
quick,  under  a  solid  fire  of  artillery  and  infantry  which  was  overpowering ; 
halted,  rallied  again,  and  reached  the  stone  wall  at  the  base  of  the  rebel  works, 
on  the  other  side  of  which  lay  the  determined  foe.  Gen.  Sumner  brought  all 
his  cannon  to  bear,  but  the  attempt  to  dislodge  the  enemy  proved  futile.  Under 
cover  of  the  night  the  regiment  was  withdrawn,  and  returned  to  its  camp  at 
Falmouth,  where  it  remained  for  the  winter.  On  the  resignation  of  Col.  Palmer 
in  March,  1863,  Charles  J.   Powers  was  promoted  colonel.     In  his  case,  to  the 


The  War  Record.  563 


thorough  soldier  were  added  fine  discipUnary  powers,  great  care  and  love  for  his 
men,  at  the  same  time  imparting  that  zeal  and  courage  which  brought  them 
to  the  highest  rank.  I-Je  was  specially  distinguished  for  great  personal  bravery 
and  remarkable  coolness  in  action.  At  this  time  Major  F.  E.  Pierce  was  made 
lieutenant-colonel,  Capt.  H.  S.  Hogoboom  being  major.  When  Jackson  with 
a  large  force  swept  down  upon  the  eleventh  corps  near  Chancellorsville,  and  the 
brigade  advanced  into  the  wild  conflict,  Col.  Powers's  appeal  "  not  to  lose  their 
former  prestige"  gave  inspiration  and  helped  to  maintain  their  well-earned 
fame. 

During  the  first  day's  fight  at  Gettysburg,  July  ist,  the  regiment  made  a 
forced  march  of  thirty-  eight  miles  to  reach  the  battle-field.  Here  their  brav- 
ery was  also  prominent.  They  supported  Rickett's  old  battery,  which  was 
doing  effective  service  among  the  rebels.  These,  under  the  rebel  general 
who  recognised  the  battery,  attempted  its  capture,  but  were  repulsed  by  the 
108th.  With  the  men  at  the  battery  being  rapidly  swept  away,  the  horses 
killed,  the  io8th  gallantly  assisted  in  working  the  guns.  The  struggle  was  in- 
tense. As  the  conflict  raged,  their  regiment  was  singled  out  by  Gen.  Hayes  as 
an  example  of  bravery  in  a  warm  compliment  bestowed.  Here  they  lost  in 
commissioned  officers,  three  killed  and  nine  wounded  ;  in  the  ranks  146,  of 
whom  14  were  killed,  the  rest  wounded  or  missing.  The  regiment  was  en- 
gaged in  Meade's  fall  campaign,  Lieut.-Col.  Pierce  losing  an  eye  at  Morton's 
Ford,  and  was  in  all  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness.  In  the  second  day's  fight. 
Col.  Potvers,  while  leading  the  command,  was  shot  through  the  lungs,  but  re- 
covered. At  Spottsylvania,  under  cover  of  a  heavy  fog  the,  second  corps  cau- 
tiously gained  the  rebel  works  and  with  a  shout  rushed  on,  taking  part  of 
the  main  line,  with  a  capture  of  two  general  officers,  and  6,000  prisoners.  On 
May  18th  the  regiment  lost  nine  killed,  and  nearly  100  wounded,  but  the  rem- 
nant never  faltered.  Captain  Deverell  was  placed  in  command  of  the  regi- 
ment. In  the  charge  at  Cold  Harbor,  on  June  3d,  he  was  wounded,  and  Lieut. 
Kinleyside  killed.  Here  Lieut.  P.  C.  Kavanagh  took  temporary  command. 
At  Petersburg  it  was  employed  on  the  fortifications  until  the  last  of  Septem- 
ber, when  it  was  assigned  the  front  line  in  Fort  Hell,  and  as  the  besieged  en- 
emy held  on  with  dying  grip  through  weary  months,  the  regiment  became  dec- 
imated to  a  mere  handful,  less  than  100  men  being  on  duty.  "  During  the 
three  years  of  active  service,  with  the  losses  it  sustained,  and  the  few  recruits 
received,  the  io8th  maintained  the  qualities  which  earned  for  it  the  reputation 
of  a  "fighting  regiment."  From  the  time  it  went  to  the  front  it  was  engaged 
in  all  the  battles  and  skirmishes  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  numbering  twenty- 
seven.  On  the  1st  of  June,  1865,  it  returned  to  Rochester,  when  169  hardy 
soldiers  were  escorted  by  military  and  other  societies  to  the  court-house,  where 
a  generous  welcome  was  extended  by  Mayor  D.  D.  T.  Moore,  with  a  banquet 
following.     The  following  officers  came  home  in  command  of,  or  were  mus- 


564  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tered  out  with,  the  regiment :  Charles  J.  Powers,  colonel ;  F.  E.  Pierce,  lieu- 
tenant-colonel ;  F.  B.  Hutchinson,  quartermaster ;  Reuben  H.  Halstead,  ad- 
jutant ;  F.  M.  Wafer,  surgeon ;  Robert  Stevenson,  assistant-surgeon ;  John  B. 
Kennedy,  W.  H.  Andrews,  Samuel  Porter,  J.  G.  Cramer,  S.  P.  Howard,  A.  J. 
Locke,  A.  J.  Boyd,  captains ;  W.  H.  Raymond,  Jay  W.  Smith,  John  O.  Jewell, 
Chris.  Traugott,  James  Westcott,  Alfred  Elwood,  H.  F.  Richardson,  Solo- 
mon Fatzer, .  first  lieutenants ;  Alfred  B.  Hadley,  John  Galvin,  second  lieu- 
tenants. 

The  One  Htmdred  and  Fortieth.  —  This  regiment  was  organised  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  summer  of  1862.  Company  A  was  raised  at  Brockport,  but  all  the 
other  companies  were  raised  in  Rochester,  although  a  large  number  of  their 
men  were  residents  of  the  surrounding  country  towns  of  Monroe  county. 
When  the  regiment  was  full  it  went  into  quarters  at  Camp  Fitzjohn  Porter, 
where,  on  September  13th,  1862,  it  was  formally  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  for  three  years.  Two  days  after,  at  the  residence  of  Henry  L. 
Fish,  a  number  of  young  ladies  of  Rochester  presented  a  flag  to  the  officers  of 
the  regiment.  On  Friday,  September  19th,  it  left  Rochester  by  the  Northern 
Central  railroad  for  Washington.  The  day  is  memorable  above  all  others  in 
the  history  of  our  city,  as  one  in  which  the  most  serious  feelings  of  the  public 
mind  were  profoundly  stirred.  The  news  of  the  battle  of  Antietam  had  that 
morning  reached'  the  city,  and  the  air  was  rife  with  wild  rumors  of  losses  in  the 
Rochester  regiments  already  in  the  field.  Nearly  every  family  in  the  city  had 
a  representative  or  a  relative  in  the  ranks  of  the  140th,  and  the  whole  popula- 
tion turned  out  to  bid  them  good-bye.  The  roster  of  the  first  officers  of  the 
regiment  was  as  follows:  Field  and  staff" — Colonel,  Patrick  H.  O'Rorke; 
lieutenant-colonel,  Louis  Ernst;  major,  Isaiah  F.  Force;  adjutant,  Ira  C.  Clark; 
quartermaster,  Wm.  H.  Crennell;  surgeon,  Theodore  F.  Hall;  first  assistant- 
surgeon,  Wm.  C.  Slayton;  second  assistant-surgeon,  O.  Sprague  Paine ;  chap- 
lain, Charles  Machin;  sergeant-major,  W.  S.  Coon;  commissary  sergeant, 
John  Hume;  quartermaster  sergeant,  J.  Sidney  Munn;  hospital  steward,  Joseph 
F.  Moon.  Company  officers:  Co.' A — capt.,  Milo  L.  Starks;  ist  It,  Jo.seph 
M.  Leeper;  2d  It,  J.  D.  Decker.  Co.  B  —  capt,  Christian  Spies;  ist  It, 
August  Meyer;  2d  It,  Chas.  P.Klein.  Co.  C  —  capt,  W.  J.  Clark;  ist  It, 
Bartholomew  Crowley;  2d  It,  John  Buckley.  Co.  D  —  capt,  Elwell  S.  Otis; 
1st  It,  Henry  B.  Hoyt;  2d  It,  Alex.  H.  McLeod.  Co.  E^capt,  Monroe  M. 
Hollister;  ist  It,  Patrick  A.  McMuUen;  2d  It,  Benjamin  Ridley.  Co.  F  — 
capt.,  B.  F.  Harmon;  ist  It,  James  H.  Knox;  2d  It,  Isaac  Simmons.  Co.  G 
—  capt.  Perry  B.  Sibley;  ist  It,  Henry  E.  Richmond;  2d  It,  Porter  Farley. 
Co.  H — -^capt,  W.  S.  Grantsynn;  1st  It,  Joseph  H.  Suggett;  2d  It,  Chas.  H. 
Burtis.  Co.  I  —  capt,  Wm.  F.  Campbell;  ist  It,  Addison  N.  Whiting;  2d  It, 
Lewis  Hamilton.  Co.  K  —  capt,  Patrick  J.  DowHng;  ist  It,  Patrick  H.  Sul- 
livan; 2d  It,  Hugh  McGraw. 


The  War  Record.  565 


The  regiment  left  Rochester  in  command  of  Lt.-Col.  Ernst,  was  armed  at 
Elmira  and  reached  Washington  late  at  night  on  September  22d.  The  next 
afternoon  it  marched  over  the  long  bridge  which  crosses  the  Potomac,  and 
went  into  camp  on  Arlington  heights.  September  29th  it  was  moved  by  rail 
up  to  Frederick,  Md.;  thence,  October  5th,  to  Sandy  Hook,  Md.  There, 
October  8th,  its  first  colonel,  Patrick  H.  O'Rorke,  joined  it  and  took  com- 
mand. Space  forbids  any  but  the  most  meager  recital  of  the  experiences  of 
this  organisation.  After  it  entered  upon  active  service  it  was  permanently 
connected  with  the  fifth  army  corps.  It  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg and  formed  part  of  the  force  which  occupied  the  town  from  the 
evening  of  the  13th  till  early  morning  of  the  i6th  of  December.  1862,  and  was 
in  the  last  brigade  which  left  the  city.  It  was  not  actually  engaged,  but  lost 
a  few  men  wounded,  while  lying  as  a  reserve  for  other  troops.  It  was  present 
and  slightly  engaged  at  Chancellorsville,  May  ist  to  4th,  1863.  It  lost  several 
men  in  this  campaign  by  the  shells  and  bullets  of  the  enemy.  At  Aldie,  in 
Virginia,  on  the  24th  of  June,  1863,  the  depleted  ranks  were  reinforced  by 
scvcnty-six  enlisted  men  and  one  officer,  Capt.  WiUard  Abbott,  who  had  be- 
longed to  the  Thirteenth  regiment.  That  was  a  two-years'  regiment  and  its 
time  had  expired,  but  these  men  had  belonged  to  two  companies  which  had 
been  raised  for  the  Thirteenth  during  its  second  year  and  they  had  been  mus- 
tered in  for  three  years. 

On  the  2d  of  July  of  the  same  year,  on  the  rocky  slopes  of  Little  Round 
Top,  on  the  historic  field  of  Gettysburg,  the  regiment  rendered  a  service  and 
suffered  a  loss  by  which  it  earned  the  gratitude  and  applause  of  all  the  loyal 
North.  In  a  sharp  action,  into  which  it  was  thrown  unexpectedly  and  without 
a  moment's  notice,  it  gallantly  helped  to  repel  the  charge  by  which  the  enemy 
so  nearly  gained  a  footing  on  Little  Round  Top.  Col.  O'Rorke  was  shot  by  a 
bullet  through  the  neck  and  fell  dead  without  uttering  a  word.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  he  was  the  most  illustrious  sacrifice  which  during  those  bloody 
years  of  war  this  community  was  called  upon  to  mourn.  He  was  the  foremost 
soldier  of  Monroe  county,  one  who  possessed  great  gifts  by  nature  and  who 
had  cultivated  his  talents  with  an  industry  which  had  placed  him  conspicuously 
the  leader  of  all  his  associates.  Capts.  Starks,  Spies  and  Sibley  and  Lieuts. 
Klein  and  McGraw  were  all  severely  wounded,  the  last  two  fatally.  Twenty- 
five  enlisted  men  were  killed  and  eighty-four  wounded.  The  command  of  the 
regiment  devolved  for  some  weeks  upon  Lieut.-Col.  Ernst,  and,  after  his  resig- 
nation, for  some  two  weeks  upon  Major  Force,  when  it  was  assumed,  August 
29th,  by  Col.  George  Ryan,  a  regular  army  officer,  a  captain  in  the  seventh  in- 
fantry. During  the  following  winter  the  regiment,  in  common  with  the  brig- 
ade to  which  it  belonged,  adopted  the  zouave  style  of  dress  —  red  fez  cap,  with 
white  turban,  blue  jacket  and  sash,  both  trimmed  with  red,  immense  baggy 
blue  trousers,  gathered  by  a  band  just  below  the  knee,  leather  leggins  and  linen 
gaiters.     It  retained  this  dress  during  the  remainder  of  its  term  of  service. 


$66  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Under  Col.  Ryan  the  regiment  reached  a  high  degree  of  discipline  and 
military  efficiency.     It  participated  in  the  bootless  Mine  Run  campaign  in  the 
latter  part  of  November,  1863.     During  the  winter  following  it  lay  in  camp  at 
Warrenton  junction,  on  the  Orange  &  Alexandria  railroad.     Its  camp  was 
a  model  of  neatness,  and  in  point  of  comfort  a  great  contrast  with  that  of  the 
previous  winter  at  Falmouth.     Its  location  upon  the  railroad,  its  picturesque 
dress  and  high  discipline,  proved  attractive  and  elicited  the  admiration  of  many 
visitors,  both  military  and  civilian,  who  inspected  its  quarters  and  witnessed  its 
drills  and  parades.     On  the  30th  of  April,  186^,  it  broke  camp  and  moved  down 
toward  the  Rappahannock  river  to  join  the  main  body  of  the  army  on  the 
bloody  overland  campaign.    It  started  out  on  that  march  more  than  600  strong, 
composed  of  men  all  inured  to  hardship,  splendidly  disciplined  and  equipped. 
There  was  no  finer  organisation  in  the  army.     On  the  sth  of  May  it  went  into 
action  in  the  wilderness  in  the  very  opening  of  the  fighting  of  that  terrific  cam- 
paign.    In  an  engagement  of  not   more  than  half  an  hour  it  lost    in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  a  total  of  eleven  officers  and  257  enlisted  men.     On  Sun- 
day May  8tli,  in  the  action  near  Spottsylvania  Court- House,  the  regiment  again 
lost  five  officers  and  sixty  enlisted  men.     Among  the  killed  in  this  action  were 
Col.  Ryan  and  Major  Starks,  both  men  of  the  truest  fiber,  who  deserve  remem- 
brance among  the  bravest  of  those  who  met  death  in  the  defense  of  the  national 
cau.se.    Thus'in  three  days  after  the  opening  of  this  campaign  the  splendid  140th 
regiment,  which  had  started  over  600  strong,  had  been  reduced  to  a  compara- 
tive handful,  333  men  having  been  lost  in  two  successive  actions.     Considerably 
over  half  its  strength  had  melted  away,  and  by  far  the  greater  part  of  those 
whom  it  had  lost  were  never  to  return.     The  command  of  the  regiment  now 
devolved  upon  Lieut.-Col.  E.  S.  Otis.     During  the  next  three  weeks  there  were 
losses  by  men  being  wounded  while  on  picket  or  skirmish  duty  or  by  stray 
shots  which  came  into  the  lines.     On  the  2d  of  June,  in  the  action  at  Bethesda 
Church,  there  was  a  further  loss  of  fifty-four  men  and  two  officers,  making  a 
total  in  a  space  of  less  than  a  month  of  41 1  out  of  a  force  of  a  little  more  than 
600.     This  is  a  record  of  losses  in  battle  unsurpassed  by  any  organisation  from 
this  region,  and  perhaps  hardly  equaled  during  the  war.     The  regiment  formed 
part  of  the  investing  force  during  all  the  operations  about  Petersburg,   took 
part  in  the  actions  at  the  Weldon  railroad,   Hatcher's  Run  and  Five  Forks ; 
was  present  at  Lee's  surrender  at  Appomattox,  took  part  in  the  grand  review 
at  Washington,  where,  June  3d,    1865,  it   was  mustered  out  of  service,  and 
reached   Rochester  June  6th,   290   strong,    under  command  of  Col.  Wm.   S. 
Grantsynn. 

Tke  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first.  —  This  regiment  was  organised  at  Camp 
Church,  Lockport,  N.  Y.  It  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States 
October  22d,  1862,  and  left  that  city  the  following  day,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  William  Emerson.     The  regiment  was  quartered  in  Baltimore  during 


The  War  Record.  567 


the  following  winter.  On  the  22d  of  April,  1863,  it  was  ordered  to  West  Vir- 
ginia and  narrowly  escaped  sharing  in  the  disastrous  defeat  of  the  Union  forces 
under  General  Milroy  at  Winchester.  It  was  at  Frederick  City,  Md.,  when  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought,  after  which  it  was  merged  in  the  army  of  the 
Potomac.  Company  E  of  this  regiment  was  raised  in  Rochester.  Peter  Imo 
was  in  command  as  captain  and  went  with  it  to  the  field.  John  C.  Schoen  was 
first  lieutenant,  and,  on  the  resignation  of  Captain  Imo,  was  promoted  to  the 
command  of  the  company  and  was  killed  while  bravely  leading  his  men  in  the 
charge  at  Cold  Harbor  on  the  3d  of  June,  1864.  At  the  close  of  the  war  his 
remains  were  brought  back  and  interred  at  Mount  Hope.  The  regiment  was 
engaged  at  Wapping  Heights,  and  at  Mine  Run  in  1863.  In  the  spring  of  1864 
it  moved  across  the  Rapidan  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor  and  Petersburg.  On  the  6th  of  July,  1864,  the 
third  division  of  the  sixth  corps,  to  which  the  regiment  belonged,  was  ordered 
to  Washington.  This  regiment  suffered  severely  in  the  battle  of  Monocacy, 
when,  overwhelmed  by  a  largely  superior  force,  it  was  compelled  to  retreat. 
Twenty-one  were  killed  and  more  than  one-half  of  the  remainder  wounded  or 
missing.  It  was  engaged  in  all  the  brilliant  campaign  of  General  Sheridan  in 
the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  the  Opequan,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  creek.  In 
November  the  regiment  was  consolidated  into  a  battalion  of  five  companies.  A 
battalion  being  entitled  to  no  higher  officer  than  lieutenant-colonel.  Col.  Emer- 
son was  mustered  out,  Captain  Charles  Bogdrdus  succeeding  him.  Early  in,  the 
winter  of  1 864-65  the  sixth  corps  was  ordered  back  to  Petersburg.  The  regi- 
ment was  in  the  line  that  broke  through  the  rebel  defenses  on  the  2d  of  April, 
was  in  the  battle  of  Sailor's  creek  on  the  6th,  was  in  at  the  death  of  the  rebel- 
lion, when  Gen.  Lee  surrendered  to  Gen.  Grant  on  the  9th  of  April,  1865,  and 
shared  in  the  jubilant  demonstrations  of  that  memorable  day.  The  regiment 
was  mustered  out  on  the  26th  of  June  and  reached  Rochester  on  the  1st  of 
July,  with  21  officers  and  308  enlisted  men.  They  were  warmly  welcomed  by 
the  citizens,  and  company  E  was  given  a  dinner  at  the  Brackett  House  and  ad- 
dressed by  the  mayor.  Of  the  members  of  this  regiment  now  living  in  Roch- 
ester may  be  mentioned  Colonel  Emerson,  who  made  it  one  of  the  best  drilled 
organisations  in  the  service.  He  had  command  of  the  first  brigade,  third  divis- 
ion, sixth  corps,  from  the  day  following  the  battle  of  Monocacy  till  he  was  mus- 
tered out.  George  J.  Oaks  went  out  with  company  E  as  second  lieutenant. 
He  was  twice  promoted,  and  brevetted  major,  and  came  home  in  command  of 
the  company.  He  was  for  some  time  on  the  staff  of  General  Morris,  who  was 
in  command  of  the  third  division  of  the  sixth  corps.  Edward  Heller  went  out 
with  the  company  as  an  enlisted  man,  but  came  home  as  lieutenant.  Julius 
Armbruster  received  a  cohimission,  but  was  not  mustered.  He  was  hit  at  the 
batde  of  Winchester,  directly  between  the  eyes,  the  ball  passing  through  and 
coming  out  at  the  back  of  his   head.      The  surgeon  said    that  the  wound 


568  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

was  fatal,  but  in  a  few  weeks  he  was  back  in  the  ranks,  doing  duty  as  a  soldier. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cures  that  occurred  during  the  war.  C.  W. 
Wall,  who  enlisted  as  a  private  in  company  D,  of  this  regiment,  was  soon  ap- 
pointed commissary  sergeant,  afterward  made  quartermaster  sergeant,  and  was 
commissioned  as  quartermaster  near  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  Third  Cavalry.  —  This  was  recruited  in  the  summer  of  1861,  the  mus- 
ter extending  from  June  14th  to  August  27th.  Companies  A,  Captain  Charles 
FitzSimons ;  C,  Capt.  Alon?o  Stearns ;  F,  Capt.  Judson  Downs ;  H,  Capt. 
John  M.  Wilson,  and  M,  Capt.  Nathan  P  Pond,  were  raised  in  Monroe  county. 
Captain  Geo.  W.  Lewis,  of  the  "OldThirteetith,"  was  transferred  with  his  com- 
pany late  in  the  summer  of  1861  and  it  became  company  K.  The  field  and  staff 
were  :  Colonel,  James  H.  Van  Allen;  lieutenant-colonel,  Simon  H.  Mix;  sur- 
geon, Wm.  H.  Palmer;  assistant-surgeon,  Frederick  Douglass;  regimental  ad- 
jutant, Samuel  C.  Pierce,  subsequently  promoted  lieutenant-colonel.  It  is 
claimed  that  this  regiment  should  have  been  the  First  New  York  cavalry, 
which  would  have  been  its  number  if  it  had  not  persistently  held  on  to  the 
name  of  its  first  colonel,  and  been  known  for  some  time  as  the  "Van  Allen 
cavalry."  It  is  a  matter  of  history,  in  which  much  pride  is  taken,  that  A  and 
B  companies  (the  former  raised  here  and  the  latter  in  Syracuse)  were  the  first 
volunteer  cavalry  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States.  It  was  not 
until  after  the  battle  of  Biill  Run  that  Gen.  Scott  would  concede  the  need  of 
cavalry,  and  every  obstacle  possible  to  recruiting  for  this  branch  of  the  service 
was  imposed  by  the  government.  For  instance,  every  recruit  must  be  at  least 
five  feet  five  inches  tall,  pass  a  very  rigid  examination  by  the  surgeon  and 
mustering  officer,  and  must  furnish  his  own  horse  and  equipments,  for  which, 
however,  the  government  agreed  to  pay  him  forty  cents  per  day  and  to  supply 
forage.  In  addition  to  this,  each  horse  must  be  bay  in  color,  with  long  tail, 
not  less  than  fifteen  and  a  half  hands  high,  and  worth  at  least  $175.  These 
restrictions,  however,  were  in  force  only  during  the  recruiting  of  A  and  B  com- 
panies. Major  John  Mix  was  sent  to  them,  being  promoted  from  the  reg- 
ular army.  The  command  entered  upon  active  service  in  the  fall  of  1861. 
Their  work  of  scouting,  picket  duty  and  skirmishing  extended  through  the 
winter  of  1 861-62.  In  April,  1862,  they  joined  Gen.  Burnside  in  North 
Carolina,  their  subsequent  service  being  mainly  in  operations  connected  with 
the  army  of  the  James.  Upon  the  resignation  of  Col.  Van  Allen  in  April, 
1862,  Lieut.-Col.  S.  H.  Mix  was  promoted  colonel,  Major  John  Mix  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  Captain  George  W.  Lewis  ranking  major.  The  junior  majors  were 
Charles  FitzSimons,  Jephthah  Garrard  and  George  W.  Cole ;  Alonzo  Stearns 
and  Israel  Henry  Putnam  were  subsequently  promoted  majors.  The  regiment 
here  won  great  distinction.  One  of  the  most  brilliant  achievements  was  that 
of  Private  White,  of  company  A,  previously  an  engineer  on  the  New  York 
Central,  who  captured  a  railroad  train  ;  galloping  alongside  the  locomotive,  he. 


The  War  Record.  569 


sprang  from  his  horse  into  the  cab,  put  his  pistol  to  the  head  of  the  engineer, 
reversed  the  lever,  and  brought  the  train,  loaded  with  a  detachment  of  the 
enemy  and  an  immense  quantity  of  stores,  into  the  Union  lines.  Capt.  Pond 
was  afterward  made  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  First  U.  S.  colored  cavalry,  and 
other  Rochester  men  who  gained  promotion  were  Major  Maurice  Leyden,  Ad- 
jutants George  D.  Williams  and  William  L.  Ogden,  Captains  Walter  S.  Joy 
and  James  R.  Chamberlain,  Lieutenants  Sherman  Greig,  John  Gregoi-y  and 
Milton  H.  Smith.  The  regiment  participated  in. the  following  battles  and  skir- 
mishes :  Ball's  Bluff,  October  21st,  1861  ;  Winchester,  March  ist,  1862 ;  Trent 
Road,  N.  C,  May  isth;  Rail's  Mills,  November  7th;  Kingston,  December 
(4th;  Whitehall,  December  1 6th ;  Goldsboro',  December  17th;  Jacksonville, 
January  iSth,  1863;  Trenton,  January  30th  ;  Trent  Road,  March  14th  ;  Blunt's 
Mills,  April  8th;  Peletecr's  Mills,  April  i6th  ;  Leard's  Creek,  April  20th; 
Belleview  Cross  Roads,  April  23d  ;  Warsaw,  July  4th  ;  Tarboro',  July  20th  ; 
Street's  Ferry,  July  25th;  Bottom's  Bridge,  Va.,  February  7th,  1864;  Stonj'^ 
Creek,  May  7th;  Nottaway  Bridge,  May  8th  ;  Chula  Station,  May  I2th  ;  Blacks 
&  Whites,  May  14th;  before  Petersburg,  May  iSth;  South  Quay,  June  2d; 
Staunton  Bridge,  June  25th;  Roanoke  Bridge,  June  26th;  Ream's  Station, 
June  29th  ;  Malvern  Hill,  July  27th;  Yellow  Tavern,  August  25th;  Prince 
George  C.  H.,  September  iSth;  Johnson's  Farm,  September  29th  and  Oc- 
tober 7th ;  Charles  City  Pike,  October  20th  and  27th  ;  South  Quay,  Decem- 
ber 1 2th. 

The  Eighth  Cavalry.  —  This  regiment  was  organised  for  three  years'  serv- 
ice under  Col.  Samuel  J.  Crooks  in  the  autumn  of  i86l.  Lieut.-Col.  Chas.  R. 
Babbitt,  Majors  W.  L.  Markell  and  W.  H.  Benjamin  and  Chaplain  Van  Ingen 
were  among  the  officers.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Washington  and  drilled 
while  in  winter  quarters.  In  the  spring  it  was  sent  to  Gen.  Banks,  then  in  the 
Shenandoah  valley.  Col.  Crooks  having  resigned  in  February,  the  regiment, 
under  Lieut.-Col.  Babbitt,  had,  in  May,  a  sharp  contest  with  the  enemy,  while 
guarding  the  Winchester  &  Potornac  railroad.  In  June  Captain  Benjamin  F. 
Davis,  of  the  regular  army,  was  made  its  colonel.  Active  recruiting  had  been 
going  on  at  home,  and  in  September  the  regiment,  reinforced  by  600  men,  was 
mounted,  equipped  and  well  disciplined.  Very,  soon  it  met  with  a  lively  ex- 
perience, surrounded  by  Stonewall  Jackson's  force  at  Harper's  Ferry.  A  sur- 
render was  demanded  of  Col.  Miles,  in  command  there.  Col.  Davis,  foreseeing 
that  it  could  not  be  held,  sought  permission  to  escape  with  his  regiment,  but 
was  refused.  At  midnight  on  September  14th,  having  made  known  his  plans 
to  his  officers,  he  led  the  men  to  the  Maryland  side,  where  the  column  almost 
literally  flew  through  the  rebel  camp,  regarded  by  the  Confederates  as  a  porr 
tioh  of  their  own  cavalry.  The  following  day  the  regiment  captured  Long- 
street's  ammunition  train  on  its  way  to  Antietam,  toward  which  McClellan  was 
advancing.     In  October  it  pursued  the  rebel  army  up  the  Shenandoah ;    en- 


S70  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

gaged  at  Snicker's  Gap,  Phillemont,  Union,  Upperville,  Barber's  Cross-roads 
and  Amosville,  and  picketed  along  the  Rappahannock,  until  after  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg,  when  the  regiment  went  into  winter  quarters  until  April,  1863. 
In  the  figlft  at  Chancellorsville,  in  June,  a  prominent  part  was  taken,  and  heavy 
loss  sustained.  At  Beverly  Ford,  while  leading  the  column,  Col.  Davis  was 
killed  by  a  secreted  rebel,  who  in  turn  was  killed  by  saber  stroke  at  the  hand 
of  Adjutant  Parsons.  At  Lee's  invasion  of  Pennsylvania  the  Eighth  were  on 
the  alert  and  moved  on  toward  Gettysburg,  where  they  fired  the  first  gun,  and 
by  their  courage  in  charging  the  enemy  gave  protection  to  the  infantry,  fight- 
ing not  only  on  horse,  but  dismounted.  In  September  the  squadrons  of  the 
Eighth  advanced  with  Buford's  division  on  Culpeper.  One  squadron,  in  cap- 
turing a  battery,  was  surrounded  by  the  noted  Hampton  Legion,  a  furious 
hand-to-hand  fight  following,  when,  under  a  shower  of  balls,  the  troopers  dashed 
through  the  enemy.  After  a  number  of  engagements  in  the  fall  of  1863,  the 
regiment  encamped  at  Culpeper  Court- House  for  the  winter. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  the  Eighth  could  report  but  600  men  for  duty.  Two 
hundred  returned  on  furlough  as  re-enlisted  veterans;  300  were  killed  or 
wounded.  Besides  their  colonel,  Captains  Foote,  Cutlef,  Efner  and  Follett,  and 
Lieutenants  Reeves  and  Smith  were  killed,  and  Major  Pope  held  as  prisoner. 
The  regiment  had  been  in  thirty-three  actions.  Later  they  participated  in 
Sheridan's  raid  toward  Richmond;  as  well  as  Wilson's  raid  out  from  Peters- 
burg. During  this  famous  cavalry  expedition,  after  days  and  nights  of  constant 
fighting  and  marching,  they  were  finally  surrounded,  but  the  Eighth  made  good 
their  escape,  losing  five  officers  and  thirty-five  men  captured.  They  took  a 
prominent  part  with  Sheridan  in  his  memorable  fight  at  Winchester,  and  for 
their  gallantry  received,  with  the  rest  of  his  division,  congratulations  from  Gen. 
Custer.  Among  the  tokens  of  this  victory  were  five  battle-flags.  A  number 
of  prisoners,  including  a  major-general,  with  fifty  pieces  of  artillery,  were  cap- 
tured within  ten  days.  The  Eighth  wintered  at  Winchester,  and  the  records  of 
1864  were  finished  by  a  close  fight  on  the  last  day,  when  a  great  number  were 
wounded.  In  1865  the  regiment,  in  command  of  Major  Compson,  charged  . 
upon  the  entrenchments  of  Gen.  Early  at  Waynesboro',  capturing  them  in  the 
face  of  rebel  cannon,  with  ten  battle-flags,  six  guns  and  caissons  and  1,300 
prisoners.  Early  just  escaped,  his  horse  being  shot  by  Major  Compson,  who, 
for  this,  was  honored  as  the  bearer  of  dispatches  to  the  secretary  of  war  ;  carry- 
ing, also,  seventeen  battle-flags,  of  which  ten  were  taken  by  the  Eighth.  Prior 
to  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  in  April,  they  were  on  active  duty,  receiv- 
ing the  flag  of  truce  on  the  9th.  They  took  part  in  the  grand  review  in 
Washington  on  May  22d,  and  reached  Rochester  on  June  28th,  in  command  of 
Col.  Pope.  The  actions  inscribed  upon  their  battle-flag  numbered  over  sixty, 
in  which  they  lost  one  colonel,  eleven  captains,  two  lieutenants  and  a  color- 
bearer.      They  were  disbanded  in  July.     Col.    Markell  succeeded   Col.    Davis, 


The  War  Record.  571 


and  commanded  at  Gettysburg  and  until  August  following,  when  Col.  Ben- 
jamin assumed  command  and  held  it  till  1865.  Cols.  Pope  and  Benjamin  were 
breveted  brigadiers. 

The  Twenty-First  Cavalry.  —  Four  companies  —  G,  Captain  John  S.  Jen- 
nings ;  L,  Captain  Wm.  Godley ;  M,  Captain  David  A.  Signor,  and  H,  Captain 
J.  S.  Graham  —  were  from  Rochester.  The  regiment  was  mustered  into  the 
service  during  the  fall  of  1863.  Col.  W.  B.  Tibbitts,  of  Troy,  Lieut- Col.  Chas. 
FitzSimons  of  Rochester  and  Majors  C.  G.  Otis  and  G.  V.  Boutelle  were  the 
original  field  officers.  The  regiment  was  in  a  fight  at  Moorfield,  West  Va. ;  in 
the  battle  of  New  Market,  Va. ;  with  Hunter  in  his  raid  under  Sigel,  when 
Early  swept  down  the  valley  and  threateiied  Washington  in  1864,  hanging  on 
his  flanks  and  rear  at  Frederick  City,  Md.,  and  in  Loudon  county,  Va.,  when 
the  regiment  cut  out  and  captured  fifty-two  wagons  from  Early's  train  and 
burned  many  more.  A  few  days  later  the  regiment  charged  across  the  Shen- 
andoah river  at  Ashby's  Ford,  in  the  face  of  rebel  infantry  and  artillery,  suffer- 
ing a  heavy  loss.  Lieut-Col.  FitzSimons  was  wounded.  July  24th,  1864,  at 
Kernstown  and  Winchester,  Va.,  the  regiment  was  sharply  engaged  for  two 
days,  the  last  day  covering  a  retreat  of  our  infantry  and  artillery,  bringing  off" 
two  guns  which  had  been  abandoned  by  our  troops.  Hard  fighting  and  march- 
ing had  nearly  dismounted  the  regiment  and  it  was  sent  to  Cumberland,  Md., 
to  remount  and  refit.  In  November,  1864,  it  was  again  in  the  valley.  While 
enjoying  Thanksgiving  dinner,  Mosby  attempted  a  surprise  but  was  quickly  re- 
pulsed. In  December,  1864,  the  regiment  held  the  advance  in  a  raid  of  2,500 
cavalry  toward  Gordonsville,  and  again  in  February,  .1865,  in  a  heavy  recon- 
noissance  under  Merritt,  up  the  valley.  It  was  left  in  the  valley  when  Sheridan 
moved  on  Richmond,  and  after  Lee's  surrender  was  sent  to  Washington  and 
from  there  to  Colorado,  when  it  was  mustered  out  in  detachments.  The  fol- 
lowing officers  were  from  Rochester  or  the  immediate  vicinity:  Lieut-Col. 
FitzSimons,  Major  John  S.  Jennings;  Captains  W.  M.  Godley,  David  A.  Sig- 
nor, J.  S.  Graham;  First  Lieutenants  W.  H.  Joslyn,  N.  H.  Meldrum,  E.  B.  Col- 
lins, Wm.  E.  Hoyt;  Second  Lieutenant  S.  H.  Draper.  Band-master  Alex. 
Scott  and  nearly  all  the  regimental  band  (said  to  have  been  the  best  in  Sher- 
idan's command)  were  from  Rochester.  Many  of  the  men  of  the  four  Roches- 
ter companies  were  veterans  who  had  served  in  the  Thirteenth,  Twenty-sixth, 
Twenty-seventh  and  other  two-years'  regiments. 

The  Tiventy-secmid  Cavalry. —  A  number  of  companies  in  this  regiment 
were  raised  in  Rochester,  being  mustered  in  in  February,  1864.  While  in  the 
service  it  was  brigaded  with  the  Eighth  cavalry,  in  Custer's  famous  third  divis- 
ion, participating  in  all  of  their  brilliant  achievements.  Its  first  colonel  was 
Samuel  J.  Crooks,  but  the  most  of  its  fighting  was  done  under  Major  Caleb 
Moore,  detailed  from  the  Eighth  cavalry,  and  the  following  Rochester  men  served 
as  officers :  James  H.  Nellis,   A.  K.  Tower,  Jacob  Fisher,  Frank  A.,  Callister, 

37 


572  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Michael  McMullen,  R.  E.  Ellerbeck,  Charles  C.  Brown,  John  Wrenn,  George 
Sperry,  .Isidore  E.  Prevost,  Chris.  C.  Bruton,  James  W.  Weeks,  Henry  P.  Starr, 
Patrick  R.  Glerman,  Clark  S.  Nellis. 

Battery  L,  First  N.  Y.  Light  Artillery,  or  Reynolds's  Battery.  —  At  the  or- 
ganisation of  the  Old  Thirteenth,  in  April,  1861,  the  Rochester  Union  Grays, 
an  artillery  company  attached  to  the  Fifty-fourth  regiment,  volunteered  as  a  bat- 
tery of  artillery.  Their  services,  however,  were  declined.  Three  months  later, 
Guilford  D.  Bailey,  then  a  lieutenant  in  the  regular  army,  was  authorised  to 
raise  a  regiment  of  light  artillery,  to  consist  of  eight  batteries.  He  wrote  to 
John  A.  Reynolds,  then  captain  of  the  Union  Grays,  asking  him  to  raise  a  com- 
pany for  this  regiment.  Recruiting  was  commenced  early  in  September,  Cap- 
tain Reynolds,  Lieuts.  E.  A.  Loder  and  G.  H.  Reynolds  with  eight  men,  mem- 
bers of  the  Grays,  forming  the  nucleus;  the  list  filled  rapidly  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  September  the  company  left  for  Elmira,  whence  they  were  sent  to  Al- 
bany and  forward  to  Washington.  On  Capitol  Hill  they  joined  the  regiment 
.  under  Col.  Bailey  and  received  the  designation  of  Battery  L.  The  battery  was 
here  furnished  with  six  three- inch  rifled  regulation,  or  Rodman  guns.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1862,  it  was  ordered  to  Baltimore,  where,  on  Sunday,  May  2Sth,  it  was 
ordered  to  the  front.  Banks  had  been  repulsed  and  driven  back  to  Harper's 
Ferry.  That  place  was  reached  the  next  day,  when  the  battery  crossed  the 
river  and  moved  to  Bolivar  heights.  It  was  soon  after  assigned  to  Cooper's 
brigade  of  Sigel's  division,  and  marched  to  Front  Royal,  where  it  was  assigned 
to  King's  division  of  McDowell's  corps.  On  August  21st,  1862,  orders  came 
to  take  a  position  in  which  one  of  the  Union  batteries  had  been  disabled;  here  its 
first  real  engagement  with  the  enemy  opened.  At  White  Sulphur  Springs,  which 
followed,  a  sharp  artillery  duel  occurred.  Then  followed  Gainesville,  a  sharp, 
bloody  battle,  lasting  till  long  after  dark.  Next  came  "second  Bull  Run," 
where  position  was  taken  after  dark.  The  next  day  the  infantry  moved  off  to 
the  right,  leaving  the  battery  in  position,  with  Weed's  regular  battery  on  its 
.right;  and  a  volunteer  battery  on  its  left.  Soon  after,  the  enemy  opened  with 
artillery,  to  which  the  three  batteries  replied ;  the  infantry  near  them,  suffer- 
ing severely  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  with  no  opportunity  to  return  the  fire, 
withdrew  to  be  out  of  range.  Soon  after  the  other  two  batteries  withdrew, 
leaving  Battery  L  alone  and  unsupported.  A  general  officer  ordered  Captain 
Reynolds  to  hold  the  position  and  keep  the  enemy  back  in  front.  He  sent  one 
of  the  batteries  back,  and  gave  also  infantry  support,  but  neither  remained  long. 
Soon  the  rebels  charged  over  a  field,  completely  through  two  of  our  batteries, 
leaving  the  guns  still  in  position  in  their  rear,  the  drivers  having  escaped  with 
the  limbers.  Being  so  hotly  engaged.  Captain  Reynolds  did  not  realise  his  po- 
sition, with  all  support  withdrawn,  until  he  was  notified  that  the  enemy's  skir- 
mishers were  working  in  on  his  flank  and  rear,  and  had  already  shot  down  some 
of  the   horses.      Hurriedly  the  caissons  were  ordered   back  out  of  range;  the 


The  War  Record.  573 


pieces  limbered  up  and  withdrawn  a  short  distance,  talting  position  just  in  time 
to  repel  with  canister  a  charge  of  the  rebel  infantry  intended  for  their  capture, 
the  lieutenants  dismounting  and  assisting  to  work  the  guns.  This  repulse  of 
the  enemy  was  a  gallant  achievement,  of  which  both  officers  and  men  were  justly 
proud,  greeting  the  rebels  with  cheers  as  they  withdrew  beyond  range.  The 
battery  held  this  position  till  nearly  sunset,  when  ordered  quietly  to  withdraw 
and  join  its  command.  Captain  Reynolds  had  been  left  all  day,  to  rely  solely 
upon  his  own  judgment,  except  as  two  general  officers  happened  to  come  that 
way,  and  give  such  orders  as  the  movement  called  for.  The  battery  joined  its 
brigade  the  next  day  at  Centerville;  then  back  to  Washington,  having  been 
three  weeks  without  baggage- wagons,  tents,  or  change  of  clothing;  fighting  or 
marching  every  day,  with  no  shelter  in  stormy  weather  but  to  crawl  under  the 
gun  pawlins  —  a  hard  campaign  for  the  men,  but  a  harder  one  for  the  horses, 
who  were  frequently  in  harness  for  days  at  a  time,  with  scanty  or  no  forage. 
Then  followed  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  After  a  long  halt  near  Sharps- 
burg  the  battery  again  crossed  the  Potomac,  into  Virginia.  Then  came  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg.  The  famous  "  mud  march  "  followed.  The  bottom  had 
completely  dropped  out  of  the  whole  country;  the  wheels  could  go  no  deeper 
on  account  of  the  axles,  and  the  depth  to  which  a  horse  would  sink  was  meas- 
ured by  the  length  of  his  legs.  Progress  was  impossible,  and  they  returned  to 
camp  for  winter  quarters  at  Waugh's  Point.' 

Their  campaign  in  1 863  opened  with  a  fierce  artillery  duel  below  Fred- 
ericksburg. Then  came  the  march  to  Chancellorsville,  halting  in  rear  of  the 
battle-field,  to  protect  the  crossing  on  the  withdrawal  of  the  army  across  the 
river  during  the  night.  Next  morning  Battery  L  returned  to  its  old  quarters  at 
Waugh's  Point.  As  an  illustration  of  this  march,  read  the  following:  Some 
one  discovered  a  pair  of  ears  projecting  slightly  above  the  surface  of  the  muddy 
road;  nothing  more  was  visible.  Operations  were  begun;  soon  a  head,  and 
finally  the  whole  body  of  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  mules  in  harness  was  exhumed. 
By  the  united  efforts  of  a  dozen  men,  he  was  lifted  to  his  feet,  supported  long 
enough  to  get  his  blood  in  circulation,  and  gradually  acquiring  the  use  of  his 
limbs  was  triumphantly  taken  to  camp.  Early  in  May,  1863,  Captain  John 
A.  Reynolds  was  promoted  major  and  left  the  battery.  He  was  twice  brevetted 
for  meritorious  service,  became  assistant  chief  of  artillery  of  the  first  corps  at 
Gettysburg,  and  afterward  chief  of  artillery  of  the  twelfth  corps,  going  with 
that  command  to  reinforce  General  Thomas  after  the  battle  of  Chickamauga. 
At  the  opening  of  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain  he  was,  by  General  Hooker, 
appointed  his  chief  of  artillery,  remaining  with  him  till  relieved,  and  afterward 
accompanying  Gen.  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea,  and  subsequently  through 
the  Carolinas  as  chief  of  artillery  of  the  army  of  Georgia.  Lieut.  G.  H.  Rey- 
nolds was  commissioned  captain,  and  assumed  command  of  Battery  L. 

Preliminary  to  the   battle  of  Gettysburg,  the  battery,  being  attached  to 


574  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

General  Wadsworth's  division  of  the  first  corps,  reached  Gettysburg  among  the 
earliest  of  the  Union  forces.  In  the  fight  of  July  1st,  when  the  enemy  attacked 
and  took  the  place,  the  battery  fell  back  with  the  army,  though  repeatedly  re- 
pulsing the  furious  charges  of  the  foe.  •  Captain  G.  H,  Reynolds  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner,  but  was  recaptured  by  our  forces,  not  having  been  paroled. 
In  the  meantime  Lieut.  Breck  commanded  the  battery.  It  was  here  that  it 
suffered  the  first  and  only  loss  of  a  gun.  Lieut.  H.  F.  Wilbcr  was  failing  back 
with  a  section,  when  a  terrific  volley  of  musketry  from  the  enemy  killed  all  the 
horses  attached  to  the  piece,  as  well  as  the  horse  he  was  riding.  The  enemy 
were  almost  within  bayonet  thrust,  and  the  gun  had  to  be  abandoned.  During 
the  remainder  of  the  battle,  extending  until  the  4th  of  July,  the  battery  held 
position  on  the  right  slope  of  Cemetery,  hill,  closely  engaged  with  both  infantry 
and  artillery  which  nearly  encircled  it  with  terrific  fire.  As  to  the  loss  of  the 
piece  Gen.  Hunt  said:  "Artillery  can  sometimes  be  lost  with  honor,"  adding, 
"so  it  was  with  you  on  that  disastrous  day.''  It  is  proper  here  to  add  that 
this  identical  piece  was  recaptured  and  restored  to  the  battery  and  has  been 
donated  by  the  war  department  to  the  battery  organisation  which  is  still  kept 
up,  and  this  gun  has  for  a  number  of  years  had  a  place  in  line  on  Memorial 
day  and  other  parades.  In  November  a  winter  campaign  was  attempted, 
leading  to  a  sharp  engagement  by  Battery  L,  with  other  artillery,  at  Mine 
Run.  At  the  Wilderness,  Reynolds's  battery  was  present,  but  not  engaged. 
On  May  7th  lit  moved  with  Griffin's  division,  fifth  corps,  in  advance  toward 
Spottsylvania,  aiding  to  repel  a  charge  of  the  enemy,  and  contending  with  a 
rebel  battery.  On  the  1 2th  it  was  hotly  engaged,  and  the  men  acquitted  them- 
selves with  honor.  On  May  23d  they  reached  the  North  Anna,  and  engaged 
a  body  of  infantry,  who  were  driving  the  Union  forces.  Among  the  troops 
thuk  driven  was  the  "  Iron  brigade,"  and  as  evidence  of  the  close  fight,  with 
the  assistance  of  L  and  other  batteries,  the  rebels  were  fully  met  and  driven 
back  in  turn.  In  the  several  actions  following,  the  battery  participated,  and 
on  August  2 1st  assisted  in  sustaining  the  position  of  the  Union  troops  at  the 
Weldon  railroad.  It  was  afterward  assigned  to  the  ninth  corps,  and  stationed 
at  various  points  before  Petersburg, and,  when  the  place  was  taken,  was  placed 
in  the  artillery  reserve.  With  137  men  it  reached  Rochester,  having  been 
mustered  out  June  17th,  1865.  On  returning,  the  following  were  the  officers: 
George  Breck,  captain  and  brevet  major;  Wm.  H.  Sheldon,  D.  M.  Perrine, 
Frederick  Dietz  and  E.  O.  Kinne,  lieutenants. 

The  Fourteenth  Heavy  Artillery. — This  was  formed  at  Rochester,  and 
comprised  many  veterans  of  the  Old  Thirteenth.  It  was  raised  in  detach- 
ments. Col.  E.  G.  Marshall  had  been  ordered  to  raise  a  regiment  of  heavy 
artillery.  At  the  time  of  the  New  York  riots,  in  July  1 863,  out  of  300  men,  en- 
listed and  in  camp,  about  200  were  hastily  dispatched  to  New  York  to  re- 
store order.     By  the  first  of  September,  Henry   R.   Randall   had  enlisted  150 


The  War  Record.  575 


more.  Two  other  companies  went  on  to  New  York  in  December  of  that 
year.  Its  officers  were,  besides  Col.  Manshall,  Lieut. -Col.  Clarence  A.  Corn- 
ing, Major  Wm.  H.  Reynolds,  Adjutant  Job  C.  Hedges.  They  crossed  the 
Rapidan  in  May,  1864,  their  first  action  occurring  at  Spottsylvania.  In  the 
charge  upon  the  works  at  Petersburg,  the  Fourteenth  was  placed  in  line,  sec- 
ond to  the  first  brigade,  which  led  the  division.  The  men  were  ordered  to  fix 
bayonets  and  take  the  breastworks.  In  the  face  of  a  cutting  fire,  which  scat- 
tered the  first  line,  they  marched  over  them,  advanced,  and  scaled  the  fortifi-' 
cations,  capturing  a  general,  300  prisoners  and  a  battle-flag.  They  held  the 
works  two  hours,  when,  the  enemy  being  reinforced  and  their  own  ammuni- 
tion failing,  they  were  forced  to  leave  the  stand  they  had  so  nobly  gained. 
Here  Col.  Marshall  was  wounded  and  Major  Hedges  was  killed  at  the  head  of 
his  battalion.  He  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  P.  Cleary.  Of  the  930  men  who 
entered  the  action,  only  649  came  out.  When  the  works  were  subsequently 
retaken,  they  were  honored  with  a  position  in  the  front  line.  Other  memor- 
able actions  were  at  Cold  Harbor,  Weldon  railroad.  Poplar  Spring  Church  and 
Hatcher's  Run. 

Mack's  Battery,  or  the  Eighteenth  Light  Artillery.  — This  was  first  re- 
cruited as  a  part  of  the  io8th  infantry,  but  was  subsequently  organised  as  an 
independent  battery,  never  being  attached  to  any  artillery  regiment.  It  was 
mustered  into  the  service  September  13th,  1862,  and  left  Rochester  November 
1 8th.  The  officers  on  leaving  were  :  Captain,  Albert  G.  Mack  ;  first  lieuten- 
ants, George  H.  Mumford  and  George  S.  Curtiss ;  second  lieutenant,  George  P. 
Davis.  Franklin  V.  Van  Dake  was  promoted  first  lieutenant,  Stalham  L.  Wil- 
liams, A.  B.  McConnell  and  D.  W.  McConnell  were  made  second  lieutenants. 
The  battery  was  armed  with  six  twenty-pound  Parrott  giins.  It  served  in  the 
department  of  the  Gulf,  joining  Banks's  expedition,  which  sailed  from  New  York 
December  2d,  1862.  After  a  stormy  passage  on  the  steamer  Illinois,  they 
reached  New  Orleans  on  the  13th.  In  February  they  were  sent  to  Baton 
Rouge,  joining  in  the  feint  upon  Port  Hudson  in  March,  1863,  to  enable  Ad- 
miral Farragut  to  run  his  flag-ship,  the  Hartford,  with  the  Albatross,  into  the 
upper  Mississippi.  Early  in  April  they  joined  Banks's  expedition  through 
Western  Louisiana.  Their  first  fight  was  at  Bisland  on  the  12th  and  13th 
of  April.  In  his  report  of  this  battle,  Gen.  Arnold,  Banks's  chief  of  artillery, 
says  : 

"  The  Eighteenth  New  York  battery  under  Captain  Mack,  was  first  posted  in  the 
right  center,  but  subse(iuently  removed  to  the  front,  and  attached  to  Payne's  brigade 
at  the  request  of  Gen.  Emory.  In  this  last  position  it  performed  most  admirable  serv- 
ice, and  delivered  its  fire  with  astonishing  accuracy  and  effect,  under  a  galling  and  cross 
fire  from  the  enemy,  silencing  the  battery  in  its  front  in  a  very  short  time.  Too  much 
praise  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  this  command  in  its  first  engagement." 

The  battery  was  with  the  expedition  through  its  entire  march  of  between 
400  and  500   miles.     It  was  not  again  engaged  until  the  investment  of  Port 


576  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Hudson,  May  24th,  1863.  Here  it  rendered  efficient  service  during  the  siege 
and  until  the  surrender  of  tliis  rebel  stronghold  on  the  8th  of  July.  The  right 
section  of  the  battery  was  next  engaged  at  Comite  Bridge,  May  3d,  1864.  It 
was  assigned  to  garrison  duty  at  different  points,  until  the  early  spring  of  1865, 
when  it  left  for  Mobile  bay  and  assisted  in  the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort,  which 
fell  April  8th,  and  the  next  day  it  joined  In  the  assault  on  Fort  Blakely,  which 
was  taken  that  night.  The  battery  was  next  taken  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and 
finally  returned  to  New  York  on  the  Illinois,  the  same  vfessel  in  which  it  had 
sailed,  under  sealed  orders,  two  and  a  half  years  before.  The  battery  was  mus- 
tered out  July  20th,  1865. 

In  addition  to  the  organisations  described  above,  portions  of  other  regi- 
ments were  raised  and  organised  here  —  such  as  the  Sixth,  Twenty- fourth, 
and  First  Veteran  cavalry,  the  Eleventh  battalion  of  artillery,  the  Twenty- 
sixth  battery,  the  Fiftieth  engineers,  and  the  Sixty-seventh,  Seventieth,  Sev- 
enty-eighth, Eighty-ninth,  Ninety-fourth,  104th  and  i88th  infantry  —  and 
many  Rochester  men  enlisted  and  served  as  officers  and  privates  in  regiments 
that  had  no  recruiting  station  in  this  city.  Their  names  cannot  be  set  forth 
here,  but  it  will  be  competent  to  give,  in  closing,  the  names  of  those  citizens 
who  during  the  conflict  attained  to  the  rank  of  general  officers.  They  were  : 
Isaac  F.  Quinby,  John  H.  Martindale,  Elisha  G.  Marshall,  Charles  J.  Powers, 
Harrison  S.  Fairchild. 

The  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  — This  is  composed  of  those  who  served 
in  the  army  or  navy  during  the  rebellion,  and  have  an  honorable  discharge 
therefrom.  Its  purposes  are  to  keep  alive  the  memories  of  those  days  and  to 
.  assist  needy  and  deserving  soldiers  and  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  who 
died.  The  organisation  was  started  in  Illinois,  in  1866.  The  first  post  in  this 
state  was  organised  in  our  city  soon  afterward,  and  was  named  after  the  gallant 
Col.  O'Rorke,  who  was  killed  at  Gettysburg.  After  several  years  the  second 
post  here  (number  106)  was  organised,  composed  exclusively  of  Germans, 
adopting  the  name  of  a  worthy  German  soldier,  Col.  Peissner.  In  1875  was 
organised  another  post  (taking  number  4,  which  had  been  surrendered),  which 
adopted  the  name  of  that  noble  old  hero.  Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas.  Within  the 
past  year  two  new  posts  have-  been  organised  —  the  C.  J.  Powers  post  (391) 
and  the  E.  G.  Marshall  post  (397),  taking  the  names  of  two  gallant  soldiers  of 
our  city.  The  five  posts  now  number  500  men,  each  of  whom  has  a  proud 
and  honorable  record.  There  are  about  500  posts  of  the  Grand  Army  in  the 
state,  with  a  membership  of  30,000;  that  throughout  the  United  States  is 
about  250,000. 

The  First  Veteran  Brigade.  —  This  is  composed  of  the  five  Grand  Army 
posts,  together  with  the  veteran  regimental  and  company  organisations  of  the 
Thirteenth,  io8th  and  140th  regiments,  the  Third  and  Eighth  cavalry.  Battery 
L  First  New  York  hght  artillery,  and  Eighteenth  Independent  battery.     The 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  577 

brigade  was  organised  in  January,  1879,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  all  the 
above  organisations  in  the  proper  commemoration  of  Memorial  day.  The 
brigade  commander  is  elected  in  January,  appoints  his  staff  and  holds  the  po- 
sition for  one  year.  At  the  organisation  Gen.  J.  A.  Reynolds  was  elected  com- 
mander, and  reelected  the  ensuing  year.  Col,  H.  S.  Greenleaf  was  elected  in  1882 
and  reelected  in  1883.  Gen.  John  McMahon,  elected  in  1884,  is  now  in  com- 
mand of  the  brigade. 


CHAPTER  LII. 

THE  ROCHESTER  WATER  WORKS.i 

The  Necessity  of  a  Water  Supply  for  the  City  —  Early  Plans  for  Furnishing  it  —  The  Company  of 
1852  —  Its  Failure  and  the  Report  of  the  Expert  —  Works  Finally  Constructed  by  the  City  — Full 
Account  of  their  Operation  —  Tests  Made  in  1874  —  A  Remarkable  Exhibition  —  Sources  of  a  Water 
.Supply  —  The  Lakes  and  the  Reservoirs — The  Molly  Works,  the  Pump  House  and  the  Machinery  — 
The  Telephone  to  Hemlock  I^ake  —  Total  Cost  of  the  Work  —  Analysis  of  the  Water. 

ONE  of  the  earliest  experiences  of  all  civilised  communities  is  the  need  of 
a  convenient  and  abundant  water  supply  for  use  in  the  protection  of  houses 
and  manufactories  from  destruction  by  fire.  The  need  of  a  supply  of  water 
for  domestic  uses  usually  makes  itself  felt  at  a  later  period,  when  the  population 
becomes  compact  and  the  soil  saturated  with  foul  matters  of  nameless  varieties 
and  constituents,  so'  that  the  watercourses  beneath  the  surface  become  the  car- 
riers of  what  may  be  fairly  termed  diluted  sewage  to  the  springs  and  wells 
of  the  town.  The  adjacent  streams,  if  any,  also,  from  kindred  causes,  cease  to 
be  fit  for  domestic  uses. 

The  necessity  for  a, supply  of  water  for  use  in  the  suppression  of  fires  was 
appreciated  at  an  early  date  in  the  history  of  Rochester  and  long  before  it  took 
on  its  corporate  existence  as  a  city.  Up  to  the  close  of  the  year  1824,  which 
marked  the  completion  of  the  Erie  canal,  when  the  population  of  Rochester 
was  about  5,000,  the  water  for  this  purpose  was  obtained  principally  from  wells 
and  from  the  Genesee  river.  The  Erie  canal,  from  the  date  of  its  completion 
until  the  introduction  of  the  city's  present  water  supply,  remained  an  important 
factor  in  the  problem  of  furnishing  a  supply  of  water  for  protection  from  fires. 
During  the  season  of  navigation  the  water  was  obtainable  without  expense, 
and  in  the  winter  it  was  retained  for  the  purpose,  by  the  yearly  construction 
of  dams  in  its  channel,  and  at  a  later  date  the  water  was  conducted  in  iron 
pipes  at  considerable  expense  to  artificial  reservoirs  beneath  the  surface  of  the 

1  Tliis  article  w.is  prepared  1)y  Mr.  Nelson  J.  Tubbs,  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  water  works 
and  under  whose  supervision  they  were  constructed. 


578  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

various  streets,  located  at  points  convenient  for  use  in  cases  of  conflagration. 
At  an  early  period,  also,  the  subject  of  a  supply  of  pure  water  for  domestic 
uses  was  largely  agitated  and  discussed  by  the  citizens,  resulting  in  the  passage 
of  a  law  by  the  legislature  of  the  state,  designated  as  chapter  175,  laws  of  1835, 
and  entitled  "an  act  to  incorporate  the  Rochester  Water  Works  company." 
By  said  act,  the  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  fixed  at  $10,000,  divided 
into  four  hundred  shares  of  $25  each.  James  Seymour,  Isaac  Hills,  I.  R.  El- 
wood,  George  W.  Pratt  and  Charles  J.  Hill  were  designated  as  commissioners 
to  receive  subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock.  A  company  was  organised  under 
this  charter,  but  nothing  was  -accomplished  oy  it,  and  again,  in  1852,  another 
company  was  chartered  under  the  same  name,  which  expended,  as  it  was  au- 
thorised to  do,  the  avails  of  $800,000  in  bonds  and  the  same  amount  of  stock. 
The  condition  of  the  work  performed  by  this  company  is  fairly  set  forth  in  a 
report  made  to  the  stockholders  December  2d,  1871,  by  McRee  Swift,  a  civil 
engineer,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are  taken  :  — 

"I  went  to  that  city  (Rochester)  on  the  21st  of  November,  and  spent  three  days  on 
the  works,  examining  into  the  condition  of  the  .same,  to  enable  me  to  give  an  opinion  upon 
the  present  condition  and  value  to  any  party  desiring  to  complete  them.  The  general 
plan  of  the  works  is  a  good  one.  A  series  of  lake^,  Honeoye,  Canadice  and  Hemlock, 
388  feet  above,  and  about  thirty-three  miles  distant  from  Rochester,  furnish  reservoirs  of 
water,  excellent  in  quality  and  abundant  in  quantity.  These  lakes  are  supplied  by  springs 
and  the  rain-fall  of  a  large  district,  and  unite  in  discharging  their  waters  into  the  Hon- 
eoye outlet,  a  large  stream  which  empties  into  the  Genesee  river,  fourteen  miles  south  of 
Rochester.  The  water  is  diverted  from  this  stream  at  a  point  near  Smithtown,  sixteen 
and  one  fourth  miles  from  the  system  of  distributing  pipes  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of 
Rochester,  and  from  this  point  of  diversion  it  was  to  have  been  carried  to  Rochester  by 
wooden  conduit  twenty-four  inches  in  diameter.  An  ingenious  weir  is  constructed  at 
Hemlock  lake,  by  which  that  lake,  seven  miles  long  by  one  third  to  one  half  mile  wide, 
can  be  made  to  serve  as  a  reservoir  to  the  deptli  of  three  feet,  thereby  providing  for  all 
possible  contingencies  of  low  water  and  any  damage  that  could  ensue  to  the  mills  on  the 
stream,  by  reason  of  the  diversion  at  Smithtown.  The  works,  so  far  as  completed,  consist 
of:— 

"  First —  a  canal  eighteen  hundred  feet  long  by  twenty  feet  wide,  by  .seven  deep  at 
the  lake,  with  the  weir  partially  constructed,  as  above  referred  to. 

"Second  —  a  wooden  conduit  twenty-four  inches  in  diameter  by  sixteen  and  one 
fourth  miles. 

"Third  —  a  reservoir  about  two-thirds  completed  near  East  Henrietta.  This  reser- 
voir measures,  at  the  middle  of  the  embankment,  seven  hundred  by  eight  hundred  feet 
and  is  twenty-one  feet  deep,  and,  when  completed  and  filled  to  within  three  feet  of  top, 
will  contain  70,000,000  gallons,  a  supply  for  twenty  days  at  a  full  estimate  for  consump- 
tion. 

"  Fourth  —  a  small  distributing  reservoir  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  too  small  for 
purposes  of  a  reservoir,  and  which  when  completed  can  only  be  useful  to  relieve  the  head 
of  water  or  pressure  on  the  city  distribution  (not  essential),  or  to  screen  the  water,  should 
leaves  or  debris  be  brought  down  by  the  conduit. 

"  Fifth  —  seven  and  one  half  miles  of  cast  iron  distributing  pipe  in  the  city,  and  six 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  579 

miles  of  wrought  iron  (lined  with  and  laid  in  hydraulic  cement)  distributing  pipe,  all  with 
partial  appendages  of  gates,  hydrants,  etc. 

"  Sixth  —  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  near  the  lake,  with  mill  and  houses 
upon  it,  and  which  cost  $21,000,  upon  which  $10,500  is  paid. 

"  Seventh —  a  plat  of  fifty  acres  near  East  Henrietta,  upon  which  the  large  distrib- 
uting reservoir  is  located,  and  lasdy  the  right  of  way  across  private  property,  at  the 
upper  end  of  conduit  for  a  distance  of  about  four  and  one  half  miles. 

"  From  the  examination  I  was  enabled  to  make,  I  am  forced  to  conclude  that  the 
wooden  pipe  can  not  be  relied  upon.  I  do  not  think  you  should  calculate  to  use  more 
than  two  and  one  fourth  miles  of  it,  mostly  at  the  upper  end.  In  the  tests  made,  the 
difficulty  encountered  was  in  preventing  leakage  so  overwhelming  that  the  water  could 
not  be  forced  through  the  depressions  at  Sibley ville  in  sufficient  quantity,  to  overcome 
the  adjoining  elevations  at  Halleck's  hill.  In  some  cases  during  the  trial,  the  water  was 
forced  through  imperfections  in  the  staves  themselves,  such  as  knots  etc.,  and  some  of 
the  iron  bands  were  also  broken.  I  find  the  interior  slope  of  the  Henrietta  reservoir  to 
be  one  and  one  half  horizontal  to  one  vertical,  not  flat  enough  to  resist  the  action  of 
waves  which  may  be  looked  for  on  so  large  a  surface  of  water.  My  calculations  for  fin- 
ishing this  reservoir  involve  the  alterations  of  this  slope  to  a  slope  of  two  horizontal  to 
one  vertical." 

The  following  estimates  were  submitted  by  Mr.  Swift : 

Estimated  present  value  of  work  done  : — 

Canal  and  works  at  the  lake $     2,750 

Reservoirs  at  Henrietta  and  Mt.  Hope,  including  gate  chamber 53,ooo 

Seven  and  one  half  miles  cast  iron  pipe  laid  in  district. ' 75,456 

Six  miles  wrought  iron  and  cement    "      "     "         "   51,794 

Gates  and  hydrants  connected  with  above 2,978 

Hoppaugh  farm,  etc.,  near  the  lake,  less  $10,500  due  thereon 10,500 

Right  of  way  for  about  four  and  one  half  miles  of  conduit 2,S°o 

Two  and  one  fourth  miles  twenty-four  inch  wooden  conduit  laid ..       23,760 

Total $222,738 

Estimated  cost  of  completing  the  work  ready  for  use: — 

Amounts  due  on  Hoppaugh  property  at  that  lake $   10,500 

Mr.  Marsh's  estimate  at  the  lake -         1,200 

Thirty-seven  thousand  feet  of  wrought  iron  and  cement  pipe  twenty  inches 

diameter  between  inlet  and  reservoir 149,1 10 

Thirty-seven   thousand  feet  wrought  iron  and  cement  pipe  twenty-four  inches 

diameter  between  reservoir  and  city .: 1 93,880 

Completion  of  Henrietta  reservoir - 3'i35° 

Additional  hydrants  for  present  distribution 4,500 

Engineering,  superintendence  and  contingencies  in  construction  of  present  dis- 
tribution on  west  side  of  city _.       19,527 

Total - $410,067 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  after  a  corporate  existence  of  nineteen  and  one  half 
years,  and  the  issuing  of  $1,600,000  in  stock  and  bonds,  and  the  entering  into  the 
repeated  contracts  with  the  city  of  Rochester,  all  of  which  were  violated  by  the 
company,  the  report  of  an  expert  shows  that  all  of  the  work  performed  by  the 
company,  including  its  property  of  all  sorts,  has  a  substantial  value  of  less  than 


s8o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

$223,000,  and  that  to  introduce  water  into  the  city  with  twenty  miles  of  dis- 
tribution pipe  would  require  an  additional  expenditure  of  $410,000,  although 
said  expert  proposed  to  finish  the  construction  of  the  works  with  the  cheapest 
pipe  which  was  procurable,  and  which  experience  had  shown  would  hold  water 
under  ordinary  pressures,  and  the  water  to  be  taken  from  Honeoye  creek  near 
North  Bloomfield. 

The  bondholders  evidently  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  had  been  badly 
swindled,  and  proceedings  were  commenced  to  foreclose  the  mortgage  on  the 
water  works  property,  given  to  secure  payment  of  the  bonds.  It  appears  that 
the  sale  had  been  fully  consummated  early  m  1872,  as  on  the  28th  day  of  May, 
1872,  Thomas  B.  Rand  and  associates  presented  a  memorial  to  the  common 
council,  representing  that  they  had  become  the  owners  of  the  lands,  property, 
estate,  reservoirs,  pipes,  rights  of  land  and  water,  water  works,  fixtures  and  ap- 
purtenances and  the  rights  and  franchises  of  the  Rochester  Water  Works  com- 
pany. In  this  memorial  it  is  stated  that  they  have  become  satisfied  that  the 
wooden  conduit  pipe  laid  from  Smithtown  to  the  city  is  not  sufficient,  and  needs 
to  be  relaid  of  iron,  and  they  offered  to  thus  relay  said  conduit  during  the  year 
1872  and  also  to  construct  a  line  of  metallic,  brick  or  other  proper  conduit,  from 
Smithtown  to  Hemlock  lake,  and  complete  the  same  during  the  year  1873; 
also  to  lay  an  additional  amount  of  pipe  in  the  streets  in  1872  to  make  a  total 
of  thirty  miles,  and  enough  in  1873  to  amount  to  forty  miles  of  distribution  ;  to 
connect  hydrants  thereto  each  four  hundred  feet,  and  supply  water  to. them  and 
to  ten  public  fountains  and  to  all  public  buildings,  on  such  terms  as  might  be 
deemed  just  and  fair.  A  contract  was  finally  drawn  and  presented  to  the  com- 
mon council  for  ratification,  which  provided  that  the  compensation  to  be  paid 
to  the  city  for  such  use  of  water  should  be  $70,000  per  annum  for  four  hundred 
hydrants  and  $100  per  annum  for  each  fire  hydrant  exceeding  that  number. 
It  is  believed  that  this  contract  would  have  been  duly  executed,  had  not  the 
board  of  water  commissioners,  then  recently  appointed,  procured  the  service  of 
an  injunction  on  the  common  council  preventing  such  action.  This  last  pro- 
posed contract  met  with  great  favor  with  the  then  common  council  and  witli 
many  citizens,  and  was  also  strongly  advocated  by  at  least  one  of  the  daily 
newspapers.  It  is  perhaps  sufficient  comment  on  the  propriety  of  the  proposed 
action  to  say  that  the  number  of  fire  hydrants  now  (April,  1884)  in  use  in  the 
city  is  1,220,  and  that  with  the  same  number  set  by  the  company  under  the  said 
contract  the  city  would  now  be  paying  a  yearly  rental  for  the  same  of  $152,- 
000,  and  that  for  inferior  hydrants  connected  with  inferior  pipes  and  works  gen- 
erally. 

Thomas  B.  Rand  and  associates,  soon  after  their  purchase  of  the  assets  of 
the  old  company,  organised  a  new  company  under  the  title  of  the  Rochester 
Water  company.  The  new  company,  finding  that  the  newly  appointed  water 
commissioners  were  making  vigorous  efforts  for  furnishing  a  supply  of  water 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  581 

to  the  city  from  Hemlock  lake,  on  an  entirely  different  plan  and  by  a  different 
route  from  that  proposed  by  the  company,  and  that,  if  successful,  no  part  of  the 
property  owned  by  it  would  be  necessary  to  the  city,  with  the  exception  of  the 
right  of  way  over  the  Hoppaugh  mill  property  at  Hemlock  village,  thencefor- 
ward made  strenuous  attempts  to  dispose  of  its  property  to  the  said  commission- 
ers at  prices  ranging  from  $250,000  to  $90,000,  and,  failing  in  this,  used  every 
means  to  embarrass  the  operations  of  the  commissioners,  by  litigation  and  other- 
wise, until  the  period  arrived  when  success  had  crowned  the  efforts  of  the  water 
commissioners  in  introducing  water  into  the  city.  Finally,  on  the  1 8th  of  Au- 
gust, 1882,  the  city  made  a  purchase  of  all  the  property  of  the  Rochester  Water 
company  which  \yas  regarded  as  of  any  account,  for  the  sum  of  $26,000,  a  sad 
falling  off  in  value  even  from  the  $223,000  estimated  by  McRee  Swift  in  1871. 

The  writer  has  no  desire  to  criticise  the  motives  of  the  managers  of  the 
Rochester  Water  Works  company,  previous  to  the  time  when  the  control ,  and 
management  of  its  affairs  went  into  the  hands  of  Alexander  Easton.  During 
this  person's  administration,  it  may  be  safely  asserted,  the  Rochester  Water 
Works  company  was  in  the  hands  of  a  Philistine.  The  wooden  conduit  pipe 
laid  by  him  was  so  notoriously  unfit  for  the  purpose  that  it  was  a  common  re- 
mark among  the  farmers,  as  they  saw  it  manipulated,  that  it  would  not  hold 
"white  beans,"  much  less  convey  water  under  heavy  pressure.  The  cast  iron 
pipes  laid  in  the  streets  of  the  city  were  largely  gas  pipes  and  cuUings  from  the 
yards  of  the  pipe  manufacturers,  and  the  wrought  iron,  cement-coated  pipes  were 
of  poor  quality  and  careless  workmanship,  as  proven  wherever  they  have  since 
been  exposed  to  give  room  for  other  improvements.  The  hydrants  and  gates 
used  were  the  crudest  and  cheapest  to  be  procured,  and  the  source  from 
which  the  water  was  proposed  to  be  taken  was  very  objectionable.  The  effort 
of  Mr.  Easton  seemed  to  be  to  make  such  a  showing  of  work  as  would  enable 
him  to  find  sale  for  his  bonds  and  to  entangle  the  city  into  making  such  ad- 
vances as  would  compel  it  to  complete  the  works  and  enable  him  to  step  out 
with  large  gains.  While  it  is  usually  very  detrimental  to  the  best  interests 
of  a  city  to  remain  until  it  has  reached  a  population  of  70,000  Avithout  an 
abundant  supply  of  wholesome  water,  yet,  to  use  a  homely  phrase,  it  was  the 
result  more  of  "luck  than  good  management"  that  the  city  did  not  have  in- 
flicted upon  it  a  system  of  water  works,  supplying  water  objectionable  in  quality 
and  inadequate  in  quantity  and  pressure,  and  at  prices  for  public  use,  which 
would  at  this  date  have  proved  more  burdensome  than  is  now  the  taxation  re- 
sulting from  the  construction  of  the  very  satisfactory  and  effective  system  in  use. 

Many  of  the  citizens  of  Rochester  had  by  this  time  become  convinced  that 
a  supply  of  water  would  not  be  obtained  by  a  private  company,  such  as  would 
be  pure  in  quality,  abundant  in  quantity  and  in  other  important  respects  satis- 
factory to  the  city.  Application  was  therefore  made  to  the  legislature  for  the 
passage  of  an  act  allowing  the  city  to  construct  a  system  of  water  works  at  its 


582  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

own  expense.  The  result  of  this  application  was  the  passage  of  chapter  387, 
laws  of  1872,  entitled  "an  act  to  supply  the  city  of  Rochester  with  pure  and 
wholesome  water."  By  this  act  the  mayor  was  directed  to  appoint  five  per- 
sons to  constitute  a  "board  of  water  commissioners,"  who  were  to  employ 
engineers  and  other  persons  to  assist  them  in  determining  upon  a  plan  for  the 
said  water  works  and  to  make  estimates  of  the  cost  thereof  These  plans  and 
estimates  were  to  be  submitted  to  the  mayor,  and,  if  approved  by  him,  the 
commissioners  were  to  proceed  with  the  work  of  construction,  and  were  author- 
ised to  borrow,  from  time  to  time,  on  the  credit  of  the  city,  an  amount  not 
exceeding  the  arhount  of  their  estimate,  to  pay  for  said  work.  Mayor  A.  Car- 
ter Wilder  appointed  as  such  commissioners  the  following  citizens :  Roswell 
Hart,  Edward  M.  Smith,  William  H.  Bowman,  Charles  C.  Morse  and  Oilman 
H.  Perkins.  Mr.  Hart  was  elected  permanent  president  of  the  commission  and 
retained  his  position  until  October,  1876,  when  it  expired  by  statute  limitation. 
Mr.  Smith  was  elected  temporary  treasurer  and  Mr.  Bowman  temporary  sec- 
retary. At  a  later  period  John  Williams,  city  treasurer,  became  the  treasurer 
of  the  commission  and  Colonel  Christopher  T.  Amsden  its  secretary.  Messrs. 
Perkins  and  Morse  were  reappointed  at  the  expiration  of  their  terms  and  re- 
mained members  of  the  board  until  said  board  ceased  to  exist,  as  above  stated. 
Mr.  Smith  soon  resigned  and  Phny  M.  Bromley  was  appointed  in  his  place. 
Mr.  Bromley  died  October  4th,  1874,  and  John  Bower  was  appointed  for  the 
balance  of  his  term,  which  expired  April  29th,  1876.  Maurice  H.  Merriman 
was  appointed  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Bower  and  served  until  October  of  the 
same  year.  Mr.  Bowman's  term  expired  April  29th,  1875,  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  James  C.  Cochrane. 

Soon  after  the  organisation  of  the  board,  at  a  meeting  held  May  7th,  1872, 
J.  Nelson  Tubbs  was  appointed  chief  engineer  and  Isaac  F.  Quinby  consulting 
engineer  for  the  commission.  Surveys  and  examinations  were  soon  com- 
menced, to  determine  the  best  and  most  feasible  source  of  supply  for  the  city. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  citizens  had  already  settled  in  their  own  minds,  as 
the  result  of  the  previous  examinations  and  public  discussions  resulting  from  the 
operations  of  the  water  works  company,  that  the  water  should  be  taken  from 
one  of  two  sources,  either  Lake  Ontario  or  Hemlock  lake,  with  a  large  prepon- 
derance of  intelligent  opinion  in  favor  of  the  latter.  There  was  another,  al- 
though not  numerous  class,  consisting  of  a  few  wealthy  and  therefore  influential 
real  estate  owners,  who  deprecated  the  large  taxation  which  would  result  from 
the  adoption  of  either  of  these  sources  of  supply,  and  who  themselves  felt  the 
need  of  a  water  supply  simply  for  fire  purposes,  who  advised  and  insisted  that 
the  water  should  be  taken  from  the  Genesee  river  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
rapids  dam.  This  class,  for  a  considerable  period,  very  much  embarrassed  the 
operations  of  the  commissioners,  by  consolidating  local  opposition,  by  attempts 
at  adverse  legislation  and  expressions  both  public  and  private,  questioning  the 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  583 

constitutional  soundness  of  the  laws  under  which  the  water  commissioners  acted 
and  therefore  of  the  financial  value  of  the  water  works  bonds. 

Various  legal  proceedings  against  the  board  of  commissioners  were  from 
time  to  time  commenced,  includjng  one  at  a  later  period  in  the  Supreme  court 
of  the  United  States,  which  were  intended  to  embarrass  and  if  possible  prevent 
the  progress  of  the  work.  Notwithstanding, all  obstacles,  the  commissioners 
had  so  far  progressed  with  their  examinations  that  on  the  15th  of  November, 
1872,  they  presented  a  report  to  the  mayor,  containing  a  detailed  statement  of 
their  plan,  as  required  by  law.  Said  report  contained  also  an  elaborate  report 
from  the  chief  engineer  in  relation  to  the  general  subject  of  water  works  con- 
struction and  also  a  special  discussion  of  the  necessary  requirements  for  a  sup- 
ply of  water  to  the  city  of  Rochester.  S.  A.  Lattimore,  professor  of  chemistry 
in  the  University  of  Rochester,  also  added  a  very  interesting  paper  on  the 
chemistry  of  water,  and  the  relative  merits  of  different  waters,  for  the  supply  of 
Rochester. 

The  plan  proposed  by  the  commissioners  may  be  summarised  as  follows: 
To  furnish  from  Hemlock  lake  a  supply  of  4,500,000  gallons  of  water  per  day 
through  an  iron  conduit,  or  one  of  iron  for  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  and 
the  balance  of  brick,  with  a  storage  reservoir  in  the  town  of  Rush  and  a  dis- 
tributing reservoir  on  the  Mt.  Hope  range  of  hills  near  the  city;  also,  to  furnish 
a  supply  of  water  from  the  Genesee  river  by  direct  pressure  on  the  Holly  direct 
pressure  plan,  for  the  furnishing  of  light  power  and  for  suppression  of  fires  in 
the  compactly  built  business  portions  of  the  city,  the  water  to  be  distributed 
through  forty  miles  of  cast  iron  pipes  in  the  streets  of  the  city.  The  estimated 
cost  of  the  combined  system  was  $2,184,000. 

The  mayor  promptly  approved  of  the  plan  proposed  by  the  water  commis- 
sioners, and  on  the  official  receipt  of  such  approval  they  immediately  directed 
the  chief  engineer  to  prepare  plans,  specifications  and  notices  for  a  public  letting 
of  the  whole  work.  Soon  thereafter  Emil  Kuichling,  who  had  just  completed 
an  engineering  course  of  study  in  the  Polytechnic  school  at  Carlsruhe,  in  Ger- 
many, was  appointed  principal  assistant  engineer,  a  position  which  he  has  re- 
tained to  this  date,  giving  evidence  during  the  whole  period  of  service  of  most 
excellent  training  and  a  remarkable  aptitude  for  his  profession  and  great  ability 
in  the  practical  working-out  of  the  ever- varying  problems  of  water  works  con- 
struction and  management.  On  the  I2th  day  of  April,  1873,  proposals  were 
received  for  the  construction  of  the  works  on  the  plan  proposed,  and  the  con- 
tract was  awarded  to  James  McDonald,  of  Willsborough  Falls,  Essex  county. 
A  contract  for  the  construction  and  setting  in  place  of  the  pumping  machinery 
in  connection  with  the  Holly  system  had  been  previously  executed  —  February 
27th,  1873  —  with  the  Holly  Manufacturing  company  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.  Geo. 
H.  Thompson  &  Co.  were  selected  to  erect  the  pump  house  and  the  machinery 
foundations  by  the  day's  work,  under  the  direction  of  the  engineer  department 


584  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  of  A.  J.  Warner,  the  architect  of  the  building.  A  plot  of  land  for  the  dis- 
tributing reservoir  was  purchased  of  Messrs.  Ellwanger  and  Barry  and  the  es- 
tate of  David  Stanley,  on  the  Mt.  Hope  range  of  hills  east  of  South  avenue, 
and  one  of  about  thirty  acres  in  the  town  of  Rush,  from  the  farms  of  Benjamin 
Titus  and  George  F.  Martin,  for  the  storage  reservoir.  Work  was  commenced 
on  the  first  of  these  reservoirs  about  July  ist,  and  on  the  second  about  June  ist, 
1873.  Special  drawings  for  new  and  improved  styles  of  hubs  and  specials  were 
prepared,  and  the  work  of  casting  the  same  was  commenced  by  Jesse  W.  Starr  & 
Sons,  at  Camden,  N.  J.;  R.,  D.  Wood  &  Co.,  at  Florence  and  Millsville,  N.  J.; 
McNeal  &  Son,  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and  the* Warren  foundry  at  Phillipsburgh, 
N.  J.     A  small  amount  was  also  cast  at  Bricksburgh,  N.  J. 

The  work  of  laying  the  mains  in  the  streets  was  commenced  early  in  the 
summer  of  1873,  and  continued  up  to  about  January  1st,  1874.  In  cases  where 
both  Holly  and  Hemlock  mains  were  laid  in  the  samestreet  they  were  laid  in 
the  same  trench,  the  Hemlock  on  a  bench  sufficiently  above  the  Holly  to  allow 
the  branches  from  either  to  pass  over  or  under  as  the  case  might  be.  Fre- 
quent connections  were  made  between  these  two  systems  of  pipes,  by  the 
use  of  branches,  curves  and  gates,  .so  that  the  two  systems  might  at  will  be 
thrown  into  one.  The  Holly  system  was  so  far  completed  that  on  and  after 
January  1st,  1874,  it  was  brought  into  use  for  the  extinguishment  of  fires,  all 
the  pipes  laid  in  each  system  being  kept  filled  with  water  under  pressure  from 
the  Holly  pipes. 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1874,  an  official  test  was  made  of  the  Holly  ma- 
chinery with  the  following  results :  The  hydrants  used  for  throwing  fire  streams 
were  located  on.  East  and  West  Main  streets,  between  the  Erie  canal  and  North 
street.  The  first  test  consisted  in  throwing  fourteen  fire  streams  at  once,  alter- 
nately by  the  pumps  operated  by  water  power  and  by  steam,  the  change  from 
one  to  the  other  set  of  machinery  not  being  observable  by  those  watching  the 
streams.  The  height  of  these  streams,  determined  by  instrumental  observa- 
tions, varied  from  131  to  152  feet.  During  this  test  the  pressure  at  the  pumps 
was  maintained  at  120  pounds  per  square  inch.  The  second  test  of  fire  streams 
consisted  in  throwing  thirty  streams,  at  once.  In  making  this  test,  the  steam 
rotary  pumps  were  used  in  addition  to  the  two  water  sets.  The  height  of  the 
streams  was  about  the  same  as  in  the  previous  test  and  the  pressure  main- 
tained at  the  pumps  was  135  pounds  per  square  inch.  Water  was  discharged 
at  the  rate  of  8,220  gallons  per  minute.  The  third  test  consisted  in  throwing 
a  two-inch  stream  in  front  of  the  court-house.  Although  at  no  time  fully  ver- 
tical, yet,  when  it  most  nearly  approached  that  condition,  the  observations 
showed  an  elevation  of  210.34  f^^^.  The  pressure  maintained  at  the  pumps 
was  165  pounds  per  square  inch  and  the  discharge  was  at  the  rate  of  1,215  gal- 
lons per  minute.  The  fourth  test  was  a  three-inch  vertical  stream,  thrown 
from  a  point  near  the  corner  of  State  and  West   Main  streets,  during  which  a 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  585 

pressure  of  175  pounds  per  square  inch  vas  maintained  at  the  pumps.  The 
discharge  was  at  tiie  rate  of  2,778  gaIlon.s  per  minute  and  the  elevation  reached 
by  the  stream  was  285.98  feet. 

Another  test  consisted  in  throwing  a  four- inch  vertical  stream  to  an  eleva- 
tion of  294.4  feet.  The  rate  of  discharge  was  4,938  gallons  per  minute  and  the 
pressure  at  the  pumps  was  175  and  at  the  stand  pipe  165  pounds  per  square 
inch.  A  second  test  of  the  four- inch  stream  consisted  in  throwing  the  same 
horizontally  a  distance  of  465  feet,  only  the  solid  jets  of  water  being  measured. 
The  final  test  consisted  in  throwing  a  five-inch  vertical  stream  to  an  elevation 
of  256.8  feet,  discharging  at  the  rate  of  6,463  gallons  per  minute.  As  this 
stream  was  intended  to  show  volume  and  not  height  the  pressure  at  the  pumps 
was  only  raised  to  140  pounds.  Nq  accident  of  any  kind  occurred  during  the 
progress  of  the  test.  It  is  believed  that  this  was  the  most  remarkable  exhibi- 
tion of  large  streams  ever  made  in  any  country,  and  as  such  it  attracted  wide- 
spread attention  from  hydraulic  engineers,  compelling  the  introduction  of 
larger  factors  in  the  hydraulic  formulas  used  to  determine  the  resijlts  to  be  ob- 
tained from  large  streams,  with  liberal-sized  pumping  mains. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1875,  the  water  commissioners  reported  that  they 
were  at  that  date  pumping  water  from  the  Holly  works  into  50.76  miles  of  pipes, 
connected  with  478  hydrants,  and  that  every  fire  district,  except  one,  was 
then  embraced  within  the  protection  of  the  water  pipes.  They  also  reported 
that  fires  had  been  extinguished  by  streams  of  great  power,  from  hydrants 
1,700  feet  distant,  although  the  machinery  was  then  pumping  into  over  fifty 
miles  of  pipes,  where  it  was  only  designed  originally  to  supply  from  eight  to 
ten  miles.  During  the  years  1873  and  1874  the  commissioners  had  deter- 
mined to  increase  the  capacity  of  the  conduit  from  Hemlock  lake,  above  that  at 
first  contemplated.  With  this  view  a  wrought-iron  thirty-six  inch  conduit  was 
provided  for  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles  from  the  lake  northward,  where  the 
grade  was  light,  and  for  the  balance  of  the  distance  a  cast-iron  conduit  twenty- 
four  inches  in  diameter,  which  would  give  a  supply  from  the  lake  double  in 
quantity  to  that  contemplated  in  their  original  plan.  The  wisdom  of  this  change 
is  not  now  questioned,  although  at  that  time  it  was  sharply  criticised.  The  official 
functions  of  the  board  of  water  commissioners  ceased  on  the  1st  day  of  Octo- 
ber, 1876.  The  following  extracts  from  their  final  report  to  the  common  coun- 
cil indicate  the  extent  and  condition  of  the  work  at  that  time: — 

"  The  time  has  arrived  when  by  provision  of  law  the  term  of  our  office  expires.  The 
work  entrusted  to  our  charge  is  done,  and  we  trust  and  fully  believe  commends  itself  to 
the  approval  and  pride  of  our  fellow-citizens.  That  we  should  have  been  criticised  at 
times  with  severity  and  censured  with  bitterness,  was  naturally  to  be  expected,  as  our  re- 
sponsibility was  grave  indeed.  The  magnitude  of  the  work  was  without  precedent  in 
our  city  affairs,  the  required  expenditure  enormous,  the  plans  of  construction  original  and 
the  pecuniary  condition  of  the  country  straitened  and  depressing.  Opinions  were  di- 
vided as  to  whether  the  city  was  in  need  of  water  works  at  all;  whether,  if  needed,  they 


586  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

should  not  be  cheaply  constructed  and  only  for  the  wants  of  the  present  generation, 
whether  the  future  wants  of  our  rapidly  increasing  city  should  not  likewise  be  regarded, 
and  also  as  to  the  sources  of  supply. 

"  Our  earliest  estimates  were  based  upon  a  supply  of  4,500,000  gallons  of  water  daily 
from  Hemlock  lake.  But  upon  maturer  consideration  it  was  deemed  wiser  to  increase 
the  supply  to  an  amount  sufficient  to  meet  the  probable  requirements  of  the  populations 
of  the  future  as  in  fact  upon  them  was  to  fall  the  burthen  of  the  payment  of  the  cost. 
While  the  cost  was  therefore  increased  about  fifty  per  cent.,  the  supply  was  doubled  and 
the  capacity  of  the  reservoirs  .largely  increased.  Over  eighteen  miles  more  of  distribu- 
tion pipes  have  been  laid  in  the  streets  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  more  hydrants 
have  been  put  in  place  than  were  contemplated.  ,In  fact,  if  we  deduct  the  cast  of  the 
additional  eighteen  miles  of  distribution  pipes  laid,  together  with  hydrants,  and  valves 
connected  therewith,  amounting  to  about  $145,000,  the  laying  of  service  pipes  to  the 
curb  not  anticipated  at  the  start,  amounting  to  over  $60,000,  the  value  of  pipes,  gates, 
hydrants,  etc.,  turned  over  to  the  Executive  board,  costing  over  $52,000,  together  with 
many  other  items  of  lesser  amounts,  it  will  be  found  that  we  have  actually  completed  the 
work  which  was  proposed  on  the  enlarged  plan  for  something  less  than  $3,000,000. 

"On  the  first  day  of  June,  1873,  ground  was  first  broken  for  the  work  and  on  the 
23d  of  January,  1876,  after  a  period  of  less  than  two  years  and  eight  months,  the  waters 
of  Hemlock  lake  were  coursing  through  the  pipes  in  the  streets  of  Rochester  and  into 
the  houses  of  its  citizens.  Twenty-eight  and  a  half  miles  of  conduit,  with  all  the  stop- 
gates,  air  valves  and  blow-oflfs  required,  and  with  a  capacity  of  9,000,000  gallons  daily, 
had  been  laid  over  hills  and  down  through  valleys  from  Hemlock  lake.  Two  great  res- 
ervoirs with  united  capacity  of  120,000,000  gallons  of  water  had  been  constructed  and 
three  gate-houses  built ;  fifty-eight  miles  of  distribution  pipes  had  been  laid  in  the  streets 
of  the  city,  with  five  hundred  and  twenty-one  hydrants  and  seven  hundred  and  forty-five 
stop-gates  placed  in  connection  with  them.  A  large  pump  house  had  been  constructed, 
in  which  were  powerful  pumps  worked  by  a  large  .steam  engine  and  two  water  engines, 
with  a  united  pumping  capacity  of  7,000,000  gallons  of  water  daily." 

The  report  closes  with  very  strong  expressions  of  obligations  to  the  chief 
engineer,  and  confidence  in  his  professional  skill  and  executive  abilities.  Let 
us  now  consider  the  characteristics  of  the  Rochester  water  works  as  constructed, 
and  also  of  the  sources  of  the  water  supply.  Under  the  various  acts  of  the  leg- 
islature the  city  of  Rochester  is  authorised  to  take  water  for  the  supply  of  the 
city  from  Hemlock  and  Canadice  lakes. 

Hemlock  lake  lies  in  the  county  of  Livingston,  about  twenty-eight  miles  a 
little  to  the  east  of  south  of  the  city  of  Rochester.  The  foot  of  the  lake  lies 
wholly  in  the  town  of  Livonia.  It  is  six  and  seven-tenths  miles  in  length  and 
an  average  of  six-tenths  of  a  mile  in  width,  with  a  water  surface  of  1,828  acres. 
Its  elevation  is  three  hundred  and  eighty-eight  feet  above  the  Erie  canal  aque- 
duct in  Rochester,  about  nine  hundred  feet  above  the  tide,  and  it  has  a  maximum 
depth  of  one  hundred  feet.  The  lake  is  situated  in  a  retired  rural  district,  in  a 
deep,  narrow  valley,  above  the  lime  formation  and  in  the  Marcellus  shale.  Its 
shores  are  mostly  bold  bluffs,  which  cannot  be  tilled.  The  beach  is  also  a  shale/ 
and  the  water  is  mostly  supplied  from  springs,  which  prevents  it,  even  near  the 
shores,  from  becoming  to  any  extent  muddy  in  times  of  greatest  flood.     The 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  587 

drainage  area  is  42.39  square  miles.  The  character  of  the  soil  on  this  area  ren- 
ders it  in  fact  a  great  natural  filter  bed  for  the  purification  of  the  water. 

Canadice  lake  lies  in  a  narrow  valley  east  of  and  adjacent  to  the  Hemlock 
valley  and  is  wholly  in  the  county  of  Ontario.  The  two  are  similar  in  natural 
characteristics  and  the  quality  of  their  waters.  The  latter  lake  is  three  and 
one-tenth  miles  in  length,  about  one-third  of  a  mile  in  width  and  has  an  area 
of  water  surface  of  648  acres.  Its  elevation  is  about  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  Erie  canal  aqueduct.  The  outlet  from  this  lake  passes  through  a  rich  but 
narrow  valley,  for  a  distance  of  about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  lake,  and 
from  thence  through  a  very  narrow  and  rocky  gorge,  into  the  valley  of  the 
Hemlock  outlet.  Many  years  ago  the  outlet  of  Canadice  lake  discharged  its 
waters  directly  into  Hemlock  lake.  Now  and  latterly  it  has  discharged  into 
Hemlock  outlet  by  two  channels,  one  about  twelve  hundred  feet,  and  one  eight- 
een hundred  feet  from  the  foot  of  Hemlock  lake,  the  latter  being  at  the  head 
of  the  Slab  City  mill  pond. 

The  water  works  conduit  commences  in  Hemlock  lake  one  thousand  feet 
from  shore  and  sixteen  hundred  feet  from  the  foot  of  the  lake  at  the  outlet.  It 
passes  thence  through  the  alluvial  deposit  forming  the  valley,  to  Hemlock  lake 
village,  and  through  the  rocky  ridge  which  crosses  the  valley  at  that  point,  and 
which  no  doubt  once  formed  the  northern  boundary  of  the  lake,  and  thence 
follows  the  valley  of  the  outlet,  crossing  under  the  bed  thereof  thirteen  times, 
until  Frost  Hollow  or  the  village  of  Richmond  Mills  is  reached,  near  which 
point  the  outlet  makes  a  great  detour  to  the  east,  during  which  it  receives  the 
waters  of  Honeoye  lake,  and  is  thenceforward,  until  it  discharges  its  waters  in- 
to the  Genesee  river  at  Rush  Junction  on  the  Erie  railway,  designated  as  Hon- 
eoye creek. 

At  Richmond  Mills  the  conduit  leaves  the  valley  of  the  outlet  and  passes 
up  and  on  to  an  elevated  plateau  to  the  west.  It  passes  for  about  four  and  a 
half  miles  across  this  table-land,  which  is  very  broken,  and  intersected  with 
numerous  ravines  of  great  depth,  locally  called  "gulls,"  which  have  been  worn 
and  washed  out  of  the  clay  soil  by  numerous  watercourses  having  their  source 
among  the  hills  to  the  west  and  their  termination  in  Honeoye  creek  to  the  east. 
The  conduit  then  passes  along  the  east  side  of  the  three  Lima  ponds  and  still 
over  a  very  rough  table  land,  to  the  old  state  road  leading  from  Canandaigua 
westward  through  Lima,  and  crossing  said  road  about  two  and  a  half  miles  east 
of  the  village  of  Lima.  Thence  it  crosses  the  fields,  to  the  road  leading  to 
North  Bloomfield,  thence  along  the  road  to  the  farm  of  Amasa  Martin,  and 
thence  again  across  the  fields  to  the  Honeoye  creek,  which  it  crosses  just  west 
of  the  highway  bridge  which  spans  that  stream  on  the  road  leading  from  Hon- 
eoye Falls  to  North  Bloomfield.  From  this  road  it  passes  still  across  the  fields 
to  the  village  of  Honeoye  Falls,  crossing  one  of  the  main  streets  of  said  vil- 
lage near  the  residence  of  Dr.  Miner,  thence  northerly  through  a  broad  valley 


588  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

to  the  high  ridge  known  as  Davis  hill,  thence  over  the  crest  thereof  and  down 
again  into  the  valley  of  Honeoye  creek  on  the  east  side,  thence  rising  again 
upon  the  table  land  to  the  eastward  over  a  broken  and  rolling  country  in  a 
direct  course  to  Rush  reservoir,  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles  from  Hemlock 
lake.  From  this  reservoir  the  conduit  passes  across  the  fields  for  a  distance  of 
about  one  and  a  half  miles,  to  a  point  near  the  location  of  the  old  water  works 
company's  storage  reservoir,  and  from  thence  follows  the  highway  leading  from 
Lima  to  Rochester,  to  the  distributing  or  Mount  Hope  reservoir. 

The  lake  end  of  the  conduit  is  i,000  feet  from  shore  in  thirty  feet  depth  of 
water.  The  pipe,  which  is  of  wrought  iron,  thirty-six  inches  in  diameter,  ends 
in  a  tapering  mouth-piece  about  sixty  inches  in  diameter  at  the  outer  end. 
This  mouth-piece  is  built  into  the  walls  of  a  timber-crib  and  projects  into  an 
inclosed  chamber  or  reservoir,  formed  by  building  a  rectangular  box  with 
double  walls  of  timber,  around  the  outside,  with  spaces  between  the  timber 
walls  for  the  reception  of  stone  filling.  Over  the  top  of  the  crib,  strips  of  oak 
are  spiked,  two  inches  apart,  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  any  large  object.  The 
crib  thus  formed  is  about  twelve  feet  long  by  twelve  feet  wide  and  ten  feet  high, 
and  this  is  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  The  pipe  thence  passes  to  the  shore 
and  through  the  south  foundation  wall  of  the  gate-house,  discharging  the  water 
into  a  reservoir  under  the  same.  Across  this  reservoir  is  first  inserted  a  screen 
bulkhead,  with  arrangements  for  double  screens,  so  that  either  set  can  be  re- 
moved and  cleaned  or  repaired  at  pleasure.  In  front  of  this  is  inserted  the 
gate  bulkhead,  by  which  the  flow  of  water  is  regulated  or  shut  off  from  enter- 
ing the  thirty-six-inch  pipe  which  again  commences  at  the  inside  face  of  the 
north  foundation  wall  of  the  gate-house,  and  thence  passes  on  without  break 
to  the  Ruish  reservoir.  A  brick  house  with  frame  addition  is  built  over  these 
bulkheads  and  is  occupied  by  the  gate-keeper  and  his  family.  The  house  is 
built  on  a  plat  of  land  on  the  lake  shore  owned  by  the  city,  about  six  hundred 
feet  south  of  the  highway.  The  pipe  is  located  at  such  grade  that  the  surface 
of  the  lake  may  be  drawn  down  eight  feet  if  desired. 

At  the  foot  of  Canadice  lake  the  city  owns  about  twelve  acres  of  land, 
covering  the  outlet  from  the  same  as  far  down  as  its  junction  with  the  highway. 
Across  the  head  of  the  outlet,  on  the  lake  shore,  is  constructed  a  timber  bulk- 
head with  abutments  and  piers  of  cement  masonry,  in  which  are  twelve  gates 
for  the  purpose  of  passing  water  from  the  lake.  This  construction,  together 
with  the  deepening  of  the  outlet,  allows  the  drawing  down  the  surface  of  the 
lake  eight  feet.  It  will  be  seen  by  simple  computations  that  these  constructions 
at  the  two  lakes  would  enable  the  city  to  draw  upon  them  as  reservoirs  at  the 
rate  of  17,000,000  gallons  per  day  for  a  year,  providing  it  had  a  conduit  of 
sufficient  capacity,  even  though  no  water  should  be  received  into  them  from 
any  source,  except  a  sufficient  amount  to  balance  evaporation.  The  minimum 
flow  from  these  lakes  is  very  small,  but  the  maximum  flow  is  enormous  in  quan- 


Tjie  Rochester  Water  Works.  589 

tity,  thus  rendering  them  peculiarly  fitted  for  use  as  immense  reservoirs  for  the 

storage  of  flood  waters,  for  use  during  the  dry  season,  for  water  works  supply 

and  for  power  for  mills. 

Characteristics  of  the  conduit.  From  termination  of  pipe  in  crib  in  Hemlock 
lake  to  inside  face  of  south  wall  of  well-house  on  shore  of  lake  is  1,000 
linear  feet  of  3-16  inch  vvrought-iron  pipe  36  inches  in  diameter 1,000.00 

From  inside  face  of  north  wall  of  gate-house  on  .shore  of  Hemlock  lake  to 
commencement  of  24-inch  wrought-iron  pipe  is  3-16  inch  wrought-iron 
pipe  36  inches  in  diameter. -.     50,776.00 

From  end  of  36-inch  wrought-iron  pipe  to  commencement  of  the  24-inch 

cast-iron  pipe  is  3-16  inch  wrought-iron  pipe  24  inches  in  diameter 1,913.65 

From  end  of  24-inch  by  3-16  inch  wrought-iron  pipe  to  commencement  of 

24-inch  by  1-4  inch  wrought-iron  pipe  is  cast-iron  24  inches  in  diameter,     30,549.75 

From  end  of  24-inch  cast-iron  to  where  cast-iron  24-inch  pipe  again  com- 
mences is  1-4  inch  wrought-iron  pipe  24  inches  in  diameter 13,809.38 

From  end  of  1-4  inch  wrought-iron  pipe  to  outside  face  of  south  wall  of  gate- 
house at  Rush  reservoir  is  cast-iron  pipe  24  inches  in  diameter 4,212.27 

From  outside  face  of  south  wall  of  gate-house  of  Rush  reservoir  to  inlet  well 

in  bottom  of  reservoir  is  cast-iron  pipe  24  inches  in  diameter. 1,010.00 

Total  from  inlet  well  in  Rush  reservoir  to  end  at  crib  in  lake 102,271.05 

The  conduit  between   Rush  and   Mount  Hope  reservoir  is  of  cast-iron  24 

inches  in  diameter.     The  distance  from  face  to  face  of  gate-houses  of 

the  reservoirs  is.. ._^ 46,064.00 

Total  conduit  from   face  of  gate-house  at  Mount  Hope  reservoir  to  end  of 

pipe  in  lake,  including  the  inlet  in  the  bottom  of  Rush  reservoir 148,335.05 

Making  a  total  of  28.09  miles. 

Rush  reservoir  is  located  in  the  town  of  Rush,  on  the  town  line  road  be- 
tween that  town  and  Henrietta,  and  about  1,000  feet  west  of  the  highway  from 
Rochester  to  East  Rush.  The  lot  on  which  it  is  built  contains  about  thirty 
acres.  The  depth  of  this  reservoir  is  twenty- three  and  a  quarter  feet  from  bot- 
tom to  top  bank  and  it  is  designed  to  hold  eighteen  feet  depth  of  water.  The 
outside  and  inside  slopes  are  two  feet  horizontal  to  one  foot  vertical,  with  a 
horizontal  bench  of  five  feet  midway  of  the  inside  slope.  Below  the  inside 
horizontal  bench  spoken  of,  the  bank  is  faced  with  loose  stone  two  feet  thick, 
and  above  the  bench  with  a  slope  wall  of  field  stone  eighteen  inches  thick. 
The  area  of  water  surface  when  the  water  is  eighteen  feet  deep,  is  13.702 
acres,  and  the  capacity  of  the  reservoir  at  that  depth  is  70,033,589  gallons. 
The  elevation  of  the  bottom  of  said  reservoir  is  223.84  feet  above  the  Erie 
canal  aqueduct.  On  the  outside  of  this  reservoir  is  laid  a  by-pass  pipe  with 
gates,  by  which  the  Rush  reservoir  may  be  shut  out  of  connection,  and  the  flow 
of  water  continued  past  it  directly  into  Mount  Hope  reservoir,  or  into  the  city 
distribution  if  desired,  with  the  consequent  pressure  due  to  the  head  of  Hem- 
lock lake. 

Mount  Hope  distributing  reservoir  is  located  on  the  Mt.  Hope   range  of 


S90  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

hills  on  the  east  side  of  the  Genesee  river,  a  few  hundred  feet  east  of  the  junc- 
tion of  South  and  Reservoir  avenues,  about  one  and  three-fourths  miles  from 
the  city  hill.  It  isconstructed  on  a  lot  owned  by  the  city  and  containing  about 
eighteen  acres.  The  banks  are  constructed  after  the  same  plan  and  with  the 
same  slopes  as  the  Rush  reservoir,  heretofore  described,  and  with  a  gate-house 
outside  the  banks,  containing  a  nest  of  seven  large  gates  which  control  the 
whole  circulation  of  water,  and  so  arranged  that  the  reservoir  can  be  quickly 
shut  out  of  connection,  and  the  pressure  due  to  the  elevation  of  Rush  reservoir 
placed  upon  all  the  Hemlock  pipes  in  the  city  in  a  few  moments.  This  is  done 
at  every  alarm  of  fire,  a  gong  being  placed  in  the  gate-house  to  give  the  notice 
for  that  purpose.  The  height  of  the  banks  of  this  reservoir  is  twenty  feet  above 
the  bottom.  It  is  intended  to  hold  sixteen  feet  depth  of  water.  When  the 
water  is  at  this  depth  the  area  of  water  surface  is  5.517  acres,  the  bottom  area 
being  3.887  acres,  and  the  reservoir  contains  24,278,101  gallons.  The  eleva- 
tion of  the  bottom  of  the  reservoir  above  the  top  of  the  Erie  canal  aqueduct  is 
109.4  feet.  From  the  bank  of  this  reservoir  a  magnificent  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  obtained,  extending  southward  and  eastward  for  a  distance 
of  more  than  twenty  miles,  and  to  the  northward  is  spread  the  broad  surface 
of  Lake  Ontario,  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  steam  and  sailing  vessels  which 
navigate  its  waters. 

In  the  center  of  Mt.  Hope  reservoir  is  constructed  a  most  beautiful  fountain, 
in  the  form  of  a  frustum  of  a  cone  and  composed  of  hard  burned  brick  and  cut 
stone.  The  water  is  conducted  to  it  beneath  the  bottom  of  the  reservoir, 
through  a  cast-iron  pipe  of  twenty-four  inches  internal  diameter,  which  is  turned 
upward  through  the  masonry  to  a  point  a  few  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water  in  the  reservoir,  where  it  spreads  oufinto  a  dome-shaped  top,  with  a  cen- 
tral opening  six  and  one-eighth  inches  in  diameter,  with  two  concentric  circles 
of  openings  of  various  diameters  around  it,  numbering  twenty-one  in  all.  These 
openings  are  so  arranged  that  they  may  be  adjusted  to  various-sized  jets,  thus 
rendering  it  possible  to  change  the  general  aspect  of  the  fountain  into  many 
forms  of  symmetry  and  beauty.  During  the  summer  season  all  of  the  water  sup- 
plied to  the  city  is  thrown  high  into  the  air,  in  jets  from  this  fountain,  perform- 
ing the  function  of  thoroughly  aerating  the  water  as  well  as  constituting  a  most 
beautiful  and  conspicuous  object,  visible  to  a  distance  <:f  twelve  to  fifteen  miles 
in  different  directions.  It  is  said  that  nowhere  else  in  the  world  can  be  wit- 
nessed the  continuous  operation  of  a  fountain  where  the  water  in  such  vast  vol- 
ume is  thrown  to  such  elevations.  The  height  of  the  jets  is  due  to  the  elevation 
of  the  surface  of  the  Rush  reservoir.  A  single  jet  through  the  central  opening 
has  been  thrown  one  hundred  and  six  feet  in  height.  When  the  whole  twenty- 
one  jets  are  in  operation,  discharging  at  the  rate  of  about  5,000,000  gallons  per 
day,  the  elevation  attained  by  the  water  is  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet.  During 
the  very  cold  weather  of  winter  this  fountain  is  not  used,  as  the  masonry  is  Ha- 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  591 

ble  to  be  injured  by  the  formation  of  immense  masses  of  ice.  During  that  pe- 
riod the  reservoir  is  fed  through  a  twenty-four  inch  pipe,  which  discharges  in 
the  bottom  near  the  east  end. 

In  laying  the  distribution  pipes  in  connection  with  the  Hemlock  system,  a 
supply  main  for  the  west  side  of  the  river  was  carried  under  the  bed  of  the  river 
nearly  opposite  the  Vacuum  Oil  works,  and  it  became  necessary  also  to  con- 
nect the  east  and  west  sides  with  a  pipe  main  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Main 
street.  The  extrados  of  the  stone  arches  of  the  bridge  were  so  near  the  surface 
of  the  roadway  that  there  was  no  room  to  lay  the  pipes  over  them.  The  most 
obvious  method  therefore,  and  the  favorite  one  with  many  people,  was  to  ex- 
cavate a  tunnel  under  the  bed  of  the  two  races  and  the  river,  in  which  to  lay 
the  water  main.  In  turn  this  tunnel  would  be  required  to  be  drained  by  an- 
other leading  to  a  lower  elevation.  This  would  have  involved  an  enormous  ex- 
pense and  also  great  delay  in  completion.  The  engineer,  therefore,  boldly 
adopted  the  plan  of  cutting  away  sections  of  the  stone  arches  and  replacing  the 
same  with  cast-iron  ribs,  carried  up  so  as  to  form  a  complete  double  box,  in 
which  four  wrought-iron  mains  are  packed  in  fine  charcoal  and  convey  the 
water  of  both  systems  across  the  river.  The  whole  expense  of  this  construc- 
tion was  about  $17,000.  This  construction  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  this  country  and  met  with  much  local  distrust  at  the  time,  but  meets 
with  full  concurrence  in  its  propriety  now. 

The  lot  on  which  the  pump  house  is  located  is  known  as  the  south  part  of 
lot  number  5  of  the  Griffith  tract  on  Brown's  race.  It  has  a  frontage  of  fifty  feet 
on  the  race  and  extends  back  to  the  Genesee  river.  There  are  five  water  rights 
connected  with  the  property,  which  entitles  it  to  use  about  one-sixteenth  of  the 
water  supplied  by  the  race.  In  preparing  for  the  foundations  of  the  walls  and 
machinery,  the  earth  and  the  upper  and  partly  decomposed  strata  of  rock  were 
removed,  until  a  layer  of  sound  rock  was  reached,  upon  which  the  foundations 
were  built.  The  side  walls  of  the  building  up  to  the  level  of  the  street  are  from 
four  to  five  feet  thick  at  the  bottom,  battering  up  to  two  and  a  half  feet  at  the 
top.  The  arrangement  of  the  several  blocks  of  masonry  inclosed  by  the  side 
walls,  on  which  rest  the  boilers,  pumps  and  engines,  are  too  complicated  to  be 
understood  without  the  aid  of  a  diagram.  The  superstructure  of  the  engine 
house  is  of  brick,  with  walls  twenty-one  inches  thick,  rising  to  a  height  of  about 
fifty  feet  and  entirely  fire  proof  The  roof  girders  are  very  strong  and  capable 
of  supporting  the  weight  of  material  which  might  fall  upon  it  by  the  toppling 
over  of  adjoining  structures.  Heavy  manufactured  iron  beams  are  inserted  over 
each  piece  of  machinery  to  enable  them  to  be  readily  hoisted  in  and  out  of 
place.  Above  the  roof,  towers  a  graceful  octagonal  chimney  to  a  height  of 
about  one  hundred  feet  above  the  street.  In  the  middle  of  the  facade  of  the 
building  is  a  cut  stone  tablet,  bearing  the  inscription,  "Rochester  waterworks," 
and   above   the   cornice   is   a  small  pediment  on   which  is  the  date   "  1873." 


592  History  of  the  City  of  Rociiestkr. 

The  machinery  consists  of  three  distinct  parts.  The  first  is  a  set  of  four 
combined  steam  piston  engines,  the  cyHnders  being  sixteen  inches  in  diameter 
and  twenty-seven  inches  stroke,  with  variable  expansion  gear  so  arranged  as  to 
either  condense  the  used  steam  or  else  to  run  by  high  pressure  and  exhaust 
into  the  chimney.  To  these  four  engines  four  double-acting  pumps  ten  inches 
in  diameter  and  twenty  inches  stroke  are  attached,  so  that  the  piston  rod  of 
each  steam  cylinder  also  becomes  the  piston  rod  of  the  corresponding  pump 
cylinder,  although  these  rods  are  in  two  pieces,  which  may  be  coupled  or  un- 
coupled at  pleasure  by  means  of  keys  or  wedges.  The  crank  rods  of  the  steam 
engine  are  connected  in  a  similar  manner  tolihe  crank  pins,  so  that  any  of  these 
engines,  with  its  corresponding  pump,  may  readily  be  detached  and  isolated 
■from  the  remainder  of  the  set.  The  four  engines  and  their  pumps  are  engaged 
on  the  two  sides  of  a  substantial  and  graceful  arched  frame  of  cast  iron,  sup- 
porting on  its  top  the  crank  shaft,  which  bears  the  large  fly  wheel,  a  gear  wheel 
and  the  eccentrics  for  the  operation  of  the  slide  valves.  The  two  cranks  at  the 
end  of  this  shaft  are  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  as  two  engines  arc 
coupled  to  one  crank  pin,  one  piston  of  this  pair  will  be  at  the  middle  and  the 
other  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  its  stroke,  and  hence  it  follows  that  in  one  rev- 
olution of  the  balance  wheel  there  will  be  eight  successive  discharges  of  four 
double-acting  pumps,  which  serves  the  purpose  of  imparting  as  nearly  as  prac- 
ticable a  steady  pressure  and  uniform  flow  of  water  in  the  pipes  and  mains  of 
the  city.  The  second  part  of  the  machinery  consists  of  a  rotary  steam  engine 
placed  in  front  of  the  above-described  steam  set,  operating  two  rotary  pumps. 
The  third  part  is  the  water  set,  which  consists  of  eight  double-acting  pumps 
arranged  in  two  sets,  each  having  four  cylinders  nine  inches  in  diameter  and 
twenty-four  inches  stroke,  mounted  on  heavy  cast-iron  arched  frames  similar  to 
the  steam  set.  The  power  used  to  operate  these  two  water  sets  is  derived  from 
two  turbine  water  wheels,  working  under  a  head  of  about  ninety  feet.  The 
steam  for  the  steam  engines  is  furnished  by  three  boilers  located  in  the  front 
portion  of  the  building,  any  one  of  which  may  be  used  separately  or  all  of  them 
together.  They  are  five  feet  in  diameter,  sixteen  feet  long,  and  furnished  with 
fifty- eight  heating  tubes  three  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter.  The  water  to  feed 
them  is  supplied  from  a  donkey  engine  and  pump  in  the  engine  room.  The 
four  combined  steam  engines  will  develop  a  power  equal  to  that  of  three  hun- 
dred horses,  and  the  rotary  engine  a  power  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  horses ; 
their  pumping  capacity  is  guaranteed  to  be  not  less  than  3,000,000  gallons  in 
twenty-four  hours,  while  that  of  the  two  pumping  sets  is  rated  at  4,000,000 
gallons. 

Water  is  supplied  to  the  two  turbines  through  a  huge  wrought- iron  tube 
four  and  one  half  feet  in  diameter  and  formed  of  plates  one- fourth  of  an  inch 
thick,  the  bottom,  of  which  rests  upon  a  solid  piece  of  masonry  at  the  surface 
level  of  the  river.     The  wheels  are  located  at  either  side  of  this  iron  flume,  and 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  593 

are  supplied  through  two  smaller  tubes  branching  out  into  the  water-  tight  cases 
inclosing  the  turbines.  The  wheel  pit  is  an  immense  excavation  down  through 
the  Solid  rock,  of  an  elliptical  form,  with  a  larger  diameter  of  about  sixteen  feet 
and  a  lesser  diameter  of  about  ten  feet.  This  excavation  is  carried  down  to 
about  one  foot  below  the  level  of  medium  low  water  in  the  GeneSee  river,  thus 
utilising  all  the  head  furnished  by  the  upper  fall  of  the  same  in  the  city.  To 
secure  a  supply  of  water  to  the  pumps,  when  Brown's  race  is  drawn  off  for  re- 
pairs, a  twenty-four  inch  wrought-iron  supply  pipe  is  extended  from  the  Car- 
roll and  Fitzhugh  race  south  of  Main  street,  and  two  water  rights  were  pur- 
chased thereon.  This  will  not  only  furnish  water  for  the  pumps,  but  will  in 
case  of  necessity  operate  one  turbine.  This  supply  pipe  is  also  connected  with 
the  Hemlock  main  in  Main  street,  so  that  in  case  the  water  is  drawn  from  both 
of  these  races  at  the  same  time,  the  Holly  pumps  may  receive  a  supply  from 
the  Hemlock  system. 

During  the  year  1877  a  first-class  telegraph  line  was  constructed  from  Roch- 
ester to  Hemlock  lake,  to  be  operated  as  a  private  line,  to  facilitate  the  man- 
agement of  the  water  works.  It  was  built  under  the  personal  supervision  of 
Henry  L.  Fish,  then  chairman  of  the  executive  board,  which  board  took  charge 
of  the  water  works  after  the  term  of  office  of  the  board  of  water  commissioners 
had  expired  in  October  of  the  preceding  year.  The  line  required  the  use  of 
809  white  cedar  poles  twenty-five  feet  long.  The  highway  was  followed  the 
whole  distance  and  was  a  little  over  thirty  miles  long.  The  cost  as  reported  by 
Mr.  Fish  was  $3,139.32.  Stations  are  established  atthe  fire  department  build- 
ing on  Front  street,  at  the  water  works  office  in  the  city  hall,  at  Mt.  Hope  res- 
ervoir, at  Rush 'reservoir,  at  Honeoye  Falls,  at  Richmond  Mills  and  at  the  gate 
house,  at  Hemlock  lake.  At  first  the  Morse  instrument  was  used,  but  in  a 
short  time  replaced  by  the  Bell  telephone  and  transmitter,  which  have  worked 
admirably,  enabling  the  chief  engineer  to  give  the  most  minute  directions  at  all 
times  for  the  care  and  management  of  the  pipe  conduit.  At  the  time  of  its 
construction  it  was  regarded  with  considerable  curiosity,  as  being  the  long- 
est telephone  line  then  in  constant  use  for  commercial  or  other  purposes. 

The  wrought  iron  conduit  was  regarded  as  an  innovation  from  the  received 
methods  of  water  works  construction,  at  least  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  United 
States.  Although  several  miles  of  this  conduit  had  already  been  laid  by  the 
Spring  Valley  water  company  of  San  Francisco,  and  another  line  to  supply 
Virginia  City  from  Marlctte  lake,  with  a  pressure  upon  it  in  one  part  of  the 
canyon  through  which  it  was  laid,  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  yet  hydraulic  engineers  at  the  East  looked  upon  it  with  suspicion 
and  had  never  dared  to  use  it  in  water  works  construction.  As  the  introduc- 
tion of  this  pipe  to  the  extent  to  which  it  was  finally  used  in  constructing  the 
Rochester  works  would  save  about  $750,000,  the  chief  engineer  after  careful  in- 
vestigation recommended  its  use,  and  time  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  plan. 


594  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  pipes  were  made  of  boiler-plate  iron,  riveted  and  caulked  in  lengths  of 
about  twenty-eight  feet,  in  the  same  manner  as  for  steam  boilers.  They  were 
then  heated,  and  plunged  in  a  bath  composed  of  a  mixture  of  native  asphal- 
tum  and  deodorised  coal  tar,  heated  to  a  temperature  of  about  300  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  After  remaining  therein  from  twenty  to  thirty  minutes  they  were 
removed  and  allowed  to  drip,  and  then  transported  by  rail  and  road  wagons  to 
the  points  where  they  were  to  be  laid.  Three  of  these  lengths  were  then  riv- 
eted together  and  the  resulting  length  of  about  eighty-four  feet  lowered  into 
the  trench  by  the  aid  of  two  derricks,  and  the  bell  and  spigot  ends  connected 
with  hot  lead  joints  to  provide  for  contraction'and  expansion.  The  bells  were 
of  cast  iron  and  were  riveted  to  the  wrought-iron  pipes,  as  were  also  the 
spigots,  where  the  pressure  was  heaviest.  As  previously  stated,  there  was  laid 
of  this  pipe  66,499  linear  feet,  a  portion  of  it  being  under  a  constant  head  of 
about  340  feet. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  cost  to  April  ist,  1884: 

Proceeds  of  waterworks  bonds  issued  for  constructing . — $3,18.2,000 

Recovered  by  contractor,  including  interest,  in  a  suit  against  the  city 50,000 

Paid  for  two  additional  water  rights  on  Brown's  race 7>5oo 

Property  purchased  at  Hemlock  lake  and  village 26,000 

House  and  barn  at   Rush  reservoir  (about) i ,800 

Addition  to  house  and  new  barn  at  Hemlock  lake  (about) -  1,000 

Raised  by  tax  in  1876  for  pipe  extensions  in  city •        75,000 

"      "     "     "  1877  "       "         "  "     "    30,000 

"      "     "     "  1878"       "         "  "     "    50,000 

«      "     "    "   1879"       "         "  "     "    3S,ooo 

«      "     '     "   1880  "       "         "  "     "    ---         3S,ooo 

"      "     "    •'  1881  "       "         "  "     "    37,749 

"      "     "     "  1882  "       "         "  "     "    50,000 

"      "     "    "   1883  "       "         "  "     "    75,000 

Total $3,656,049 

The  pipes  laid  in  the  city  streets  are  cast  iron,  of  sizes  varying  from  four  in- 
ches to  twenty-four  inches  in  diameter.  None  of  the  fire  hydrants  have  less  than 
two  discharges,  and  at  important  points  they  have  three.  The  total  length  of 
pipe  mains  laid  in  the  city  is  142.69  miles.  The  number  of  fire  hydrants  set  is 
1,220.  The  number  of  gates  .set  is  1,426.  The  number  of  services  to  con- 
sumers is  about  15,000.  The  average  daily  use  of  water  from  the  Hemlock 
lake  supply  is  about  4,500,000  gallons.  The  average  daily  use  of  water  from 
the  Holly  system  is  about  1,500,000;   making  a  total  of  6,000,000  gallons. 

Since  the  construction  of  the  water  works  system  the  attention  of  the  cit- 
izens of  Rochester  and  surrounding  towns  has  been  strongly  attracted  to  the 
beautiful  natural  scenery  about  Hemlock  lake  and  the  purity  of  the  atmos- 
phere along  the  surrounding  hills.  As  a  consequence,  it  has  become  a  pop- 
ular resort  for  our  citizens  during  the  hot  summer  weather,  and  more  than  one 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  595 


hundred  cottages  have  been  erected  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  many  of 
them  very  tasty  in  design  and  convenient  in  arrangement.  There  are  also 
several  hotels  or  summer  boarding-houses  for  the  accommodation  of  transient 
visitors.  Owing  to  the  careful  surveillance  exercised  by  the  cottages  and  the 
water  works  authorities  in  regard  to  the  disposal  of  organic  wastes,  no  appre- 
ciable pollution  of  the  lake  from  this  cause  has  yet  occurred. 

^  During  the  waterworks  construction  a  considerable  number  of  suits  of  some 
importance  were  instituted  and  sharply  contested,  but  the  more  important  liti- 
gations have  occurred  since  the  board  of  water  commissioners  finished  their 
work.  The  first  suit  of  any  importance  arose  out  of  the  dissatisfaction,  of  George 
D.  Lord,  the  attorney  or  assignee  of  the  contractor  for  the  work,  with  the  final 
account  rendered  by  the  chief  engineer  and  adopted  by  the  water  commission- 
ers. He  therefore  commenced  a  suit  against  the  city  for  the  recovery  of  the 
sum  of  $600,000.  After  several  trials,  continuing  through  a  series  of  years,  the 
case  was  settled  by  the  city  paying  to  him  $50,000. 

The  next  suit  of  importance  was  brought  against  the  city  by  an  association 
of  over  thirty  millers,  interested  in  the  water  power  along  the  outlet  of  Hemlock 
lake  and  Honeoye.  creek.  They  claimed  that,  as  riparian  owners,  they  were 
entitled  to  the  use  of  all  the  water  naturally  discharged  from  Hemlock  and 
Canadice  lakes.  The  city  claimed  that  Hemlock  lake  was  navigable  water,  and 
that  the  water  as  well  as  the  land  underneath  was  the  property  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  and  that  the  grant  by  the  state  for  a  public  use,  such  as  the  water 
supply  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  was  entirely  within  its  province  and  jurisdic- 
tion. The  millers  asked  for  a  permanent  injunction  to  restrain  the  city  of 
Rochester  from  diverting  any  of  the  waters  of  either  lake  to  its  use,  and  for 
such  other  relief  as  the  court  might  grant.  The  case  was  first  tried  before  the 
late  justice  David  Rumsey,  who  held  in  effect  that  in  the  settlement  of  the  ques- 
tion of  the  respective  rights  of  the  state  of  New  York  and  the  commonwealth 
of  Massachusetts  to  the  tract  of  land  including  the  said  lakes,  the  fee  of  the 
land  was  ceded  to  Massachusetts  and  the  "  sovereignty  "  and  government  to  the 
state  of  New  York,  that  Hemlock  lake  was  navigable  water  and  that  the  "sov- 
ereignty "  carried  with  it  the  ownership  of  the  water  as  well  as  the  land  under 
water  in  said  lake  and  therefore  that  the  state  of  New  York  had  a  perfect  right 
to  grant  the  water  as  it  did  to  the  city  of  Rochester  for  public  use,  and  that 
the  riparian  owners  on  the  outlet  below  were  entitled  only  to  the  water  which 
might  reach  them  after  the  water  granted  by  the  state  for  public  use  had  been 
abstracted.  The  plaintiffs  appealed  to  the  general  term,  which  affirmed  the 
decision  of  the  court  below.  The  case  then  went  to  the  court  of  Appeals,  which 
ordered  a  new  trial  and  held  that  any  actual  damage  resulting  to  the  mill  own- 
ers, in  consequence  of  the  diversion  of  the  water  by  the  city,  must  be  paid  by 
the  defendant.  To  avoid  frequent  and  vexatious  suits  for  the  recovery  of  pre- 
tended or  actual  damage,  the  city  has  determined  to  commence  proceedings  for 


596  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  condemnation  of  the  right  to  use  for  all  time  such  an  amount  of  water  as 
can  be  conveyed  by  the  present  conduit  from  the  lakes  —  to. wit,  9,000,000 
gallons  per  day.  The  papers  in  the  case  are  being  prepared  at  the  present 
writing. 

Professor  A.  R.  Leeds,  of  the  Stevens  Institute  of  Technology  at  Hoboken, 
N.  J.,  made  an  analysis  in  1882  of  the  waters  supplied  to  the  principal  Ameri- 
can cities  by  their  water  works.  He  rated  Hemlock  lake  water  as  number  2, 
in  purity,  with  Brooklyn  heading  the  list  as  number  i.  The  following  is  his 
analysis,  the  results  being  given  in  grains  per  gallon :  Analysis  of  a  sample  of 
Hemlock  lake  water  received  on  July  23d,  1882,  by  A.  R.  Leeds  from  J.  Nel- 
son Tubbs  of  Rochester,  chief  engineer  of  water  works. 

1 — Free  ammonia : — 0.00087 

2  —  Albuminoid  ammonia -- — 0.013 

3  —  Oxygen   required - - 0.46 

4  —  Nitrites -  -none 

5  —  Nitrates-  -  _ °-i^l 

6  —  Chlorine : o.  1 1 3 

7  —  Total  hardness 3-2° 

8  —  Permanent  hardness 

9  —  Temporary  hardness - 

10  —  Total  solids 5.83 

11  —  Mineral  matter 2.33 

12  —  Organic  and  volatile  matter 3.50 

The  following  is  a  reference  to  all  the  laws  relating  to  the  Rochester  water 

works : 

Chapter  175. laws  of  1835  —  Incorporates  the  first  Rochester  water  works  company. 

Chapter  356  laws  of  1852  —  "  "     second 

Chapter  275  laws  of  1853  —  Amends  chap.  356  laws  of  1852. 

Chapter    78  laws  of  1856—         "         "       " 

Chapter  430  laws  of  i860  —  Authorises  sale  of  stock  of  G.  V.  R.  R.  and  aid  to  the  water 

works  company. 
Chapter  140  laws  of  1863  —  Amends  charter  of  company. 
Chapter  155  laws  of  1867  —  Authorises  city  to  aid  in  construction. 
Chapter  232  laws  of  1868 —  Repeals  chapter  430  laws  of  i860. 
Chapter  207  laws  of  1868  —  Ratifies  proceedings  of  water  works  company. 
Chapter  255  laws  of  1869  —  Authority  to  increase  the  issue  of  water  works  bonds. 
Chapter  387  laws  of  1872  — An  act  to  supply  city  with  water. 
Chapter  771  laws  of  1872  —  An  act  to  amend  the  several  acts  relating  to  city. 
Chapter  754  laws  of  1873  —  Restricting  and  defining  powers  of  water  commissioners. 
Chapter  649  laws  of  1874  —  Authorising  the  issue  of  $3,000,000  of  city  bonds. 
Chapter    33  laws  of  1875  — In  relation  to  taking  property  adversely. 
Chapter    39  laws  of  1875—  " 

Chapter  563  laws  of  1875  —  In  relation  to  care  and  custody  of  water  works. 
Chapter  593  laws  of  1875  —  In  relation  to  issuing  bonds  to  pay  interest. 
Chapter  561  laws  of  1875  —  To  investigate  proceedings  of  water  commissioners. 
Chapter    37  laws  of  1876  —  Creating  executive  board  and  giving  it  charge  of  water 

works.  , 


The  Rochester  Water  Works.  597 

Chapter  213  laws  of  1877  —  Allowing  exchange  of  registered  bonds. 

Chapter  464  laws  of  1877  — To  acquire  lands  adversely. 

Cha])ter  190  laws  of  1879  —  Water  works  and  fire  board  constituted. 

Chapter  537  laws  of  1879  —  Confers  additional  powers  on  water  works  and  fire  board. 

Chapter    29  laws  of  1881  —  To  acquire  lands  adversely. 

Chapter  120  laws  of  1882  —  Three-cent  frontage  tax  instituted. 

The  writer  of  the  foregoing  history,  having  designed  and  supervised  the 
construction  of  the  present  system  of  water  works  for  Rochester,  has  also  had 
the  gratification  of  retaining  his  official  connection  with  the  work  as  chief  en- 
gineer up  to  this  date,  enabling  him  to  counsel  and  advise  as  to  the  methods  of 
managment,  to  perfect  the  rules,  regulations  and  rates,  and  to  settle  the  general 
policy  of  the  city  in  reference  to  its  water  works.  This  intimate  connection 
with  the  design,  construction  and  development  of  our  water  works  system  to  a 
certain  extent  precludes  him  from  exercising  to  a  full  extent  the  rights  and  priv- 
ileges usually  assumed  as  part  of  the  functions  of  a  historian.  He  has,  therefore, 
endeavored  to  confine  himself  to  a  bare  statement  of  facts  and  figures,  without 
stating  conclusions  which  might  in  any  way  seem  to  be  prompted  by  A  desire 
to  manufacture  a  present  or  posthumous  professional  reputation  for  himself  He 
however  feels  that  he  should  have  signally  failed  in  the  performance  of  his  trust 
should  he  omit  to  say  of  the  gentlemen  who  at  various  times  constituted  the  board 
of  water  commissioners,  and  who  in  spite  of  all  sorts  of  opposition  projected  and 
conducted  to  a  successful  issue  a  work  of  so  great  magnitude  and  one  from 
which  has  resulted  a  career  of  substantial  prosperity  for  the  city  of  Rochester 
not  previously  dreamed  of  by  the  most  enthusiastic  citizen,  that  they  are  enti- 
tled to  the  confidence  and  gratitude  of  every  person  who  enjoys  the  result  of 
their  completed  efforts  —  a  supply  of  pure  and  wholesome  water.  Many  per- 
sons occupying  subordinate  stations  in  the  conduct  of  the  great  work  served 
faithfully  and  well,  and,  while  the  Hmits  of  this  article  will  not  admit  of  an 
enumeration  of  their  names  and  services,  both  are  preserved  in  the  archives  of 
the  water  department,  and  their  connection  with  the  great  work  will  ever  be 
remembered  by  them  with  pride  and  gratification.  The  citizens  of  Rochester 
are  also  to  be  commended  for  the  pride  they  have  in  their  water  works,  the  care 
with  which  they  foster  them  and  the  cheerfulness  with  which  all  consent  to  tax- 
ation, that  the  blessing  of  a  full  and  copious  supply  of  pure  water  may  be  made 
easily  accessible  to  every  citizen. 


598  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 


CHAPTER  LHI. 

ROCHESTER  MANUFACTURES,  i 

Diversified  Nature  of  her  Industries  —  Early  Prophecies  Fulfilled,  with  some  Variation  —  Her  Wa- 
ter Power  and  Flouring  Mills  of  Minor  Consideration  in  the  List  of  Enterprises  —  Clothing,  Shoes, 
Iron  Work,  Machinery,  Wood- Work,  Flour,  Beer  and  a  Wide  Range  of  Miscellaneous  Articles  in 
the  List. 

THE  Stranger  who  arrives  in  Rochester  at  meridian  of  a  June  day  in  1884, 
or  who  passes  through  the  city  upon  the  elevated  track  of  the  New  York 
Central  &  Hudson  River  railway,  cannot  but  say  it  must  be  a  place  of  numer- 
ous industries.  As  his  train  crosses  the  river  within  a  few  feet  of  the  upper 
Genesee  falls,  if  he  casts  his  eyes  northward,  he  will  see  upon  the  west  bank 
the  long  line  of  stone  structures  which  mark  the  progress  of  the  first  industry 
giving  the  place  a  name  now  falling  into  disuse  —  the  Flour  city.  Upon  the 
east  bank,  in  bold  relief,  the  vaulted  and  towering  .structures  bespeak  the  bev- 
erage with  which  the  dusty  miller  of  the  opposite  bank  can  clear  his  throat  if 
not  content  with  pure  Hemlock  water.  Next  on  he  sees  the  river  spanned  from 
high  bank  to  high  bank  by  a  bridge  one  hiindred  feet  from  the  water.  Tlie 
■bridge,  which  is  of  iron,  rests  upon  stone  abutments  and  remains  a  monument 
to  the  founder  of  the  East  Rochester  bridge  and  iron  works  —  Thomas  Leigh- 
ton.  The  east  and  west  sentinels  are  the  Bartholomew  brewing  company,  and 
the  Rochester  brewing  company,  while,  just  below,  the  stream  winds  around 
the  gaping  wounds  of  a  dead  enterprise  —  Kelsey's  flats  —  the  excavated  sluice  - 
ways  of  which  the  inexorable  hand  of  time  has  converted  to  natural  gullies. 
The  plateau  just  beneath  the  east  abutments  is  occupied  by  the  East  side  gas 
works,  while  in  the  immediate  foreground  upon  the  east  brink  of  the  falls 
stand  the  time  and' mist- worn  walls  of  the  old  mill  erected  by  Palmer  Cleveland 
in  1 8 1 8,  and  upon  the  west  brink  towers  the  imposing  brick  edifice  of  the  Steam 
Gauge  and  Lantern  company,  whose  increasing  business  is  to  be  accommodated 
by  the  one  hundred  by  fifty  feet  additional  structure  just  erected.  The  old 
saw-mill  has  given  up  the  ghost  with  the  foolhardy  jumper  who  made  its  loca- 
tion famous.  The  declaration  of  Sam  Patch  that  "some  things  can  be  done  as 
well  as  others"  is  demonstrated  in  the  immediate  vicinity  in  a  multitude  of 
ways  by  the  appliances  and  machinery  not  only  not  dreamed  of  in  the  days  of 
Patch,  but  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  goods,  the  use  of  which  were  not 
kno'vn  to  the  late  lamented  Samuel. or  his  compeers.  To  the  left  are  the  Roch- 
ester cotton  factory,  the  Rochester  car  wheel  works,  R  Whalen's  tobacco  works, 
Wm.  Gleason's  machine  works,  the  Kidd  building  with  A.  J.  Johnson  &  Son's 
shoe  factory.  Within  a  strip  bounded  by  tlie  river  wall  on  the  east,  State  street 
on  the  west,  the  Central  railroad  on  the  south  and  Furnace  street  on  the  north, 
are  clustered  industries  which  give  employment  to  over  three  thousand  persons. 

1  This  chapter  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Henry  C.  Daniels. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  S99 

Looking  to  the  south  from  the  same  locality  the  solid  blocks  of  Mill  street 
strike  the  eye  upon  the  right,  and  upon  the  left  the  equally  solid  structures  of 
North  Water  street,  where  are  concentrated  nine-tenths  of  the  shoe  manufac- 
turing houses.  The  Stewart  building,  with  its  tenantry  of  mixed  labors,  and 
the  Rochester  gas-light  company  are  the  east  and  west  approaches  of  Andrews 
street  bridge.  At  noon  or  at  the  close  of  labor  this  bridge  is  thronged  with 
thousands  who  pour  .from  the  various  shops  and  factories.  A  similar  daily 
scene  is  enacted  at  Central  avenue  —  an  improvement  secured  by  the  elevation 
of  the  New  York  Central  track  adjoining  —  at  Vincent  place  and  at  Court  street. 
The  increase  of  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Rochester  also  calls  for  an  addi- 
tional crossing  between  Vincent  place  and  the  high  falls.  It  has  been  much 
talked  of  and  will  be  a  fact  before  this  publication  becomes  old.  An  inquiring 
visitor  to  Rochester  will  ask:  "What  are  the  principal  industries?"  The  gen- 
eral answer  gives  clothing  first  place,  then  shoes,  then  flour,  then  iron  and  the 
metals,  then  wood  and  its  accompaniments  of  furniture,  frames,  etc.,  then  possi- 
bly beer  and  a  host  of  miscellaneous  industries.  The  aggregate  of  the  latter 
have  contributed  more  to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city  than  any  large 
special  industry.  It  is  indicative  of  the  solid  nature  of  a  large  number  of  these 
miscellaneous  enterprises  that  they  originated  in  small  ways  and  were  gradu- 
ally nursed  into  proportions  exceeding  the  growth  of  the  city  in  extent.  For 
instance,  the  Archer  chair  works,  commencing  with  the  making  of  one  chair 
at  a  time  strictly  by  hand  ;  the  Farley  &  Hofman  show-case  works,  Stevens 
&  Son,  box  makers;  the  Vacuum  oil  company,  the  Cunningham  carriage  works, 
the  J.  C.  Lighthouse  collar  works,  the  A.  V.  Smith  harness  company,  J.  G. 
Cramer,  paper  bag  manufactory,  Bausch  &  Lomb,  optical  works,  and  others 
which  can  be  more  properly  classified  with  special,  rather  than  miscellaneous, 
industries.  It  is  nowise  strange  that  saw-mills  and  flouring- mills  should  break 
the  stillness  of  a  new  country  or  lend  accompaniment  to  the  music  of  the  cat- 
aract of  Falls  town  ;  nor  that  with  the  completion  of  the  Erie  canal,  when  the 
Genesee  country  was  "  out  west,"  the  famous  cereal  should  become  a  standard 
article  of  the  market  —  when  nature  furnished  the  power  that  was  tireless,  cease- 
less and  inexpensive.  Neither  is  it  strange  with  the  opening  of  the  waterway 
to  tidewater  that  the  building  of  canal  boats  should  come  in  demand  and  that 
along  the  banks  of  the  Erie  the  sound  of  the  caulker  should  be  heard  in  the 
land.  Though  canal  boats  are  still  in  demand  their  necessity  so  far  as  Roch- 
ester is  concerned  has  passed.  The  railroad  brings  raw  material  to  its  doors, 
and  carries  products  from  its  mills,  shops  and  factories  with  the  quickened 
speed  compliant  with  the  requirement  of  a  later  day.  The  building  of  canal 
boats  has  died  out  gradually,  and  within  the  past  five  years  scarcely  as  many 
boats  have  been  constructed. 


6oo  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

THE   MILLING   ANli   CONTINGENT   INTERESTS. 

It  is  an  old  story  that  Rochester  first  acquired  repute  with  the  outside 
world  through  her  flouring  mills,  and  that  long  before  her  fame  as  the  Flour 
city  was  heralded,  a  number  of  mills  were  erected,  commencing  with  the  In- 
dian Allan  mill  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Genesee  in  1798,  on  or  about  on  the 
site  of  the  mill  now  occupied  by  Chace  &  Co.,  on  Aqueduct  street.  Nearer 
the  high  falls,  in  1807,  Charles  Hanford  built  a  small  mill.  In  18 14,  Elisha 
and  Hervey  Ely  and  Joseph  Beach  built  a  large  mill  where  E.  R.  Andrews's 
large  printing  establishment  now  stands.  It  was  burned  in  1837.  In  1817 
two  mills  were  built  —  one  by  Wm.  Atkinson  on  the  upper  (east  side)  race  and 
the  other  by  E.  Strong,  H.  Norton  and  E.  S.  Beach  on  the  lower  race.  In 
1818  Palmer  Cleveland  erected  the  millat  the  east  brink  of  the  high  falls,  which 
passed  into  different  hands  successively  and  rapidly  until  abandoned  to  furni- 
ture, turning-shops,  etc.  In  1 82 1  Thomas  H.  Rochester  and  Harvey  Mont- 
gomery put  up  a  mill  north  of  the  Beehive,  and  Hervey  Ely  erected  the  ''Ely 
mills"  at  the  east  end  of  the  aqueduct.  A  small  mill  built  by  Elias  Shelmire 
in  1826  was  demolished  to  make  room  for  the  new  aqueduct  in  1829,  and  in 
the  same  year  the  big  mill  (capacity  sixteen  run  of  stone)  was  erected  on  the  ■  site 
of  the  Beehive  building  by  E.  S.  Beach,  Thomas  Kempshall  and  Harvey  Ken- 
nedy. These  parties  took  thirty-two  of  the  seventy-six  water  rights  to  the 
upper  race-way,  projected  in  18 17  by  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Charles  Carroll  and 
WilHam  Fitzhugh.  In  1818  Elisha  Johnson  built  the  upper  race-way  on  the 
east  side  and  Matthew  Brown  constructed  Brown's  race  about  the  same  time. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  large  transactions  and  large  enterprises,  for  those  days, 
were  the  order  from  18 18  to  1828.  In  1826  Matthew  Brown  built  the  mill  run 
by  Warham  Whitney.  ^  In  1828  a  flouring-mill  was  built  by  F.  Babcock  at 
the  lower  falls.  This  brings  us  to  a  point  where  the  successive  construction  of 
remaining  mills  are  mentioned  later  on  in  the  notes  upon  each  of  the  separate 
mills  of  the  present  day. 

The  first  canal  boat  loaded  with  flour  left  Hill's  basin,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Genesee,  for  Little  Falls,  on  the  Mohawk,  on  October  29th,  1822.  The  first 
boat-load  of  flour  that  crossed  the  old  aqueduct  from  the  western  side  was 
shipped  from  the  warehouse  of  Daniel  P.  Parker,  who  also  received  the  first 
consignment  of  merchandise  from  the  east  over  the  same  work.  The  first  cargo 
of  wheat  from  Ohio  to  Rochester  was  brought  in  1831  by  the  old  Hudson 
and  Erie  line,  on  consignment  to  Hervey  Ely.     On  the  opening  of  navigation 

1  Warham  Whitney  is  probably  to  be  credited  with  the  construction  of  the  first  grain  elevator  in 
America.  In  this  year  he  constructed  a  strap  and  bucket  elevator  for  carrying  wheat  into  the  bins  of 
a  warehouse  erected  on  the  site  of  E.  B.  Parsons  &  Co.'s  malt-house  opposite  the  present  Whitney 
elevator  on  Brown  street,  at  the  canal.  A  good  boat-load  of  wheat  then  was  300  bushels,  drawn  by 
one  horse,  the  horse  being  utilised  as  power  to  elevate  the  wheat.  The  property  bounded  by  State 
and  Brown  streets  in  front  of  the  Whitney  mill  was  used  as  a  mill-yard.  Mr.  Whitney  also  built  a  dis- 
tillery north  of  and  adjoining  the  mill. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  6oi 

in  the  spring  of  1823  there  were  shipped  during  the  first  ten  days  ten  thousand 
barrels  of  flour  from  Rochester  eastward.  In  1826  the  output  of  the  several 
mills  in  Rochester  was  150,160  barrels.  In  1853  there  were  twenty-two  mills 
in  the  city,  with  one  hundred  run  of  stone  and  a  capacity  for  grinding  20,000 
bushels  per  day.  Since  that  day  the  entire  business  has  changed  with  the  pro- 
cesses of  making  flour.  In  the  old  days  Rochester  made  her  reputation  for  best 
flour  from  white  Genesee  wheat,  which  was  transported  on  floats  down  the  Gen- 
esee river,  was  hauled  in  wagons  or  later  on  was  boated  down  the  Genesee  Val- 
ley canal.  Among  the  extinct  mills  of  the  prime  milling  days  of  Rochester  are 
the  City  mill,  Phoenix  mill,  Shawmut  mill,  New  York  mill,  Granite  mill  and  Clin- 
ton mill.  These  are  ail  converted  into  other  manufacturing  establishments, 
with  the  exception  of  the  New  York,  which  was  burned  and  its  ruined  walls  or- 
nament the  site  to-day.  The  City  mill,  on  Aqueduct  street,  was  erected  in  183 1 
by  Erasmus  D.  Smith  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  General  E.  S.  Beach,  from 
whom  it  was  purchased  in  1854  by  Louis  Chapin.  Mr.  Chapin  came  to  Roch- 
ester in  1 83 1  and  prior  to  his  purchase  of  the  City  mill  was  connected  with 
Beach  &  Kempshall  in  their  mill  enterprises  here,  at  Akron,  Ohio,  and  at  Port 
Byron.  He  conducted  the  City  mill  until  1866,  when  the  building  passed  into 
the  hands  of  George  N.  Gallagher,  who  converted  it  into  a  turning-shop.  Just 
prior  to  this  transfer  it  was  conducted  for  a  year  or  so  as  a  mill  by  A.  &  A.  Bur- 
bank.  Charles  J.  Hill  commenced  the  milling  business  in  1831  in  the  stone 
mill  which  then  and  for  many  years  thereafter  stood  on  South  Water,  nearest  to 
Main  street.  He  afterward  took  the  adjoining  mill  and  for  a  time  in  company 
with  David  S.  Bates  (one  of  the  engineers  who  were  engaged  in  surveying  the 
route  of  the  Erie  canal)  continued  the  business  under  the  name  of  Hill  &  Bates. 
About  183s  he  purchased  a  mill  at  the  lower  falls  and  continued  the  business 
there  in  his  own  name  until  1840.  In  1847  he  resumed  the  manufacture  of  flour 
in  the  mill  on  South  Water  street  now  nearest  to  Main  street,  where  he  contin- 
ued until  February  22d,  1876,  when  he  finally  retired  from  business,  having 
been  associated  the  last  twenty-six  years  of  that  period  with  his  son  Charles  B. 
Mill,  under  the  name  and  firm  of  C.  J.  Hill  &  Son.  In  1827  Everard  Peck  con- 
ducted a  paper-mill  in  a  portion  of  the  above-mentioned  structure. 

The  Clinton  building  was  built  in  1837,  ^s  a  flouring  mill,  by  James  K.  Liv- 
ingston, and  sold  to  Jesse  Hoyt,  of  New  York  city,  who  rented  the  same  to 
John  Bradfield  and  J.  O.  Hall.  John  Bradfield  purchased  the  same  in  1847  for 
$18,000.  The  original  building  was  added  to  on  the  east  end  to  increase  the 
dimensions.  The  east  wall  of  the  new  part  had  its  foundation  on  a  level  with 
the  river  bed. and  is  four  feet  thick,  decreasing  in  thickness  to  the  top,  which  is 
eighteen  inches  thick  and  150  feet  high.  In  the  new  part  were  located  three 
iron  overshot  wheels,  twenty-one  feet  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  eight  feet 
buckets  so  arranged  that  the  water  passed  from  one  wheel  to  the  other  in  suc- 
cession, the  water  being  used   three  times  before  leaving  the  building.     This 


6o2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

feature  in  water  power  was  considered  quite  an  innovation  and  advance  in  those 
days.  The  mill  at  that  time  was  considered  the  model  mill  of  the  state  and  was 
planned  by  Joseph  Qualtrough,  who  was  at  that  time  (1852)  foreman  for  Mr. 
Bradfield,  continuing  in  that  capacity  until  1869,  when  the  mill  passed  from 
John  Bradfield  to  Joseph  Putnam,  then  to  Wm.  A.  Brown  of  New  York  city, 
then  to  John  Smith,  and  finally  to  H.  L.  &  L.  C.  Pratt,  who  are  the  owners 
at  the  present  time.  It  was  burned  out  and  remained  idle  for  some  time  until 
it  was  occupied  as  a  machine  shop  during  1872  and  1873  by  Marvin  Otis  and 
since  April,  1874,  has  been  occupied  by  J.  S.  Graham  &  Co.,  as  a  machine  shop 
for  the  manufacture  of  wood-working  machiifiery.  John  Kane,  the  junior  part- 
ner of  Graham  &  Co.,  who  now  conduct  a  large  and  successful  business,  points 
with  pride  to  the  fact  when  a  boy  he  was  a  barrel  nailer  in  the  same  building. 

The  Phoenix  mill,  the  site  of  the  first  mill  built  on  the  lower  race,  has  been 
converted  into  machine  works  by  F.  P.  Michel,  who  purchased  the  property. 
The  Shawmut  mills,  conducted  by  Moses  B.  Seward,  James  M.  Whitney,  after- 
ward Whitney  &  Pond,  is  now  occupied  by  the  Van  de  Carr  spice  works.  The 
Granite  mill  was  built  by  H.  B.  Williams  in  1835,  owned  and  managed  by  Gen. 
Beach  and  H.  B.  Williams  until  1849.  Subsequent  owners  were  William  Rich- 
ardson, George  J.  Whitney,  Ely  Brothers  and  Jarvis  Lord  &  Son.  It  is  now 
converted  into  a  machine  storage  shop,  and  was  until  recently  used  in  the  pro- 
duction of  power  for  electric  lighting.  The  Revere  mill  was  built  by  Edmund 
Lyon  and  William  Churchill  in  1839,. and  in  1840  was  purchased  by  Joseph 
Field.  From  1850  to  1856  a  Boston  firm  were  partners  with  O.  L.  Angevine, 
who  commenced  as  clerk  for  Mr.  Field  in  1840.  In  1858  the  mill  was  sold  to 
the  D.  R.  Barton  tool  company.  The  ^Etna  mill  was  established  in  the  Curtis 
block,  corner  of  Main  and  Water  streets,  in  1849,  and  continued  to  1856,  Ben- 
jamin Hickok,  Thomas  Young  and  H.  N.  Herrick,  William  Pringle,  Hoyt  & 
Gould  and  O.  L.  Angevine  being  successive  owners.  The  Ontario  mill.  North 
Water  street,  was  conducted  from  1876  to  1880  by  G.  Wilson,  then  by  Wil- 
son &  Ashton.  The  Eagle  mill.  Race  street,  conducted  from  1881  to  1884  by 
Richardson  &  Niven,  ceased  to  exist  April  ist,  1884,  the  room  being  taken  by 
the  extension  of  E.  R  Andrews's  printing  business.  The  Central  mill,  J.  R. 
Pentecost  &  Co.  proprietors,  on  Main  street  {Democrat  &  Chronicle  building), 
was  burned  with  that  building  in  1874  and  rebuilt.     Operations  ceased  in  1882. 

The  development  of  wheat-growing  in  the  West  and  the  increased  trans- 
portation facilities  offset  the  reduced  acreage  in  Western  New  York.  With  the 
failures  of  the  local  crop,  notably  in  1853  and  1855,  it  became  imperative  to 
look  west  for  the  grain.  Michigan  commenced  to  produce  a  fine  grade  of 
white  wheat,  and  no  inconsiderable  amount  of  Canada  white  wheat  was  imported. 
Canal-boats  were  enlarged,  elevators  were  erected  and  the  shipments  of  wheat 
from  the  West  became  enormous.  A  severe  blight  upon  the  millers'  profits 
was  the  inforced  handling  and  sale  of  the  flour  by  New  York  commission  mer- 


Rochester  Manufactures. 


603 


chants,  while,  the  bulk  of  the  product  being  shipped  by  canal,  the  returns  upon 
the  same  were  speculative  and  uncertain;  rendered  more  so  by  the  opportunity 
afforded  the  commission  merchant  to  report  sales  or  "no  sales"  according  to  the 
fluctuations  of  the  market.  The  savings  and  earnings  of  a  lifetime  were  often 
swept  away  in  a  season  and  the  business  came  to  be  looked  upon  as  unsafe  and 
undesirable.  Following  this  state  of  things,  with  the  improvement  of  rail  ship- 
ment (which  it  was  expected  would  give  Rochester  millers  a  better  control  of  the 
marketing  of  their  own  flour),  came  the  most  unjust  discrimination  in  freight 
rates.  There  were  whole  seasons  when  flour  could  be  shipped  from  St.  Louis  to 
tidewater  for  one-fourth  the  cost  per  car  of  the  cost  from  Rochester.  St.  Louis  at 
this  stage  had  become  the  flour  city  of  the  country,  with  Minneapolis  crowding 
rapidly  to  the  front.  This  discouraging  state  of  affairs  brought  the  interest  to  a 
low  ebb  for  several  years.  Then  came  the  roller  process  of  making  flour,  which 
changed  the  whole  machinery  of  flour-making.  The  white  winter  wheat,  consid- 
ered so  necessary  for  the  production  of  first  quality  flour,  became  secondary  to 
the  spring  wheat  of  the  West  by  the  gradual  roll  process.  Burr  millstones  were 
put  aside  and  the  rolls  substituted.  This  developed  Minneapolis  as  the  first 
flour  city  of  the  world,  Rochester  dropping  to  third  in  rank.  All  this  time  the 
freight  discrimination  against  Rochester  continued.  But  farsighted  men  who 
were  still  "grinders  at  the  mill"  foresaw  the  possibility  of  freight  equalisation 
by  legislation  and  made  a  combined  move  in  that  direction,  which  succeeded 
in  the  second  year  of  the  effort.  Charles  S.  Baker,  the  city's  representative  at 
Albany,  is  deserving  of  credit  for  his  valuable  assistance.  The  detail  of  this 
move  and  its  results  is  a  history  of  itself  Meanwhile  the  new  process  was 
seized  upon  and  adopted  and  in  the  twenty  mills  of  the  present  day  nearly  all  are 
roller  mills,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  annexed  table,  showing  ownership,  process, 
and  capacity  in  barrels  per  day. 

OWNERSIIll'. 

Farley,  Ferguson  &  Wilson, 
Boardman,  Sherman  &  Co., 
Mosely  &  Motley, 


NAME. 

Whitney  Mill, 
Frankfort  Mills, 
Flour  City  Mills  (A), 
"       "        "      (B), 
Irving  Mills, 
People's  Mill, 
Washington  Mill, 
Jefferson  Mill, 
Arcade  Mills, 
Excelsior  Mill, 
Union  Mills, 
Empire  Mill, 
Hill  Mill, 
Crescent  Mills, 
Model  Mills, 
Ely  Mill, 


Stone  &  Campbell, 
George  Merz, 
J.  A.  Hinds, 
J.  G.  Davis  &  Son, 
Chase  &  Co., 
Elwood  &  Armstrong, 
James  Cornell, 
Gerling  Brothers, 
Joseph  H.  Pool, 
W.  S.  McMillan  &  Co., 
George  Wilson, 
James  Wilson  &  Co., 


'ROCF.SS. 

IIHLS.  PER  DIEM, 

Roller, 

250 

U 

200 

11 

250 

li 

250 

Stone, 

IOC 

a 

100 

Roller, 

225 

(( 

225 

(( 

200 

Stone, 

100 

(< 

100 

Roller, 

200 

it 

150 

n 

17s 

C( 

175 

l< 

200 

Total  daily  capacity -- 2,900. 


6o4  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

-■     I 

The  capacity  above  given  is  not  extreme  and  is  equivalent  to  the  present 
output.  There  is  no  better  machinery  in  the  world  than  that  of  the  Rochester 
mills  and  with  the  equalisation  of  freight  rates  and  no  disadvantages  in  the 
market  the  Rochester  product  now  stands  A  number  i  and  all  the  mills  in  the 
city  are  being  run  to  full  capacity,  with  but  slight  chance  for  discontinuance 
from  any  cause.  Herewith  given  is  a  condensed  sketch  of  the  separate  mills 
of  the  present  day. 

Whitney  mill,  Brown's  race,  built  by  Matthew  Brown  in  1826  and  run  by 
Warham  Whitney,  in  1841  by  George  J.  Whitney,  1850  by  John  Williams, 
1854  by  Williams  &  Whitney,  1853  by  G.  J.*Whitney,  1858  by  James  Gallery 
and  John  Williams,  1859  by  John  Williams  ;  1870  by  Joseph  H.  Pool,  and  in 
1874  it  was  purchased  by  the  present  proprietors,  Joseph  Farley,  jr.,  Alex.  Fer- 
guson and  David  C.  Wilson.  It  was  originally  a  four-stone  mill,  and  in  1882 
the  present  owners  changed.it  to  a  roller  mill  of  the  largest  capacity,  putting  in 
$22,000  worth  of  machinery. 

Frankfort  mill,  Brown's  race  —  rebuilt  in  i860  by  Rufus  W.  Main,  origi- 
nally Main  &  Chapman,  afterward  Smith  &  Chester,  now  Boardman,  Sherman 
&  Co.,  George  Motley  and  others  also  operated  the  mill  for  a  time. 

Flour  City  mills  A  and  B,  Brown's  race  —  two  very  large  later-day  mills, 
one  of  brick  and  one  of  stone,  both  erected  since  1875,  B  mill  on  the  site  of  the 
Boston  mill  (owned  by  James  ConoUy  and  burned  in  1867).  George  Motley 
and  Araunah  Mosely  were  the  founders  of  the  business,  Jirah  B.  Mosely  suc- 
ceeding his  father.  Charles  E.  Angle  and  E.  A.  Webster  are  members  of  the 
present  firm  of  Mosely  &  Motley.  These  mills  are  fitted  up  with  the  most  im- 
proved roller  appliances  for  both  winter  and  spring  wheat,  and  the  products  have 
a  large  local  as  well  as  outside  trade  with  unsurpassed  reputation  as  to  quality. 

Irving  mill.  Brown's  race — founded  in  1840,  successive  owners  J.  C.  Stone, 
E.  W.  Carr  &  Co.,  James  Campbell,  and  now  controlled  by  a  son  of  the  latter  and 
a  son  of  one  of  the  still  earlier  owners  under  the  firm  name  of  Stone  &  Camp- 
bell. It  is  devoted  to  products  for  the  local  trade,  including  rye  and  graham 
flour.  People's  mill,  Brown's  race  —  constructed  in  1857  by  E.  Bradfield,  after- 
ward run  by  George  Moulson  and  in  1872  purchased  by  George  F.  Merz. 
Washington  mill.  Brown's  race  —  erected  by  Hiram  Smith  in  1835,  present 
owner  J.  A.  Hinds.  Jefferson  mill.  Brown's  race  —  also  erected  in  1835  by 
Hiram  Smith,  and  conducted  by  him  for  many  years.  Jennings,  Davis  &  Co., 
Were  proprietors  in  1876,  and  J.  G.  Davis  &  Son  are  present  proprietors.  Ar- 
cade mills,  Aqueduct  street,  near  site  of  the  first  Allan  mill  and  old  Red  mill 
built  by  Nathaniel  Rochester  in  1821  ;  present  mill  built  in  1870  by  Chase,  Ford 
&  Smith ;  afterward  Chase  &  Smith  ;  Chase,  Bristol  &  Viele ;  now  Chase  & 
Bro.  Excelsior  mill.  Race  street  —  originated.  1876,  Elwood  &  Armstrong 
proprietors,  exclusively  custom. 

Union  mills,  North  Water  street  —  James  Cornell,  proprietor,   established 


RoCIIESTliR    MaNUFACTURKS.  605 

1 876,  exclusively  custom.  Empire  mill,  North  Water  Street  —  constructed  in 
1840  by  P.  W.  Jennings  as  a  tannery  and  warehouse  for  sale  of  hides  and  wool 
by  Erickson  &  Jennings.  M.  B.  Oviatt  converted  it  into  a  flouring  mill,  taking 
S.  L.  Oviatt  into  partnership.  In  1865  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Ellis  &  Ha- 
seltine  and  in  1872  was  bought  by  Jacob  and  Valentine  Gerling,  who  now  con- 
duct it.  Since  its  purchase  by  Gerling  Bros.,  it  has  been  converted  into  a  roller 
mill,  with  capacity  greatly  enlarged.  It  is  devoted  to  merchant  milling  and  also 
to  the  retail  trade. 

Hill  mill.  South  Water  street  (see  preceding  reference  to  C.  J.  Hill)  —  taken 
possession  of  by  Joseph  H.  Pool  in  October,  1878.  Mr.  Pool  conducted  the 
Granite  mill  from  '62  to  '68,  the  Jefferson  mill  from  '68  to  '71,  and  the  Whitney 
mill  from  '71  to  '75,  and  built  the  "B"  mill  purchased  by  J.  B.  Mosely.  Cres- 
cent mill  —  built  in  1835  by  Jacob  Graves  and  Thomas  Emerson.  In  1846  it 
was  sold  to  Gideon  W.  Burbank,  who  in  1870  transferred  it  to  George  W.  Car- 
penter and  Chauncey  Young  and  they  in  1871  sold  to  W.  S.  McMillan  &  Co., 
the  present  owners.  Model  mills,  South  Water  street  —  built  in  1849  by  Joseph 
Hall,  passed  into  the  hands  of  James  Wilson  .and  Stebbins,  Wilson  &  Ross, 
Smith  &  Elwood,  Wilson  &  Pond,  the  present  owner  George  Wilson,  taking 
possession  in  1878.  Ely  mills — rebuilt  in  1844  and  conducted  by  Bostwick 
&  Kennedy,  passing  into  the  hands  of  Aaron  Erickson,  who  sold  to  the  present 
owners,  James  Wilson  &  Co.,  George  Wilson  being  the  junior  partner.  The 
mill  was  burned  and  rebuilt  in  1872.  A  small  mill  on  Lake  avenue  known  as 
the  Hygienic  mills,  drawing  power  by  cable  from  the  lower  falls,  until  recently 
has  been  conducted  by  Kelly  &  Bennett,  and  now  by  Mr.  Bennett.  A  new 
mill  is  in  process  of  building  in  the  same  locality  for  Mr.  Kelly. 

The  business  contingent  upon  milling  flourished  apace,  cooperages,  stave 
mills,  millwrighting,  boat-building,  etc.  Among  the  earliest  coopers  were 
Ephraim  Moore,  John  Densmore,  Mark  Daniels,  S.  W.  D.  Moore,  the  Put- 
nam brothers,  John  Wall,  John  Daniels,  John  McKelvey  and  brothers,  W.  F. 
Sterritt,  W.  B.  Geddes,  Frank  Skuse  and  others.  Among  the  earliest  boat- 
builders  may  be  mentioned  James  Doolittle  and  Seth  C.  Jones.  General  A. 
W.  Riley  in  1834,  '35  and  '36  had  a  boat-yard  at  the  east  end  of  Court  street 
bridge.  Colonel  John  Histed  also  had  a  boat-yard  and  saw- mill  in  close  prox- 
imity, and  the  state  in  taking  the  ground  for  the  new  aqueduct  boug'ht  Col- 
onel Histed  out.  In  the  same  section  Jeremiah  Hildreth  and  Wm.  W.  Howell 
conducted  the  business.  As  early  as  the  spring  of  '27  Seth  C.  Jones  built  boats 
at  the  yard  now  bounded  by  the  Erie  canal  and  Allen  and  Warehouse  streets. 
Hildreth,  Howell  and  Ambrose  Cram  all  learned  their  trades  with  S.  C.  Jones. 
Ezra  Jones  was  associated  with  S.  C.  in  these  enterprises  and,  the  latter  retir- 
ing in  1848,  Ambrose  Cram  was  taken  in  as  partner.  In  1857  Henry  B. 
Knapp  took  the  place  of  Ezra  Jones,  and  this  partnership  continued  until  1867. 
From  '62  to  'dy  this  firm  had  two  yards  — the  Jones  yard  and  that  now  par- 


6o6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tially  occupied  by  the  Municipal  gas  works  at  the  junction  of  Canal  street 
and  West  avenue.  Charles  Magne  built  boats  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Whitney  elevator  in  an  early  day.  Joel  P.  Milliner  and  W.  Barron  Williams 
established  a  yard  at  Oak  street  in  1848,  and  continued  to  1851,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams retiring.  Robert  Barrett  succeeded  Mr.  Milliner  some  ten  years  later. 
An  event  of  considerable  moment  in  1850  was  the  construction  of  a  steamboat 
for  California  coast  service  at  the  Milliner  yard.  This  boat  was  made  in  sec- 
tions; was  about  22  feet  beam  ;  of  light  draft  and  was  shipped  to  California  in 
sections,  where  it  continued  in  service  a  long  time.  Zina  H.  Benjamin  was  a 
boat-builder  of  some  note  at  Canal  street  from  '48  to  '60.  The  Oothout  malt- 
house  is  the  site  of  the  early  Howell  boat-yard.  Lucius  Dubois,  William  W. 
Smith  and  George  Silence  were  followers  of  Howell,  who  was  the  brother  of 
Richard  Howell,  a  boat-builder  of  later  days.  Officer  John  Dana  of  the  Roch- 
ester police  force,  who  learned  his  trade  of  the  elder  Howell,  was  engaged  in 
boat-building  during  the  brisk  days  of  the  business.  Ex-mayor  Henry  L. 
Fish,  an  industrious  forwarder  for  many  years  ranging  from  1840  to  i860, 
says  that  though  not  a  boat-builder  he  built  one  hundred  boats  and  wore  them 
out.  Walter  Barhydt  was  a  successful  boat-builder  in  1847-58  in  a  yard  near 
Hill  street.  In  1837  Lars  Larson  had  a  dry  dock  and  boat-yard  on  Caledonia 
avenue,  where  West  Main  street  crosses  the  Erie  canal.  The  last  of  the  build- 
ers and  the  only  ones  of  any  particular  extent  were  Philip  J.  Meyer,  1 849-1 882, 
and  his  brother  C.  C.  Meyer,  i860— 1882.  They  followed  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  industry  and  were  among  the  latest  to  put  boats  on  the  Erie  canal.  A  sol- 
itary scow  for  transporting  brick  represents  the  interest  to-day,  for,  as  has 
been  before  stated,  the  facilities  for  shipment  by  rail  has  ruined  this  industry. 
The  erection  of  mills  called  for  services  of  the  millwright.  Prior  to 
1830  Robert  M.  Dalzell  was  depended  upon  for  the  several  mills  then  con- 
structed. He  was  the  first  to  supplant  the  old-fashioned  wooden  gearing  with 
iron.  Following  Dalzell  came  John  Eggleston,  Marcus  Jewell  and  John  Lutes, 
the  present  worthy  overseer  of  the  poor.  Lutes  came  to  Rochester  in  May, 
1835,  having  just  completed  service  on  the  first  railroad  in  America  from  Al- 
bany to  Schenectady,  a  wooden  tram  road.  He  worked  for  Dalzell  many 
years  and  in  1850  commenced  forhimself,  continuing  about  twenty  years.  Jo- 
seph Cowles,  Mill  street,  is  the  principal  millwright  of  the  present  day  and  has 
followed  the  business  twenty- five  years  or  more. 

THE    CLOTHING    INTEREST,    1820-1884. 

In  1820,  when  Canandaigua  was  a  place  of  much  more  importance  than 
Rochesterville,  Jehiel  Barnard  enjoyed  two  distinctions  —  one  of  being  the  first 
man  to  enter  matrimony  and  the  other  of  being  the  only  knight  of  the  shears 
in  the  place.  Soon  after  Patrick  Kearney  hung  out  a  sign  from  a  wooden 
building  on  State  street,  located  about  where  the  Flour  City  bank  now  stands. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  607 

This  sign  read :  "  Good  clothing  for  sale  cheap  here."  In  1822  Charles  Thomp- 
son, the  first  New  York  cutter,  dame  into  the  field  and  found  employment  with 
Mr.  Kearney.  This  was  sixty- two  years  ago,  and  Charley  still  sits  cross-legged 
in  the  Smith  block  and  plies  the  needle  and  shears.  At  the  time  Kearney 
flourished  there  were  three  houses  on  the  west  side  of  State  street  from  Bufifalo 
street  to  Ann  street  —  now  West  Main  and  Allen  streets.  Charles  Taylor  in 
1825  ventured  to  open  a  tailor-shop  on  the  site  of  the  Reynolds  arcade.  After 
that,  came  Stoddard,  Jennings,  Smith  &  Horin  (who  carried  on  a  large  business 
for  the  then  fast-growing  place),  George  Byington,  to  be  succeeded  by  an  after 
generation ;  Joseph  Kavanaugh,  W.  T.  Preston,  George  A.  Wilkin,  George 
Shelton  and  then  the  Front  street'  and  bridge  crowd,  including  Greentree,  Wile, 
the  Coxes,  Meyer,  Michaels,  Caufmann  and  others.  Meyer  Greentree  was  the 
founder  of  the  wholesale  manufacture  of  clpthing  about  1850.  He  was  closely 
followed  by  the  Seligmans,  Wiles,  Altmans,  Stettheimer,  Wollf  &  Bachman  and 
the  score  of  manufacturers  continuing  to  the  present  day.  Rochester  is  the 
fourth  city  in  rank  for  bulk  of  business,  following  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Chicago,  while  for  quality  and  make  of  goods  it  stands  decidedly  first.  The  in- 
vestment is  over  $3,000,000,  with  nearly  three  times  that  amount  in  buildings. 
The  annual  sales  are  $9,000,000,  and  $1,500,000  is  paid  for  labor,  feeding  15,- 
000  mouths.  Whole  streets,  notably  in  the  fifth,  sixth,  eleventh  and  thirteenth 
wards,  are  devoted  to  work  on  clothing,  and  there  is  a  system  of  sub- employ- 
ment where  from  fifteen  to  forty  persons  (including  in  many  cases  all  except  the 
the  extremely  young  members  of  a  family)  are  grouped  in  a  single  house,  work- 
ing with  machines  and  by  hand.  There  is  also  a  thorough  system  of  inspection 
of  work,  together  with  sufficient  local  rivalry  to  produce  the  best  goods  to  be 
found  in  the  market  anywhere.  This  is  evidenced  in  the  fact  that  Rochester 
clothing  sells  very  largely  in  the  great  clothing  centers.  There  are  a  dozen 
houses  with  sales  of  half  a  million  dollars  or  more  annually,  and  the  business 
formerly  centralised  in  Mill  street  but  within  the  past  three  years  has  divided, 
a  good  portion  moving  to  North  St.  Paul  street,  where  are  magnificent  build- 
ings devoted  to  the  interest.  It  is  a  great  interest  and  brings  a  considerable  and 
increasing  revenue  to  the  city. 

Simon  Hays  &  Sons,  Mill  street,  manufacturers  of  men's,  youths'  and  boys' 
clothing  (in  the  trade  there  is  a  distinction  between  youths  and  boys),  present 
firm  organised  in  December,  1883.     Between  300  and  400  hands  are  employed. 

Strouss,  Moore  &  Beirs  (Elias  Strouss,  Louis  W.  Moore,  Sigmund  Beir  and 
Isaac  J.  Beir);  partnership  was  formed  in  1876,  doing  business  on  Mill  street. 
In  1882  the  present  large  and  commodious  building  on  North  St.  Paul  street, 
built  by  Frank  Little,  was  taken.  Five  floors  are  occupied,  the  first  for  case 
goods  and  cutters,  the  second,  third  and  fourth  for  ready-made  goods  and  the 
fifth  for  manufacturing.  The  specialty  is  boys',  youths'  and  children's  clothing. 
Employment  is  given  to  500  or  600  hands  and  the  annual  sales  are  $500,000. 


6o8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Garson,  Meyer  &  Co.,  originating  in  1862  with  M.  Garson.  In  1870  Mo- 
ses Garson,  Theobald  Meyer  and  Morris  Meyer  organised  the  present  firm, 
which  moved  -in  1881  to  the  present  building  on  North  St.  Paul  street,  occu- 
pying, five  floors  and  giving  employment  to  between  400  and  500  hands  in  the 
manufacture  of  youths'  clothing. 

Weber,  Shell,  Rosenbaum  &  Co.  (Joseph  Weber,  Frank  J.  Shell,  Isaac  Ro- 
senbaum,  John  A.  Spiess) ;  location  on  Andrews  street,  organised  in  1881 ;  spe- 
cialty, boys' and  children's  clothing;  give  employment  to  250  hands.  Henry 
Schwartz  &  Co.,  Mill  street,  organised  in  1865  as  Schwartz  Bros.  &  Co. ;  a  spe- 
ciality of  fine  clothing  from  imported  fabrics  is  made  by  this  house ;  employ- 
ment 175.  Hays  &  Thalheimer,  Mill  street,  originating  with  M.  &  S.  Hays; 
specialty,  a  better  class  of  men's  and  boys'  clothing ;  employment  300. 

Michaels,  Koch  &  Co.,  Mumford  and  Front  streets ;  originating  with  Henry 
Michaels  in  1863.  This  house  is  one  of  the  largest,  occupying  a  magnificent 
building.  Full  lines  of  men's  and  boys'  clothing  are  manufactured  and  the  house 
does  not  market  in  New  York  city ;  employment  600  to  700. 

Cauffman,  Dinklespiel  &  Co.,  North  St.  Paul,  originating  in  1880,  formerly 
Cauffman,  Strouss  &  Co. ;  specialties,  fine  lines  of  men's,  youths'  and  boys' 
goods ;  employment  is  given  all  the  year  round  to  600  to  800  persons.  This  is 
exceptional,  as  most  houses  have  three  to  four  months'  cessation  between  sea- 
sons.    Market  for  goods  extends  as  far  west  and  south  as  Colorado  and  Texas. 

L.  Adler,  Bros.  &  Co.,  North  St.  Paul  street,  Lamberton  block,  have  just 
taken  the  store  recently  occupied  by  Gallagher,  Johnson  &  Co.  The  latter  firm 
went  out  of  business  this  spring,  and  L.  Adler  &  Co.  occupy  the  whole  of  this 
immense  double  building;  specialty,  youths',  boys'  and  children's  fine  clothing; 
wholesale  merchant  tailors  and  importers  of  woolens  and  tailors'  trimmings ; 
goods  manufactured  on  the  premises  as  well  as  outside ;  ernployment  800  to 
900.  Leiser  &  Weinberg,  Mill  street;  specialty,  youths',  boys'  and  childrens' 
wear;  employment  200.  A  former  member  of  this  firm  is  F.  S.  Leseritz, 
actuary  of  the  clothiers'  association  of  Rochester,  of  which  Simon  Stern  is 
president  and  J.  Michaels  is  secretary  and  treasurer.  Rosenberg,  Wolff  & 
Blum,  Mumford  and  Mill  streets;  organised  in  1864  under  name  of  Kolb, 
Rosenberg  &  Co. ;  specialty,  men's  fine  goods  only;  employment  350. 

Wile,  Brickner  &  Wile,  originating  from  Greentree  &  Wile,  the  first  retailers 
to  engage  in  wholesale  manufacture,  about  1850;  Mill  and  Mumford  streets; 
specialty,  men's  clothing  of  medium  and  better  grade ;  employment  800  to  900. 

Kolb,  McMahon  &  Best;  Mill  street,  specialty,  men's  wear.  The  senior 
member  of  this  firm,  Michael  Kolb,  was  one  of  the  early  retailers,  and  among 
the  pioneers  in  wholesale  manufacture;  employment  about  400. 

Stein,  Bloch  &  Co.,  North  St.  Paul  street;  specialty,  boys'  and  children's 
wear ;  employment  700  to  800.     This  house  and  that  of  Levi,  Adler  &  Co. . 
are  divisions  of  the  former  extensive  house  of  Stein,  Adler  &  Co.,  then  the  larg- 


Rochester  Manufactures.  609 

est  house  in  its  line  in  the  country.  Levy,  Schwartz  &  Co.,  North  St.  Paul 
street,  specialty,  men's  wear;  employment  500.  L.  Garson  &  Co.,  North  St. 
Paul  street ;  employment  not  stated. 

Joseph  W.  Rosenthal  &  Co.  was  the  first  house  to  locate  on  North  St.  Paul 
street  in  the  Archer  building,  corner  of  Mortimer  street,  carrying  on  a  very  ex- 
tensive business  in  boys'  and  children's  wear ;  employment  varying  from  600  to 
1,000.  The  partnership  now  is  J.  W.  Rosenthal  and  Max  Mock;  This  com- 
pletes the  list  of  manufacturing  clothiers,  with  the  exception  of  J.  A.  Briten- 
stool,  who  manufactures  pants  and  vests  exclusively,  on  Mill  street.  Besides 
the  interest  in  the  manufactures  in  Rochester,  many  of  the  firms  own,  control  or 
have  large  interests  in  extensive  clothing  stores  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
notably  the  Cleveland  clothing  house,  Cleveland,  Ohio ;  Excelsior,  Cleveland  ; 
Excelsior,  Baltimore,  Maryland  ;  Rochester  clothing  house,  Albany  ;  Excelsior, 
Saginaw,  Michigan ;  Model,  IndianapoHs,  Indiana ;  Garson's,  Denver,  Colo- 
rado. 

Rochester  clothing  is  shipped  to  every  state  and  territory,  and  to  every  city 
of  prominence  in  the  United  States. 

the  shoe  manufacturing  interest. 

The  four  greatest  shoe  manufacturing  cities  in  the  United  States  are  Lynn, 
New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Rochester.  Ranking  fourth,  Rochester  has  about 
$2,500,000  capital  employed  in  this  industry,  which  gives  employment  to  about 
5,000  persons ;  sales,  $6,500,000  annually.  While  not  so  large  a  business  is 
done  as  in  some  eastern  cities  —  for  instance,  Lynn,  Mass.,  with  its  200  manu- 
facturing firms  —  still,  Rochester  is  pushing  to  the  front  among  the  prominent 
cities  where  the  wholesale  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  affords  employment 
to  an  army  of  workers  of  both  sexes.  Perhaps  we  can  glorify  somewhat  on 
the  fact  that,  though  not  the  first  in  quantity,  our  goodly  city  acknowledges 
no  superior  in  the  quality  of  the  article  produced.  Western  dealers  hold  the 
work  of  our  prominent  manufacturers  in  such  high  esteem  that  they  display 
conspicuously  the  placard,  "  Rochester-made  shoes  sold  here,",  as  though  they 
would  indicate  to  their  customers  that  this  is  an  inducement  which  cannot  be 
gainsaid.  .  No  more  agreeable  hour  could  be  expended  than  that  occupied 
in  an  interview  with  one  of  the  old-time  shoemen  of  oiir  city,  who  are  still  dev- 
otees of  the  last,  and  who  can  give  points  upon  the  various  advances  made  in 
this  important  branch  of  the, industrial  arts,  step  by  step,  as  it  were,  from  the 
primitive  stoga  of  cow-hide  to  the  elegant  boot  of  to-day;  the  one  hammered 
out  by  all  hand  labor,  the  other  finished  throughout  by  machinery ;  the  one 
occupying  two  good  days  to  make;  and  the  other  turned  out  at  the  rate  of 
\  ,^00  pahs  per  diem.  There  are  those  in  our  midst  who  have  been  through 
all  the  phases  lying  between  these  two  extremes,  and  who  are  still  engaged  in 
the  trade  ;   men  who  have  lived  long  and  useful  lives  in   this   community,  and 


6io  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

who  are  entitled  to  the  escutcheon  which  gives  the  producer  the  only  rank 
known  in  this  country  of  civil  equality.  The  first  shoemaker  in  Rochester  was 
Abner  Wakelee,  1812,  and  soon  after  came  Jesse  Congdon  and  Wm.  I.  Han- 
ford.  Jesse  W.  Hatch,  who  worked  at  the  bench  in  Rochester  village  in  183 1, 
is  still  in  business  as  a  large  manufacturer  of  the  most  recent  invention  in  shoes, 
viz.,  an  all- machine-sewed  child's  shoe,  giving  flexibility  to  the  sole  and  pro- 
tection to  the  toe.  He  has  been  prominently  connected  with  a  great  number 
of  improved  methods  and  improved  machines.  At  a  county  fair  held  in  this 
city  (in  1853,  we  think)  the  Singer  sewing-machine  was  exhibited  with  regard 
to  its  adaptability  for  shoe  stitching,  and,  failing  to  work  satisfactorily,  it  was 
taken  to  Mr.  Hatch's  shop,  where  it  received  alteration  at  his  hands  which  led 
to  the  general  and  universal  introduction  of  sewing-machines  in  connection  with 
the  wholesale  manufacture  of  leather  work.  From  this  period  the  use  of  ma- 
chines received  an  impetus  of  wonderful  extent.^  Our  worthy  townsman  has, 
in  various  other  ways,  contributed  to  the  perfectionof  valuable  improvements  in 
the  art,  has  made  and  lost  a  great  deal  of  money,  has  given  employment  to 
thousands  of  hands,  and  with  the  same  tireless  energy  is  still  carrying  out  prac- 
tical projects,  with  every  promise  of  ultimate  success.  Besides,  he  has  lived 
to  see  his  only  three  sons  all  prosperously  engaged,  directly  and  indirectly,  in 
the  shoe  trade.  Surely,  when  he  lays  aside  the  busy  cares  of  this  life,  his 
reflections  must  be  of  a  pleasing  and  satisfactory  nature.  John  Cowles,  in 
early  years  connected  with  Mr.  Hatch,  established  a  reputation  as  clutter,  some 
time  before  the  Mexican  war  called  from  this  patriotic  city  its  quota  of  volun- 
teers. Henry  and  Lyman  Churchill  were  early  retailers  and  among  the  first 
to  engage  in  the  wholesale  manufacture.  Deacon  Oren  Sage,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  first  shoemen  in  Rochester.  Gen.  Jacob  Gould,  deceased,  was  a 
partner  with  Samuel  P.  Gould,  and  afterward  with  George  Gould,  long  before 
the  establishment  of  the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  bank,  of  which  the  general 
was  president.  The  late  John  Ailing  was  in  the  shoe  trade  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river  a  great  many  years  ago.  He  was  at  one  time  a  large  dealer,  but 
reverses  drove  him  back  to  the  bench  and  lapstone,  and  he  died  in  the  harness. 
S.  Y.  &  L.  H.  Ailing  kept  a  shoe  store  forty-five  years  ago,  where  Post's  drug 
store  is  now  located.  The  late  James  Vick,  of  prominence  in  the  floral  world, 
was  a  vender  of  boots  and  shoes  many  years  ago.  E.  H.  Grover  and  William 
Roades  were  among  the  pioneers  in  the  craft.  Ex-Mayor  Bradstreet  and  his 
brother,  N.  F.  Bradstreet,  were  in  the  trade  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago.  William  N.  Sage  has  been  for  many  years  identified  with  the  interest 
in  all  its  branches.  Ebenezer  T.  Oatley,  who  filled  the  position  of  city  assessor 
so  long  and  acceptably,  went  into  office  after  years  of  experience  in  the  shoe 
trade,  on  the  site  of  the  Elwood  Memorial  block.  The  late  Randall  Andrews, 
father  of  Eza  R.  Andrews,  lived  to  a  good  old  age  to  "  make  and  repair  "  for 

1  See  annexed  sketch  of  the  introduction  and  progress  of  shoe  manufacturing  machinery. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  6ii 

many  in  the  vicinity  of  Frankfort  who  have  been  long  since  gathered  to  their 
fathers.     His  name  brings  up  emotions  of  veneration  and  respect. 

Aside  from  the  fifty  wholesale  firms,  there  are  upward  of  fifty  retailers  who 
employ  help.  There  are  1 50  makers,  each  having  shops,  and  employing  more 
or  less  help.  Besides,  there  are  a  diversity  of  trades  adjunctive  to  the  shoe 
trade.  There  are  the  tanners,  the  leather  workers,  the  machine  makers,  the  die- 
cutters,  the  last-makers,  etc.  There  are  also  private  shops  and  "  teams  "  who 
make  for  one  shop  or  another,  that  would  not  be  counted  in.  In  1865  the  an- 
nual product  was  18,000  cases;  in  1871  it  was  80,600  cases,  and  now  the  pro- 
duct is  over  $6,000,000  worth.  Three  prominent  firms  aggregate  a  business 
of  over  $1,000,000  annually.  The  oldest  wholesale  manufacturing  house  is  that 
of  Pancost,  Sage  &  Morse,  dating  its  foundation  back  as  far  is  1826,  although 
the  wholesale  manufacture  was  not  commenced  until  1852.  This  house  sold 
out  in  January,  1884,  to  the  Huiscamp  Bros.,  large  manufacturers,  of  Keokuk, 
Iowa.     This  house  contracts  for  the  penitentiary  labor  of  about  150  hands. 

Hatch  Flexible  shoe  company,  river  front,  Andrews  street,  J.  W.  Hatch 
being  the  head  of  the  company,  has  a  specialty  of  children's  flexible  shoes,  with 
the  protection  toe,  made  under  a  Hatch  patent.  They  are  bought  and  sold  all 
over  the  country  and  are  made  under  royalty,  by  large  manufacturers  particu- 
larly in  the  East.  Associated  with  the  senior  is  Charles  B.  Hatch ;  direct  em- 
ployment is  given  to  one  hundred  hands. 

The  Hatch  patetit  crimper  company,  river  front,  is  conducted  by  A.  J.  & 
J.  L.  Hatch,  and  manufactures,  under  its  own  letters  patent,  what  is  known  as 
the  Hatch  Rochester  counter  —  a  crimped  waterproof  stiffening.  They  are  sold 
to  manufacturers  and  the  trade  in  them  increases  annually.  About  one  hun- 
dred hands  are  employed. 

Patrick  Cox  has  been  one  of  the  principal  wholesale  manufacturers,  on  North 
Water  street.  The  business  is  now  invested  in  the  "P.  Cox  shoe  manufactur- 
ing company,"  P.  Cox  president,  and  E.  Holland  secretary.  Employs  four 
hundred  and  fifty  hands  in  the  specialty  of  ladies',  misses'  and  children's  ma- 
chine-sewed shoes.     Nearly  $200,000  are  disbursed  annually  for  labor. 

A.  J.  Johnson  &  Co.  (J.  I.  Robin.s)  founded  by  A.  J.  Johnson  in  i860; 
Kidd  building.  Center  street,  where  350  hands  are  employed.  The  specialty 
is  ladies'  machine-sewed  shoes;  output  1,500  pairs  daily  and  capacity  2,000 
pairs.     The  principal  market  is  west  and  south. 

Reed  &  Weaver,  South  St.  Paul  street.  The  specialties  of  the  house  are 
ladies'  and  misses'  McKay  sewed,  Goodyear  welt  and  turned  shoes,  all  fine 
work  ;  employment  250  to  300  hands;'  principal  market  south  and  west. 

Wright  &  Peters,  North  Water  street ;  specialty,  ladies'  fine  shoes ;  em- 
ployment 250  hands;  market  general. 

D.  Armstrong  &  Co.,  North  Water  street ;  specialty,  ladies'  fine  shoes ;  em- 
ployment 100;  market  general. 


6i2  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

Williams  &  Hoyt,  North  Water  street,  originated  in  1873;  specialties,  boys', 
youths',  misses'  and  children's  machine- sewed  and  Goodyear  welts,  also  a  line  of 
children's  turned  shoes;  employment  300  to  350  hands  all  the  year  round,  with 
an  output  of  1,200  to  1,500  pairs  daily.  Williams  &  Hoyt  have  an  eastern 
salesroom  and  stock  depot  in  New  York,  where  the  trade  of  that  city,  Brooklyn 
and  all  the  surrounding  cities  and  towns  is  supplied. 

Byrnes,  Dugan  &  Hudson,  North  Water  street,  specialty,  boys',  youths', 
men's  and  children's  exclusively  fine  shoes;  employment  100  hands;  output 
400  to  500  pairs  each  day ;   market  general  with  branch  store  in  New  York. 

Brooks  &  Reynolds;  organised  in  1872;  specialty,  women's  and  misses' 
shoes;  employment  140  to  150  inmates  of  the  Western  New  York  reformatory 
(House  of  Refuge)  and  thirty  to  forty  outside ;  output  300  pairs  daily. 

Thomas  Bolton,  Andrews  street,  corner  Water,  originating  in  1872  with  Phe- 
lan  &  Bolton ;  specialty,  McKay  sewed,  hand-sewed  welts  and  hand-sewed 
turns ;  employment  260  to  300 ;  capacity  900  pairs  daily. 

Jeremiah  Phelan,  North  Water  street ;  specialty,  exclusively  fine  hand-turned 
ladies'  shoes;  employrtient  140  to  150  hands;  output  250  pairs  daily.  Market 
general  from  Portland,  Maine,  to  Portland,  Oregon. 

Curtis  &  Wheeler,  Mill  street,  originated  in  1870  with  George  Gould,  Son 
&  Co.;  specialty,  men's  and  women's  fine  goods,  Goodyear  welts;  employment 
250  to  300  hands;  output  600  pairs  daily. 

Cowles  Bros.  &  Co.  (E.  H.  and  E.  W.  Cowles  and  Thomas  Ashton),  Mill 
street ;  specialty,  misses'  and  children's  shoes  ;  employment  80  hands,  Behn 
&  Young,  corner  Water  &  Andrews  streets ;  specialty,  ladies'  and  misses'  ma- 
chine-sewed shoes ;  employment  70  hands. 

Wheeler  &  Smith,  Brown's  race  ;  specialty,  ladies'  machine  sewed  fine  shoes, 
employment  40  hands;  output  120  pairs  daily. 

J.  H.  Byrnes,  State  street;  specialty,  ladies',  misses'  and  children's  hand- 
turned  and  McKay  sewed  shoes ;  employment  200,  capacity  900  pairs  daily. 

L.   E.   Dake  is  a  manufacturer  for  the  trade  in  the  Beehive  building. 

A.  C.  Eastwood,  corner  Mill  and  Factory  streets ;  specialty,  men's,  boys' 
and  youth's  fine  shoes ;   employment  60  hands. 

Goodger  &  Naylor,  North  Water  street  ;•  specialty,  ladies'  hand-turned, 
hand  welt  and  McKay  sewed  fine  shoes;  employment  120 hands;  output  200 
pairs  daily.     Mr.  Goodger  commenced  shoe  manufacturing  in  1858. 

Griffin  &  Hoyt  are  manufacturers  of  children's  turned  shoes  on  West  Main 
street. 

Hason  &  Ratelle  are  manufacturers  of  men's  fine  boots  and  shoes,  hand  and 
machine-sewed  ;   corner  Water  and  Andrews  streets. 

Hough  &  Ford,  State  street ;  specialties,  ladies',  misses'  and  children's  hand 
and  machine-sewed  shoes ;  employment  200  hands. 

H.  Howard  &  Co.,  River  street ;  specialty,  machine  and  hand-sewed  ladies' 
fine  shoes  ;    employment  75  hands,  capacity  200  pairs  daily. 


Rochester  Manukactukes.  613 


Hennessy  Shoe  company,  South  St.  Paul  street;  T.  Hennessy,  president, 
W.  M.  Purcell,  secretary ;  specialty,  ladies'  and  misses'  hand  and  machine- 
sewed  shoes ;  employment  75  hands,  capacity  250  pairs  per  day. 

John  Kelly,  corner  Water  and  Andrews  street^s,  established  1872;  spe- 
cialties, ladies',  misses'  and  children's  McKay  sewed,  Goodyear  welt  and  hand- 
turned  fine  shoes;  employment  160  hands,  Mr.  Kelly  is  one  of  the  earliest  of 
the  later-day  manufacturers, 

Levis  &  Broxholm,  North  Water  street,  employ  about  twenty-five  opera- 
tives in  turning  out  ladies'  and  misses'  McKay  sewed  shoes. 

Eugene  McEntee  employs  about  the  same  number  in  the  same  line  as 
above,  on  River  street. 

Robinson  &  Cole,  corner  Court  and  South  St.  Paul  streets ;  specialties, 
misses'  and  children's,  boys  and  youths'  machine-sewed  and  standard  (screw) 
fastened  shoes ;  employment  forty  to  sixty-five  hands  ;  capacity  200  to  300 
pairs  per  day ;   market  general. 

Ross,  Levis  &  Pfeiffer,  South  St;  Paul  street;  specialties,  ladies',  men's 
and  children's  fine  shoes,  hand-welt,  hand-turned  and  McKay  sewed ;  em- 
ployment 60  hands.  L.  P.  Ross,  of  this  firm,  has  for  years  conducted  a 
large  jobbing  trade  on  State  street.  His  sales  closely  approximate  a  million 
dollars  annually. 

D.  H.  Westbury  &  Co.  and  Boor  &  Co.  are  likewise  wholesale  manufactur- 
ers of  average  capacity. 

The  Rochester  Shoe  company,  John  Vogt  president,  manufacture  misses' 
and  children's  fine  shoes  on  River  street ;  capital  stock  $20,000. 

C.  R.  Richards,  web  slipper  and  insole  manufacturer,  North  Water  street; 
business  established  in  1874;  this  is  the  largest  web  slipper  factory'  in  the 
United  States;  capacity  5,000  cases  or  500,000  pairs  per  annum.  Mr.  Dick- 
inson, a  former  partner,  is  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  a  superior  grade 
of  men's,  women's,  misses',  children's,  boys'  and  youths'  cork  and  imitation 
cork  insoles ;  capacity  100,000  dozen  a  year.  The  trade  is  exclusively  whole- 
sale with  the  principal  jobbers  of  boots,  shoes  and  findings  throughout  the 
entire  country.  There  is  also  a  trade  with  Canada,  England,  France  and  Ire- 
land. Employment  is  given  to  fifty  operators.  Mr.  Richards,  who  is  a  na- 
tive of  Rochester,  has  been  in  the  business  upward  of  fifteen  years. 

The  Rochester  Slipper  company  (Henry  Utz  and  William  Dunn)  gives 
cniployment  to  about  100  operatives  in  the  manufacture  of  slippers. 

James  H.  Phelan,  corner  of  Furnace  and  State  streets,  manufactures 
hand  and  machine-sewed  shoes ;  employment  thirty  to  fifty  men  ;  he  has 
for  a  number  of  years  also  conducted  a  retail  business  in  Mumford  street. 

Hooker,  Gardner  &  Co.,  river  front ;  established  in  1877;  specialty,  men's 
hand  and  machine-sewed  fine  shoes ;  employment  forty  to  fiftj'  men ;  out- 
put  125  pairs  daily. 


6 14  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Williams  &  Merrill  established  in  1822  the  tannery  on  North  Water  street, 
which  in  1855  passed  into  the  hands  of  S.  Y.  &  L.  H.  Ailing,  the  former  of 
whom  has  been  an  active  business  man  in  Rochester  sixty-three  years.  The 
firm  conduct  a  large  tannery  at  Campbell,  Steuben  county,  where  are  tanned 
annually  15,000  hides. 

J.  K.  Hunt,  North  Water  street,  established  in  1870,  has  built  up  an 
immense  business  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  boxes,  principally  shoe  boxes, 
having  almost  a  monopoly  of  this  work  for  the  shoe  factories  of  Rochester. 

Colonel  S.  S.  Eddy,  North  Water  street,  conducts  quite  an  extensive  busi- 
ness in  the  manufacture  of  morocco,  established  by  him  in  1869. 

The  early  tanners  of  Rochester  were  Jacob  Graves,  R.  Trenaman,  P.  W. 
Jennings,  L.  &  H.  Churchill,  S.  Y.  &  L.  H.  Ailing  and  Austin  Cross.  Oliver  M. 
Cross  &  Sons  and  W.  H.  Cross  are  successors  to  the  elder  Cross,  Front  street, 
in  leather  belting,  the  scraps  from  which  are  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
leather  board  and  shoe  heels.  The  shoe  manufacturing  of  Rochester  does  not 
now  call  for  local  tanneries,  and  all  the  manufacturers  import  their  stock  from 
the  principal  manufacturing  centers.  The  only  extensive  tannery  now  in  Roch- 
ester is  that  of  J.  C.  Lighthouse,  extensive  manufacturer  of  United  States  mail 
bags,  and  horse  collars.  Mr.  Lighthouse's  business  is  of  sufficient  extent  and 
importance  to  receive  extended  mention. 

The  original  last-maker  of  Rochester  was  Horace  Wing,  who  established  in 
the  Curtis  block  on  East  Main  street  and  the  river  in  1822.  In  1832  W.  W. 
Shepard  learned  the  trade  of  Wing,  and  followed  the  business  continuously  until 
the  present  day  and  now  carries  on  a  shop  on  North  Water  street,  nestled  among 
the  shoe  houses.  Mr.  Shepard  has  seen  all  of  the  few  changes  in  the  process 
of  last- making  in  the  fifty- two  years  he  has  followed  it.  He  has  the  modern 
automatic  last  turner  and  special  appliances  that  his  own  experience  has  sug- 
gested. 

John  Dufner  is  also  one  of  the  old  last-makers  of  Rochester,  though  not 
dating  baclc  quite  so  far  as  Mr.  Shepard.  He  now  carries  on  an  extensive  busi- 
ness on  South  St.  Paul  street,  under  the  firm  name  of  John  Dufner  &  Son. 
Thomas  and  Charles  Boddy  are  last-makers  in  the  Stewart  building.  The  shoe 
factories  also  call  for  the  work  of  the  die-cutter  and  the  case-maker,  who  will 
be  mentioned  under  other  headings. 

The  following  is  a  condensed  sketch  of  the  introduction  and  progress  of 
shoe-making  machinery,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  John  W.  Banker : — 

"The  first  pegging  machine  was  used  in  1859  at  the  penitentiary,  by  L.  &  H. 
Churchill,  contractors  for  women's  shoes.  The  first  McKay  sewing-machine  was  started 
in  1863  by  Pancost,  Sage  &  Morse.  It  was  used  for  sewing  women's  shoes,  and  was 
chained  and  locked  when  the  operator  was  not  using  it.  J.  W.  Hatch  and  the  Churchill's 
soon  adopted  it  in  improved  form.  It  has  since  been  greatly  improved.  The  old  peg- 
ging machine  gave  way  to  the  New  Era  spring-pegger  and  to  the  New  Era  cam-pegger. 
Then  came  the  McKay  heeler  used  by  J.  W.  Hatch  in  1866.     An  improvement  upon 


Rochester  Manufactures.  615 

this  was  adopted  by  J.  T.  Stewart  and  afterward  by  Johnson,  Jaquith  &  Reed.  At  that 
time  it  would  shave  but  300  pairs  per  day,  but  with  the  Power  shaving  attachment  it 
now  does  700  pairs  per  day.  Then  came  the  rotary  heel-trimmer  used  by  J.  W.  Hatch  in 
i86g.  It  is  now  called  the  King  trimmer.  Next  came  the  soap-stone  heel  burnisher, 
the  Tabley  hot  kit  burnisher,  on  which  subsequent  improvements  were  made,  enabling  it 
to  do  300  pairs  daily  ;  adopted  by  all  shoe  men.  The  next  machine  of  importance  was 
the  Union  edge-setter,  for  burnishing  the  edges  of  Soles.  It  was  first  used  by  A.  J.  John- 
son &  Co.,  in  1871  ;  capacity  250  pairs  daily  and  used  on  fine  or  coarse  work.  This  • 
was  replaced  in  1881  by  the  "puzzle"  edge  trimmer,  which  is  in  use  in  all  the  factories. 
The  McKay  sewing-machine  is  improved  so  it  will  sew  600  pairs  per  day  and  is  in  use 
in  all  sewed  shoe  factories  for  sewing  soles  on  the  uppers.  A  "channeler"  goes,  with  it 
and  is  essential  to  its  use.  The  cable  screw  wire  nailing  machine  was  adopted  by  Johnson 
&  Co.  in  1874.  The  latest  valuable  machines  are  the  Goodyear  welt,  first  introduced  by 
Cowles,  Curtis  &  Co.,  in  1879,  and  now  in  general  use.  It  produces  an  exact  imitation 
of  the  best  hand-sewed  shoe.  Hundreds  of  men  are  employed  on  the  above-mentioned 
machines  and  have  become  experts,  who  know  nothing  of  other  parts  of  shoe  manufac- 
tures. There  are,  besides,  the  machinery  of  the  fitting-room,  the  ordinary  sewing-ma- 
chines, revolving  .sole-cutters,  button-hole  machines,  etc.'' 

IRON  AND   OTHER   METALS — MACHINERY. 

It  is  quite  likely  that  the  interest  connected  with  the  uses  of  iron  in  Roch- 
ester manufactures  outweighs  in  importance  that  of  any  of  the  special  industries 
heretofore  mentioned.  There  has  been  a  gradual  and  uniform  growth  which 
has  more  than  kept  pace  with  the  population,  and  there  are  no  local  causes  for 
variation.  Manufactures  in  this  branch  took  on  something  of  a  boom  in  1882 
by  the  removal  of  the  freight  discrimination  which  so  materially  affected  the 
milling  interests.  The  same  water  power  that  drives  the  mills  is  useful  for  the 
shops,  factories  and  foundries  that  are  sprinkled  along  the  upper  and  lower  race- 
ways, and  in  the  stretch  along  Brown's  race  the  power  is  cabled  for  no  inconsider- 
able distance.  The  iron  interest  is  valuable  to  Rochester  in  more  senses  than  one, 
and  in  one  particular  sense  that,  with  the  excellent  facilities  for  obtaining  iron 
and  coal,  the  value  is  created  from  the  raw  material — i.  e.,  $100  worth  of  iron 
might  be  used  for  making  a  machine  many  times  that  amount  in  value.  This 
idea  does  not  obtain  with  flour,  with  clothing  or  with  shoes.  The  actual  pros- 
perity of  Rochester,  then,  is  more  effectively  enhanced  by  the  iron  and  its  at- 
tendant industries,  because  there  is  less  of  an  outgo  for  the  raw  material  and 
more  of  an  income  for  the  product.  The  early  knights  of  Vulcan  in  Rochester 
were  Lewis  Selye,  Martin  Briggs,  C.  H.  Bicknell,  D.  R.  Barton  and  Aaron 
Erickson,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  Selye,  when  he  first  came  to 
Rochester  in  1 824,  had  a  shop  where  the  Democrat  &  Chronicle  ofiSce  now  stands. 
The  principal  ironwork  of  that  day  was  the  making  of  mill  irons  and  scythes. 
In  1832  Mr.  Selye  began  the  manufacture  of  fire  engines  at  the  Selye  buildings, 
now  occupied  by  the  Judson  pin  works  and  Kelly  lamp  works.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded  by  Israel  Angell,  who  commenced  working  for  Mr.  Selye  in   1830. 


6i6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Afterward  Angell  formed  a  partnership  with  Lewis  Kenyon  until  1850.     After- 
ward the  firm  became  Angell  &  Son. 

Martin  Briggs  opened  a  business  of  iron  railings  at  an  early  day,  taking  on 
the  manufacture  of  safes,  and  building  up  a  very  extensive  business,  which  is 
still  carried  on  by  his  son,  Hamlet  S.  Briggs.  Kempshall  &  Bush  established 
a  foundry  and  furnace  on  the  site  of  the  present  Rochester  car-wheel  works, 
next  north  of  the  Jones  cotton  mill.  Seth  C.  &  Ezra  Jones  established  a  foundry 
a  slight  remove  to  the  north  on  Brown's  race.  Alcott  &  Watts  had  a  furnace 
on  Exchange  street  in  the  building  called  "the  circus" — because  it  was  built 
for  a  permanent  circus  —  which  still  stands'and  which  was  subsequently  used 
many  years  ago  as  a  foundry  by  J.  M.  French  &  Co.  The  first  stove-founders 
in  Rochester  who  made  a  business  of  shipping  their  wares  were  Henry  Bush 
and  Bro.,  on  West  Main  street,  site  of  Babcock's  coal-yard,  and  V.  R.  Rowe, 
the  founder  of  the  Cheney  furnace  on  St.  Paul  street.  The  furnace  of  Kemp- 
shall  &  Bush  passed  into  the  hands  of  Wm.  Kidd  in  1836.  Mr.  Kidd  was  an 
enterprising  young  merchant  in  Rochester.  He  established  the  machine-shop 
now  occupied  by  Wm.  Gleason,  and  with  C.  H.  Chapin,  his  son-in-law,  con- 
tinued the  Kidd  foundry  and  steam  engine  company.  The  name  was  after- 
ward changed  to  "Kidd  iron  works."  In  I871  Wm.  Gleason  became  a  stock- 
holder and  superintendent  of  the  works  and  in  '74  he  purchased  the  business  of 
the  machine-shop.  He  employs  from  sixty  to  seventy  hands  and  his  specialty 
is  the  manufacture  of  machinists'  tools.  His  work  is  largely  sought  for  in  large 
manufacturing  centers  and  he  is  constantly  changing  and  improving  his  patterns 
and  devices.  He  owns  a  number  of  patents  on  improved  machinery  and  his 
work  is  of  the  most  substantial  nature.  His  theory  is  and  has  been  that  iron 
machinery  can  not  be  made  too  strong  or  heavy,  and  within  the  past  five  years 
machinery  has  come  to  be  fifty  per  cent,  heavier  for  the  same  class  of  work. 
Mr.  Gleason  was  an  active  participant  in  the  effort  to  remove  freight  discrimi- 
nation. 

The  most  extensive  establishment  in  Rochester  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
building  of  horizontal  stationary  engines  and  boilers  is  that  of  Woodbury, 
Booth  &  Pryor,  whose  extensive  shops,  located  on  Mill  street,  consist  of 
a  number  of  substantial  buildings  erected  by  the  firm  and  perfectly  adapted  to 
their  business.  The  most  important  of  these  are  the  machine-shop,  a  three- 
story  stone  structure,  the  stone  boiler-shop,  with  a  brick  annex,  the  foundry, 
the  pattern  shop  and  the  blacksmith  shop.  The  products  of  the  works  are  hor- 
izontal stationary  steam  engines  and  boilers  which  enjoy  a  high  national  repu- 
tation. These  are  made  in  a  number  of  sizes,  in  a  thoroughly  workmanlike 
manner,  of  the  best  materials  and  with  strict  regard  to  true  mechanical  prin- 
ciples. These  works  have  produced  over  200,000  horse  power  of  horizontal 
stationary  engines  and  boilers,  which  have  been  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  and  in  every  instance  have  justified  all  claims  made  for  them  by  the 


Rochester  Manufactures.  617 

manufacturers.  This  house  was  founded  in  1851  by  D.  A.  Woodbury,  and  it 
has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  Empire  state. 
The  individual  members  are  D.  A.  Woodbury,  Jas.  E.  Booth  and  Henry  H. 
Pryor;  this  was  the  first  establishment  in  the  world  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
making  of  such  work  a  thoroughly  systematic  manufacturing  business.  It  also 
led  in  the  introduction  of  the  horizontal  cylindrical  boiler  with  tubular  return 
flues,  a  type  of  boiler  that  has  been  growing  in  popularity  ever  since  they  were 
introduced.  These  parties  advocated  from  the  commencement  a  short  stroke 
engine  with  high  rotative  speed,  features  which  have  also  had  a  continuous 
growth  in  the  estimation  and  practice  of  engineers. 

The  Rochester  iron  manufacturing  company  was  incorporated  January  ist, 
1 868,  capital  stock  $200,000.  The  company  has  an  extensive  blast  furnace  at 
Charlotte.  Subsequently  Henry  C.  Roberts,  an  extensive  coal  miner,  shipper 
and  dealer  of  Rochester,  obtained  possession  of  the  furnace  and  it  has  been  suc- 
cessfully conducted  since,  a  new  stock  company,  capital  $100,000,  having  been 
formed.  The  ores  come  from  Canada  and  Wayne  county,  and  the  output  is 
20,000  tons  annually.. 

The  Co-Operative  Foundry.  —  No  little  public  interest  has  been  evinced  in 
this  institution,  and  its  progress  from  incipiency  through  subsequent  years,  in- 
volving, up  to  the  date  of  the  compilation  of  this  work,  nearly  two  decades, 
has  probably  attracted  as  much  attention. as  that  of  any  other  single  enterprise 
in  the  city.  What  occasioned  this  concern  requires  no  sophistry  to  explain  to 
the  most  casual  observer.  The  system  of  cooperation  has  been,  in  the  minds 
of  many,  the  plan  which  might  finally  tend  to  harmonise  the  apparently  con- 
flicting interests  of  capital  and  labor,  and  therefore  the  success  or  failure  of  this 
institution  was  thought  by  not  a  few  to  predicate  either  a  great  increase  in  the 
number  of  similar  enterprises,  or  their  abandonment  altogether.  The  result, 
however,  has  not  tended  to  encourage  the  organisation  of  many  concerns  on  a 
.similar  basis,  possibly  because,  although  the  Co-Operative  Foundry  company 
has  met  with  unprecedented  success,  many  other  cooperative  societies  in  other 
sections  of  the  country  failed  entirely  to  obtain  this  hoped-for  result.  The  Co- 
operatives organised  and  were  incorporated  in  the  summer  of  1867  with  a  paid- 
in  capital  of  $30,000  and  purchased  the  John  M.  French  foundry  on  Hill 
street,  which  was  more  familiarly  known  as  the  old  Novelty  Works  property, 
where  they  have  since  conducted  the  manufacture  of  stoves.  Henry  Cribben 
—  now  one  of  the  largest  manufacturers  of  foundry  products  in  Chicago,  Ill- 
inois, was  president,  and  John  O'Donaghue  secretary.  Nicholas  Brayer  was  and 
has  since  been  the  superintendent,  although  succeeding  Mr.  Cribben  in  the  pres- 
idency in  1873.  The  office  of  secretary  and  treasurer  has,  since  1869,  been  filled 
by  the  present  incumbent,  E.  W.  Feck.  The  employees  of  the  company  original- 
ly numbered  fifty,  all  being  stockholders.  The  number  is  now.  200,  although 
only  about  the  original  number  remain  as  stockholders,  no  discrimination  being 


6i8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

made  against  employment  of  those  not  financially  interested.  The  capital 
has  increased  to  $100,000,  and  a  contingent  fund  has  been  accumulated  in  ad- 
dition thereto  of  some  $70,000.  The  future  of  this  organisation  bids  fair  to  be 
as  favorable  as  the  past,  and  to  be  productive  of  benefit  to  its  members  and  of 
credit  to  the  city. 

J.  S.  Graham  &  Co.,  Mill  street  and  Brown's  race,  are  manufacturers  of 
wood-working  machinery  for  use  in  planing  and  molding  mills,  sash,  blind  and 
door  factories,  furniture  and  piano  establishments,  agricultural  and  car  works, 
comprising  a  complete  line  of  planing  and  matching,  and  surfacing  machines, 
re-sawing  machines  and  sawing  machines  of  various  kinds  and  sizes,  variety 
molding  machines,  power  feed  molders,  wood-turning  lathes,  tenoning,  mortis- 
ing machines,  etc.  The  firm  is  composed  of  J.  S.  Graham  and  John  Kane, 
both  practical  engineers  and  machinists  of  Hfelong  practical  experience,  and 
their  machines  are  classed  the  best  built  in  the  United  States  as  regards  design 
and  construction  in  all  the  details  and  for  rapid  production  of  the  various  kinds 
of  work  for  which  the  machines  are  intended.  They  build  the  largest  planing 
and  matching  machines  in  the  country,  weighing  six  tons  and  over.  They  also 
build  the  widest  planing  machines  in  the  world,  used  for  the  purpose  of  plan- 
ing sounding-boards  (sixty  inches  wide)  for  pianos.  These  machines  combine 
many  patents,  improvements  and  valuable  features  not  to  be  found  in  those  of 
any  other  manufacturer.  The  market  for  this  machinery  extends  from  Maine 
to  Washington  territory,  and  occasionally  to  foreign  countries.  The  Mechan- 
ical Engineers'  association  of  England  complimented  Graham  &  Co.  on  exhib- 
iting what  they  called  "  the  best  type  of  American  wood-working  machinery  " 
at  the  centennial  exhibition,  and  asked  for  drawings- showing  the  principal 
features,  which  were  afterward  copied  in  England.  They  were  also  compli- 
mented by  the  mechanical  commission  of  Sweden  and  Denmark  in  the  same 
manner.  The  founder  of  this  house  left  the  work  bench  for  the  war,  at  the 
close  of  which  he  resumed  the  business.  John  Kane  is  the  junior  partner; 
about  50  men  are  employed. 

Little,  Heughes  &  Rowe  is  the  firm  conducting  the  Cheney  furnace  on 
South  St.  Paul  street,  founded  by  V.  R.  Rowe  in  1839,  afterward  Cheney, 
Hunter  &  Rowe.  Frank  W.  Little  and  F.  L.  Heughes  are  the  partners  at  the 
present  writing ;  employment  is  given  to  about  50  hands.  The  business  is 
that  of  general  foundry  and  architectural  castings,  columns,  etc.  F.  L.  Heughes 
was  the  contractor  for  600  tons  of  castings  for  the  Powers  Hotel,  the  work  of 
the  new  iron  viaduct  on  North  Water  street,  etc. 

J.  Emory  Jones  is  the  successor  of  his  father  in  the  Jones  foundry  and  has 
conducted  the  business  for  twelve  years.  Attached  to  the  foundry  is  a  large 
machine-shop  where  contract  work  is  done.  He  enjoys  the  advantages  derived 
from  this  combination  and  has  a  very  valuable  plant.  About  75  men  are  em- 
ployed and  the  output  is  about  ten  tons  daily. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  6ig 

N.  H.  Galusha  has  an  extensive  foundry  in  Court  street,  which  was  estab- 
lished by  Joseph  Hall  about  1840.  It  was  afterward  run  by  Kidd  &  Co.,  and 
in  1857  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Galusha;  specialty,  stoves  and 
ranges;   employment  100  men. 

Connell  &  Dengler,  corner  of  Furnace  arid  Mill  street,  organised  in  1867  ; 
specialty,  everything  in  the  line  of  later-day  wood-working  machinery ;  em- 
ployment 35  men. 

The  Rochester  axle  company  have  a  large  shop  at  the  junction  of  East 
Main  street,  Goodman  street  and  the  railroad,  where  carriage  axles  are  the  sole 
article  of  manufacture.  The  goods  are  in  local  and  foreign  demand  and  find 
ready  sale.  H.  H.  and  J.  H.  Sperry  and  E.  W.  Williams  are  the  partners ; 
employment  40  to  50  men. 

The  Eureka  steam-heating  company  (H.  E.  Light),  located  at  the  corner 
of  Piatt  and  State  streets ;  use  200  by  100  feet  of  space  in  the  manufacture  of 
steam- heating  apparatus,  generators,  radiators,  etc.;  employment  100  men; 
the  product  is  shipped  to  all  the  principal  cities  in  the  country. 

The  Sill  stove  works  —  James  Brackett,  president;  Frederick  Will,  secre- 
tary —  are  located  on  Oak  street  near  its  intersection  by  the  Charlotte  railway. 
This  industry  originated  with  Mr.  Sill,  about  1854,  on  West  Main  street.  In 
1879  the  present  company  was  organised;  specialty,  stoves  and  ranges;  em- 
ployment 1 50  hands.     The  establishment  is  a  very  complete  one  in  all  respects. 

F.  P.  Michel  manufactures  machinists'  tools  on  Brown's  race  at  the  foot  of 
Piatt  street  (the  site  of  the  first  mill  erected  on  Brown's  race  in  1820),  the  pres- 
ent building  being  the  old  Phoenix  mill  which  was  burned,  and  afterward  re- 
constructed by  Mr.  Michel.  The  business  originated  in  1864,  and  in  1868  F. 
P.  Michel  became  sole  owner;  employment  35  hands. 

The  Rochester  machine  tool  company  (G.  W.  Davison,  E.  R.  Bryant,  J.  Buck- 
ley and  Elias  Mapes) ;  specialties,  drills,  cutters,  planers,  etc. ;  location  Brown's 
race,  foot  of  Furnace  street.  L.  S.  Graves  &  Son,  Center  square,  occupy  a 
large  building  built  on  the  site  of  Trinity  church,  corner  of  Frank  and  Center 
streets,  specially  for  the  rapidly  growing  business  of  this  house.  The  specialty 
is  freight  and  passenger  elevators,  for  which  Graves  &  Son  have  a  national  rep- 
utation. The  business  was  established  in  1863  by  L.  S.  Graves.  A  good  por- 
tion of  the  hydraulic  elevators  in  use  in  business  places  in  Rochester  were  built 
by  Graves  &  Son.  Coupled,  with  the  business  is  also  a  department  for  the 
manufacture  of  shafting,  pulleys  and  hangers;  employment  35  hands. 

The  AUden  &  Lassig  bridge  and  iron  works  were  founded  in  East  Roches- 
ter, contiguous  to  the  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  railroad,  in  1872,  by 
Thomas  Leighton,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the  opening  of  this  chapter. 
Mr.  Leighton  came  to  Rochester  as  early  as  1855  and  was  always  engaged  in 
bridge-building.  For  a  term  of  years  the  firm  was  Fowler  &  Leighton  ;  subse- 
quently Mr.  Leighton  established  the  above  works  and  remained  in  business 
40 


620  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

until  1882.  Upon  retiring,  the  works  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  above  firm. 
The  firm  manufacture  railway  and  highway  bridges,  iron  viaducts,  trestles,  plate 
girders,  roofs,  turn-tables  and  iron  water  pipe.  The  iron  bridge  over  the  Con- 
necticut river  at  Springfield  was  made  at  these  works.  They  have  executed 
much  work  for  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad,  and  built  many  bridges 
and  viaducts  for  the  new  West  Shore  railroad,  from  New  York  to  Buffalo.  In 
addition  to  these,  extensive  contracts  have  been  executed  for  the  Delaware  & 
Hudson  Canal  company,  Boston  &  Maine,  New  York  Central  and  many  other 
railway  companies.  Portions  of  the  roof  and  the  iron  tower  of  the  houses  of  par- 
liament at  Ottawa,  Canada,  are  from  these  works.  The  members  of  the  firm  are 
J.  F.  Alden  and  Moritz  Lassig.  The  former  is  a  resident  of  this  city,  and  the 
latter  resides  at  Chicago.  Mr.  Alden  was  for  a  number  of  years  the  chief  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  the  works,  before  the  organisation  of  the  present  firm. 
Employment  400  to  500  hands. 

Goggin  &  Knowles,  East  Main  street,  junction  of  Stillson,  established  1877, 
are  manufacturers  of  ornamental  work  for  buildings,  including  cornices,  finials, 
weather  vanes,  crestings,  ventilators,  window  and  chimney  caps,  gutters  and  con- 
ductors, hip  and  ridge  moldings,  tin,  iron,  copper  and  slate  roofing,  etc.  Also 
oil  tanks,  oil  cans,  milk  cans,  galvanised  iron  pails,  ash  barrels,  etc. 

A.  M.  Bristol,  Exchange  street,  is  manufacturer  of  hot-air  registers  and 
ventilators;  established  in  1853  by  Dr.  Bristol,  father  of  the  present  owner, 
who  succeeded  to  the  business  in  1877.  The  output  is  20,000  registers  an- 
nually. 

James  Flint  founded  the  Flint  saw  works  in  1847,  in  the  -shop  on  State 
street,  now  brushed  by  the  elevated  track  of  the  Central,  employing  from  12  to 
20  men  since  that  time.  His  saws  have  an  extended  general  and  local  reputa- 
tion, and  he  is  and  has  been  the  only  manufacturer  to  any  extent  in  Rochester. 
The  Steam  Gauge  and  Lantern  company  of  Rochester,  New  York,  is  one  of 
the  most  complete  manufacturing  institutions  in  the  United  States.  It  is  sit- 
uated upon  the  historic  brink  of  the  high  falls  where  stood  for  years  the  saw- 
mill erected  by  Seth  C.  Jones  and  afterward  conducted  by  Thomas  Parsons. 
The  building  has  about  1 30,000  superficial  feet  of  floor  room  and  represents  a 
hollow  square,  lacking  one  side.  The  specialty  is  lamps  and  lanterns  (princi- 
pally tubular)  for  railway,  governmental  and  general  use.  An  annex  50  by 
100  feet,  six  stories,  is  now  (June,  1884)  being  erected.  The  employment  is 
300  hands,  which  is  to  be  increased  about  lOO  by  the  new  feature  just  added, 
that  of  the  manufacture  of  a  patented  oil  stove  for  domestic  purposes.  The 
system  and  thoroughness  of  this  establishment  are  known  only  to  those  who 
visit  it.  The  goods  are  sent  everywhere,  and  each  January  the  stockholders 
divide  a  handsome  surplus.  C.  T.  Ham,  president,  gives  his  undivided  time  in 
directing  the  affairs,  and  F.  D.  W.  Clarke  is  secretary  and  treasurer.  There  is 
over  $100,000  worth  of  machinery  in  the  plant.     The  annual  consumption  of 


Rochester  Manufactures.  621 

tin  and  wire,  alone,  is  enormous,  12,000  boxes  of  tin,  and  24,000  bundles  of 
wire.  The  refuse  tin  dumped  over  the  bank  has  made  an  artificial  embank- 
ment reaching  from  the  river  bed  below  the  falls  to  the  foot  of  the  building. 
The  power  for  running  the  machinery  is  obtained  principally  from  Front  street 
outlet  sewer,  there  being  two  turbine  wheels  of  190  horse  power  each.  This 
furnishes  one  of  the  strongest  imaginable  contrasts  between  the  old  time  and 
the  new ;  a  large  and  extensive  factory  on  the  very  brink  of  the  falls  and  Gen- 
esee river  furnished  with  power  by  water  from  a  lake  28  miles  south  of  the  city 
—  the  wastage  from  one  of  the  most  complete  water  systems  of  the  world. 

The  building  of  locomotives  and  the  extensive  repair  shops  inaugurated 
with  the  construction  of  the  Niagara  Falls  branch  of  the  Central  railroad,  in 
1849,  were  discontinued  in  1877  by  the  removal  of  the  shops  to  Syracuse  and 
Buffalo.      Several  hundred  mechanics  were  employed  in  these  shops. 

Mahlon  Gregg  &  Son  (J.  N.  Gregg)  are  manufacturers  of  cooper's  tools  on 
the  flat  foot  of  the  falls;   employment  15  to  20  hands. 

John  Greenwood  &  Co.  (S.  Teal)  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  barrel  ma- 
chinery in,  the  Greenwood  building.  Mill  street;  employment  50  to  60  hand.s. 
Shorer  &  Taillie  are  foundrymen  in  North  Water  street;  specialty,  iron  columns, 
lintels,  cornices,  etc.;  employment  30  hands. 

One  of  the  few  men  in  the  same  business  since  1834  is  John  Snow,  of  the 
Exchange  street  wire  works.  At  that  time  he  commenced  in  a  small  way, . 
making  sieves,  screens,  etc.  The  business  kept  pace  with  the  city  and  he  now 
conducts  a  large  concern  in  the  identical  building  first  occupied  by  Dean's  thea- 
ter, afterward  the  armory  of  the  Fifty-fourth  regiment  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  before  the 
new  arsenal  was  built.  Mr.  Snow  purchased  the  building,  and  manufactures 
wire  goods  of  all  description.  There  are  looms  for  weaving  wire  and  other  me- 
chanical appliances.  The  wire  flooring  for  the  Oothout  and  for  the  E.  B.  Par- 
sons malt  house  were  made  by  Snow. 

Munn,  Converse  &  Anstice  are  foundrymen,  corner'  of  River  and  North 
Water  street;  business  founded  in  1872  by  H.  N.  Hemingway,  who  retired  in 
1882  and  the  firm  took  the  above  title.  The  specialty  is  small  casting,  nickel- 
plating  and  japanning.  About  100  men  are  employed,  forty  of  whom  are 
molders. 

The  manufacture  of  files  is  no  small  item  in  the  iron  interest  of  Rochester. 
The  principal  makers' are  J.  S.  Irwin,  Mill  street,  and  Stott  Bros.,  River  street. 
Jioth  of  these  establishments  use  the  latest  automatic  machinery  and  give  em- 
ployment to  30  or  40  hands  each.  James  Haddleton  is  no  inconsiderable  man- 
ufacturer of  wire  goods,  forms,  designs,  trellises,  hanging  baskets,  railings  etc. 
He  is  located  on  State  street. 

J.  H.  &  J.  F.  Gordon  are  patentees  of  improvements  in  grain  binders,  which 
patents  are  in  use  by  the  principal  manufacturers  of  the  country  and  from  which 
they  derive  princely  royalties,  They  have  an  experimental  factory  on  South 
St.  Paul  street. 


622  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

J.  C.  Heughes  &  Co.  are  extensive  die-cutters  in  Mill  street  and  have  re- 
cently absorbed  the  Rochester  die-cutting  establishment  that  was  located  at  the 
corner  of  Piatt  and  Mill  streets ;  employment  50  hands. 

Charles  S.,  jr.,  and  E.  W.  Hall  are  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  agricul- 
tural implements  in  the  machine-shop  on  South  Water  street  erected  many 
years  ago  by  Joseph  Hall;  employment  20  men. 

H.  J.  Howe  &  Co.  manufacture  the  Howe  scales  in  the  Stewart  building, 
Andrews  street;  employment  25  hands. 

Junius  Judson  &  Son  are  manufacturers  of  governor  valves  in  Brown's  race, 
rear  of  Mill  street.  The  specialty  of  this  establishment  is  governor  valves  for 
steam  engines,  under  patents  taken  out  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  Judson,  who  is 
one  of  the  pioneer  machine  men  of  Rochester. 

Upon  the  two  upper  floors  of  the  (Selye)  Judson  building,  corner  of  Mill 
and  Furnace  street,  admissible  to  no  visitors,  strangers  or  reporters,  are  the  Jud- 
son pin  works,  where  seventy  to  eighty  hands  are  employed  in  the  manufacture 
of  pins.  There  are,  we  are  informed,  but  eight  other  establishments  of  this  kind 
in  the  entire  country  and  they  monopoHse  the  making  of  this  essential  article. 
The  plant  contains  somewhere  in  the  region  of  $100,000  worth  of  special  and 
intricate  machinery.  There  are  machines  in  which  the  heads  are  made  at 
the  same  time  the  wire  is  cut  the  proper  length,  machines  which  put  the  points 
against  emory  wheels  to  sharpen  them  automatically,  hopper-like  machines  into 
which  pins  are  fed  to  be  forced  a  row  at  a  time  into  continuous  rows  of  indented 
paper.  The  entire  manufacture  is  controlled  by  the  national  association  of  which 
this  concern  is  part.     Mr.  Judson  manufactured  trip  hammers  here  in  1837. 

Upon  the  corner  of  Court  and  Stone  streets  is  the  lock  factory  of  Sargent 
&  Greenleaf,  established  in  1867.  It  is  a  long,  three-storied  brick  building,  and 
the  locks  from  this  establishment  are  used  all  over  the  world.  The  specialty  is 
bank  and  burglar-proof  locks,  automatic  and  combination  locks  and  chronom- 
eter time  locks,  which  are  set  only  to  open  at  a  given  hour.  These  require 
perfected  and  delicate  machinery  in  the  manufacture.  The  plant  is  a  very  val- 
uable one  and  the  business  adds  materially  to  the  manufacturing  reputation  of 
Rochester.  About  lOO  hands  are  employed.  The  proprietors  are  James  Sar- 
gent, well  known  among  inventors,  and  H.  S.  Greenleaf,  the  present  member 
of  Congress  from  the  thirtieth  district. 

The  James  Cunningham,  Son  &  Co.  carriage  manufactory  was  founded  in 
1838.  It  is  located  upon  Canal  and  Litchfield  streets  and  the  works  combined 
cover  an  immense  territory.  Employment  550  men,  and  having  branch  repos- 
itories in  New  York,  St.  Louis,  San  Francisco  and  other  cities.  Unlike  many 
other  establishments  in  a  like  business,  this  concern  makes  from  the  raw  mate- 
rial almost  every  part  that  goes  to  make  a  perfect  vehicle.  There  is  an  exten- 
sive forge  for  the  iron  work  and  running  gear,  and  in  fact  as  many  departments 
as  there  are  parts  of  a  carriage,  even  to  grinding-rooms  for  beveling  the  plate 


Rochester  Manufactures.  623 

glass,  and  nickel-plating  rooms  for  the  ornamental  portions,  an  upholstering  de- 
partment, etc.,  etc.  The  utmost  system  prevails  and  the  coaches,  carriages, 
hearses,  etc.,  from  this  establishment  are  rarely  equaled  b)'  the  product  of  any 
similar  factory.  In  July,  1882,  articles  of  incorporation  were  filed,  the  company 
consisting  of  James  Cunningham  &  Son  and  Rufus  K.  Dryer. 

The  K.  A.  Hughson  carriage  works  on  East  avenue,  just  beyond  the  city 
limits,  is  an  extensive  establishment  occupying  the  buildings  originally  built  for 
and  used  by  the  Glen  &  Hall  agricultural  works.  About  250  men  are  em- 
ployed. 

Thomas  G.  Palmer  is  an  extensive  manufacturer  of  iron  railings  on  Front 
near  Mumford  street.  For  some  time  previous  to  the  flood  of  1865  Cox  & 
Walker  were  manufacturers  of  safes  in  the  Stewart  building.  The  flood 
carried  their  establishment  over  the  falls,  including  twelve'  or  fifteen  safes,  val- 
ued at  $9,000  to  $10,000.  James  D.  Cox,  of  this  firm,  drove  the  first  hotel 
omnibus  in  Rochester  and  received  the  first  passengers  arriving  in  Rochester  by 
railroad. 

A.  H.  Shipman  is  the  originator  of  a  peculiar  manufacturing  business  which, 
from  small  beginnings  in  the  Stewart  building  in  1876,  has  grown  to  propor- 
tions requiring  a  large  building  in  Bismarck  place,  45x100  feet.  The  specialty 
is  amateur  tools,  scroll  saws,  lathes  and  miniature  steam  engines  where  light 
power  is  used.  The  industry  was  entirely  original  with  Mr.  Shipman,  who  by 
advertising  and  push  is  now  sending  his  products  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.      He  employs  from  40  to  50  hands. 

John  Siddons  is  another  Rochesterian  who  from  small  beginnings  has 
worked  up  a  very  extensive  business.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  iron  roofing 
and  galvanised  iron  architectural  work,  a  great  deal  of  which  has  of  late  years 
come  in  use  for  cornices,  etc.  All  of  the  large  buildings  now  put  up  have 
more  or  less  of  this  work,  of  which  Mr.  Siddons,  who  is  located  on  East  Main 
street,  still  makes  a  specialty.  The  immense  (copper)  statue  of  Hermes  which 
surmounts  the  smokestack  of  the  Peerless  tobacco  works  was  fashioned  at  Sid- 
dons's  shop,  it  being  necessary  to  make  an  opening  through  the  upper  floors  to 
do  it. 

The  Rochester  car  wheel  works  adjoin  the  Rochester  cotton  mill  on  Brown's 
race  on  the  site  of  the  Kidd  foundry  (mentioned  elsewhere).  The  present  en- 
terprise originated  with  the  late  Charles  H.  Chapin  in  1877,  and  is  now.  called 
the  Rochester  car  wheel  company  ;  W.  K.  Chapin  and  C.  T.  Chapin  pres- 
ident and  secretary,  and  E.  J.  Campbell  foreman.  Capacity  1 50  wheels  per 
diem. 

One  of  the  pioneers  in  the  manufacture  of  wood-working  machinery  is 
C.  R.  Tompkins,  Mill  street,  near  Brown.  He  established  the  business  in 
1855  and  has  constantly  employed  from  60  to  100  men.  Frank  H,  Clemens, 
in  the  Greenwood  building  on  Mill  street,  is  also  a  manufacturer  of  wood- 
working machinery  and  employs  about  thirty  men. 


624  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

The  Kelly  lamp-works  in  the  Judson  building,  corner  of  Mill  and  Furnace 
street,  arises  from  the  Snook  &  Hill  lamp-works,  the  present  officers  being 
James  H.  Kelly,  president ;  Frank  S.  Upton,  treasurer,  and  J.  Miller  Kelly, 
secretary.  Mr.  Kelly  became  interested  in  these  works  many  years  ago  (about 
1856)  through  business  connection  with  Thomas  Snook.  When  Mr.  Snook  re- 
tired a  stock  company  was  formed  and  before  merging  into  the  present  organ- 
isation there  were  several  changes.  Among  the  stockholders  have  been  the 
late  J.  H.  Martindale,  the  late  O.  M.  Benedict,  C.  T.  Ham,  David  Upton,  R. 
S.  Kenyon,  J.  H  Isbister,  D.  T.  Hunt  and  others.  Mr.  Kelly's  executive  abil- 
ity and  systematic  ways  have  had  their  effect  in  taking  a  crude  business  and 
building  it  up  to  one  of  the  best  conducted  and  most  important  enterprises  in 
the  city.  The  specialty  is  railway  headlights  and  lanterns,  particularly  high 
grade  conductors'  lanterns.  From  50  to  60  skilled  artisans  are  employed  and 
the  product  calls  for  the  work  of  many  trades,  the  sheet  iron  workers,  the  cop- 
persmith, the  electro  and  nickel  plater,  the  wireworker,  the  woodworker,  the 
painter,  the  glass  engraver,  etc.,  etc.  The  goods  are  shipped  to  every  state 
in  the  Union,  and  the  business  has  been  and  is  now  a  very  prosperous  one. 

Mack  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  edge  tools.  Mill,  corner  of  Furnace  street; 
specialty,  edge  tools;  employment  150  hands;  founded  in  1832  by  D.  R.  Bar- 
ton, and  conducted  continuously  through  one  or  two  fires  and  the  flood  of  1865 
until  the  demise  of  Mr.  Barton.  In  1874  Mack  &  Co.,  the  present  firm,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  business,  which  occupies  the  large  three-story  brick  building 
corner  of  Mill  and  Furnace  street  and  the  Revere  mills  on  Brown's  race.  From 
the  outset  to  the  present  day  these  tools  have  had  a  standard  reputation  all 
over  the  world.  Aside  from  the  general  trade  in  the  states,  including  California 
and  Oregon,  shipments  are  made  to  many  foreign  countries  and  command 
higher  prices  than  English  tools. 

J.  S.  Irwin  &  Co.,  Mill  street,  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  files,  employ- 
ing about  30  hands;  established  in  1865. 

The  Rochester  machine  screw  company  was  organised  in  1 87 1  ;  C.  P.  Bos- 
well,  president ;  George  C.  Clark,  superintendent ;  Hiram  W.  Smith,  secretary. 
The  specialty  is  milled  machine-set  and  cap  screws,  taps  and  finished  and  case- 
hardened  hexagon  nuts  principally  for  machinists,  engine-builders  and  agricul- 
tural implement  makers,  which  are  catalogued  and  sold  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. The  work  is  mostly  automatic  and  consequently  accurate  ;  employment 
about  50  men. 

Trotter,  Geddes  &  Co.  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  heating  furnaces  on 
Exchange  street.  The  business  was  organised  in  1872  under  the  name  of 
Trotter,  Stone  &  Co. ;  employment  is  given  to  20  men. 

F.  Erdle,  Mill  street,  makes  a  specialty  of  perforated  sheet  metals  for  grain 
sieves,  etc.,  etc. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  625 


LUMBER  —  WOOD   AND   ITS   PRODUCTS. 

Rochester  originally  sawed  its  way  into  existence  contemporaneously  with 
the  mills  that  ground  out  its  first  advertisement  as  an  abiding-place  for  the 
settler.  With  the  first  allotment  of  the  "hundred-acre-tract"  was  a  saw-mill. 
Adjacent  to  the  site  of  the  first  flouring- mill,  in  Aqueduct  street,  was  also  the 
first  saw- mill,  which  subsequently  (in  1845)  was  taken  by  Jonathan  Child  and 
afterward  for  several  years  conducted  by  his  son.  The  saw- mill  is  now  the 
Disbrow  box-factory,  where  for  one  patent  medicine  concern  alone  (besides  a 
general  box-making  business)  are  turned  out  over  1,000  boxes  daily,  nailed  by 
patent  nailing  machines  and  the  title  of  the  all-healing  medicine  printed  with  a 
press  upon  the  wood,  like  unto  the  work  of  a  job  printing-press,  the  same 
press  in  its  most  perfected  form  being  the  work  of  Rochester  mechanics  —  Cou- 
ncil &  Dengler.  The  old  saw-mill  upon  the  brink  of  the  high  falls  erected  in 
1827  has  disappeared  and  now  nearly  all  of  the  large  lumber  dealers  do  their 
own  sawing,  planing  and  matching.  Moses  Dyer  constructed  a  saw- mill  at 
the  big  dam,  Exchange  street,  in  1828,  the  firm  afterward  becoming  Dyer  & 
HoUister,  the  partner  being  the  grandfather  of  Granger  and  G.  A.  HoUister, 
who  now  conduct  the  lumber  business  upon  the  same  site.  Subsequently 
Emmett  H.  HoUister,  William  Churchill  and  Amon  Bronson  jointly  and  sep- 
arately conducted  the  lumber  business  in  the  same  locality.  Amon  Bronson, 
jr.,  in  1882  disposed  of  the  bu.siness  (to  which  he  had  succeeded  and  which  his 
father  established  in  1832)  to  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  railway, 
the  tracks  of  which  were  pushed  further  north,  taking  up  the  space  occupied 
by  the  Bronson  yard.  HoUister  Brothers  monopolise  the  lumber  business  in 
that  locality  now.  During  1865  M.  M.  HoUister  and  John  D.  Fay,  who  had 
established  a  lumber  yard  in  Court  street  contiguous  to  the  river,  had  their  en- 
tire stock  carried  off  in  the  flood,  rendering  no  inventory  necessary  in  winding 
up  the  business.  J.  D.  Bell,  after  that,  established  a  planing-mill  upon  the  bank 
of  the  river  at  Court  street  bridge,  and  in  i88o  the  firm  became  J.  D.  Bell  & 
Son.  They  conduct  a  snug  and  satisfactory  business  and  the  name  in  the  com- 
munity, with  business  men  particularly,  is  the  synonym  of  all  that  Quaker  up- 
rightness implies.  The  ax  and  saw  made  timber  scarce  in  this  locality  and  for 
the  past  few  years  Michigan  and  Canada  have  contributed  the  major  part  of 
the  pine  lumber.  Michigan  furnishes  the  best  pine  and  ash,  Pennsylvania  and 
Southern  New  York  furnishes  pine  and  hemlock.  The  Erie,  the  B.  N.  Y.  &  P. 
and  the  Rochester  &  Pittsburg  railway,  especially,  do  a  large  freightage  of 
lumber  to  Rochester.  In  the  old  days  some  lumber  was  rafted  down  the  Gen- 
esee river.  Walnut,  butternut  and  white  ash  come  from  Missouri  and  Indiana, 
cherry  comes  principally  from  Pennsylvania  and  Indiana,  and  red  cedar  from 
Florida.  One  house,  the  Stein  casket  works,  uses  millions  of  feet  annually  of 
the  latter  wood  for  burial  caskets.     Within  recent  years  a  degree  of  extrava- 


626  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

gance  in  the  construction  of  dwellings  has  been  indulged  in,  and  where  the  means 
warranted  there  have  been  large  outlays  for  American  and  foreign  woods  in 
constructing  the  floors,  ceilings,  wainscotings  and  ornamental  portions  of  dwell- 
ings and  business  places.  The  island  formed  by  the  river  and  feeder  from  the 
canal  weighlock  to  Hamilton  place  became  the  location  of  saw-mills  and  plan- 
ing-mills  at  an  early  date.  It  remained  for  the  Crouches  to  develop  the  business 
to  its  present  large  extent,  laying  out  large  capital  in  making  new  ground,  so 
that  their  business  covers  several  acres,  outside  of  the  yard  in  Griffith  street. 
They  do  a  large  wholesale  and  retail  business,  employ  70  to  80  hands  and 
handle  many  million  feet  of  lumber  annually,  shipping  many  car-loads  without 
re-handling.  Timbers  for  ship-building  are  sent  to  Philadelphia,  Chester,  Penn., 
and  Baltimore.  To  George  W.  &  Charles  T.  Crouch  belong  the  credit  of  open- 
ing up  Crouch's  island  for  lumber  business.  They  established  a  saw  mill  on 
the  island  in  1866,  constructed  the  basins  for  storing  logs  with  a  capacity  of 
three  million  feet,  afterward  purchased  the  Bentley,  Myer  &  Southwick  saw- 
mill and  now  do  four  million  feet  of  sawing  annually.  George  W.,  jr.,  Frank 
P.  and  Charles  H.,  sons  of  G.  W.  and  C.  T.  Crouch,  are  connected  with  the 
business;  Recently  (1884)  George  W.,  jr.,  has  established  for  himself  at  East 
Rochester. 

John  F.  Lovecraft  in  1849  established  a  saw  and  planing-mill  on  the  island, 
and  S.  J.  Lovecraft,  his  son,  conducted  the  same  business  in  that  locality  until 
1 88 1.  Commencing  in  1868,  the  senior  Lovecraft  followed  the  business  in 
various  localities.  Two  or  more  times,  notably  in  1858  and  in  1871,  his  mills 
were  swept  away  by  fire.  In  1855  R-  ^-  Edgerton  established  the  lumber 
business  on  the  island  in  proximity  to  the  establishments  above  mentioned. 
He  died  in  1867  and  his  son,  Hiram  H.  Edgerton,  continued  the  business  up 
to  1883,  when  he  sold  to  Chase  &  Otis,  who  previously  had  conducted  the 
lumber  trade  on  Court  street  next  to  the  upper  race  for  several  years.  The 
present  plant  covers  over  four  acres,  with  several  hundred  feet  of  dockage  on 
the  Erie  canal.  Michigan  pine  and  hemlock  are  the  specialties.  Mr.  Edger- 
ton, after  disposing  of  the  lumber  business,  engaged  in  the  coal  trade  and  now 
conducts  a  large  business  in  that  line. 

Emory  B.  Chace,  Warehouse  street,  is  the  successor  of  an  extensive  lum- 
ber business  established  many  years  ago  on  the  site  of  the  Rochester  House 
ruins  by  Luther  Gordon  ,  in  1884  he  assumed  actual  control.  There  is  ample 
dockage  on  the  canal  and  shed  room  with  all  the  latest  conveniences  for  the 
economical  handling  of  lumber,  and  the  planing-mill  on  the  premises  is  kept 
busily  employed  on  work  for  the  local  trade.  Mr.  Chace  is  a  native  of  Wy- 
oming county,  and,  though  but  fifteen  years  a  native  of  Rochester,  has  won 
position  in  public  and  private  life. 

Wm.  B.  Morse  &  Co.  are  quite  extensive  lumber  dealers  on  West  avenue, 
next  to  the  Rochester  &  Pittsburg  railway  station.     Bigelow  &  Osborne  have 


Rochester  Manufactures.  627 

a  lumber  yard  at  the  corner  of  Piatt  and  State  streets.  This  ground  was  the 
first  used  in  Rochester  for  the  tent  show  or  circus. 

H.  H.  Craig,  formerly  of  the  firm  of  Craig  &  Crouches,  has  an  extensive 
yard,  mill  and  dry  kiln  upon  the  New  York  Central  railway,  east  of  Goodman 
street.  The  plant  embraced  nearly  fourteen  acres  with  a  storage  capacity  for 
25,000,000  feet  of  lumber.  There  are  side  tracks  for  loading  and  unloading 
and  a  planing-mill  for  dressing  bills  of  lumber  as  desired.  This  is  one  of  the 
latest  and  most  extensive  enterprises  in  the  city;  the  employment  is  about  lOO 
hands.  In  1836  Andrew  Meyer,  an  honest  German  boat-builder,  was  landed 
with  his  family  of  four  boys  and  four  girls  on  the  dock  at  the  Rochester  House, 
and  the  next  day  commenced  work  at  his  trade.  The  four  sons,  Philip,  Fred, 
C.  C,  and  John  A.,  became  boat-builders  and  followed  the  business  until  1882, 
first  as  employees  and  finally  as  employers,  and  many  of  their  boats  now  carry 
freight  on  the  canal.  In  1884  C.  C.  Meyer  &  Son  secured  a  tract  at  the  east- 
ern widewater,  where  they  have  established  a  saw- mill,  the  plant  being  valufed 
at  $25,000,  exclusive  of  the  lumber  in  stock. 

As  early  as  1845  Charles  J.  Hayden  advertised  furniture  on  State  street, 
where  the  Monroe  County  bank  now  stands.  Upon  the  corner  of  State  and 
Furnace  streets  and  extending  to  Mill  street  is  a  five-story  brick  structure  con- 
ducted by  C.  J.  Hayden  &  Co.  (C.  A.  Hayden),  having  a  frontage  of  seventy- 
five  feet  on  State  street  and  J90  feet  in  depth.  The  Mill  street  portion  was 
first  constructed  as  an  up-town  factory,  after  which  the  State  street  portion  was 
purchased  and  the  two  buildings  were  joined.  Over  2,000  lights  of  glass  are 
required  to  furnish  light  for  the  Furnace  and  State  street  sides.  The  business 
takes  in  the  widest  range  6f  wholesale  and  retail  furniture  and  interior  decora- 
tions, including  the  manufacture  of  the  same.  The  establishment  is  most  sys- 
tematically conducted  and  contains  all  the  latest  and  most  improved  appliances. 
Aside  from  the  local  trade,  which  is  not  inconsiderable,  there  is  a  large  outside 
demand  which  is  supplied  by  car-loads.  Connected  with  the  business  is  an 
extensive  factory  at  the  lower  falls.  Four  hundred  and  fifty  hands  are  employed, 
aside  from  the  labor  of  a  number  of  inmates  of  the  N.  Y.  S.  reformatory,  who  are 
employed  in  cane-seating  chairs  for  Hayden  &  Co. 

The  Hayden  &  Havens  company  was  organised  as  successor  of  J.  E.  Hay- 
den &  Co.  In  1882  the  new  building,  five  floors,  corner  of  Court  and  Ex- 
change streets,  was  occupied.  This  building  was  constructed  expressly  for  the 
business,  the  specialty  being  exclusively  fine  furniture.  Part  of  the  ground 
taken  for  the  structure  was  Child's  basin,  which  was  abandoned  as  a  canal  slip 
in  1880.  Employment  is  given  to  about  150  hands,  in  the  manufacture  of  ex- 
clusively fine  furniture,  and  the  trade  extends  to  all  of  the  leading  cities  in  the 
United  States.  Interior  fittings  for  hotels,  saloons,  etc.,  are  also  a  feature. 
The  officers  are :  J.  Alex.  Havens,  president;  G.  W.  Havens,  treasurer,  and 
J.  W.  Allen,  secretary.     J.   E.   Hayden,  the  founder,   started   in   business   on 


628  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Front  street  in  1 849,  afterward  moving  to  State  street  and  occupying  the  block 
that  was  taken  up  by  Church  street  in  1882.  In  1855  he  entered  upon  the 
wholesale  manufacture,  establishing  a  shop  on  Hill  street  The  present  build- 
ing is  quite  a  monument  of  the  progress  of  manufactures  in  Rochester. 

I.  H.  Dewey  (established  by-Burley  and  Dewey  1869)  is  a  wholesale  and 
retail  dealer  and  manufacturer  of  furniture,  having  a  large  store  on  State  street 
extending  through  to  Mill  street  and  a  factory  on  Hill  street;  employ- 
ment 100  hands,  including  salesmen.  Mr.  Dewey  succeeded  to  the  business 
in  1877. 

Next  north  of  the  historic  Ely  mill  on  South  Water  street  is  a  large  stone 
building  in  which  is  the  factory  of  Minges  &  Shale,  manufacturers  of  furniture. 
They  have  a  store  on  State  street,  extending  to  Main  street,  and  are  in  the  first 
rank  in  their  line.  The  factory  is  of  recent  construction  and  has  all  of  the  latest 
and  best  wood- working  machinery  and  appliances  for  the  work.  The  firm  was 
organised  by  Joseph  Shantz,  Fred  S.  Minges  and  Fred  A.  Shale;  in  1882  the 
business  passed  into  the  hands  of  Minges  &  Shale.  One  of  the  specialties  is 
interior  fittings,  and  a  large  number  of  the  public  places  in  Rochester  show 
elegant  specimens  of  their  work.  Upward  of  60,000  feet  of  floor  room  is 
required  for  the  store  and  30,000  for  the  factory ;  employment  40  hands. 

Copeland,  Hall  &  Co.  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  certain  lines  of  fur- 
niture, particularly  extension  tables,  which  are  supplied  to  local  dealers  and  to 
the  trade  in  all  the  states.  The  factory  was  founded  about  twenty  years  ago 
by  P.  M.  Bromley  &  Co.  The  factory  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  Erie  canal, 
at  Jay  street,  and  is  a  three-story  building,  forty  by  200  feet.  H.  O.  Hall  & 
Co.,  came  into  possession  about  1873  ;  afterward  the  firm  changed  to  Cope- 
land,  Hall  &  Co.     One  hundred  and  twenty-five  hands  are  employed. 

Edward  and  William  Brooks  are  manufacturers  of  chamber  furniture,  on 
West  street  near  the  Erie  canal,  where  they  have  a  factory  four  stories  in 
height ;  employment  75  hands.  F.  Ritter  for  several  years  has  conducted  an 
extensive  furniture  factory  on  River  street. 

F.  Ruckdeschel  occupies  two  floors  in  the  Parsons  building,  foot  of  Center 
street,  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  for  the  trade.  The  business  was  founded 
in  1867,  by  Paul  Michelson  ;  in  1880  Mr.  Ruckdeschel  came  in  possession  of 
the  entire  business ;  thirty  hands  are  employed. 

Perrin  Bros,  are  also  manufacturers  of  couch  and  chair  frames  in  the  Warren 
building.  North  Water  street. 

Rochester's  pioneer  cabinet-maker  was  Frederick  Starr,  who  was  born  in 
Warren,  Conn.,  in  May,  1799.  He  learned  his  trade  in  Litchfied,  Conn.,  about 
1817;  afterward  worked  at  it  for  a  few  montlis  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  then  for 
about  three  years  in  New  York  city.  While  employed  as  a  workman  there  he 
was  prominent  in  helping  to  secure  a  law  changing  the  legal  hours  of  a  day's 
work  from  fourteen  hours   to  twelve  hours.       He  removed  to  Rochester  from 


Rochester  Manufactures.  629 

New  York  in  the  spring  of  1822  and  opened  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of 
furniture  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  South  Water  street,  where  Haass's  drug 
store  now  is  located,  at  first  employing  one  assistant.  The  tools  and  lumber 
that  he  needed,  and  for  which  he  paid  by  the  savings  of  his  wages  earned  in 
New  York,  were  hauled  over  the  rough  corduroy  roads  in  high  wagons  drawn 
by  eight  pairs  of  oxen  from  Albany  to  this  then  village.  In  1823  or  early  in 
1824  he  bought  the  property  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Liberty  street  and 
East  Main  street.  At  the  time  he  bought  this  property  its  east  end  was  built 
into  the  bank,  while  its  west  end  rested  on  piles  some  twenty  feet  high  —  as 
then  Main  street  just  west  of  St.  Paul  street  descended  abruptly  as  a  hill  at  that 
point.  His  building  was  partly  destroyed  by  fire  in  1844  and  again  in  1849. 
He  then  entirely  rebuilt  the  edifice,  which  structure  stands  to-day,  as  then ; 
the  store  (built  in  1849  ^"d  now  occupied  by  Gibbons  &  Stone  as  a  piano 
forte  salesroom)  was  then  considered  by  far  the  best  store  in  town.  Mr.  Starr 
occupied  this  location  first  in  1824  and  within  a  few  years  had  secured  for  those 
days  a  very  large  trade,  employing  about  fifty  workmen.  About  1844  he 
added  to  his  furniture  manufactory  the  manufacture  of  piano  fortes,  and  about 
1849  oi"  soon  thereafter  entirely  discontinued  the  cabinet  business,  devoting 
himself  entirely  to  the  manufacture  of  piano  fortes.  He  then  interested  him- 
self, again  successfully,  in  the  effort  to  make  the  legal  hours  of  a  day's  work 
ten  hours  instead  of  twelve.  After  a  successful  s.eries  of  years  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  piano  fortes,  about  the  year  1861  he  began  to  discontinue  the  active 
manufacture  thereof — in  1862  he  sold  his  building  to  Owen  Gaffney,  and  in 
1867  he  discontinued  his  office,  enjoying  a  quiet  life  thereafter  until  his  de- 
cease, on  November  29th,  1 869.  Thus  he  was  closely  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  Rochester  from  1822  to  1869,  having  his  office  in  one  location 
for  forty-three  years. 

The  pioneer  .wholesale  box-maker  in  Rochester  was  J.  B.  Stevens,  estab- 
lished in  1856  at  the  foot  of  Furnace  street.  The  industrial  interests  of  Roch- 
ester up  to  this  time  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  many  establishments, 
notably  the  seedsmen,  required  packing-boxes  in  large  numbers.  Formerly 
the  ordina.ry  carpenter  had  supplied  hand-made  boxes.  Mr.  Stevens  utilised 
machinery  and  his  business  grew  apace  with  the  increasing  business  interests 
of  the  city.  In  1867  Alvarado  Stevens  was  admitted  as  partner.  More  room 
became  necessary,  and  the  large  building  erected  by  Thomas  Parsons  at  the  foot 
of  Center  street  next  to  the  Rochester  cotton  factory  was  taken,  new  and  im- 
proved machinery  was  constantly  added,  all  calculated  to  reduce  the  cost  of 
labor.  There  are  dove- tailing  machines  which  join  100  boxes  in  less  time  than 
a  carpenter  could  join  one ;  there  are  nailing  machines  which  do  the  work  of 
eight  men,  and  buffers  which  smooth  a  box  by  rotative  machinery  in  the  place 
of  sand-papering  by  hand.  There  are  also  sawing  and  re-sawing  machines 
which  save  considerable  raw  material,  and  the  crowning  triumph  is  found  in 


630  ■  History  of  the  City  ok  Rochester. 

the  printing  press,  which  prints  trade-marks  or  advertising  designs  upon  the 
boxes  in  the  same  manner  that  handbills  are  printed  upon  a  Gordon  or  Univer- 
sal press.  They  da  a  business  of  over  $100,000  annually  and  consume  over 
2,000,000  feet  of  lumber  yearly  ;  employment  fifty  hands. 

An  industry  in  which  Rochester  vies  with  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union  is 
that  of  frames  and  moldings,  the  business  amounting  to  about  three-fourths  of  a 
million  dollars  annually.  The  leading  manufactories  are  those  of  the  Empire 
molding  works  and  J.  W.  Gillis.  The  former  was  founded  by  Newell  &  Turpin 
(and  Thomas  H.  Turpin  is  the  originator  of  nearly  all  the  salient  features  of  the 
present  style  of  business  in  this  line).  The  Empire  works,  now  conducted  by 
George  H.  Newell,  are  located  on  Gorham  street,  in  a  large  stone  building 
owned  by  him.  The  works  employ .  upward  of  200  hands  and  there  is  in  use 
all  of  the  later-day  machinery  for  turning  out  the  work  at  a  saving  of  time  and 
cost.  The  picture  frame  of  the  present  day  could  not  have  been  made  in 
1834,  nor  a  few  years  later,  when  Moses  Dyer  was  a  "gilder  and  picture-frame 
maker"  in  "hatters'  row"  on  State  street,  or  when  Adam  Elder  made  picture- 
frames  in  the  Reynolds  arcade.  Aside  from  machinery  not  then  known,  new 
methods  and  substances  have  been  discovered,  cheapening  yet  beautifying  the 
frames  beyond  comparison  with  those  of  an  earlier  day. 

James  W.  Gillis  established  his  business  in  a  small  way  in  1873  on  Allen 
street.  In  1874  he  obtained  the  national  photographers'  association  gold  medal 
for  best  frames.  His  store  was  then  located  in  the  Walbridge  block,  but  in- 
creasing trade  caused  him  to  build  the  large  and  elegant  block,  corner  of  Troup 
and  Exchange  streets,  expressly  for  the  business,  in  1879.  He  employs  from 
100  to  140  men,  and  his  specialty  is  artistic  and  elaborate  picture-frames.  The 
excellence  of  his  goods  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  his  largest  sales  are 
in  the  principal  cities,  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  St. 
Louis  and  other  cities  further  west.  There  are  several  minor  establishments  in 
the  same  line,  but,  as  this  is  a  history  and  not  a  directory,  further  particularisation 
is  unnecessary.  Wood  flooring  made  in  mosaic  blocks  and  patterns  is  one  of 
the  later-day  uses  of  wood.  Runyon  &  Co.,  in  the  Beehive,  Aqueduct  street, 
conduct  quite  an  extensive  business  in  this  line,  employing  10  or  15  men..  These 
goods  are  very  fine  and.  require  extensive  and  expensive  machinery.  There 
are  several  cigar- box  factories  in  the  city,  employing  from  five  to  fifteen  hands 
each.     The  aggregate  of  the  boxes  made  in  a  year  is  considerable. 

There  are  seventeen  cooper  shops  in  the  city,  with  an  aggregate  employ- 
ment of  200  to  225  hands.  The  principal  output  is  flour  barrels —  300,000  to 
350,000  annually.     About  25,000  beer  and  ale  barrels  are  made  annually. 

C.  J.  Robinson  &  Co.,  Canal  street,  are  extensive  makers  of  tight  cooper- 
age. There  are  several  firms  in  the  city  making  specialties  of  wood  brackets  — 
notably.  Hicks  &  Vance,  Corser  &  Runyon  and  the  Rochester  bracket  works. 
In  1850  John  F.  Bush  established  a  stave  mill  on  the  Erie  canal  at  Lyell  ave- 


Rochester  Manufactures.  631 

nue.  In  1858  it  passed  into  possession  of  Brackett  H.  Clark,  who  occupies 
about  four  acres  for  mill  sheds  and  yard.  From  40  to  50  men  are  employed, 
and  the  output  is  about  six  million  staves  annually.  Burt  &  Brace,  organised 
April  1st,  1877,  are  extensive  rtianufacturers  of  cane  seat  chairs,  on  South  St. 
Paul  street;  employment  seventy- five  hands.  In  April,  1884,  Mr.  Burt  retired, 
and  C.  W.  Brace  now  conducts  the  business.  The  Rochester  wheel  company, 
located  on  Elizabeth  and  Hill  streets  and  Erie  canal,  established  in  1856  by 
Hough,  Corris  &  Co.,  manufactures  wheels,  spokes,  felloes,  etc.,  for  carriage 
makers ;  employment  about  50  hands. 

BREWING  AND  MALTING. 

There  are  sixteen  breweries  in  Rochester  and  two  extensive  malt-houses,  one 
of  the  larger  breweries  (Bartholomay)  doing  its  own  malting,  producing,  in 
1883,  250,000  bushels. 

The  E.  B.  Parsons  malting  company  owns  the  large  stone  building,  corner 
of  Brown  and  Warehouse,  built  upon  the  site  of  the  original  warehouse  and  ele- 
vator built  by  Warham  Whitney  in  1830,  the  first  grain  elevator  erected  in 
America.  George  J.  Whitney,  who  had  built  the  capacious  elevator  on  the 
North  side  of  Brown  street,  rebuilt  the  old  warehouse  for  a  malt-house  and 
in  1 87 1  sold  it  to  Colonel  E.  B.  Parsons,  who  subsequently  added  a  large  and 
modern  malterie,  equipping  it  with  the  latest  and  most  improved  machinery, 
and  then  organised  a  stock  company,  $100,000  paid  in,  E.  B.  Parsons  president, 
John  Kiley  secretary.  The  output  is  about  300,000  bushels,  Canada  barley 
being  used,  as  it  is  considered  superior  to  home-grown  barley  for  the  purpose 
of  brewing.  Colonel  Parsons  has  just  completed  a  malt-house,  capacity  500,- 
000  bushels,  at  Sod  us  bay,  where  the  harbor  is  excellent,  and  the  most  direct 
communication  is  had  with  the  Bay  of  Quinte  barley  district,  Ontario.  The 
market  is  principally  in  the  East. 

Samuel  N.  Oothout,  for  many  years  a  brewer  in  South  Water  street,  con- 
ducts a  malt-house  at  the  junction  of  the  Erie  canal  and  Mt.  Hope  avenue.  The 
bulk  of  the  malt  is  used  by  the  Rochester  brewing  company. 

In  1 8 19  the  existence  of  a  very  pure  spring  of  water  near  the  river  bank 
was  made  the  excuse  for  founding  a  brewery  by  parties  whose  names  are  out 
of  history.  About  twenty  years  later  Samuel  Warren  came  in  possession  of 
the  property  and  continued  the  brewing  of  ale,  developing  the  City  springs 
until  his  son  E.  K.  Warren  went  into  the  business.  It  is  now  conducted  by 
E.  K.  Warren  &  Son,  and  the  product,  which  has  become  quite  large,  has  a 
widespread  reputation.  The  spring  still  flows  and  furnishes  strikingly  pure  water 
for  the  purpose.  The  property  has  augmented  in  value  by  the  recent  changes 
of  grade  on  North  St-  Paul  street,  on  which  it  fronts,  extending  to  North  Water 
street.  The  railroad  changes  about  there  have  all  contributed  to  make  the  old 
City  Springs  brewery  quite  a  valuable  plant. 


632  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

About  1830  or  1832  John  and  Gabriel  Longmuir  commenced  brewing  on 
North  Water  street,  doing  their  own  work  and  selling  the  product,  which  was 
only  a  few  barrels  a  year.  In  1858  the  brewery  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  re- 
built in  the  succeeding  year,  on  a  much  larger  scale.  In  1864  it  was  sold  to 
Charles  Gordon  and  in  1865  he  was  joined  by  H.  H.  Bevier.  In  August,  1869, 
H.  B.  Hathaway  came  into  the  business  and  the  firm  added  largely  to  their 
capacity  by  erecting  a  large  building  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  tunneling 
under  Water  street,  connecting  the  two  cellars.  Two  years  later  a  large  stable 
was  built  to  accommodate  thirty-two  horses,  the  first  stable  in  Rochester  where 
horses  were  stabled  on  the  second  floor.  In  1872  Mr.  Bevier  died,  since  when  the 
business  has  been  conducted  by  Hathaway  &  Gordon,  who  frequently  do  as 
much  in  a  single  day  as  was  done  in  the  first  year  of  the  brewery's  business, 
fifty- three  years  ago. 

In  the  opening  of  this  chapter  the  breweries  with  their  rock-walled  vaults 
that  ornamented  the  river  banks  at  Vincent  place  and  below  were  alluded  to. 
The  first  low-fermented,  or  lager,  beer  was  sold  in  Rochester  December  7th, 
1852,  by  Henry  Bartholomay  and  Philip  Will,  who  founded  the  present  Bar- 
tholomay  brewery  in  that  year.  The  capacity  was  3,000  barrels  annually.  The 
limestone  rock  forming  the  abrupt  bank  of  the  river  afforded  fine  opportunity 
for  cellars,  which  are  fifty  feet  deep  and  capacious,  and  the  business  increased 
rapidly  until  1874,  when  a  stock  company  was  organised,  capital  stock  $250,- 
000.  The  output  for  1883  was  130,000  barrels  (four' quarter- kegs).  The  reg- 
,ular  force  of  employees  numbers  130,  but  there  is  constant  work  for  coopers, 
builders,  drivers,  etc.,  etc.,  which  swells  the  amount  paid  for  labor  very  mate- 
rially. The  ice  consumed  annually  is  30,000  tons.  Forty  draught  horses  are 
needed  and  the  company  take  considerable  pride  in  keeping  superior  animals 
of  noticeable  size  and  beauty.  The  officers  are :  H.  Bartholomay,  president;  F. 
Cook,  vice-president ;  George  Arnoldt,  secretary,  and  W.  J.  Niederpriim,  treas- 
urer. Mr.  Bartholomay,  the  president  of  the  company,  came  from  a  family  of 
brewers,  and  before  coming  to  America  was  the  manager  of  the  brewery  at 
Heidelberg,  besides  being  connected  with  other  famous  breweries  of  the  Old 
world. 

The  Rochester  brewing  company  covers  eight  acres  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
river  at  Cliff  street.  The  company  was  established  in  1874,  and  has  an  output 
of  about  75,000  barrels  annually.  The  officers  are:  E.  K.  Hart,  president; 
John  Keiser,  vice-president;  Wm.  N.  Oothout,  secretary  and  treasurer;  em- 
ployment 75  hands.     The  structures  are  of  brick. 

The  Miller  brewing  company,  on  Lake  avenue,  of  which  Fred  Miller  is  pres- 
ident and  Solomon  Wile  is  secretary,  originated  in  1856,  with  Fred  Miller.  The 
company,  organised  in  1881,  employs  35  men,  with  an  output  of  about  35,000 
barrels.  Both  ale  and  lager  are  brewed  here.  The  present  structure  was  put 
up  in  1873.     Attached  to  the  plant,  which  covers  five  acres,  is  an  ice  pond  on 


Rochester  Manufactures.  633 

the  flats  below,  which  connects  with  the  Genesee  river  by  stop-gates,  enabling 
the  company  to  secure  its  ice  on  the  premises.  An  elevator  takes  it  to  the 
building. 

The  Genesee  brewing  company's  brewery  —  M.  Kondolf  president,  Chas. 
Heusner  secretary,  Charles  Rau,  treasurer  —  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  at 
Bismarck  place,  is  the  latest  extensive  structure  erected ;  capacity  60,000  barrels. 

One  of  the  early  brewers  of  Rochester  was  Jacob  Baetzel,  who  had  a  small 
brewery  on  North  Clinton  street.  His  sons,  J.  George  Baetzel  &  Bro.,  have 
now  an  extensive  brewery  further  north  on  the  street;  capacity  about  20,000 
barrels. 

The  Lion  brewery,  corner  of  Hudson  and  Channing  streets,  is  conducted 
by  Meyer,  Loebs  &  Co.,  and  was  established  in  1856;  capacity  20,000  barrels.  . 

We  are  indebted  to  John  A.  Davis  of  the  internal  revenue  office  for  the  an- 
nexed accurate  statement  of  production  of  ale  and  beer  in  the  past  ten  years  : 
1874 — 86,730  barrels;  1875  —  101,408  barrels;  1876 — 107,356  barrels; 
1877 — 124,314  barrels;  1878 — 141,749  barrels;  1879  —  183,190  barrels; 
1880 — 209,623  barrels;  1881 — 221,606  barrels;  1882 — 259,827  barrels; 
1883  —  285,045   barrels. 

TOBACCO. 

Among  the  early  tobacconists  of  Rochester  were  W.  Barron  Williams, 
Abram  Van  Slyck,  Richard  Ketchum,  Walter  Griffith,  John  Disbrow,  James 
H.  Kelly,  Henry  Suggett  and  R.  D.  Kellogg.  Of  these  but  two  are  living, 
and  but  one  (Kellogg)  remains  in  the  business  to-day.  Mr.  Kellogg  (1845) 
conducts  the  manufacturing  and  wholesale  and  retail  business  on  State  street, 
at  the  head  of  Andrews  street,  where  he  still  manufactures  and  sells  the  "  Peer- 
less" chewing,  the  right  to  the  trademark  being  secured  at  the  end  of  six  years' 
protracted  and  expensive  litigation  with  other  parties  claiming  the  same.         • 

One  of  the  principal  tobacco  works  in  the  United  States  is  that  of  Wm.  S. 
Kimball  &  Co.,  Court  street,  upon  the  strip  of  land  bounded  by  the  upper 
raceway,  the  aqueduct,  the  river  and  Court  street,  covering  two  and  a  half 
acres.  The  works  were  constructed  especially  for  the  business  by  this  firm, 
and  the  expense  of  preparing  the  bare  foundation  is  said  to  have  been  upward 
of  $25,000  before  a  brick  was  laid.  About  1,000  operatives  are  employed  and 
the  trade  extends  all  over  the  world.  The  frontage  on  Court  street  is  224  feet, 
with  two  wings  running  back  a  little  over  200  feet  on  the  raceway  and  river 
sides,  respectively,  with  a  court  in  the  center.  A  chimney,  182  feet  in  height 
—  surmounted  by  Mercury,  the  god  of  commerce  as  well  as  of  other  things, 
the  figure  being  twenty-one  feet  in  height —  is  a  most  striking  object  and  can 
be  seen  from  any  elevated  part  of  the  city.  This  figure  is  in  the  highest  degree 
a  work  of  art  and  was  designed  by  J.  Guernsey  Mitchell,  a  young  Rochesterian, 
and   made  in  sheet  copper  by  John   Siddons,  of  this  city.     This  house  was 


634  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

founded  in  1846  by  Henry  Suggett  and  became  Suggett  &  Kimball  in  1863. 
In  1867  James  C.  Hart  became  a  partner,  Mr.  Suggett  retiring,  and  the  firm 
became  Wm.  S.  Kimball  &  Co.  Numerous  prize  medals,  home  and  foreign, 
attest  the  exellence  of  the  goods  made  and  the  house  not  only  leads  in  the 
matter  of  quantity,  but  also  in  taste  and  originality  of  the  packages.  One  of 
the  recent  features  is  the  printing  of  ornamental  designs  on  tin  before  it  is 
formed  into  boxes.  A  leading  specialty  is  the  manufacture  of  cigarettes, 
averaging  nearly  a  million  a  day. 

At  the  junction  of  the  Erie  canal  and  Exchange  street,  upon  the  site  of  the 
old  Rochester  House,  is  the  five-story  building  of  S.  F.  Hess  &  Co.,  costructed 
especially  for  the  business.  Mr.  Hess  succeeded,  in  1867,  to  the  business 
established  in  1838  by  John  Disbrow.  In  1877  the  firm  became  S.  F.  Hess  & 
Co.  (S.  V.  McDowell).  The  number  of  operatives  is  300  and  the  specialties 
are  fine-cut  chewing  tobacco  and  cigars.  Of  the  latter  5,000,000  are  manu- 
factured annually.  This  is  the  only  house  in  the  state,. outside  of  New  York 
city,  manufacturing  plug  tobacco.  The  goods  are  sold  universally,  even  in 
London,  and  about  4,000  dealers  are  on  the  firm's  books. 

Richard  Whalen  is  one  of  the  few  in  the  business  now  who  commenced 
upward  of  forty  years  ago,  as  a  boy  in  the  employ  of  W.  Barron  Williams. 
He  was  also  in  the  Van  Slyck  or  Disbrow  factories  when  they  were  located  on 
Brown's  race.  Afterward  R.  &  T.  Whalen  established  quite  a  local  jobbing 
business  in  the  Hayden  building,  corner  of  State  and  Furnace  streets,  which  in 
1883  was  left  in  the  hands  of  T.  Whalen,  who  still  conducts  it,  while  R.  Whalen 
&  Co.  (J.  L.  &  R.  T.  Whalen)  established  an  exclusive  manufacturing  and  job- 
bing buisness  in  the  Kidd  building,  Brown's  race,  with  an  office  on  Mill  street. 
This  house  was  not  long  in  establishing  a  very  large  local  and  surrounding 
trade.  The  goods  have  the  advantage  of  being  made  under  the  personal  in- 
spection of  a  veteran  tobacconist,  which  is  a  guarantee  of  their  excellence. 
The  employment  is  about  50  hands. 

The  Allison  Brothers  company  are  cigarette  manufacturers  on  North  Water 
street,  using  machines  (the  invention  of  A.  W.  Allison)  which  make  150  cigar- 
ettes per  minute.  The  business  originated  with  the  Allison  brothers  in  1882. 
In  1883  a  company  was  formed,  with  F.  De  W.  Clark,  president;  A.  W.  Al- 
lison, vice-president;  F.  P.  Allen,  treasurer,  and  J.  A.  Allison,  secretary.  From 
30  to  40  operatives  are  employed,  representing  about  200  operatives,  where 
machines  are  not  used. 

There  are  from  80  to  90  cigar-makers  and  tobacconists  in  the  city,  employ- 
ing from  3  to  30  hands. 

Mr.  Davis  furnishes  the  annexed  tables  for  1873  and  1883,  showing  the 
number  of  pounds  of  tobacco  manufactured,  and  number  of  cigars  and  cigar- 
ettes made  in  the  years  named.  It  is  an  interesting  exhibit  of  the  growth  of 
the  industry  and  of  government  receipts  for  the  same.  '  There  were  no  cigar- 


Rochester  Manufactures.  635 

ettes  manufactured  in  1873.     The  double  figures  in  1883  show  amounts  at  the 
old  tax  and  the  reduction  :  — 

1873- 

Tobacco  — i,o3g,s53-Lf  lbs.  at  20c $207,910.75 

Cigars  —  7,730,050  "     at  $5.00  per  M 38,650.25 

Total  for  1873, $246,561.00 

1883. 

Tobacco —    467,898^  lbs.  at  i6c -- $  74,863.70 

1,467,3161    "    at    8c ., 117.385-29 

1 .935.2  Hi $  192,248.99 

Cigars—    5,041,725  at  $6.00  per  M $30,250.35 

"  12,240,750  at  $3.00  per. M.. 36,722.25 

17,282,475.. $66,972.60 

Cigarettes  —  41,189,050  at  $1.75  per  M ^ $72,080.85 

95,808,500  at  soc.  per  M 47,904.25 

136,997.5  5° - -  - $119,985.10 

Total  for  1883,.. ..$379,206.69 

MISCELLANEOUS  MANUFACTURES. 

Some  Peculiar  Industries.  —  It  has  been  stated  that  the  aggregated  mis- 
cellaneous industries  of  Rochester  outweigh,  in '  importance  and  amount  of 
business  done,  any  of  the  special  features  for  which  the  city  is  famous.  There 
are  also  many  peculiar  industries,  not  to  be  found  in  cities  even  larger  than 
Rochester.  Among  them  may  be  enumerated  the  following  productions :  Pins, 
gelatine  dry  plates,  optical  instruments,  gold  foil,  mail  bags,  dental  chairs,  safes 
and  safe  locks,  steam-cooked  food,  wood-carpeting,  thermometers,  artificial  stone, 
artificial  limbs,  etc.,  etc.  A  leading  industry  is  that  of  the  Archer  manufacturing 
company,  commenced  in  1857  by  R.  W.  and  J.  W.  Archer,  who  purchased 
the  patent  of  Justin  Ask's  dental  chairs.  In  1864  George  W.  Archer  suc- 
ceeded to  partnership  with  R.  W.,  the  firm  name  continuing  R.  W.  Archer  & 
Bro.,  until  the  death  of  Robert  in  1873.  Up  to  1881  the  business  was  con- 
ducted by  George  W.,  when  John  W.  was  readmitted.  In  1884  it  was  incor- 
porated a  company,  G.  W.  Archer,  president ;  John  W.  Archer,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Henry  C.  White,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Commencing  on  State  street, 
the  brothers  being  the  only  workmen,  the  business  has  grown  to  $130,000  an- 
nually, with  100  employees,  aside  from  employment  given  in  foundry  work,  etc. 
The  specialty  is  dental  and  barbers'  chairs,  and  besides  all  the  cities  and  prin- 
cipal towns  in  the  United  States  the  goods  are  shipped  regularly  to  England, 
Ireland,  Scotland,  France,  Germany,  Austria,  Australia,  New  South  Wales, 
West  Indies  and  South  America.      The  works  are  located  on  North  Water 


636  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

street,  in  building  owned  by  W.   Archer,  who  is  the  builder  and  owner  of  three 
of  the  wholesale  clothing  buildings  on  North  St.  Paul  street. 

Another  example  of  rapid  business  progress  is  the  career  of  J.  C.  Light- 
house. He  commenced  the  manufacture  of  horse-collars  on  Exchange  street, 
and  a  few  years  ago  bought  and  added  to  the  building  on  State  street  now 
occupied  by  him,  and  also  the  tannery  of  the  late  Henry  Lampert  on  Ply- 
mouth avenue ;  capacity  65,000  sides  of  leather  annually  and  employment  forty 
hands.  In  the  winter  of  1880-81  he  received  the  contract  for  manufacturing 
all  the  leather  mail  bags  used  by  the  United  States  post-office  department. 
This  building  is  305  feet  in  length,  one-half  five,  and  the  remaining  half  four, 
stories  in  height;  the  business  calls  for  the  labor  of  125  hands  aside  from  those 
at  the  tannery,  producing  $500,000  worth  of  goods  annually.  The  tannery 
and  outbuildings  cover  two  acres  of  ground,  and  are  equipped  with  all  the 
modern  machinery.  The  capital  invested  is  upward  of  $180,000.  The  man- 
ufacturing specialties  are  horse-collars,  flag  collars,  and  "Maud  S.  halters" 
which  are  jobbed  to  all  parts  of  America. 

In  November,  185 1,  David  Kendall  and  George  Taylor,  under  the  firm  of 
Kendall  &  Taylor,  commenced  the  manufacture  of  thermometers  and  barom- 
eters in  a  small  way  in  the  old  Novelty  Works  building,  corner  of  Hill  and 
Ford  streets,  in  this  city.  Mr.  Kendall  came  from  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
Taylor  from  New  Hampshire.  Kendall  had  been  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness at  New  Lebanon  with  his  father,  who  was  the  first  maker  of  these  goods 
in  this  country.  The  old  firm  lasted  but  about  one  year.  George  Taylor 
succeeded  in  the  business.  Since  1871  Taylor  Bros.,  (George  and  Frank 
Taylor)  have  conducted  the  business  in  a  building  on  Hill  street,  constructed 
expressly  for  the  purpose. 

L.  C.  Tower  commenced 'the  manufacture  about  1861,  and  has  since  con- 
tinued on  Exchange  street.  Several  others  have  at  different  times  manufac- 
tured them  in  a  small  way  and  for  a  short  time,  but  to  xio  great  extent.  This 
industry  has  increased  largely,  particularly  within  the  past  ten  years.  More 
thermometers  are  made  now  in  a  single  day  than  were  formerly  turned  out  in 
a  month.  They  are  sent  almost  everywhere  and  are  exported  quite  largely. 
There  are  four  other  manufacturers  of  these  goods  in  this  country,  and  proba- 
bly more  in  number  and  value  are  made  in  this  city  than  in  all  the  other  facto- 
ries in  the  United  States.  The  work  was  formerly  done  by  hand  ;  now  most  of 
it,  particularly  the  most  exact  and  delicate  parts,  is  done  by  machinery  made 
specially  for  the  work.  The  reputation  of  Rochester  thermometers  and  barom- 
eters is  of  a  high  order,  second  to  none  made  elsewhere.  Mr.  Tower  not  only 
manufactures  thermometers  to  quite  a  large  extent  but  does  an  extensive  job- 
bing business  in  confectionery.  He  is  a  practical  thermometer- maker  and  has 
established  works  in  other  cities.  One  of  his  specialties  is  a  chemical  weather 
prognosticator,  accompanied  by  a  thermometer. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  63  7 

James  Field  succeeded  to  the  peculiar  business  of  E.  C.  Williams  (founded 
in  1843)  in  1858.  He  is  now  located  on  Exchange  street,  where  four  floors 
and  the  help  of  thirty  men  are  required  in  the  manufacture  of  awnings,  tents, 
sails,  flags,  wagon  covers,  banners,  etc.  Mr.  Field  is  practically  alone  in  the 
business,  and  seems  to  be  a  necessity  in  Rochester,  in  which  he  located  in  1831. 
The  trade  is  not  only  local  but  his  goods  go  to  other  cities. 

'  The  Eastman  Dry  Plate  company  (George  Eastman  and  H.  A.  Strong)  was 
established  in  1880.  A  brick  building,  in  Vought  street,  near  State,  with 
boiler-house  adjacent,  is  used  for  the  manufacture  of  gelatine  dry  plates  for  pho- 
tographers. These  plates  facilitate  the  taking  of  pictures  and  have  opened  up 
great  possibilities  for  amateur  and  field  photography.  This  house  is  pioneer  in 
this  enterprise  in  the  United  States  and  does  an  enormous  business,  said  to  be 
$300,000  annually.  Much  secresy  is  used  in  the  detail  of  the  business.  Thirty 
or  forty  hands  are  employed.  Since  the  Eastman  Dry  Plate  company  was  es- 
tablished Reed  &  Inglis  and  Dumble  &  Co.  have  entered  the  same  business. 

The  first  plows  in  Rochester  were  made  by  a  man  named  Jackson.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Pardon  D.  Wright,  and  in  1836  Robert  Perrine  commenced 
employment  under  Mr.  Wright.  In  1855  Perrine,  with  Samuel  Stewart,  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  fire  apparatus  which  eventually  became 
a  famous  business  and  gave  employment  to  a  large  number  of  men.  The  hose 
carts  used  by  the  city  were  manufactured  by  Perrine  &  Stewart,  also  the  hook 
and  ladder  trucks.  Various  cities  and  towns  in  the  country  became  customers 
for  their  productions,  which  have  always  been  unexcelled.  In  1884  the  busi- 
ness passed  into  the  hands  of  Zimmer  &  Schwab,  who  now  conduct  it,  at  the 
corner  of  Front  and  Mumford  street  (rear). 

Another  peculiar  business  is  that  of  J.  C.  Schaeffer,  Mill  and  Piatt  streets, 
who  makes  hydrostatic  presses  and  lifts,  and  glass  molds,  being  the  only  manu- 
facturer of  glass  molds  nearer  than  New  York  or  Pittsburg. 

Another  peculiar  industry  in  Rochester  is  the  fruit- canning  as  carried  on  by 
Curtice  Bros.,  who  have  an  extensive  factory  on  Livingston  street,  built  ex- 
pressly for  the  business.  They  pack  and  can  fruit  and  in  the  fruit  season  em- 
ploy several  hundred  hands,  manufacturing  their  own  cans  and  ship  the  goods 
to  all  points. 

The  Vacuum  Oil  company  was  projected  in  1865  by  H.  B.  Everest.  The 
actuary  is  C.  M.  Everest.  Lubricating  and  illuminating  oils  are  made  and  a 
business  of  $650,000  annually  is  done.  The  works  occupy  eight  acres  of 
ground  on  Mansion  street,  adjoining  the  Erie  and  B.,  N.  Y.  &  P.  railway  tracks. 
Five  acres  of  buildings,  tracks,  etc.,  are  required,  besides  warehouses,  con- 
nected by  underground  pipes  with  the  works.  The  produce  has  a  large  local  and 
general  sale,  including  the  foreign  countries.  The  company  is  incorporated, 
capital  stock  nominal,  being  a  close  corporation.  It  has  down-town  branch 
offices  and  warehouses  in  New  York,  Boston,  Baltimore,  Montreal,  Quebec, 
and  Liverpool,  England. 


638  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Francis  L.  Hughes  is  the  successor  of  Jacobs  &  Hughes.  Aside  from  an 
immense  jobbing  trade  in  toys,  Mr.  Hughes  makes  a  specialty  of  manufactur- 
ing baby  carriages,  in  which  he  does  $100,000  business  annually,  employing 
thirty  hands. 

Gibbons  &  Stone,  by  a  singular  coincidence,  occupy  as  a  music  store  the 
original  store  of  Frederick  Starr,  the  first  piano-maker  in  Rochester.  This 
house  makes  a  piano  which  has  much  more  than  a  good  local  reputation  and 
sale.  The  business  originated  with  Dwight  Gibbons  in  1861,  and  his  sons,  D. 
C.  and  A.  J.,  and  Lyman  L.  Stone  formed  the  present  copartnership  in  1864. 
They  have  a  factory  in  Hill  street,  employing  about  30  hands. 

The  Bausch  .&  Lomb  optical  instrument  company,  J.  J.  Bausch  president, 
H.  Lomb  secretary,  was  organised  in  i860  for  the  manufacture  of  spectacles, 
eye-glasses,  lenses,  microscopes,  telescopes  and  other  optical  instruments.  The 
factory  at  Vincent  bridge.  North  St.  Paul  street,  was  constructed  especially  for 
the  business  and  is  equipped  with  some  very  fine  machinery.  A  depot  is 
maintained  in  New  York  city,  to  which  the  manufactured  goods  are  sent  for 
the  trade.     About  200  men  are  employed. 

Albrecht  Vogt  is  a  manufacturer  of  trimmings  in  a  building  on  North  St. 
Paul  street  built  by  him  expressly  for  the  business,  which  was  established  in 
1874.  The  specialty  is  exclusively  fine  silk  trimmings,  fringes,  tassels,  cord- 
ings,  chenille,  etc.  He  has  expensive  machinery,  looms;  etc;,  and  employs 
about  50  skilled  operatives.  There  are  few  such  establishments  in  this  country 
—  in  fact  all  of  them  could  be  counted  on  the  fingers'  ends  —  and  his  goods 
are  sent  to  all  the  fashion  centers  in  America. 

James  Laney  &  Co.  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  tin  and  peddlers'  ware, 
in  a  five-story  building  running  through  from  Elm  to  Lancaster  streets.  They 
are  heavy  purchasers  and  shippers  of  rags  and  junk  and  large  jobbers  in  paper. 
From  thirty  to  forty  peddlers  obtain  their  supplies  and  sell  their  truck  to 
Laney  &  Co.  Employment  over  100  hands.  Levi  Hey,  who  has  a  building 
on  State  street,  opposite  Factory  street,  does  about  a  quarter  of  a  million  dol- 
lars worth  annually  in  rags  and  peddlers'  goods,  employing  about  50  hands. 

James  H.  Wickes,  car  superintendent  of  the  Merchants'  Dispatch  compan)', 
came  to  Rochester  nearly  three  years  ago,  for  the  purpose  of  having  the  office 
more  centrally  located  and  establishing  shops  for  light  repair  of  cars  and  for 
their  refrigerators  under  his  patent.  A  shop  250  feet  long  has  recently  been 
erected  here  for  the  painting  of  the  cars.  The  success  of  the  refrigerator  cars, 
and  the  fact  of  their  being  adopted  by  the  Merchants'  Dispatch  as  the  best  of 
the  kind  in  the  country,  suggested  the  idea  of  using  the  same  principle  for 
houses  and  other  similar  purposes,  so  that  a  company  was  formed  last  year 
with  that  idea,  the  officers  being  as  follows :  President,  Judge  William  Rum- 
sey  ;  vice-president,  James  W.  Whitney ;  treasurer,  H.  H.  Craig ;  secretary, 
E.  M.  Upton ;  executive  committee  —  J.  H.  Wickes,  Ira  L.  Otis,  H.  H.  Craig. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  639 

The  company  has  already  met  with  great  success,  their  refrigerators  being  built 
into  many  private  houses,  hotels  and  markets. 

Thomas  Swift  &  Sons  (H.  R.  and  T.  R.)  are  manufacturers  of  gold  leaf,  on 
Exchange  street,  where  several  skilled  workmen  are  employed  in  reducing 
chemically  pure  gold  leaf,  for  gilders'  uses.  The  gold  is  melted  into  ingots, 
rolled  and  cut  into  thin  pieces  about  an  inch  square,  when  the  beating  com- 
mences, first  upon  the  gold  then  upon  skins  enfolding  the  sheets.  These  are 
beaten  until  they  become  transparent,  when  they  are  cut  into  squares  and 
booked.     A  pound  of  gold,  value  $250,  yields  about  29,000  leaves. 

The  Standard  Sewer-pipe  company  was  organised  in  January,  1883,  with  a 
capital  of  $75,000,  which,  later  in  the  year,  was  increased  to  $100,000.  The 
officers  are :  President,  Mathias  Kondolf ;  vice-president  and  superintendent, 
R.  W.  Lyle ;  secretary,  F.  N.  Kondolf;  treasurer,  Isaac  Wile.  The  office  is 
on  Caledonia  avenue,  adjoining  the  canal,  and  the  works"  are  on  Rowe  street, 
intersected  by  the  New  York  Central  railroad  and  the  Erie  canal ;  they  cost 
about  $50,000,  cover  some  ten  acres  and  have  half  a  mile  of  Central  track  in 
the  yards  ;  the  capacity  is  $275,000,  with  orders  for  all  the  pipe  that  can  be 
made  ;  about  60  hands  are  employed.  The  pipe  is  made  of  clay  —  of  which 
the  company  owns  a  large  bed  —  thoroughly  vitrified  and  salt-glazed. 

The  Rochester  Sewer-pipe  company  (formerly  Otis  &  Gorsline)  has  exten- 
sive works  on  Oak  street,  with  still  larger  capacity  than  the  Standard ;  but  the 
inability  to  obtain  further  information  makes  it  impossible  to  say  any  more. 

Woodbury,  Morse  &  Co.  for  twelve  years  have  been  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  colors  and  zincs  in  Race  street,  rear  of  their  store  on  East  Main  street. 
The  market  is  local  and  extends  to  Western  and  Central  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania, together  with  some  western  trade.  The  business  was  founded  in  1843 
by  M.  F.  Reynolds.  About  thirty  years  ago  the  Weddle  Bros,  were  paint  man- 
ufacturers in  Rochester. 

For  a  number  of  years  Rochester  show-cases  have  had  a  reputation  as  stand- 
ard as  Rochester  flour,  Rochester  flowers,  Rochester  shoes  or  Rochester  cloth- 
ing. The  Stein  show-case  was  known  throughout  the  country,  and,  compared 
with  other  makes,  was  possessed  of  recognised  superiority.  Farley  &  Hofman 
(Joseph  Farley,  sr.,  &  John  Hofman),  who  now.  manufacture  these  cases,  make 
a  specialty  of  every  known  variety  of  show-cases  and  concomitant  store  fixtures. 
Machinery  plays  an  important  part  in  the  production  of  the  goods.  The  arms 
which  form  the  rounded  frames  of  show  cases  are  made  from  straight-grained 
wood,  which,  when  passed  through  a  molding  machine,  are  placed  in  a  tank 
into  which  is  let  very  hot  moist  steam.  When  thoroughly  steamed,  and  while 
as  pliable  as  wire,  they  are  fastened  to  wood  forms  and  passed  to  the  dry  kilns 
below  and  thoroughly  dried.  Even  re-steaming  will  not  make  the  wood  resume 
its  original  shape  unless  the  ends  are  released  from  the  patent  joint  which  unites 
the  parts.     This  joint  has  a  fixed  screw  which  passes  through  the  conjoined 


640  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

parts.  On  the  reverse  side  is  a  sliding  clutch  with  teeth,  which  are  firmly  em- 
bedded by  turning  the  nuts  that  cap  it.  In  no  case  have  these  connections 
ever  come  apart;  Cases  may  be  shivered  to  atoms  but  these  joints  hold.  In 
the  cheaper  grades  they  are  made  of  cast  iron  but  usually  are  of  bell-metal, 
brought  to  a  high  polish  by  emery,  oil  and  buffing,  with  a  special  substance  of 
the  nature  of  rouge^ 

The  whip  business  was  established  as  early  as  1837  by  Myron  and  William 
Strong,  on  Main  street.  Strong,  Woodbury  &  Co.  (H.  A.  Strong  and  E.  F. 
Woodbury)  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  whips,  corner  Allen  and  Washing- 
ton streets  in  a  large  building  constructed  es^ressly  for  the  business  and  equipped 
with  all  the  latest  machinery.  They  employ  90  hands,  do  nearly  $200,000 
worth  of  business  annually,  and,  besides  shipping  products  to  all  the  states  in 
the  Union,  have  trade  in  England,  Australia  and  the  West  Indies. 

Clark  &  Co.  (William  H.  Jones)  are  extensive  manufacturers  of  whips,  on 
Exchange  street,  near  the  canal. 

Yawman  &  Erbe  are  manufacturers  of  optical  and  surveying  instruments, 
employing  about  40  operatives,  some  of  whom  are,  from  the  fine  nature  of  the 
work,  great  artisans.     The  house  is  located  on  St.  Paul  street. 

The  Johnston  Graphite  lubricating  axle  oil  company  have  works  in  East 
Rochester ;  organised  as  a  stock  company,  capital  stock  $250,000,  Clark  John- 
ston president,  Theodore  Lane  secretary,  Wm.  S.  Thompson  superintendent. 

The  first  dyeing  in  Rochester  was  done  by  Francis  Peacock  in  1823,  who 
established  on  State  street,  afterward  (1828)  moving  to  the  corner  of  Mill  and 
Piatt  streets,  continuing  until  1842,  when  he  died.  Mr.  Peacock's  death  was 
the  first  in  the  city  from  the  ranks  of  the  Odd  Fellows.  Daniel  Leary,  who 
commenced  in  1837,  succeeded  to  the  business  in  1842  and  now  conducts  it  to 
conform  to  the  progress  of  the  times,  employing  more  than  a  score  of  hands. 
Mr.  Leary's  business  is  one  that  has  felt  the  improved  mail  and  express  facili- 
ties to  a  large  degree,  sending  his  goods,  up  to  four  pounds,  by  mail  to  all  the 
states. 

Hulbert  H.  Warner  came  to  Rochester  in  1 870  and  commenced  the  sale  of 
safes.  In  twelve  years  he  sold  ten  million  dollars'  worth.  In  1879  he  en- 
gaged in  the  medicine  business,  and  before  it  became  self-sustaining  he  expended 
$1,500,000  in  advertising.  He  now  advertises  in  9,000  papers,  at  an  annual 
expense  of  nearly  half  a  million  dollars.  He  is  a  customer  for  internal  revenue 
stamps  at  the  rate  of  $150,000  annually.  For  certain  months  in  the  year  his 
postal  expenses  are  $800  daily.  In  1 883  he  built  the  eight-story  iron  and  fire- 
proof building  corner  of  St  Paul  and  Pleasant  streets  at  a  cost  of  nearly  half  a 
million  dollars.  The  system  and  labor-saving  devices  in  the  business  are  akin 
to  the  wonderful  —  especially  the  advertising  department,  at  the  head  of  which 
is  H.  L.  Ensign.  In  1884  he  disposed  of  the  safe  business  to  Mosler,  Bowen 
&  Co.,  whose  headquarters  are   in  the  Warner  building.     He  is  the  founder  of 


Rochester  Manufactures.  641 

the  Warner  observatory  and  patron  of  Dr.  Swift,  a  local  astronomer  of  world- 
wide repute. 

The  Rochester  cotton  mill  was  built  bySeth  C.  Jones  in  1845-46,  who  con- 
ducted it  personally  a  short  time,  afterward  forming  a  stock  company  known 
as  "The  Jones  Cotton  Mill."  In  1853  it  was  leased  by  John  Vickery  and 
afterward  purchased  by  him  and  run  to  1863,  when  it  was  bought  by  Thomas 
Garner.  It  is  now  conducted  by  the  Garner  estate.  Garner  &  Co.  are  the 
largest  manufacturers  of  print  cloths  in  the  world,  and  the  world  is  their 
market.  This  mill  has  10,000  spindles  and  runs  without  cessation  except  on 
Sundays. 

The  Stein  manufacturing  company  is  the  pioneer  in  manufacturing  cloth- 
covered  burial  caskets  to  sell  to  the  trade  ;  has  branch  houses  in  New  York, 
Boston,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  The  business  amounts  to  a  half  a  million  dol- 
lars annually.  The  amount  paid  yearly  for  fabrics  is  $150,000.  Two  hundred 
men  are  employed  at  the  works,  a  very  ornamental  structure,  corner  of  Court 
and  Exchange  streets. 

The  Hop  Bitters  manufacturing  company — A.  T.  Soule,  president,  Wilson 
Soule,  secretary  —  is  located  on  Mill  street,  occupying  four  floors.  The  trade 
is  general,  including  England,  France,  Belgium,  Holland,  Australia  and  South 
America.  The  annual  advertising  bills  are  $170,000  to  $180,000.  The 
glass  bill  (for  bottles)  is  $40,000  to  $50,000  yearly,  and  from  70,000  to 
80,000  boxes  are  used  in  the  shipment  of  goods,  which  are  handled  by  30,000 
dealers. 

Patrick  Joyce,  on  West  Main  street,  is  the  inventor,  patentee  and  manu- 
facturer of  a  pivotal  bier,  which  is  in  extensive  use  in  churches,  cathedrals,  chap- 
els, etc.,  all  over  the  country. 

Charles  J.  Lighthouse  is  a  manufacturer  of  horse-collars  in  North  Water 
street,  employing  from  fifteen  to  twenty  hands. 

P.  H.  Curtis  has  a  factory  on  Favor  street,  for  the  making  of  artificial  stone 
walks,  caps,  sills,  etc. 

Haseltine,  Dunlap  &  Co.  are  manufacturers  of  underwear,  in  Exchange 
street.  This  house,  among  the  pioneer  concerns  in  this  branch  of  industry, 
has  built  up  an  unrivaled  trade  until  its  sales  now  cover  every  state  in  the 
Union.  The  present  members  of  the  firm  are  all  practical  men  at  the  busi- 
ness, furnishing  employment  to  150  skilled  operatives.  The  house  manufac- 
tures over  450  different  styles  of  garments. 

The  Stewart  building,  extending  from  Andrews  street  to  Central  avenue, 
is  notable  for  the  various  industries  conducted  therein.  As  a  matter  of  cu- 
riosity we  give  the  names  and  business  of  the  occupants,  with  hands  employed  : 
A.  Wiseman,  shoemaker  tools,  10;  A.  Leggett,  buttonhole  maker,  20;  G.  J. 
Michaels,  machinist,  5  ;  J.  G.  West,  machinist,  5  ;  D.  M,  Anthony,  baker,  20 ; 
Hatch  flexible  shoe  company,  loo;     Hatch  crimper  company,    125;    Chas. 


642  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Boddy,  shoe  lasts,  25;  Behn  &  Young,  shoes,  75  ;  Henry  Kohlmetz,  machinist, 
I S  ;  Abbott  &  Bradstreet,  ladies'  underwear,  50 ;  H.  H.  Occor,  sash  and 
blinds,  30 ;  A.  Elliot,  elevator  gates,  20 ;  Anthony.  &  Sauer,  grinders,  3  ;  J. 
G.  Smith  &  Son,  faucet  manufacturers,  15  ;  American  archery  company,  50; 
J.  J.  O'Connor,  sash  and  blinds,  25  ;  Davis,  Ley  &  Co.,  furniture,  15  ;  Hason 
&  Rattelle,  shoes,  25  ;  Judson  &  Co.,  fishpoles,  10;  John  Kelley,  shoes,  150; 
R.  W.  Hood,  buttonhole  maker,  15  ;  E.  K.  Warren,  brewery  (storage), 
nominal;  Cole  &  Co.,  printers,  nominal;  Mr.  Lipskie,  clothing  manufacturer, 
25;  L.  L.  Clark,  baking  powder,  10;  Goble  &  Vredenberg,  printers,  15  ;  Ulscht 
&  Linn,  machinists,  10;  Thomas  Boddy,  shoe  la.sts,  20;  George  F.  Flannery, 
printer,  10;  H.  Howe  &  Co.,  scales,  25;  Rochester  scale  company,  Forsyth 
&  Co.,  25  ;  Brettell,  general  machinist,  15  ;  electric  light  company,  20;  C.  T. 
Horton,  edge  tools,  10;  J.  J.  Ziegler,  .  auger  manufacturer  10;  J.  Madden, 
plumbing,  etc.,  10;  total  number  employed,  983. 

A  similar  building  to  this,  having  for  tenantry  a  dozen  different  manufac- 
turing industries,  is  "  the  Beehive,"  site  of  the  old  Beach  mill.  The  old  build- 
ing was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1880  and  the  present  brick  structure  was  put  in 
its  place  the  following  summer  by  the  present  owners  —  the  Butts  estate. 

The  extensive  trunk  manufacturing  business  of  Henry  Likly  &  Co.  (founded 
in  1844  by  A.  R.  Pritchard)  calls  for  the  employment  of  about  125  men.  A 
factory  built  especially  for  the  business  is  located  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Erie 
canal  at  Lyell  avenue,  the  site  of  one  of  the  early  German  breweries  erected 
by  Louis  Bauer.  They  have  a  store  and  wareroom  on  State  street  extending 
through  to  Mill  street,  and  their  goods  are  sold  and  used  in  every  part  of  the 
United  States  and  in  foreign  parts,  as  well.  The  trunk  of  the  present  day, 
made  almost  exclusively  by  machinery,  bears  strong  contrast  to  the  accoutre- 
ments of  our  fathers. 

Rochester  was  not  compelled  to  go  abroad  to  secure  pyrotechnics  for  its 
semi-centennial  celebration.  They  were  furnished  by  James  Palmer's  Sons, 
who  are  the  leading  manufacturers  in  the  world  and  whose  peculiar  wares  are 
shipped  to  the  most  remote  cities  of  the  continent.  The  works  are  on  New 
Main  street  and  were  founded  in  1840  by  James  Palmer. 

Peter  Pitkin  is  a  large  operator  in  cut  stone,  marble  work,  monuments,  etc., 
and  occupies  the  building  on  West  Main  street  formerly  used  by  the  Sill  stove 
foundry.  The  upper  part  of  the  building  is  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  the 
Arnold  steam  cooker,  a  culinary  utensil.  Whitmore,  Rauber  &  Vicenus,  on 
South  St.  Paul  street,  are  also  large  operators  in  cut  stone,  for  flagging,  sills, 
street  curbs,  etc.,  besides  being  extensive  contractors  of  public  works.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  McConnell  &  Jones,  Exchange  and  Spring  streets. 

The  Flour  City  soap  company  has  for  officers  :  J.  S.  Walters,  president ; 
D.  Walters,  vice-president  and  secretary;  N.  B.  Randall,  treasurer;  capital, 
$30,000 ;  location,  Front  street ;  specialty,  laundry  soaps,  in  which  the  Palmer 


Rochester  Manufactures..  643 

patent  saponifier  is  used,  super-heated  steam  retaining  the  glycerine ;  output, 
two  tons  daily.  The  early  soap  and  candle  men  in  Rochester  were  Moses 
Dyer,  Jacob  Anderson,  John  and  William  Mcintosh  and  the  Moulsons,  the  last 
being  still  in  business  here.  W.  &  J.  Aikenhead  are  the  successors  of  the 
Mclntoshes  and  do  a  large  business  in  Front  street.  Henry  Goetzman  &  Son 
are  also  wholesale  manufacturers. 

A  comparatively  new  industry  in  Rochester,  introduced  within  the  past  five 
or  six  years,  is  that  of  machine  carpet-beating  and  cleaning.  There  are  several 
institutions  of  the  kind,  including  the  American  Chemical  Co.,  J.  D.  Cox, 
Theodore  Batterson  and  Charles  Bailey.  An  enterprising  Rochester  inventor 
is  now  experimenting  on  a  machine  to  clean  and  beat  carpets  without  taking 
them  off  the  floor. 

The  Rochester  paper  company  at  the  lower  falls  manufactures  nine  tons 
daily  of  print  paper,  made  principally  of  poplar  wood  ground  into  pulp  in  the 
Fickett  machine.     The  inventor,  Albert  Fickett,  is  a  lifelong  resident  inventor. 

In  all  probability  the  first  book-binder  in  the  city  was  Everard  Peck,  who 
carried  on  the  book-bindery  business  in  connection  with  other  enterprises  some 
time  before  1825.  The  first  firm,  however,  to  make  a  specialty  of  binding 
books  was  that  of  C.  &  M.  Morse,  who  began, business  at  an  early  date.  Ac- 
cording to  Henry  O'Rielly,  there  were  in  this  city  in  1838  three  book-binders, 
named  Samuel  Drake,  David  Hoyt,  William  Ailing.  Some  time  after  this  the 
business  of  Morse  Bros,  passed  into  the  hands  of  Owen  Morris,  who  controlled 
it  until  1853,  when  it  came  into  the  possession  of  John  C.  Moore,  who  still 
continues  to  operate  it.  There  are  in  the  city  this  year  eight  book-binders : 
John  C.  Moore,  E.  R.  Andrews,  T.  Benford,  Creed  &  Wilson,  Robert  G. 
Newbegin,  C.  P.  De  Neve,  Kohler  &  Parry,  W.  T.  Kunhert. 

Alfred  Wright,  Clifton  street,  C.  B.  Woodworth  &  Sons,  West  Main  street, 
and  Adolph  Spiehler  are  manufacturing  perfumers.  The  first  manufactures  a 
very  high  grade  of  goods,  which  have  a  London  and  Paris  reputation.  Wood- 
worth  &  Sons  have  quite  an  extensive  trade  and  employ  about  125  hands. 
Spiehler  is  a  practical  maker  and  enjoys  a  fine  trade  and  reputation. 

In  contradistinction  to  this  business  the  Rochester  blood  and  bone  phos- 
phate company  (Keeler  &  Ellison)  manufacture  annually  about  $75,000  worth 
of  fertilisers  and  bone  black,  at  the  junction  of  the  Erie  canal  and  eastern  wide- 
water,  which  are  sold  in  all  agricultural  sections. 

Sidney  Church  conducts  a  ropewalk  on  West  avenue,  established  fifty-four 
years  ago. 

SCRAPS   OF   HISTORY   TOUCHING    UPON  THE    MANUFACTURING   INTERESTS. 

In  the  year  1830  Lewis  Selye  commenced  the  manufacture  of  scythes  oh 
what  was  then  known  as  the  "  trip-hammer  lot,"  on  the  corner  of  State  and 
Furnace  streets.     Subjecting  his  scythes  to  the  "sledge-hammer"  test,  they 


644  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

soon  won  their  way  to  public  favor,  by  reason  of  their  form,  strength  and  dura- 
biHty,  among  the  farmers  of  the  western  country.  Shortly  after  he  added  to 
his  business  the  manufacture  of  fire  engines  and  fire  hose.  In  1837  his  engines 
were  sold  as  far  as  the  city  of  Cleveland  on  the  west,  and  Albany  on  the  east, 
when  the  factory  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Rebuilding  his  factory  on  the  site  of 
the  present  Selye  and  Judson  buildings,  on  the  corner  of  Mill  and  Furnace 
streets,  he  soon  recuperated  his  fallen  fortunes  and  continued  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  fire  engines  until  1849,  when  his  factories  were  again  destroyed  by  fire. 
Henry  O'Rielly  makes  the  following  allusion  to  the  Selye  fire  engine  works:  — 
"  While  Rochester  .  .  .  engines  and  hydraulions  can  be  furnished  from  her 
workshops  to  protect  half  the  towns  in  the  land  against  the  ravages  of  the  devouring  ele- 
ments, Selye's  fire  engine  factory  is  not  only  supplying  many  of  the  towns  even  into  the 
'far  West,'  but  is  actually  making  headway  eastward  against  the  competition  of  older 
establishments  in  the  Atlantic  cities.  Several  of  the  Rochester  engines  have  been  bought 
in  Schenectady.  The  corporation  having  previously  tested  the  excellence  of  the  Selye 
machines,  formally  resolved  that  they  were  '  best  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  city  on  ac- 
count of  the  facility  with  which  they  threw  water  and  the  perfect  ease  with  which  thev 
are  kept  in  repair  so  that  in  every  emergency  they  can  be  relied  upon  with  entire  confi- 
dence '  —  a  compliment  equally  handsome  and  well-deserved  to  the  ingenuity  and  enter- 
prise of  our  townsman  Lewis  Selye,  who  has  established  this  and  other  branches  of  busi- 
ness, through  the  force  of  his  own  skill  and  perseverance  unaided  by  any  stock  companies. 
This  fire  engine  factory  was  recently  completed  and  an  order  for  ten  of  the  best  quality  of 
engines  for  the  United  States  government,  to  be  distributed  among  the  fortifications  on 
the  Atlantic  and  westward.  Those  who  reflect  on  the  value  of  such  a  manufacture  to  the 
city  of  Rochester  will  see  that  it  contributes  more  to  the  solid  wealth  of  a  place  than 
would  several  wholesale  stores,  owing  to  the  greatly  increased  value  placed  by  labor  on 
raw  material  and  the  consequent  ability  to  sustain  a  large  portion  of  an  industrious  pop- 
ulation without  the  use  of  so  much  capital." 

Ailing  &  Cory,  paper  dealers,,  celebrated  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  the 
fiftieth  year  of  the  existence  of  the  house  by  entering  the  new  building  erected 
for  them  on  Exchange  street,  near  the  canal.  William  Ailing,  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm,  first  entered  the  employ  of  Marshall  &  Dean,  Quaker  booksell- 
ers, in  1 83 1,  at  the  old  stand  on  Exchange  street.  Three  years  later  he  be- 
came a  proprietor,  the  firm  name  being  William  Ailing  &  Co.,  David  Hoyt  and 
Samuel  D.  Porter  being  partners.  After  three  years  the  last  two  retired,  and 
Mr.  Ailing  conducted  the  business  alone.  In  1859  he  took  in  two  of  his  clerks 
as  partners  —  David  Cory  and  William  S.  Ailing.  The  latter  died  in  1872, 
and  about  two  years  ago  his  youngest  son,  Joseph  T.  Ailing,  was  made  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm. 

Of  the  300  inmates  of  the  Monroe  county  penitentiary  (250  male  and  50 
female)  200  are  employed.  Of  this  number  1 50  are  employed  on  shoe  work 
for  Huiscamp  Manufacturing  Co. 

The  commercial  rating  of  the  combined  manufacturing  concerns  in  Roch- 
ester is  a  little  over  $20,000,000. 


Rochester  Manufactures.  645 

George  Oliver  has  since  1855  been  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  mill 
machinery.  He  is  located  at  Mill  and  Brown  streets  and  conducts  a  large  bus- 
iness in  the  specialty  of  bran-dusters  and  grain  separators,  which  are,  through 
their  tried  excellence.nn  demand  with  millers  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

In  1844  Thomas  Snook  succeeded  to  the  fire  engine  business  established 
in  1830  by  Mr.  Selye.  Mr.  Snook  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the  first 
locomotive  engineer  to  run  a  night  train  in  America.  He  was  the  inventor  and 
patentee  of  the  locomotive  headlight  of  the  present  day,  excepting  such  im- 
provement and  simplification  as  have  been  made.  He  was  the  founder  of  the 
extensive  business  now  conducted  by  the  Kelly  locomotive  lampworks,  and  in 
his  day  was  a  marked  character  in  Rochester,  a  mechanic  of  great  genius,  a 
good  citizen,  a  warm,  whole-souled  friend  and  capable  of  the  keenest  repartee 
in  a  discussion.      He  died  in  1867. 

Junius  Judson  manufactured  trip-hammers  in  1837,  ^"^^  in  1849  Bernard 
and  Daniel  Hughes,  auger-makers,  were  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  atmos- 
pheric trip-hammers,  of  which  B.  Hughes  was  the  inventor  and  patentee.  Daniel 
Hughes  was  the  inventor  of  a  screw  paddle-wheel  which  afterward  came  into 
extensive  use. 

In  1827  there  were  in  Rochester  124  shoemakers,  20  hatters,  "ji  coopers, 
23  clothiers,  20  millers,  21  mill-wrights,  24  wheelwrights,  .304  carpenters  and 
joiners,  17  coachmakers,  6"]  blacksmiths,  14  gunsmiths,  10  chairmakers,  95 
masons,  25  cabinet-makers,  21  saddlers,  8  tallow-chandlers,  23  tinners,  29  tan- 
ners, 14  bakers,  16  goldsmiths,  8  book-binders,  31  printers.  In  1827  Alcott  & 
Watts,  Exchange  street,  next  to  Buffalo  street  "  kept  on  hand  boat  stoves,  lamp 
oil  and  boat  lamps  and  also  manufactured  all  kinds  of  copper,  tin,  and  sheet  iron 
wares  ;  also,  all  kinds  of  castings  done  at  their  furnace,  including  castings,  spin- 
dles, screws  and  other  irons  necessary  to  supply  complete  at  very  short  notice 
either  grist-mills  or  saw-mills."  S.  S.  Alcott  conducted  a  cotton-mill,  employ- 
ing eighty  youth  and  children  who  were  liberally  offered  the  advantages  of  a 
school  five  evenings  a  week  at  the  expense  of  the  employers.  Following  is  a 
list  of  miscellaneous  manufactories  and  industries  (1827):  3  furnaces,  2  trip  ham- 
mers, 2  breweries,  2  distilleries,  3  tanneries,  i  oil  mill,  9  saw-mills,  i  nail,  2 
stone  and  earthenware  factories,  3  scythe  and  edge  tool  factories,  5  tin  and 
sheet  iron  factories,  3  soap  and  candle  factories,  2  morocco  factories,  i  comb- 
maker,  I  machine  maker,  3  coppersmiths'  shops,  3  gunsmiths'  shops,  2  plough- 
makers'  shops,  2  iron- turners'  shops,  4  diairmakcrs'  shops,  S  cabinet-makers' 
shops,  4  hatters'  shops,  l  paper  mill,  3  book-binderies,  6  printing  offices  4  sad- 
dlers' shops,  14  cooper  shops,  17  blacksmith  shops,  i  sash  factory,  i  shoe  last 
shop,  I  boat  shop  and  i  pail  and  tub  factory.  The  four  last- mentioned  are 
spoken  of  by  the  historian  of  that  day  as  "beautiful  specimens  of  the  ingenuity 
and  mechanical  talents  of  our  countrymen,  both  lucrative  and  creditable  to  the 
inventors;"  25,000  pails  were  produced  the  past  season  (1826).     March  1st  Har- 


646  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

vey  Raymond  was  an  advertising  shoemaker  on  the  west  side  of  Carroll  (State) 
street,  one  door  south  of  E.  Peck's  book-store  ;  John  H.  Thompson  was  a  man- 
ufacturer and  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  gilt  and  mahogany- framed  looking- 
glasses.  Elihu  Marshall  was  a  plain  and  ornamental  printer  and  book-binder, 
and  the  quality  both  of  the  printing  and  binding  still  in  existence  verifies  all 
that  Mr.  Marshall  claimed  in  1827.  In  1834  Edward  &  Henry  Lyon  were 
woolen  manufacturers ;  Louis  Merrill  was  a  manufacturer  of  leather,  on  Main 
street  near  the  bridge ;  Joseph  Medbery  was  a  gunsmith ;  Marcus  Morse  was  a 
book-binder;  Samuel  W.  Lee  was  a  silversmith;  W.  E.  Lathrop  was  a  harness 
and  trunk-nlaker;  Kempshall  &  Bush  (J.  F.)  were  mill-furnishers  on  State  street, 
iron  founders  on  Mill  street  and  burr  millstone-makers  on  Washington;  Seth  C. 
Jones  was  a  boat-builder  and  merchant ;  Barton  &  Babcock  were  cutlers  and 
blacksmiths  at  Buffalo  street,  river  bridge ;  Moses  N.  Barnard  was  a  millwright ; 
David  Bates  was  a  merchant  miller  on  Water  street;  Beardslee  &  Austin  were 
wool-carders  and  cloth-dressers ;  Elisha  Bryan  was  a  builder  of  fanning  mills ; 
Henry  Burnett  made  a  specialty  of  dressing  deer  skins  ;  James  Cole  was  a  mill- 
wright; Ambrose  Cram  was  a  boat-builder  at  Oak  street ;  Olmstead  Cutting  was 
a  coach-maker  in  Pindell  alley;  Nason  Danforth  was  a  last-maker;  Wm.  Brew- 
ster had  a  cabinet  shop  on  State  street;  Reuben  Doolittle  was  furnaceman;  Sam- 
uel Drake  was  a  book-binder  on  Exchange  street ;  Converse  Dyer  was  a  chand- 
ler on  Mason  (Front)  street ;  Horace  Dyer,  Amon  Bronson  and  G.  A.  HoUis- 
ter  werelumber  dealers  on  Exchange  street;  Harvey  C.  Fenn  was  a  cabinet- 
maker; Smith  Gardner  was  a  manufacturer  of  threshing  machines;  Abijah  Gould 
was  a  coach-maker  at  Sear's  cabinet  shop  on  Main  street;  Daniel  and  Ja- 
cob Graves  were  leather  makers ;  Griffith  Bros.  &  Son  were  not  only  wholesale 
grocers  but  were  soap  and  candle-makers  at  the  circus  ground  on  South 
Exchange  street;  J.  Harvey  &  Co.  were  silk,  cotton  and  woolen  dyers  on 
South  St.  Paul  street.     At  the  close  of  1833  statistics  show: — 

Cash  invested  in  mills  and  flouring  machinery  was, $    290,000 

Amount  paid  for  wheat,  barrels,  etc.,.. 1,413,000 

Barrels  of  flour  manufactured, 300,000 

IjWESTMKNTS.      amount  I'ROniJCT. 

Cotton  and  woolen  manufacturers, $157,000  $197,000 

Leather  and  skins, 31,000  152,000 

Boat-building,!.. 25,500  80,400 

Iron  castings,,  tools,  guns  and  rifles,. 27,250  80,000 

Soap  and  candles, 9>393  47j389 

Other  manufacturers  in  wood,  stone,  iron,  etc., 69,000  215,450 

In  1845  Henry  Wray  advertised  a  lock  manufactory  and  brass  foundry  on 
State  street.  Subsequently  he  entered  the  locomotive  headlight  business,  con- 
tinuing the  lock  and  brass  foundry  business,  which  is  still  conducted  by  Wray 
&  Elwood.     In  the  same  year  Joel  P.  Milliner,  corner  of  Oak  and  Smith  streets. 


Biographical.       ,  647 

and  Z.  H.  Benjamin,  Ohio  basin,  were  advertising  boat-builders  in  the  same 
year  {1845);  Daniel  Stocking  advertised  wooden  purhps,  corner  of  Monroe 
and  Alexander  streets,  and  Duryee  &  Forsyth  were  extensive  manufacturers 
of  scales  on  Buffalo  Street  in  rear  of  Barton  &,Belden's  edge  tool  factory. 

In  1847  Isaac  Doolittle  advertised  that  he  was  "the  proprietor  and  agent 
for  divers  states  and  territories  of  Crossett's  patent  stave  machine  at  Lyell 
street  bridge,  which  machine  would  cut  1,000  staves  an  hour  from  any  timber 
that  is  sawed  tolerably  straight  grained  and  free  from  knots." 

In  1849  Frederick  Starr  advertised  as  a  manufacturer  of  furniture  at  49 
Main  street  (up  stairs) ;  Wm.  Jewell  was  an  advertiser  of  saddles,  bridles  and 
military  trappings ;  James  Cunningham  advertised  an  "omnibus and  coach  fac- 
tory at  Canal  street,  near  the  corner  of  Buffalo;  "  S.  Richardson  was  a  ma- 
chinist at  number  i  Buffalo  street,  and  made  engine  and  hand  lathes  of  all 
descriptions;  Alfred  Judson  was  a  brass  founder  and  turner  on  State  street  and 
a  manufacturer  of  school-house,  factory  and  town  bells;  A.  M.  Badger  was  a 
manufacturer  of  refrigerators  on  Hill  street. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 


FREEMAN  CLARKE  was  bom  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,on  the  22d  day  of  March,  1809. 
His  father  was  Isaac  Clarke,  and  his  mother  Elizabeth  Brown,  both  of  Rensselaer 
county,  N.  Y.  Having  pursued  the  usual  school  course  in  his  native  place  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  old,  the  young  man  began  business  for  himself  as  a  grocer  and  dealer  in 
country  produce.  In  the  year  1827,  when  only  eighteen  years  of  age  he  removed  to  Al- 
bion, Orleans  Co.,  N.  ¥.,  taking  with  him  a  large  stock  of  goods,  bought  mostly  on 
credit,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  the  manufacture  of  flour  and  other  sim- 
ilar enterprises,  which  were  generally  successful.  In  the  year  1837  he  was  elected  cashier 
of  the  Bank  of  Orleans,  which  was  the  first  public  step  in  a  long  career  in  which  his 
extraordinary  financial  capacity  was  demonstrated  to  an  unusual  degree.  This  bank  was 
incorporated  under  the  safety  fund  system  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  Clarke  had 
held  the  office  of  director  in  it,  before  being  called  to  the  position  of  cashier.' 

After  eight  years  of  faithful  and  successful  service  as  cashier  at  Albion,  Mr.  Clarke 
removed  to  Rochester,  where  he  subsequently  became  largely  interested  in  banking  and 
organising  railroad,  telegraph  and  other  large  corporations.  He  organised  a  bank  for  him- 
self (the  Rochester  bank)  under  the  general  banking  law  of  the  state  of  New  York,  which 
was  a  successful  institution.  He  was  soon  chosen  one  of  the  trustees  and  treasurer  of  the 
Monroe  county  savings  bank,  and  in  1857,  during  the  panic  of  that  year,  he  organised 
and  became  president  of  the  Monroe  County  bank,  which  office  he  held  until  he  was  ap- 
pointed comptroller  of  the  currency.     This  bank  was  subsequently  changed  to  a  national 


648  ■  History  of  the  City  ok  Rochester. 

bank  and  in  Mr.  Clarke's  honor  was  called  the  Clarke  National  bank.  In  these  posi- 
tions Mr.  Clarke  acquired  at  least  a  local  reputation  as  a  financier  of  more  than  ordinary 
capacity. 

With  the  inception  and  growth  of  the  railroad  system  of  this  state,  Mr.  Clarke  be- 
came early  and  prominently  identified.  He  was  one  of  the  first  directors  and  the  treas- 
urer of  the  Lockport  &  Niagara  Falls  road,  and  when  that  corporation  was  compelled 
to  sell  out  its  stock  and  franchises  they  were  bought  almost  entire  by  Mr.  Clarke  and 
Mr.  Washington  Hunt.  In  spite  of  general  opposition,  snfficient  interest  in  this  under- 
taking was  developed  by  the  two  owners,  and  stock  subscriptions  obtained  to  secure  the 
building  of  the  road  and  its  subsequent  extension  to  Syracuse.  Mr.  Clarke  was  also  di- 
rector and  treasurer  of  the  organisation  for  the  latter  named  purpose.  He  was  president 
from  the  first  organisation  of  the  Genesee  Valley  railroad  company,  and  its  treasurer,  and 
subsequently  became  largely  interested  in  other  railroad  enterprises  in  different  parts  of 
the  country. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  one  of  the  very  first  to  interest  himself  in  the  promotion  of  the  tele- 
graph interests  of  the  country.  He  took  stock  in  both  the  House  Printing  Telegraph 
company,  and  the  Magnetic  Telegraph  company,  using  the  Morse  patents,  both  of  which 
organisations  were  afterward  consoHdated  to  form  the  nucleus  of  the  great  Western  Un- 
ion company.  While  these  different  offices  and  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  are 
not  all  to  which  Mr.  Clarke  was  called  before  he  had  reached  middle  life,  they  will  .serve 
to  indicate  the  degree  of  confidence  felt  in  his  financial  and  executive  capacity  by  his 
fellow-citizens  and  business  associates. 

Mr.  Clarke  has  always, felt  a  commendable  degree  of  interest  in  politics,  not  as  an 
avenue  through  which  to  attain  position  or  preferment,  but  as  a  means  of  securing  good 
and  efficient  government.  Up  to  the  year  1837  he  was  identified  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  subsequently  with  the  Whig  and  the  Republican  parties.  He  was  vice-pres- 
ident of  the  Whig  state  convention  in  1850,  being  then  but  forty-one  years  old;  it  was 
in  this  convention  that  his  friend,  Washington  Hunt,  was  nominated  for  governor.  The 
president,  Hon.  Francis  Granger,  with  a  portion  of  the  delegates,  seceded  to  organise  the 
Silver  Gray  and  Know-Nothing  parties,  and  Mr.  Clarke  was  called  to  act  as  president. 
In  1852  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Whig  national  convention,  which  nominated  General 
Scott  for  the  presidency.  He  was  vice-president  of  the  first  Republican  state  conven- 
tion of  the  state  of  New  York,  in  which  Myron  H.  Clark  was  nominated  for  governor 
and  Henry  J.  Raymond  for  lieutenant-governor.  In  1856  he  was  chosen  presidential 
elector  on  the  Fremont  and  Dayton  ticket.  In  1862,  at  the  most  critical  period  of  the 
nation's  history,  he  was  elected  a  representative  from  New  York  to  the  thirty-eighth 
Congress,  declining  a  reelection  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  to  accept  the  appointment 
in  1865,  of  comptroller  of  the  currency.  It  was  in  this  imf)ortant  office,  when  the  finan- 
cial affairs  of  the  country  were  much  distracted  and  the  credit  of  the  government  was  at 
its  lowest  ebb,  that  Mr.  Clarke's  innate  financial  ability  and  tact  were  recognised  by  his 
official  associates  and  fully  demonstrated  by  the  important  acts  that  followed,  for  which 
he  was  principally  responsible.  It  was  during  his  administration  that  the  national  cur- 
rency act  was  passed,  which  taxed  and  legislated  the  old  state  banks  out  of  existence, 
and  compelled  all  banking  institutions  to  invest  heavily  in  government  bonds  for  deposit 
as  security  against  their  issue  of  bills,  thus  creating  a  demand  for  the  bonds  and  reestab- 
lishing the  credit  of  the  government  on  a  firmer  basis.     The  importance  of  this  measure 


PATRICK  COX, 


Freeman  Clarke. — Patrick  Cox.  649 

at  that  time  can  scarcely  be  over-estimated,  and  Mr.  Clarke's  instrumentality  in  its  con- 
smnraation  was  freely  acknowledged  by  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Chase  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  cabinet. 

Mr.  Clarke  resigned  the  oflice  of  comptroller  of  the  currency  and  was  in  1867 
elected  a  member  of  the  New  York  state  constitutional  convention,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  leading  members.  In  1870  he  was  reelected  a  representative  from  New 
York  to  the  forty-second  Congress,  in  which  he  served  on  the  committee  on  appropri- 
ations, and  was  again  reeelected  in  1872  to  the  forty-third  Congress,  serving  on  the 
committee  on  foreign  affairs. 

If  anything  further  is  needed  in  evidence  of  the  fact  that  Mr.  Clarke  might  have 
attained  almost  any  political  preferment  to  which  his  ambition  was  directed,  it  is  sup- 
plied in  the  statement  that  during  the  impeachment  trial  of  Andrew  Johnson,  and  when 
it  was  generally  believed  he  would  be  impeached,  arrangements  were  quietly  made  by 
which,  in  that  event,  a  new  cabinet  could  be  organised  without  delay.  For  the  office 
of  secretary  of  the  treasury  Mr.  Clarke's  name  was  brought  forward,  first  by  Thomas 
W.  Olcott,  the  eminent  financier,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Edwin  D.  Morgan  and  Roscoe 
Conkling,  strongly  recommending  Mr.  Clarke  for  the  position.  This  letter  was  endorsed 
by  bankers  and  financial  men  of  New  York  city  representing  more  than  four  hundred 
millions  of  dollars.  After  the  failure  of  the  impeachment  proceedings,  this  letter  was 
returned  by  Governor  Morgan  to  Mr.  Clarke  and  is  now  in  his  possession. 

Although  a  large  portion  of  his  life  has  been  passed  outside  of  his  adopted  city,  Mr. 
Clarke  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens  at  home,  though  often  feeling  compelled 
to  decline  honorable  distinction.  He  acted  as  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  by 
the  city  to  supervise  the  elevation  of  the  New  York  Central  railroad  tracks  through  the 
city,  a  work  demanding  qualifications  of  a  high  order  on  the  part  of  the  commission. 
He  is  now  a  trustee  of  the  Rochester  university,  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  and  now  of  St.  Peters'  church,  in  both  of  which  he  held  office. 

Personally,  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  gentleman  of  dignified,  yet  courteous  demeanor ;  easy 
of  approach  by  the  humblest ;  prompt  and  terse  in  speech  ;  an  excellent  judge  of  men 
and  a  warm  and  true  friend  to  those  to  whom  he  becomes  attached.  What  is  greater 
than  all  the  rest,  in  his  long  private  and  public  career,  much  of  the  time  being  custodian 
of  vast  interests,  financial  and  otherwise,  he  has  not  only  been  uniformly  successful,  but 
has  won  a  reputation  extending  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  state  for  unusual 
capacity  and  unquestioned  integrity. 

In  1833  Mr.  Clarke  was  married  to  Miss  Henrietta  J.  Ward,  the  youngest  daughter 
of  Dr.  Levi  Ward.  They  have  had  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living.  Mr. 
Clarke  occupies  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  of  residence  in  the  city  of  Rochester, 
with  ample  grounds  and  beautiful  surroundings ;  it  is  situated  on  Alexander  street. 


PATRICK  COX  is  the  second  .son  of  Dennis  and  Mary  Cox  and  was  born  in  the 
county  town  Longford,  Ireland,  January  ist,  1842.  When  eight  years  of  age  he 
was  brought  to  Monroe  county  by  his  parents,  together  with  his  two  brothers  and  four 
sisters,  and  the  family  located  in  Rochester.  Patrick  attended  the  number  9  public 
school,  were  he  made  good  progress  in  his  studies ;  he  left  school  provided  with  the 
solid  foundation  of  a  good  practical  business  education.     He  then  served  an  apprentice- 


6so  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ship  to  the  shoeniaking  trade  and  for  several  years  worked  on  the  bench,  proving  him- 
self proficient  in  the  business. 

In  1862  when  the  manufacture  of  shoes  by  "teams"  was  adopted,  he  was  employed 
by  L.  &  H.  Churchill  and  given  the  foremanship  of  one  of  their  "teams,"  being  then 
dnly  twenty  years  of  age.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  New  York  city  and  there 
began  manufacturing  shoes  on  his  own  account  and  meeting  with  fair  success  until  187 1, 
when  the  labor  troubles  caused  so  many  manufacturers  to  leave  the  metropolis.  In  that 
year  he  returned  to  Rochester  and  opened  a  factory  on  North  Water  street  a  few  doors 
from  his  present  location.  He  continued  in  business  alone  until  1876,  when  he  took  in 
with  him  his  brother  Joseph,  the  firm  being  then  P.  Cox  &  Brother,  and  remaining  thus 
until  January  ist,  1883.  At  that  time  Joseph  retired  from  the  firm  and  a  stock  com- 
pany was  formed  under  the  name  of  the  P.  Cox  Shoe  Manufacturing  company,  with 
Patrick  Cox  as  president. 

By  constant  adherence  to  principles  of  integrity  in  the  make-up  of  their  goods  and 
their  remarkable  energy  and  excellent  business  capacity,  the  firm  has  steadily  increased 
its  product,  until  they  turn  out  in  fine  shoes  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars  annually 
and  give  employment  to  four  hundred  and  fifty  hands.  Their  goods  are  to  be  found  in 
every  city  and  state  in  the  Union  and  their  trade  mark  is  everywhere  acknowledged  to 
be  a  guarantee  of  excellence  of  quality.  The  firm  is  one  of  the  foremost  of  the  shoe 
manufacturing  interest  in  Rochester. 

Mr.  Cox  is  president  of  the  Rochester  &  Charlotte  turnpike  road  company  and  also 
a  director  of  the  Merchants' bank.  He  was  married  in  1874  to  Gertrude  Gallery  and 
they  have  had  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  living.  He  has  recently  purchased  what 
is  known  as  the  Hooker  residence  on  East  Avenue,  with  about  two  acres  of  nursery 
grounds  attached,  where  he  will  make  his  future  home. 


CHESTER  DEWEY,'  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  at  the  time  of  his  death  emeritus  professor  in 
the  University  of  Rochester,  was  in  two  respects  a  representative  man.  He  was  not 
only  a  typical  teacher,  but  he  also  held  a  distinguished  position  among  the  few  who  at 
an  early  day  cultivated  and  organised  the  study  of  natural  science  in  America. 

Dr.  Dewey  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  October  25th,  1784. 
His  father  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  clear  head,  who  seems  to  have  had  the  will 
and  the  capacity  to  give  his  son  a  most  symmetrical  training,  both  moral  and  intellectual. 
In  this  work  the  father  was  aided  by  a  wife  of  singular  piety,  cheerfulness  and  moral 
excellence.  It  was  doubtless  to  these  early  formative  influences  that  Dr.  Dewey  owed 
much  of  that  moral  completeness  which  adorned  the  whole  of  his  subsequent  life.  After 
a  youth  spent  in  alternate  labor  on  the  farm  and  study  in  the  common  school,  he  fitted 
himself  to  enter  the  college  at  Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  in  his  eighteenth  year.  He 
graduated  in  1806,  taking  rank  as  a  scholar  among  the  first  in  his  class.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  college  he  became  the  subject  of  those  deep  religious  convictions,  by  which  he 
ever  after  ordered  his  entire  life.  After  graduation  he  lived  and  studied  with  Dr.  Stephen 
West,  who  was  an  eminent  theologian  of  the  time,  and  for  sixty  years  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Stockbridge,  Mass.     In  1807  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Berkshire  association 

1  This  sketch  is  condensed  from  the  Smithsonian  Report  for  1870,  for  wliich  ihe  original  was  prepared 
by  Dr.  M.  B.  Anderson,  President  of  Rochester  university. 


Chester  Dewey.  65 1 


(Congregational).  After  teaching  and  preaching  for  a  few  months  at  West  Stockbridge 
and  Tyringham,  Mass.,  he  was  appointed  a  tutor  in  Williams  college.  Although  he  thus 
entered  on  a  new  field  of  labor,  he  never  really  retired  from  the  pulpit.  For  fifty  years 
he  accepted  frequent  invitations  to  preach,  in  scores  of  churches  in  many  places,  and  did 
nearly  as  much  work  of  this  kind  as  if  preaching  were  his  only  occupation,  and  he  had 
no  other  regular  and  pressing  duties  to  perform. 

After  two  years  service  as  tutor  he  was  elected  (at  the  age  of  twenty-six)  professor 
of  mathematics  and  natural  philosophy.  He  held  this  position  till  1827,  a  period  of 
seventeen  years.  During. this  time  the  college  was  poor  and  struggling  for  life.  Of 
necessity,  a  heavy  burden  of  labor  and  cesponsibility  rested  upon  tVie  officers  of  instruc- 
tion. Among  these  Dr.  Dewey  bore  a  distinguished  part.  In  times  of  confusion  and 
internal  disorder,  his  influence  over  the  students  is  said  to  have  been  most  salutary  and 
powerful.  According  to  the  custom  of  the  time,  his  department  of  instruction  included 
not  only  mathematics  and  physics,  but  the  whole  range  of  chemistry  and  the  natural 
sciences. 

He  entered  upon  the  work  of  accumulating  and  organising  the  apparatus  and  collec- 
tions requisite  for  the  study  of  chemistry  and  natural  history  with  great  zeal  and  enthusi- 
asm ;  while  he  was  equally  earnest  in  giving  instruction  in  the  severer  portions  of  the  broad 
department  for  whose  cultivation  in  the  college  he  was  responsible.  He  fitted  up  a  lab- 
oratory and  commenced  making  collections  for  the  illustration  of  botany,  mineralogy  and 
geology.  This  was  accomplished  mainly  by  personal  labor  and  exchanges  with  those 
engaged  in  similar  pursuits  in  our  own  and  other  countries.  These  labors  gave  the  initial 
impulse  to  the  cultivation  of  the  natural  sciences  in  Williams  college  and  laid  the  found- 
ations of  its  now  large  and  valuable  illustrative  collections. 

In  1827  Dr.  Dewey  resigned  the  chair  which  he  had  so  long  held.  The  friends  of 
education  in  Western  Massachusetts  had  been  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  providing 
more  systematic  and  vigorous  instruction  for  young  men  preparing  for  college  and  im- 
mediate business  pursuits.  An  opportunity  for  public  service  of  this  sort  of  more  imme- 
diate usefulness,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  than  was  afforded  by  his  college  chair,  was  found 
in  the  establishment  of  a  Gymnasium  at  Pittsfield.  He  removed  to  Pittsfield,  where 
from  1822  he  had  been  engaged  as  professor  of  botany  and  chemistry  in  the  Medical 
college,  and  became  principal  of  this  institution.  He  remained  in  Pittsfield  nine  years, 
at  the  same  time  occupying  the  chair  of  botany  and  Chemistry  in  the  Medical  college 
there.  His  connection  with  tiiis  medical  school  was  retained  after  his  removal  to  Roch- 
ester, until  about  1850.  From  1841  he  lectured  for  about  nine  years  also  at  the  Medical 
school  in  Woodstock,  Vermont.  In  1836  he  removed  to  this  city,  and  took  charge  of 
the  collegiate  institute.  This  institution  in  connection  with  Professor  N.  W.  Benedict 
and  others,  he  conducted  with  high  success  for  fourteen  years.  In  1850,  at  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  University  of  Rochester,  he  was  elected  professor  of  chemistry  and  nat- 
ural history  in  that  institution,  and  continued  to  discharge  the  duties  of  that  chair  for  a 
little  more  than  ten  years.  He  retired  from  active  duty  in  1861,  at  the  ripe  age  of  sev- 
enty-six. 

Dr.  Dewey  was  always  ready  to  aid  those  who  were  honestly  working  to  acquire  an 
education.  Many  of  his  pupils  who  became  eminent  in  the  scientific  world  were  glad 
to  attribute  their  success  largely  to  the  inspiration  of  his  enthusiasm,  fullness  of  knowl- 
edge and  willingnes?  to  teach.     In  his  chosen  profession  of  teacher  he  was  an  enthusiast. 


6s 2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

His  whole  life  was  absorbed  in  obtaining  knowledge  and  imparting  it  to  others.  In  the 
street,  in  the  social  circle,  in  the  professor's  chair,  he  was  always  the  teacher.  No  per- 
son could  come  within  the  sphere  of  his  influence  without  carrying  away  some  new  fact 
or  thought,  or  being  inoculated  with  new  love  for  moral  or  natural  truth.  In  his  mind 
new  truths  seemed  to  fall  spontaneously  into  the  form  adapted  for  presentation  to  the 
learner.  He  always  conceived  of  nature  and  man  as  belonging  to  a  common  system, 
related  to  each  other  in  every  part  and  designed  to  illustrate  a  common  moral  purpose. 
This  naturally  led  him  to  estimate  new  investigations  and  discoveries  to  be  important 
mainly  as  they  served  to  set  forth  the  moral  dignity  of  man,  to  promote  his  happiness 
and  elevate  his  character.  His  intellectual  life  was  a  beautiful  commentary  on  the  re- 
mark of  Gibbon,  that  "  It  is  a  greater  glory  to  science  to  develop  and  perfect  mankind, 
than  it  is  to  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  the  known  universe."  He  was  utterly  free  from  those 
petty  jealousies  which  so  often  manifest  themselves  among  scientific  men.  He  rejoiced 
in  scientific  progress,  to  whomsoever  it  was  due,  and  was  always  most  generous  in  his 
estimate  of  the  achievements  of  others.  To  his  mind  there  was  no  broad  separation  be- 
tween the  moral  and  the  material  order.  But  he  was  intensely  averse  to  that  false  phi- 
losophy which  seeks  unity  at  the  expense  of  reducing  all  thought  and  volition  to  dynamics, 
making  no  distinction  between  man  and  a  crystal.  To  his  mind,  the  whole  scheme  of 
material  things  was  ever  throbbing  and  quivering  with  Divine  life,  benevolence  and 
power.  This  profound  recognition  of  God  in  the  modes  in  which  he  has  revealed  him- 
self, rounded  and  completed  his  moral  and  intellectual  life  and  made  him,  by  way  of 
eminence,  the  good  teacher. 

As  a  man  of  science.  Dr.  Dewey  belongs  to  a  class  whose  abilities  and  public  serv- 
ices are  liable,  in  our  time,  to  be  overlooked  or  underrrated.  Reference  is  here  made 
to  those  men  who  were  pioneers  in  the  work  of  cultivating  and  popularising  natural  sci- 
ence in  our  country.  When  Amos  Eaton,  Parker  Cleveland,  Robert  Hare,  Benjamin 
Silliman,  Edward  Hitchcock  and  Chester  Dewey  began  their  labors,  the  natural  sciences, 
as  they  are  now  understood,  had,  in  this  country,  hardly  an  existence.  Since  that  time 
the  discoveries  and  investigations  upon  which  they  rest  have  in  great  part  been  made  or. 
matured. 

Dr.  Dewey  left  college  in  1806.  Just  about  this  period  that  remarkable  impulse  was 
given  to  scientific  inquiry,  resulting  in  almost  simultaneous  development  of  chemistry, 
zoology,  crystallography,  botany  and  geology,  which  rendered  the  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  so  supremely  illustrious. 

In  connection  with  his  labors  in  giving  instruction  in  colleges,  medical  schools  and 
academies.  Dr.  Dewey  was  not  unmindful  of  his  obligations  to  make  some  additions  to 
the  sum  of  scientific  knowledge.  He  was  for  forty  years  a  constant  contributor  to  Sil- 
liman's  Journal.  He  always  studied  with  pen  in  hand  and  was  a  constant  writer  on 
scientific  subjects'  for  the  newspaper  press.  He  became  early  in  life  an  enthusiastic 
student  of  botany  and  contributed  very  largely  to  the  scientific  knowledge  of  the  carices. 
Dr.  Asa  Gray,  our  great  botanist,  classes  Dr.  Dewey  with  Schweinitz  and  Torrey,  and 
speaks  of  his  writings  on  caricography  as  "an  elaborate  monograph  patiently  prosecuted 
through  more  than  forty  years."  He  further  says:  "In  connection  with  the  two  botan- 
ists above  mentioned,  he  laid  the  foundation  and  insured  the  popularity  of  the  study  of 
the  sedges  in  this  country."  Unfortunately,  Dr.  Dewey  did  not  write  any  systematic 
treatise  on  this  subject,  but  his  numerous  short  articles  represent  the  progress  of  his  own 


Chester  Dewey. — Addison  Gardiner.  653 

observations  and  studies  and  give  a  history  of  the  progress  of  that  department  of  bo- 
tanical science.  Dr.  Dewey  wrote  a  History  of  the  Herbaceous  Plants  of  Massachusetts, 
which  was  published  by  the  state.  He  contributed,  also,  the  article  on  carices,  to  Wood's 
Botany.  Up  to  the  last  year  of  his  life,  his  mind  showed  the  vigor  and  enthusiasm  of 
his  early  years,  and  he  was  constantly  writing  on  scientific  topics,  mainly  for  reviews. 
His  last  publications  of  any  length  were  two  review  articles,  one  entitled  The  True 
Place  of  Man  in  Zoology  ;  the  other.  An  Examination  of  Some  of  the  Reasonings  against 
the  Unity  of  Mankind.  These  articles  were  read  first  before  a  literary  association  in 
Rochester,  of  which  the  doctor  was  one  of  the  founders.  They  displayed  a  full  and  in- 
telligent familiarity  with  all  the  most  recent  discoveries  and  speculations  bearing  upon 
these  difficult  and  complicated  questions.  His  last  labors  were  the  orderly  arrangement 
of  his  large  collection  of  sedges,  which  had  been  for  so  many  years  accumulating  on 
his  hands,  and  copying  out  his  meteorological  journal.  Just  before  his  death,  while  en- 
gaged upon  his  journal,  his  hand  became  unable  to  hold  a  pen,  and,  calling  for  the  aid 
of  his  daughter,  he  placidly  remarked  that  this  would  be  his  last  report  to  the  Smithson- 
ian Institution.  He  died  calmly,  of  old  age,  on  the  15th  of  December,  [867,  in  his 
84th  year.  He  had  the  control  of  his  faculties  to  the  last,  sustained  by  an  unfaltering 
trust  in  a  blessed  life  hereafter. 

Dr.  Dewey  married  Sarah  Dewey  of  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in  iSio.  She  died  in 
1823.  Of  their  five  children  all  are  now  dead.  In  1825  he  married  Olivia  Hart,  eldest 
child  of  Lemuel  Pomeroy,  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.  Mrs.  Dewey  still  lives,  with  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  William  H.  Perkins,  in  this  city.  The  other  surviving  children  are  Chester  P. 
Dewey,  of  Brooklyn,  and  Mrs.  Henry  Fowler,  and  Dr.  Charles  A.  Dewey,  of  Rochester. 


HON.  ADDISON  GARDINER,  formerly  lieutenant-governor,  and  judge  of  the 
court  of  Appeals,  of  the  state  of  New  York,  was  born  at  Rindge,  New  Hampshire, 
Marqh  19th,  1797,  and  died  at  his  home  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  June  5th,  1883.  He  was 
a  grandson  of  Isaac  Gardner,  of  Brookline  Mass.,  one  of  his  majesty's  justices  of  the 
peace  in  the  colonial  times,  who  was  killed  at  the  first  outbreak  of  the  revolution,  and 
of  whom  the  historian,  Bancroft,  says  :  "Isaac  Gardner,  one  on  whom  the  colony  rested 
many  hopes,  fell  about  a  mile  west  of  Harvard  college."  The  patriot  marched  with  the 
Brookline  minute  men  for  Lexington,  on  the  19th,  of  April,  1775,  and,  meeting  the  re- 
treating column  near  Watson's  Corner,  was  instantly  killed  in  the  skirmish  which  ensued, 
receiving  no  less  than  a  dozen  wounds.  His  son,  William  Gardner,  born  at  Brookhne 
in  1761,  married  Rebecca,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Raymond,  an  Englishman,  and  settled  in 
Rindge,  New  Hampshire.  He  was  a  man  of  ability  and  pleasing  manners,  and  in  suc- 
cession occupied  the  principal  civil  and  military  offices.  He  was  colonel  of  the  regiment 
of  which  the  militia  of  the  town  was  a  portion;  was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature,  and  was  selected  for  many  other  important  positions.  In  1809  Colonel  Gard- 
ner took  up  his  residence  for  a  time  at  the  city  of  Boston,  but  soon  after  removed  to 
Manlius,  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  a  successful  merchant  and  manufac- 
turer; he  died  in  1833.  His  wife,  a  lady  of  superior  mind  and  accomplishments,  sur- 
vived him  about  seven  years.  Colonel  Gardner's  sons,  of  whom  Addison  was  the  third 
restored  the  original  spelling  of  the  name,  in  which  for  several  generations  the  second 
vowel  had  been  omitted.     Addison  Gardiner,  having  studied  law,  commenced  practice 


6S4  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

at  Rochester  in  1822,  the  same  year  in  which  the  court-house  was  built,  and  the  year 
after  Monroe  was  separated  from  Ontario  and  Genesee  as  a  separate  county.  The  vil- 
lage was  growing  rapidly  in  population  and  importance,  and  he  soon  secured  a  lucrative 
practice.  He  was  Rochester's  first  justice  of  the  peace."  Samuel  L.  Selden,  afterward 
judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  became  his  partner,  and  Henry  R.  Selden,  afterward  lieu- 
tenant-governor and  judge  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  was  a  student  in  the  law  office  of 
Gardiner  &  Selden.  In  1825  Mr.  Gardiner  was  appointed  district-attorney  for  Monroe 
county,  and  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  so  satisfactorily,  that  on  the  25th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1829,  he  received  the  appointment,  from  Governor  Throop,  of  circuit  judge  for  the 
eighth  circuit  of  the  state,  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Allegany,  Erie,  Chautauqua,  Mon- 
roe, Genesee  and  Niagara.  Besides  holding  circuits  for  the  trial  of  causes,  he  was  ex-officio 
vice-chancellor  of  the  same  territory.  The  Anti-Masonic  excitement,  growing  out  of  the 
disappearance  of  Morgan,  had  now  commenced,  and  perhaps  the  most  important  case  that 
came  before  Judge  Gardiner,  while  on  the  bench  of  the  circuit  court,  was  that  of  the 
people  against  Mather,  who  was  tried  at  the  Orleans  circuit,  within  two  months  after  his 
appointment,  for  conspiracy  in  the  abduction  of  Morgan.  A  multitude  of  questions  were 
raised  upon  the  trial,  which  was  remarkable  for  its  length,  it  being  made  a  matter  of 
special  mention  in  the  reports,  that  it  occupied  ten  days,  though,  in  these  days  of  tedious 
trials,  the  profession  and  the  public  might  naturally  expect  that  such  a  case  would  occupy 
nearly  as  many  weeks.  After  the  acquittal  of  the  defendant,  a  motion  for  a  new  trial  was 
made  in  the  Supreme  court.  The  case  is  to  be  found  in  the  fourth  volume  of  Wendell's 
reports,  page  220.  The  head  notes,  giving  the  disposition  of  the  various  questions  raised, 
occupy  four  pages.  On  many  of  the  points  it  has  ever  been  a  leading  case.  All  the 
rulings  of  the  judge  were  sustained  by  the  Supreme  court,  and  these,  and  other  decisions, 
gave  him  the  reputation  of  the  model  circuit  judge.  Resigning  his  judicial  office  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1838,  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Rochester,  and  was  recog- 
nised as  one  of  the  foremost  of  the  bar  of  Western  New  York.  In  November,  1844,  he 
was  elected  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  Silas  Wright 
for  governor.  Many  important  questions  came  before  the  Senate  while  he  presided.  It 
was  the  period  of  the  anti-rent  disturbances,  and  various  preventive  and  remedial  meas- 
ures were  discussed.  The  enlargement  of  the  canals,  and  other  questions  of  internal 
improvement,  received  attention.  One  of  the  most  important  bills,  passed  after  long  and 
animated  discussion,  provided  for  the  call  of  a  state  convention  for  the  formation  of  a 
new  constitution.  As  president  of  the  Senate,  Lieutenant-Governor  Gardiner  was  the  pre- 
siding officer  of  the  court  for  the  correction  of  errors,  and  then  the  court  of  last  resort, 
consisting  of  the  president  of  the  Senate,  the  senators,  chancellor,  and  judge  of  the  Supreme 
court.  Not  very  many  cases  were  carried  to  this  tribunal,  litigation  usually  ceasing  with 
the  decision  of  the  Supreme  court  or  that  of  the  chancellor,  so  that  most  of  them  were 
important  in  principle  or  amount.  Those  decided  during  his  presidency  will  be  found 
in  Denio's  reports.  As  illustrative  of  his  written  opinions  and  methods  of  reasoning, 
we  select  Miller  v.  Gable  (2,  Denio,  492),  on  charitable  uses,  holding  that  chancery, 
under  its  general  jurisdiction  over  trusts,  will  interfere,  on  behalf  of  members  of  a  relig- 
ious corporation  to  which  a  fund  has  been  granted,  to  prevent  it  from  diverting  the  fund 
to  promote  the  teaching  of  doctrines  essentially  variant  from  those  designated,  but  not 
as  to  lesser  shades  of  doctrine;  Mayor  of  New  York  v.  Baily  (2  Denio,  433),  holding 
that  an  action  on  the  case  for  malfeasance  will  be  against  the  corporation ;  if  the  city  be 


Addison  Gardiner.  655 


empowered  by  statute  to  construct  works,  the  state  reserving  the  power  to  appoint  com- 
missioners to  superintend  the  construction,  the  acceptance  of  the  act  by  the  city  renders 
it  liable  for  injuries  arising  for  want  of  skill,  or  neglect,  in  building  the  works.  At  the 
close  of  his  term  of  office  Judge  Gardiner  was  reelected  lieutenant-governor  over  Ham- 
ilton Fish,  the  Whig  candidate,  by  13,000  majority,  although,  in  the  political  complica- 
tions of  the  time,  John  Young  was  elected  governor  by  the  Whigs,  by  a  majority  of  more 
than  11,000  over  Governor  Wright.  The  lieutenant-governor  resigned  the  position  the 
following  year.  The  new  constitution,  which  had  been  adopted  by  a  majority  of  130,- 
000,  changed  the  judicial  system  of  the  state,  and  the  new  court  of  Appeals  was,  as  its 
name  implies,  the  court  of  last  resort.  Upon  its  organisation,  in  1847,  Judge  Gardiner 
was  elected  one  of  the  judges,  and  held  the  office  until  the  close  of  his  term,  December 
31,  1855,  when  he  voluntarily  retired,  declining  a  renoraination,  which,  in  the  state  of 
parties,  was  equivalent  to  a  reelection.  The  other  judges,  elected  to  the  court  of  Appeals 
on  its  organisation,  were  Judges  Bronson,  Jewett  and  Ruggles,  who  were  succeeded,  be- 
fore the  retirement  of  Judge  Gardiner,  by  Judges  Foot,  Denio  and  A.  S.  Johnson. 
Among  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  court  who  were  ex-officio  members  of  the  court  of 
Appeals  were  Judges  Cady,  Gridley,  Wells  and  S.  L.  Selden.  In  this  distinguished 
judicial  circle  Judge  Gardiner  occupied  a  conspicuous  position.  No  opinions  were 
quoted  with  more  respect  than  his.  Short  and  terse,  they  go  directly  to  the  heart  of  the 
question.  They  are  reported  in  Comstock's,  Selden's  and  the  first  three  volumes  of 
Kernan's  reports.  Among  them  are  the  cases  of  Danks  v.  Quackenbush  (i  Comstock, 
129),  in  which  he  dissented,  with  three  Others  of  the  judges,  constituting  one-half  of  the 
court,  from  the  opinion  of  the  four  others,  that  the  act  of  1842,  extending  the  exemption 
of  personal  property  from  the  sale  under  execution,  is  unconstitutional  and  void  as  to 
debts  contracted  before  its  passage;  Leggett  z/.  Perkins  (2  Comstock,  267),  holding  that 
a  trust  to  receive  and  pay  over  the  rents  and  profits  of  land  was  valid,  under  the  statute 
authorising  a  trustee  to  receive  the  same  and  apply  them  to  the  use  of  any  person ;  Peo- 
ple V.  Schuyler  (4  Comstock,  173),  reversing  the  decree  of  the  Supreme  court,  and  hold- 
ing that  if  the  sheriff,  after  the  jury  have  found  for  a  claimant,  refuses  to  deliver  the  property, 
the  surety  on  his  official  bond  is  liable,  though  the  creditor  does  not  indemnify  him,  and, 
where  he  requires  and  receives  indemnity  before  selling  and  judgment  is  afterwards  re- 
covered against  him  for  the  erroneous  seizure,  his  sureties,  on  payment  of  the  judgment, 
are  entitled  to  be  subrogated  to  the  indemnity;  Chautauqua  Co.  bank  v.  White  (2  Sel- 
den, 236),  holding  that  an  assignment  by  the  debtor  to  the  receiver  of  all  his  real  prop- 
erty leaves  no  residuary  interest  in  the  debtor,  and  reversing  the  decree  of  the  Supreme 
court,  and  affirming  that  of  the  vice-chancellor;  Nicholson  v.  Leavitt  (2  Selden,  510),  re- 
versing with  the  concurrence  of  all  the  judges,  the  judgment  of  the  Superior  court  of  the 
city  of  New  York,  and  holding  that  an  assignment  by  insolvent  debtors  of  their  property 
to  trustees  for  the  benefit  of  their  creditors,  with  an  authorisation  to  the  trustees  to  sell 
the  assigned  property  upon  credit,  is  fraudulent  and  void  as  against  the  creditors  of  the 
assignees;  Talmage  v.  Pell  (3  Selden,  328),  on  the  powers  of  banking  associations,  re- 
versing the  judgment  of  the  Supreme  court;  Kundolf  w.  Thalheimer  (2  Kernan,  593), 
on  the  powers  of  county  courts,  reversing  the  judgment  of  the  Supreme  court.  The  in- 
tellectual and  moral  qualities  which  especially  characterised  Judge  Gardiner,  as  a  judge, 
were  his  directness,  comprehensiveness,  and  vigor,  and  his  intense  devotion  to  the  right. 
With  the  justice  of  the  case  clearly  in  view,  he  never  failed  to  find  satisfactory  reasons 


656  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

to  establish  it.  A  strongly  sympathetic  nature,  though  it  never  swerved  him  from  pro- 
nouncing the  law  as  he  found  it,  made  him  swift  to  lay  his  hand  upon  iniquity,  to  redress 
the  wrongs  of  the  injured,  and  to  vindicate  the  right.  Although  Judge  Gardiner  retired 
from  the  court  of  Appeals  before  he  had  reached  his  sixtieth  year,  it  was  not  to  a  life  of 
intellectual  inactivity.  As  a  referee  he  continued  to  lend  his  aid  in  the  administration 
of  justice,  and  it  may  well  be'  doubted  whether  he  did  not,  for  twenty  years,  hear  more 
important  causes  than  any  judge  upon  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  court.  Judge  Gardiner 
was  a  modest,  unassuming  man.  The  path  of  higher  political  preferment  was  open  to 
him,  but  he  never  put  himself  forward.  He  was  at  one  time  spoken  of  for  the  national 
presidency,  and  if  he  had  had  the  ambition  of  less  competent  persons,  he  might  have  re- 
ceived the  nomination.  Passing  the  evening  of  his  life  on  his  farm,  and  taking  pleasure 
in  outdoor  exercise,  he  preserved  both  his  mental  and  physical  vigor  up  to  his  final  ill- 
ness. In  1 83 1  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Selkrigg,  of  Scotch  descent; 
their  children  are  Charles  A.  and  Celeste  M.  William  Gardiner,  Judge  Gardiner's  oldest 
brother,  born  in  1787,  resided  several  years  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  when  he  removed  to  Texas, 
where  he  died  upon  his  plantation  near  San  Antonio,  about  1855.  Another  brother, 
Charles,  born  1789,  who  was  a  merchant  in  New  Orleans,  died  in  i860.  His  sister 
Rebecca,  born  in  1791,  married  Oren  Stone,  a  merchant,  and  the  partner  of  Governor 
Seymour's  father;  they  removed  to  Watertown,  where  she  died  about  1818.  Another 
sister,  Dorothy,'  married  Thomas  A.  Gould,  a  lawyer  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  she  died 
in  1857.  The  youngest  sister,  Andu  Lucia,  born  about  1800,  married  Hon.  Elijah 
Rhoades,  of  Manlius;  a  merchant  and  state  Senator.  She  now  resides  with  an  adopted 
daughter  in  Brooklyn,  New  York. 


JESSE  W.  HATCH.  —  Prominent  among  the  pioneers  of  Rochester,  and  for  many 
years  one  of  the  leading  manufacturers,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Jesse  W.  Hatch 
was  born  in  Granville,  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  on  the  20th  day  of  May,  1812,  and 
is  directly  descended  from  a  family  who  came  to  this  country  immediately  after  the 
Puritans  in  1632.  His  ancestors,  paternal  and  maternal,  did  honorable  service  for  their 
country  in  the  revolutionary  struggle,  and  his  father  was  engaged  in  the  war  of  1812. 
When  he  was  ten  years  of  age  his  parents -removed  to  Monroe  county.  Two  years  later 
he  made  his  first  advent  into  Rochester,  then  but  a  small  hamlet. 

The  young  man  obtained  such  education  as  was  offered  in  those  early  days,  attend- 
ing school  at  least  a  portion  of  each  year  until  he  was  fifteen,  when  he  left  home  to  learn 
the  tanning,  currying  and  shoemaking  trades,  those  three  industries  then  being  looked 
upon  as  constituting  but  one  trade.  The  firm  with  whom  he  was  apprenticed  was  Lin- 
nel  &  Foote,  who  had  an  establishment  at  Palmyra  and  another  at  Pittsford,  through 
both  of  which  Mr.  Hatch  pursued  his  way  with  industry  and  success,  becoming  a  thor- 
ough master  of  all  the  details  of  the  business. 

In  the  spring  of  1831,  being  then  nineteen  years  old,  he  came  to  Rochester,  where 
he  has  ever  since  resided.  Although  the  fact  is  neither  to  his  credit  nor  his  discredit, 
still  it  is  a  fact  that  he  was  possessed  of  very  limited  capital  when  he  reached  the  vil- 
lage, the  amount,  to  speak  with  precision,  being  just  nineteen  cents;  but  he  had  the 
good  sense  to  look  upon  his  trade  at  its  true  worth.  He  found  employment  at  once  as 
a  journeyman  boot-maker,  in   which  particular  branch  of  his  trade  he  excelled.     He 


Jesse  W.  Hatch.  657 


succeeded  in  pleasing  his  employers  and  gaining  a  reputation  as  a  workman  of  unusual 
ability.  Two  years  later  his  ambition  to  advance  in  the  world  led  him  to  embark  in 
business  for  himself,  and  he  opened  a  small  retail  boot  and  shoe  store  on  Main  street. 
He  prospered  fairly  for  three  years,  when,  owing  to  circumstances  beyond  his  control,  he 
was  compelled  to  give  up  business  and  again  go  to  work  at  his  trade.  This  did  not, 
however,  continue  long,  for  he  was  soon  again  in  business  in  the  same  line,  which  he 
conducted  successfully  until  the  summer  of  1842,  when  he  formed  a  copartnership  with 
Henry  Churchill,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  W.  Hatch  &  Co.  Three  years  later,  Lyman 
C,  a  brother  of  Henry  Churchill,  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  the  style  remaining  the 
same.  A  successful  business  was  carried  on  by  them  until  1855,  when  Mr.  Hatch  sold 
his  interest  to  his  partners,  and  formed  a  copartnership  under  the  same  style,  with  David 
McKay  which  continued  three  years.  The  firm  of  J.  W.  Hatch  &  Son  was  then  formed 
in  the  same  line  of  trade  (J.  W.  &  Chas.  B.  Hatch).  When  the  financial  stringency  of 
1857-58  came,  Mr.  Hatch  was  unprepared  to  meet  it  and  he  saw  almost  his  entire  pos- 
sessions swept  away,  leaving  him  for  the  second  time  to  begin  business  life  anew.  This 
he  did  with  renewed  energy,  as  a  manufacturer,  which  he  has  continued  until  the  presr 
ent  time. 

It  is  one  of  Mr.  Hatch's  proudest  triumphs  that  he  was  the  pioneer  in  the  United 
States  (probably  in  the  world)  in  introducing  the  sewing-machine  into  the  manufacture 
of  shoes ;  he  was  the  very  first  man  to  make  it  a  success,  and  thus  revolutionised  the 
business,  doing  more,  perhaps,  than  any  other  one  person  to  forward  the  manufacture 
of  foot-wear  from  the  old  and  slow  methods,  to  the  present  mighty  industry.  Mr. 
Hatch  is  a  natural  mechanic,  and  hence  it  is  not  wonderful  that  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted to  the  Singer  sewing-machine  when  it  was  first  exhibited  in  Rochester  at  the 
state  fair  of  1852.  He  had  not  long  witnessed  its  working  before  he  resolved  to  apply 
it  to  the  manufacture  of  shoes.  He  secured  a  machine  and  tried  the  experiment  (being 
then  in  partnership  with  the  Messrs.  Churchill);  the  experiment  was  only  partially  suc- 
cessful, chiefly  from  the  imperfection  of  the  stitch  and  the  tension  of  the  lower  thread, 
as  it  was  drawn  from  different  points  on  the  bobbin.  Mr.  Hatch  was  advised  by  the 
agent  of  the  machine  to  go  to  New  Jersey,  where  he  said  two  manufacturers  were  using 
it.  He  did  so,  but  found  that  one  of  the  men  had  discontinued  using  the  machine, 
while  the  other  was  still  behind  Mr.  Hatch  in  results.  He  returned  and  finally  over- 
came the  difficulty  referred  to  by  using  a  larger  thread  on  the  bobbin  than  the  one  in 
the  needle;  this  plan  resulted  in  a  pronounced  success  and  has  since  been  adopted 
wherever  the  sewing-machine  is  used  for  shoe-work.  Other  improvements  and  changes 
were  made  in  the  machine  at  his  suggestion,  to  better  adapt  them  to  shoe  manufacture, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had  samples  on  exhibition  at  the  oflSce  of  the  Singer  Sew- 
ing-Machine  company  in  New  York  which  attracted  much  attention  for  the  perfection 
and  beauty  of  the  stitching.  Hence  Mr.  Hatch  is  entitled  to  the  credit  of  being  the 
real  beginner  in  the  revolution  of  shoe  manufacturing — a  revolution  almost  unparalleled 
in  any  branch  of  business,  and  which  has  built  up  in  Rochester,  especially,  one  of  its 
largest  and  most  important  industries. 

But  Mr.  Hatch  did  not  stop  here.  In  1853,  he,  in  company  with  Henry  Churchill, 
invented  and  patented  the  celebrated  revolving  die  power  sole-cutter,  which  came  into 
extensive  use  in  the  United  States  and  portions  of  Europe.  In  1871-72  he  invented 
and  patented  a  machine  for  crimping  and  molding  "  counters ''  for  boots  and  shoes  at 


658  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

one  operation,  a  device  which  turns  out  three  thousand  "counters"  per  day  and  is  des- 
tined to  supersede  the  old  and  more  costly  methods.  This  machine  is  now  controlled 
by  his  sons,  Andrew  J.  and  James  L.  Hatch,  under  the  name  of  the  •  Hatch  Patent 
Crimper  company ;  they  have  already  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business. 

Mr.  Hatch  is  responsible  for  various  other  improvements  in  shoe  manufacturing,  de- 
signed to  advance  the  methods,  make  it  more  profitable  and  improve  the  quality  of  the 
product,  but  which  could  not  be  protected  by  patent  and  need  not  be  further  alluded  to. 
A  later  patented  invention  is  the  Hatch  flexible  shoe,  for  children,  which  is  designed  to 
give  ease  and  comfort  to  the  wearer  and  especially  to  admit  of  a  natural  flexible  action 
of  the  growing  foot.  In  making  these  shoes  the  insole  is  shortened  and  cut  away  from 
the  shank  around  the  fore  part  of  the  foot,  sewing  through  the  upper  and  outsole  only,  leav- 
ing the  shoe  perfectly  flexible.  There  is  no  insole  to  cut  away  the  upper  and  the  shoe,  con- 
sequently, wears  much  longer.  For  the  manufacture  of  these  goods  the  Hatch  Flexible 
Shoe  company  was  organised,  Mr.  Hatch  and  his  son,  Charles  B.  Hatch,  being  given 
its  management.  The  demand  is  large  and  consequently  increasing  as  the  merit  of  the 
article  becomes  better  known. 

From  1874  to  i'878,  Mr.  Hatch,  associated  with  Henry  G.  Thompson,  of  Milford, 
Conn.,  was  engaged  in  inventing  and  experimenting  with  improvements  in  lasting-ma- 
chines, on  which  he  was  granted  several  patents.  These  inventions  showed  remarkable 
ingenuity  in  overcoming  obstacles,  to  surmount  which  other  inventors  had  expended 
more  than  half  a  million  dollars,  and  with  only  unsatisfactory  results.  Mr.  Hatch  made 
improvements  that  are  vital  to  any  successful  lasting-machine  and  have  resulted,  when 
consolidated  with  other  improvements,  in  the  now  perfect  machine  made  solely  by  the 
McKay-Copeland  Lasting-Machine  association,  to  which  his  patents  have  been  trans- 
ferred. 

The  reader  of  the  foregoing  pages  need  not  be  told  that  Jesse  W.  Hatch  is  entitled  to  a 
foremost  position  among  the  shoe  manufacturers  of  the  world,  while  as  an  inventor  he  is 
worthy  of  much  credit.  All  this  is  given  him  by  his  friends  and  acquaintances  in  Roch- 
ester and  New  England,  where  his  general  business  standing,  his  unquestioned  integrity, 
liberal. public  spirit  and  genial  social  qualities  are  fully  appreciated. 

A  few  words  upon  Mr.  Hatch's  military  career  will  not  be  out  of  place  here.  When 
he  arrived  in  Rochester  he  joined  the  rifle  company  commanded  by  Captain  Samuel 
Drake,  and  at  the  second  drill  meeting  was  elected  second  sergeant.  This  company 
was  a  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Rifle  regiment,  and  when  Horace  Gay  became  its  colonel, 
vice  Colonel  A.  W.  RUey  promoted  to  brigadier-general,  Mr.  Hatch  was  given  the  office 
of  adjutant  on  Colonel  Gay's  stafi";  this  office  he  held  until  the  disbandmeut  of  the 
regiment.  At  the  organisation  of  the  Union  Grays  in  1837,  chieffy  through  the  energy 
of  Lansing  B.  Swan,  brigade  inspector  on  Gen.  Riley's  staff",  Mr.  Hatch  joined  the 
company  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Veteran  Grays,  an  organisation  for  perpetuating 
the  memory  of  old  times  and  which  pays  proper  respect  to  those  of  the  old  company 
who  are  called  from  earth. 

Mr.  Hatch  has  never  been  an  office  seeker  in  any  sense  of  the  word,  and  has  often 
declined  proflfered  positions  of  honor,  chiefly  through  a  lack  of  taste  for  such  duties  and 
the  demands  of  his  own  enterprises.  He  acted  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
in  1846.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Brick  Presbyterian  church  for  forty-two  years, 
one  of  its  Sunday-school  teachers  for  forty-one  years,  an  elder  in  the  church  since  1859, 


Jesse  W.  Hatch. — Charles  J.  Hill.  659 

trustee  from  1854  to  1876,  and  was  Sunday-school  superintendent  one  year,  declining 
the  office  to  which  he  was  reelected  a  second  year. 

Mr.  Hatch  was  married  to  Harriet  E.  Flint,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  October  nth,  1832. 
She  died  in  1867.  His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Frye,  of  Brockport.  From  the 
first  union  eight  children  were  born,  five  of  whom  are  living.  His  oldest  son,  Jesse  W. 
Hatch,  jr.,  died  in  1865  ;  his  third  son,  Edwin  B.  B.  Hatch,  died  in  the  battle  of  Gaines's 
Mills,  1862  ;  his  daughter  Harriet  E.  Hatch  married  Rev.  A.  J.  F.  Behrends,  and  died 
in  January,  1882  ;  his  daughter  Adelaide  married  A.  M.  Lindsay,  of  the  firm  of  Sib- 
ley, Lindsay  &  Curr,  of  Rochester,  and  his  daughter  Emma  lives  at  home.  The  sons 
Andrew  J.  and  James  L.  have  been  referred  to  and  Charles  B.  is  in  business  with  his 
father. 


CHARLES  J.  HILL  was  born  at  Woodbury,  Conn.,  April  13th,  1796.  His  father, 
Jonathan  Hill,  was  a  New  England  farmer,  born  at  Bethlehem,  Conn.,  March  25th, 
1769.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Woodbury,  where  he  married  Sarah  Judson,  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Judson,  and  where  Charles  Hill  was  born,  and  later  still,  about  the  year 
1818,  he  with  his  family  emigrated  to  "the  Genesee  country,"  and  settled  upon  a  farm 
in  Geneseo,  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Geneseo  lake,  where  they  remained  nearly  thirty 
years,  removing  thence  to  Lima,  N.  Y.,  where  Jonathan  Hill  died,  January  6th,  1849, 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  his  wife  having  also  died  there,  April  4th,  1847,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  Charles  J.  Hill  was  taken  into  the  family  of  Noah  B.  Benedict, 
of  Woodbury,  Conn.,  a  lawyer  of  distinguished  merit.  Undoubtedly  close  association 
with  a  mind  cultivated,  refined,  and  experienced  as  was  Mr.  Benedict's  had  a  lasting  and 
beneficial  influence  upon  the  character  of  Mr.  Hill.  Four  years  were  passed  at  a  select 
school,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  a  choice  of  future  occupation  was  given  him  —  to  study 
for  the  practice  of  law  or  to  engage  in  trade..  The  latter  was  chosen  and  the  youth  be- 
came a  clerk  in  a  store  in  the  neighboring  village  of  Bethlehem,  and  there  remained 
until  1816,  when  his  employer,  ceasing  to  do  business  at  that  point,  Mr.  Hill  came  west- 
ward to  seek  a  new  field  for  the  activities  of  business  life.  The  small  settlement  of 
Rochester,  an  undrained  swamp,  in  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  presented  a,  dis- 
couraging prospect  to  him,  and  he  retraced  his  steps  as  far  as  Utica,  where  he  remained 
for  a  few  months,  and  again  determined  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  inhabitants  of  Rochester. 
Returning  there  in  November,  1816,  he  engaged  as  book-keeper  with  the  firm  of  Bissell 
&  Ely,  remaining  with  them  two  years.  In  November,  1818,  in  company  with  Andrew 
V.  T.  Leavitt,  he  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business  on  his  own  account,  their 
store  being  a  few  rods  east  of  the  present  Reynolds  arcade.  The  firm  of  Leavitt  &  Hill 
continued  until  1825,  when  Leavitt  became  a  silent  partner  and  C.  J.  Hill  conducted 
the  business  in  his  individual  name  for  three  years,  and  then  took  Lewis  J.  Peet  as  a 
partner,  the  firm  of  Hill  &  Peet  continuing  until  1831. 

This  jjeriod  of  thirteen  years  was  marked  by  the  extension  of  trade  to  other  counties. 
Enjoying  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  community,  Mr.  H  ill's  store  was  a  favorite 
resort,  and  his  trade  became  of  large  extent. 

In  1831  Mr.  Hill  commenced  the  milling  business  in  the  stone  mill  which  then,  and 
for  many  years  thereafter,  stood  on  South  Water  street,  near  Main.      He  afterwards  took 


66o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  mill  adjoining  on  the  south,  in  company  with  David  Bates,  and  for  a  time  the  firm 
of  Hill  &  Bates  continued  the  business  there.  Subsequently  Mr.  Hill  purchased  a  mill 
at  the  lower  falls  and  continued  there  in  his  own  name  the  manufacture  of  flour  until 
1 83 1 ,  a  disastrous  year  for  Rochester  millers,  owing  to  financial  disturbances,  most  of  whom 
then  saw  their  accumulations  swept  away,  Mr.  Hill  among  the  number,  although  he  had 
at  that  time  acquired  a  handsome  property.  For  several  years  after  that  he  was  engaged 
in  other  pursuits  until  1845  when  he  again  commenced  the  manufacture  of  flour,  in  the 
mill  on  South  Water  street,  now  nearest  to  Main,  being  the  same  which  he  relinquished 
when  taking  that  at  the  lower  falls.  He  now  determined  to  produce  a  superior  quality 
of  white  winter  wheat  flour,  which  should  secure  and  retain  the  confidence  and  patron- 
agfe  of  consumers  desiring  flour  of  uniform  excellence,  at  home  and  in  eastern  markets, 
and  the  "  C.  J.  Hill  flour"  soon  became  a  favorite  article  with  housekeepers  in  Roches- 
ter and  throughout  New  York  and  New  England.  On  the  first  of  January,  1850,  Mr. 
Hill  toqk  his  son  Charles  B.  into  partnership,  and  the  business  was  continued  by  C.  J. 
Hill  &  Son  for  twenty-six  years,  the  partnership  being  dissolved  February  22d,  1876, 
by  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Hill,  who  had  then  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years,  sixty-four 
of  which  had  been  devoted  to  active  business.  Covering  a  term  of  nearly  fifty  years 
the  "  Hill "  flour  was  a  well-known  brand,  and,  especially,  during  the  last  thirty  of  that 
period  it  was  appreciated  and  sought  after  by  consumers,  desiring  excellence  and  uni- 
formity of  quality,  throughout  a  wide  extent  of  country. 

On  the  completion  of  the  Erie  canal  to  the  east  side  of  the  Genesee  river  at  Roch- 
ester, Mr.  Hill  erected  the  first  warehouse  for  storage  and  forwarding  in  the  city,  near 
the  site  of  the  present  weighlock,  and  soon  engaged  in  a  heavy  business  of  exporting. 
He  built  and  resided  in  the  first  brick  house  in  the  city,  on  the  present  site  of  the  resi- 
dence of  William  Ailing,  on  South  Fitzhugh  street.  He  afterwards  built  a  residence  on 
Plymouth  avenue  (then  South  Sophia  street),  where  he  dwelt  for  nearly  fifty  years,  re- 
moving thence,  in  1868,  to  his  spacious  and  comfortable  home,  corner  of  Prince  street 
and  University  avenue,  where  his  last  days  were  spent. 

Mr.  Hill  was  a  trustee  of  Rochesterville  from  1820  to  1822 ;  a  supervisor  of  the  sec- 
ond city  election  in  1835  and  at  other  periods  since ;  county  clerk  from  1844  to  1847  ; 
he  was  elected  mayor  in  1842  on  the  Democratic  ticket;  he  was  appointed  commissioner 
of  deeds  by  Governor  Bouck  and  the  Senate  in  1843,  and  elected  president  of  the  Pioneer 
society  of  Western  New  York  for  one  year.  In  1823  he  was  commissioned  as  quarter- 
master of  the  twenty-third  division  New  York  state  militia,  the  law  at  that  time  requir- 
ing the  major-general  with  his  staff  to  review  at  least  one  regiment  annually.  Mr.  Hill 
was  recjuired  to  traverse  several  counties  to  discharge  his  oflicial  duties.  During  the 
same  period  Daniel  D.  Barnard  was  in  commission.  Mr.  Hill  was  at  one  time  president 
of  the  Western  House  of  Refuge.  Prior  to  the  organisation  of  a  bank  in  Rochester,  he 
was  a  director  in  the  Geneva  bank  and  has  served  as  a  trustee  in  the  old  Rochester 
savings  bank.  In  pursuance  of  a  legal  requisition  to  destroy  a  certain  class  of  bank 
paper,  he  was  appointed  to  that  office  by  the  comptroller  and  served  in  this  locality.  In 
the  early  days  of  Rochester's  history  he  was  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  vol- 
unteer fire  department  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  the  last  surviving  member  of  that 
organisation.  In  politics  he  was  a  life-long  Democrat.  In  sympathy  with  Masonry,  he 
was  a  knight  templar  and  a  warm  friend  of  the  free  common  school  system  for  educating 
the  masses.     A  church  member  since  1821,  he  was  for  twenty   years  an  elder  in  the 


Charles  J.  Hii.i..  —  Schuyler  Moses.  661 

First  Presbyterian  church  and  subsequently  an  incorporator  of  Plymouth  (Congrega- 
tional) church,  in  which  he  was  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  a  number  of  years, 
consecutively,  and  until  his  death.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  establishing  Sunday-schools 
in  this  city  and  vicinity,  often  serving  as  superintendent,  and  was  vice-president  of  the 
Genesee  Sunday-school  union. 

Mr.  Hill  was  a  remarkably  industrious  man  and  probably  gave  more  hours  per  day 
to  the  demands  of  his  business  than  any  other  miller,  in  the  city.  He  regarded  public 
and  official  life  more  as  a  duty  than  a  pursuit,  and  various  official  positions  held  were 
the  result  of  acquiescence  in  the  desire  of  others  and  were  not  of  his  own  seeking. '  Had 
disposition  favored,  there  is  every  evidence  to  show  that  honorable  position  was  at  his 
command,  as  well  as  ample  capacity  to  do  himself  justice. 

Mr.  Hill  was  married  at  Rochester,  January  isth,  1823.  to  Salome  Morgan,  of 
Brimfield,  Mass.,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Penney,  D.'  D.,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church, 
a  union  which  was  destined  to  remain  unbroken  for  a  period  of  sixty  years,  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  July  19th,  1883,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

Mr.  Hill  possessed  many  of  those  sterling  traits  of  character  which  the  sons  of  New 
England  carried  with  them  and  developed  in  the  West  —  germs  of  usefulness,  honor 
and  success.  He  was  reared  to  industrious,  healthful  and  thrifty  habits,  and  unswerving 
business  and  personal  integrity,  and  throughout  his  prolonged  active  life  he  realised  to 
the  full  extent  in  these  respects  the  promise  of  his  youth.  His  business  character  was 
founded  upon  a  solid  and  thorough  basis;  untiring  industry,  uncompromising  rectitude, 
a  systematic  and  careful  attention  to  details  and  courtesy  of  manner  characterised  his 
entire  business  life.  Thoroughly  unselfish,  he  was  fair  and  liberal  in  his  dealings,  and 
those  who  transacted  business  with  him  generally  came  to  be  his  warm  personal  friends. 

Mr.  Hill  was  genial  and  sympathetic,  and  quick  to  feel  for  the  sorrows  and  misfor- 
tunes of  others.  It  was  his  habit  to  respond  to  the  solicitation  of  the  suffering  and  the 
unfortunate  unostentatiously  and  cheerfully,  and,  in  his  quiet  and  unobtrusive  manner, 
he  often  lightened  the  burdens  of  others  and  gained  the  good  wishes  and  prayers  of 
many  grateful  souls,  though  his  generosity  was  unrecorded  in  earthly  annals.  He  had 
a  personal  magnetism  and  habitual  deference  and  consideration  for  others,  which  at- 
tracted many  to  him,  and  a  refined  and  pleasing  thread  of  humor  was  woven  into  the 
fabric  of  his  conversation,  which  gave  it  a  certain  charm,  while  he  displayed  it  so  deli- 
cately that  it  never  wearied  nor  gave  offense. 

Mr.  Hill  found  Rochester  a  small  hamlet  with  an  uncertain  future  before  it,  but, 
with  an  unwavering  trust  in  Providence  and  a  firm  reliance  upon  his  own  capabilities, 
he  cast  in  his  lot  here,  with  other  earnest  pioneers,  and  for  sixty-seven  years  his  life  was 
identified  with  its  history;  he  lived  to  see  it  become  a  flourishing  city  and  closed  his 
eyes  at  last  upon  its  activities  and  its  attractions,  respected  and  honored  by  all  who 
knew  him. 


SCHUYLER  MOSES.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Windsor,  Conn., 
can  trace  their  ancestry  back  to  the  small  flock  who,  under  the  pastoral  charge  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham,  left  England  in  1630  and  after  remaining  a  short  time  in  Dor- 
chester, near  Boston,  removed  in  the  fall  of  1635  and  spring  of  1636  to  Windsor.  The 
first  grant  of  land  in  that  town,  of  which  any  record  exists,  was  made  to  twenty-eight 


662  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

persons,  among  the  names  of  whom  appears  that  of  John  Moses,  son  of  John  Moses, 
who  came  from  England  in  1632,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  married  before  he  em- 
igrated to  America. '  The  second  John  Moses  was  married  to  Mary  Brown  May  13th, 
1653.  His  children  were  John,  born  June  15th,  1654;  William,  born  September  ist, 
1656;  Thomas,  born  January  14th,  1658;  Mary,  born  May  13th,  1660;  Sarah,  born 
February  2d,  1662;  Margaretta,  born  December  2d,  1666;  Timothy,  born  February 
— ,  1670  ;  Martza,  born  March  8th,  1672;  Mindwell,  born  December  13th,  1676. 

Timothy  Moses  (of  these  children)  had  a  son,  named  Timothy,  jr.,  born  in  1700;  he 
had  a  son  named  Elisha,  born  in  1738,  who  was  the  grandfather  of  Schuyler  Moses,  the 
subject  of  this  notice.  Elisha  had  a  son,  Elisha,  jr.,  born  in  1761.  His  children  were 
Hannah  Araarilla',  born  August  ist,  1788,  died  April  i6th,  1866;  Elisha  D.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 12th,  1790,  died  October  19th,  1871;  Ormenta,  born  March  22d,  1791,  died 
March  ist,  1825;  Arden,  born  September  6th,  1792,  died  April  12th,  1842;  Timothy, 
born  August  9th,  1794,  died  September  4th,  1823;  Phoebe,  born  February  23d,  1796, 
died  January  i8th,  1820 ;  Betsey,  born  August  6th,  1797,  died  June  8th,  1857  ;  Schuyler, 
(the  subject  of  this  sketch),  born  December  31st,  1798;  Marcus,  born  September  30th, 
1800,  died  December  9th,  1880;  Edmund,  born  November  nth,  1801,  died  September 
22d,  1864;  Aurelia,  born  September  23d,  1803;  Flavia,  born  July  25th,  1805,  died  July 
3d,  1858. 

Schuyler  Moses  was  born  in  Canton,  Hartford  county.  Conn.,  on  the  date  above 
given  (December  31st,  1798).  In  1810,  when  he  was  eleven  years  old,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Lenox,  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  and  in  August,  1817,  came  to  Rochester.  He 
was  then  in  his  nineteenth  year  and  describes  the  place  as  "  a  little  hamlet  in  the  woods, 
of  perhaps  six  hundred  inhabitants."  His  educational  advantages  were  limited  to  the 
years  previous  to  the  removal,  of  the  family  from  Lenox.  After  his  arrival  in  Rochester 
he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  as  a  journeyman,  contractor,  or 
builder,  until  about  1855,  when  he  retired  frop  the  business,  to  devote  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  his  own  real  estate  of  which  he  is  a  large  owner. 

Mr.  Moses  has  never  sought  public  office,  but  his  fitness  for  it  was  recognised  by  his 
fellow-citizens  as  early  as  1837,  when  he  was  elected  alderman  of  the  fourth  ward.  He 
is  now  the  only  living  member  of  that  board.  He  was  also  honored  with  the  same  office 
in  1851-52.  He  was  elected  supervisor  in  1843,  and  has  held  all  the  ward  offices  ex- 
cept constable. 

Mr.  Moses  is  among  the  oldest  of  the  pioneers  of  Rochester,  having  voted  in  his 
ward  for  sixty  years,  and  has  Uved  on  the  site  of  his  present  residence  on  Chestnut  street 
fifty-nine  years.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  until  the  beginning  of  the  late  war, 
when  he  gave  his  influence  to  the  Republican  party  and  the  preservation  of  the  Union, 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  for  sixty-three  years  and  became  one  of 
the  charter  members  of  the  Valley  lodge  in  this  city  in  1845.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  order  in  Western  New  York.  Himself  and  one  sister  are  the  only  liv- 
ing members  of  his  parent's  family. 

In  July,  1824,  Mr.  Moses  was  married  to  Elsie  Carpenter.  Two  children  were  born 
of  this  union  —  William  Schuyler  Moses  and  Elsie  A.  Moses,  both  of  whom  now  live  in 
Cahfornia.     His  first  wife  died  July  i6th,  1836.     On  the  22d  of  March,  1837,  he  was 

1  This  John  Moses  was  a  blacksmith  and  brought  with  him  from  England,  in  1632,  a  set  of  tools, 
which  have  remained  in  the  Moses  family  down  to  the  present  time,  a  period  of  tsvo  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  years;,  the  anvil  bears  the  date  of  1632.     The  tools  are  now  at  the  homestead  in  Mt.  Morris. 


c  /lu^^M^/?/^' 


^  W  ■'ii,  /-/S.Y.M.  S:;, .  Aa%,t 


Schuyler  Moses.  —  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop.  663 

married  to  Susan  Morgan  (widow),  daughter  of  Gaius  Lane,  one  of  tiie  early  pioneers 
of  Rochester.  She  died  on  the  9th  of  November,  1838,  without  children.  December 
4th,  1840,  he  married  Bertha  Callender,  who  died  May  24th,  187 1,  by  whom  he  has  tvyo 
children,  Fred  A.  and  Martha  A.  Moses,  both  of  whom  reside  in  Rochester. 

During  the  long  life  of  Mr.  Moses' in  Rochester  he  has  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  and  has  earned  the  gratitude  of  many 
by  his  kindly  nature  and  generous  deeds.  In  the  decline  of  life  he  is  enjoying  the  com- 
petence which  his  industry  has  provided  and  may  look  back  upon  years  well  spent: 


NEHEMIAH  B.  NORTHROP.  The  history  of  some  lives,  although  they  may  have 
been  filled  with  generous  deeds  and  made  beautiful  by  innumerable  acts  for  the  ben- 
efit of  humanity,  must  ever  remain,  to  a  large  extent,  unwritten.  Such  is  the  case  with 
that  of  the  subject  of  this  notice  —  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop.  While  he  was  widely  known 
and  respected  in  his  life  and  sincerely  mourned  in  his  death  by  the  many  who  were 
proud  to  call  him  their  friend,  still  his  career  was  not  a  public  one  in  any  considerable 
degree;  his  life  was  one  of  peaceful  quiet,  suited  to  his  retiring  nature,  and  hence  fur- 
nishes little  striking  material  for  the  biographer. 

Mr.  Northrop  was  born  in  Trumbull,  Fairfield  county,  Conn.,  September  17th,  i8oi. 
When  he  was  ten  years  old  his  father  removed,  with  a  large  family  of  children,  to  Perin- 
ton,  Monroe  county.  His  early  years  were  passed  as  were  those  of  most  others  at  that 
period,  in  manual  labor,  alternated  with  attendance  at  the  common  school,  where  he  se- 
cured whatever  of  education  was  then  available.  About  the  year  1830  he  removed  to 
and  permanently  located  in  Rochester.  Years  before  he  had  accompanied  a  surveying 
party  over  this  region  and,  as  he  often  related,  jumped  from  log  to  log  to  avoid  immersion 
in  the  swampy  depths  on  the  site  of  Powers  block.  In  this  place  Mr.  Northrop  became 
engaged  in  the  transportation  and  forwarding  business,  established  the  national  trans- 
portation line  on  the  canal  and  lakes  and  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business. 

Mr.  Northrop's  natural  inclination  to  retirement  prevented  his  seeking  after  public 
office  or  distinction  of  any  kind,  but  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  permit  the  use  of  his  name 
for  alderman  of  his  ward  in  1849-50  and  was  elected,  filling  the  office  with  dignity  and 
sound  judgment.    ^ 

About  the  year  1854  he  became  interested  in  banking  and  was  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Belden,  Keeler  &  Co.  In  1865  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  Rochester  savings 
bank,  which  office  he  honored  until  his  death.  In  his  extended  business  career  Mr. 
Northrop  gained  a  reputation  for  integrity  and  general  uprightness  upon  which  no  breath- 
of  suspicion  or  reproach  ever  fell.'  He'was  for  many  years  a  consistent  member  of  St. 
Luke's  church,  where  the  influence  of  his  daily  life  was  potent  for  good. 

On  the  loth  day  of  January,  183 1,  Mr,  Northrop  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  Hart- 
well,  of  Pittsford,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  March,  1839,  and  in  September,  1840,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Langdon,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  Four  children  were  born  to  the  first 
union  —  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Both  the  sons  are  dead,  and  the  daughters  now 
reside  in  Rochester. 

Such  is  a  there  outline  of  Mr.  Northrop's  active  life ;  but  it  conveys  no  knowledge 
of  the  noble  Christian  character  and  the  estimable  personal  attributes  which  gained  him 
a  large  circle  of  friends  in  the  community.     These  are  more  vividly  delineated  by  the 


664  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

pen  of  one  of  his  most  intimate  friends,  who  wrote  of  him  as  follows,  at  the  time  of  his 
death  :  — 

"His  was  not  a  mere  negative  virtue;  it  was  the  virtue  of  a  many-sided  and  l)ene6cent  activity. 
His  character  was  quiet  but  it  was  positive,  and  he  was  ever  ready  with  the  word,  and  tlie  advice  and 
tlie  act  whicli  the  exigency  required.  He  was  warmly  interested  in  all  public  objects,  and  his  jirivate 
charities  were  numerous  and  liberal.  He  gained  the  confidence  and  afTection  of  the  numerous  persons 
whom  he  employed,  both  by  his  liberality  in  compensating  them,  and  the  unaffected  and  hearty  interest 
which  he  evinced  in  their  welfare.  Among  the  marked  traits  in  his  character  was  one  which  his  wife  once 
happily  characterised  as  a  hospitality  of  mind.  He  threw  open  the  doors  of  his  mind  as  we  do  the  doors 
of  our  houses  to  entertain  the  interests  of  others, .many  of  whom  h.id  no  special  claims  upon  him.  He 
would  listen  patiently  to  the  stories  of  the  difficulties  of  the  poor  and  the  humble,  and  bring  his  ripe 
experience  and  excellent  judgment  to  bear  upon  the  case  in  sound  and  judicious  advice.  Almost  num- 
berless are  those  who  have  thus  gone  from  his  doors  with  their  hearts  lightened  and  their  perplexities 
relieved.  .But  I  took  up  my  pen  for  no  extended  portraiture  and  chiefly  to  say  a  word  in  tribute  to  Mr. 
Northrop's  beautiful  domestic  character.  It  was  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  home  and  among  his 
chosen  circle  of  friends  that  he  was  most  advantageously  known  and  most  thoroughly  loved.  .  .  He 
was  tender  and  thoughtful  as  a  woman  of  all  that  could  add  to  the  joy  and  attractiveness  of  home,  with 
all  a  man's  capacity  for  realising  his  plans.  The  cordial  grasp  of  his  hand  gave  unmistakable  welcome 
to  the  friend  that  crossed  his  threshold  and  the  kindly  light  of  his  eye  and  the  benignity  of  his  smile 
seemed  to  pervade  the  domestic  circle  like  an  atmosphere.  In  his  withdrawal  from  that  circle  a  beau- 
tiful light  has  been  suddenly  extinguished." 

And  no  one  who  knew  Mr.  Northrop  will  say  that  this  high  praise  was  not  all  de- 
served. The  following  resolutions  were  adopted  by  the  trustees  of  the  Rochester  savings 
bank  on  the  occasion  of  his  death  :  — 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Nehemiah  B.  Northrop,  the  trustees  of  this  bank  deplore  the  loss 
of  an  active,  useful  and  honest  citizen,  and  an  able  and  efficient  colleague.  In  social  and  business  life 
he  was  eminently  genial  and  honorable  in  his  intercourse  with  men.  As  a  trustee  he  was  intelligent, 
independent  and  faithful  in  the  performance  of  every  duty,  and  firm  and  decided  in  his  opinions.  His 
large  experience  in  the  valuation  of  real  estate  enabled  him  torender  services  especially  valuable  to  this 
bank. 

••Resolved,  That  we  share  in  the  sorrows  which  have  overtaken  his  family  and  shall  long  cherish 
his  memory,  endeared  to  us  by  the  associations  of  many  years." 

Mr.  Northrop  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy  while  visiting  at  the  Mineral  Springs  at 
Slaterville,  N.  Y.,  on  the  ist  of  October,  1878.  His  remains  rest  in  the  family  inclosure 
at  Mt.  Hope. 


EVERARD  PECK  died  on  the  9th  of  February,  1854.     It  is  deemed  best  to  present, 
instead  of  a  continuous  sketch  of  his  life,  this  extract  from  one  of  the  daily  papers 
of  the  city  on  the  day  after  his  death  :  — 

"  Mr.  Peck  was  born  in  Berlin,  Conn.,  on  the  6th  of  November,  1 791,  and  was  in  the  sixty-third 
year  of  his  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  having  been  a  resident  of  this  city  some  thirty-eight  years. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went  to  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  learned  the  book-binder's  trade.  Hav- 
ing completed  his  apprenticeship,  he  went  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  established  himself  in  his  occu- 
pation. Not  finding  business  promising  there,  he  came  to  Rochester,  bringing  with  him,  besides  the 
implements  of  his  handicraft,  a  small  stock  of  books.  This  was  in  1816.  He  found  Rochester  an  in- 
considerable village,  numbering  some  three  or  four  hundred  inhabitants.  Seeing,  through  the  discom- 
forts and  rudeness  of  the  settlement,  indications  which  promised  n  prosperous  future,  he  opened  his 
slender  stock  of  books  and  tools,  and  set  up  the  double  business  of  book-selling  and  book-binding. 
Being  prosperous  in  business,  he  enlarged  his  facilities  by  opening  a  printing-office  and  commencing, 
in  1818,  the  publication  of  the  Rochester  Telegraph,  a  weekly  journal.  He  afterward  erected  a  paper- 
mill,  which  he  operated  with  great  success  until  it  was  burned.  Mr.  Peck  left  the  book  business  in 
1831.     After  three  or  four  years,  in  which  he  was  out  of  health  —  so  that  for  recovery,  he  was  obliged 


EvERARD  Peck.  —  Ashbel  Wells  Riley.  665 

to  spend  one  or  two  winters  in  Florida  and  Cuba  —  he  engaged  in  the  banking  business  and  was  connect- 
ed successively  with  the  Bank  of  Orleans,  the  Rochester  City  bank  and  the  Commercial  bank  of  Roch- 
ester, being  the  vice-president  of  the  last-named  institution  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Immediately  on  his 
taking  up  his  residence  here,  Mr.  Peck  gave  his  warm  support  to  the  infant  charitable  and  religious  en- 
terprises of  the  place,  and  from  that  time  to  this  has  been  the  warmest  friend  of  all  such  institutions. 
'!"()  public  office  he  did  not  aspire,  but  labors  for  the  iioor,  the  suffering  and  the  orphan  he  never 
shunned.  The  successful  establishment  of  the  University  of  Rochester  was  in  a  large  measure  owing  to 
his  exertions  in  its  behalf.  The  friends  of  that  institution  accorded  to  him  merited  praise,  and  they  will 
ever  respect  his  memory.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member  of  its  board  of  managers. 
,  He  was  one  of  the  zealous  promoters  and  founders  of  the  Rochester  Orphan  asylum,  which  has  now 
become  permanently  established  and  is  one  of  the  most  excellent  of  our  public  charities.  Our  citizens 
have  been  accustonied  to  rely  upon  his  judgment  in  all  alfairs  of  moment  pertaining  to  the  common 
weal,  and  he  always  exhibited  a  sagacity  and  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  the  people  which  entitled  hint 
to  the  public  confidence.  He  was  thrice  married — in  1820,  to  Chloe  Porter,  who  died  in  1830;  in 
1836,  to  Martha  Farley,  who  died  in  1851 ;  in  1852,  to  Mrs.  Alice  Bacon  Walker,  who  survives  him.  1 
For  more  than  two  years  past  Mr.  Peck  has  been  suffering  from  a  pulmonary  complaint,  and  he  spent 
the  winter  of  1852-53  on  the  Bermudas,  but  without  obtaining  relief  from  his  disease.  He  has  since 
his  return  been  secluded  in  the  sick-room,  gradually  declining,  until  he  expired,  surrounded  by  his 
wife  and  all'of  his  surviving  children." 

The  Albany  Evening  Journal  oi  February  21st,  1854,  container!  an  article  by  the 
pen  of  'I'hurlow  Weed,  then  at  tlie  head  of  that  paper,  in  which,  after  copying  a  long 
biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Peck  from  the  New  Haven  Daily  Palladium  of  a  few  days 
before,  Mr.  Weed  remarks  :  — 

"This  deserved  tribute  to  the  memory  of  'a  just  man  made  perfect  '  comes  from  one  who  knew  the 
deceased  well.  The  editor  of  the  Palladium  grew  up  under  Mr.  Peck's  teachings,  and  was  long  a 
member  of  his  household  —  a  household  whose  memories  are  hallowed  in  many  grateful  hearts. 

"  In  another  paragraph  the  editor  of  the  Palladium  alludes  to  our  own  relations  to  Mr.  Peck,  but 
in  a  spirit  of  kindness  which  excludes  all  but  the  following  from  these  columns  ;  — 

"  '  Mr.  Weed,  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal,  began  his  career  in  the  Rochester  Telegraph  office, 
lie  was  a  young  man  wholly  without  means  when  he  applied  for  employment.  We  remember  Mr. 
Weed's  application,  as  if  it'were  but  yesterday.  Mr.  Peck  at  first  declined  his  offer,  but  there  was 
something  in  Mr.  Weed's  manner  that  touched  a  sympathetic  chord  in  Mr.  Peck's  bosom,  and  he  called 
him  back  and  gavS  him  a  post  of  assistant  editor  where  he  soon  made  the  Telegraph  one  of  the  most 
popular  journals  in  Western  New  York.' 

"  The  heart  upon  which  the  memory  of  its  early  benefactor  is  engraven  will  glow  with  gratitude 
until  its  pulsations  cease.  We  were,  indeed,  '  wholly  without  means,'  and  with  a  young  family  de- 
pendent upon  our  labor,  when,  thirty-two  years  ago,  we  applied  to  Everard  Peck  for  employment.  He 
did  not  really  want  "  journeyman,  but  his  khully  nature  prompted  an  effort  in  our  behalf.  It  was 
agreed  that  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  labor,  as  a  journeyman  in  the  office,  we  should  assist  Mr.  Peck, 
who  had  the  charge  of  his  book-store  and  paper-mill,  in  editing  the  Telegraph.  But  our  friend  did 
not  content  himself  with  giving  employment.  We  enjoyed,  with  our  family,  the  hospitalities  of  his 
mansion  until  a  humble  tenement  (tenements  were  scarce  in  Rochester  in  those  days)  could  be  rented. 
The  compensation  agreed  upon  was  four  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  That  year  glided  pleasantly  and 
]ieacefully  away,  teaching  lessons  to  which  memory  recurs  with  pleasure,  and  in  forming  ties  that  have 
linked  us  through  after-life  to  dear  and  cherished  friends.  At  the  close  of  the  year  Mr.  Peck  added 
one  hundred  dollars  to  our  sal.iry,  with  expressions  of  confidence  and  regard  which  enhanced  the  value 
of  his  gratuity.  And  ever  after,  through  whatever  of  vicissitudes  and  change  we  have  passed,  that 
good  man's  counsels  and  friendship  have  helped  to  smooth  and  cheer  our  pathway." 


ASHBEL  WELLS  RILEY.     Prominent  among  the  living  pioneers  of  the  city  of 
Rochester,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  General  A'shbel  Wells  Riley.     He  was  born 
in  Glastenbury,  Conn.,  on  the   19th   day  of  March,  "1795,   and  has,   therefore,  now 

1  Mrs.  Alice  B.  Peck  died  December  2d,   1881. 


666  .  .   History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

reached  the  great  age  of  almost  ninety  years.  While  he  was  an  infant  his  parents 
removed  to  Rocky  Hill,  directly  across  the  Connecticut  river  from  the  place  of  his  birth. 
There  his  father  died  while  his  son  was  still  in  early  youth.  A  discharge  from  the  rev- 
olutionary army,  signed  by  George  Washington,  and  yet  preserved,  certifies  that  his  father 
faithfully  served  six  years  in  the  revolutionary  army.  The  early  life  of  the  son  and  a 
younger  brother  was  quietly  passed  at  Rocky  Hill,  devoted  to  the  assistance  of  his 
mother  in  rearing  her  family,  and  the  acquirement  of  such  education  as  was  available  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  When  he  had  reached  a  proper  age,  although 
a  choice  was  offered  hini  of  a  college  education,  through  the  kindness  of  a  relative,  or 
of  entering  the  navy  under  favorable  auspices,  his  mother  deemed  it  best  that  he  should 
learn  a  trade;  he  accordingly  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  finishing  it  when  he  was 
about  eighteen  years  old,  at  which  time  he  removed  with  his  mother  to  the  town  of 
Preston,  Chenango  county,  N.  Y.  There  he  engaged  in  teaching  school,  being  the  first 
person  in  that  town  to  be  examined  for  the  work  under  the  existing  school  laws.  After 
about  a  year  in  Preston  he  went  to  Cayuga  county,  where  he  remained  about  a  year  in 
the  town  of  Scipio  and  the  village  of  Auburn,  and  then,  in  company  with  his  mother, 
made  a  tour  of  several  of  the  eastern  states,  visiting  their  former  home  at  Rocky  Hill. 
Following  this  he  went  to  Buffalo,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  about  six  months,  and 
then  spent  a  similar  period  in  attendance  at  the  West  Bloomfield  academy.  At  the 
close  of  his  studies,  he  removed  permanently  to  Rochester,  in  the  year  1816,  when  there 
were  but  three  hundred  inhabitants  in  the  village.  During  the  greater  portion  of  the 
succeeding  seven  or  eight  years  he  worked  here  at  his  trade,  and,  as  a  contractor,  built 
many  large  buildings,  among  them  the  Rochester  High  school,  in  1827. 

In  the  year  1827,  Mr.  Riley,  in  company  with  the  late  Josiah  Bissell,  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  embracing  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
now  mostly  covered  by  a  populous  portion  of  the  city  of  Rochester.  The  price  paid 
for  the  tract  was  $35,000.  Mr.  Bissell  died  about  two  years  after  the  purchase  was 
made,  and  the  property  passed  into  the  sole  possession  of  Mr.  Riley.  He  was  chosen 
one  of  the  first  five  trustees  of  the  village,  and  was  also  elected  in  1834  as  one  of  the  first 
board  of  aldermen  of  the  city ;  he  is  now  the  only  living  member  of  both  these  bodies. 

Mr.  Riley's  military  career,  in  which  he  gained  the  honorable  title  by  which  he  has 
been  known  so  many  years,  began  soon  after  he  reached  his  majority,  when  he  enlisted 
as  the  first  foot  soldier  from  the  village,  joining  a  company  that  was  raised  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Penfield;  this  company  was  a  portion  of  the  First  rifle  regiment,  which  subse- 
quently became  the  Eighteenth.  Mr.  Riley  was  made  sergeant  of  his  company,  from 
which  office  he  rapidly  advanced.  In  1825  he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  First 
regiment  of  riflemen,  (afterward  the  I'wenty-third),  of  which  Benjamin  H.  Brown  was 
colonel,  and  in  1831  was  placed  in  command  of  the  regiment.  He  was  afterward 
elected  brigadier-general  over  the  three  regiments  located  in  this  vicinity,  and  finally 
was  appointed  major-general,  succeeding  General  Bowen  Whiting,  the  distinguished 
attorney,  of  Geneva.  He  and  his  associate  officers  were  .selected  to  act  as  escort  to  the 
Marquis  de  La  Fayette  on  his  journey  from  Rochester  to  Canandaigua,  and  the  Twenty- 
third  regiment  became,  under  General  Riley's  command,  one  of  the  most  efficient  mili- 
tary organisations  in  this  section  of  country.  Indeed,  it  received  from  Governor  Marcy, 
who  reviewed  it  in  1832,  the  compliment  of  being  the  best  regiment  in  the  state. 
While  under  his  command,  the  regiment  volunteered  to  General  Jackson  (then  president 


Asi-iBEi.  Wells  Riley.  66-j 

of  the  United  States)  to  go  south  and  aid  in  quelling  the  nullification  troubles.  For  this 
prompt  offer  of  service  General  Riley  subsequently  had  the  satisfaction  of  receiving  the 
personal  thanks  of  "Old  Hickory"  in  the  capitol  at  Washington.' 

At  about  the  beginning  of  his  military  career,  General  Riley  also  began  to  take  a 
practical  interest  in  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  temperance,  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment, and  other  reforms — -a  work  to  which  he  ever  afterward  gave  up  a  large  share  of 
his  time,  his  means,  and  his  best  efforts.  He  first  made  his  influence  felt  for  temperance 
in  the  different  military  organisations  which  he  commanded,  never  accepting  an  oflice  in 
any  of  them  except  upon  a  temperance  basis,  This  resulted  in  almost  eradicating  in- 
temperance from  the  regiment  and  brigade  which  he  commanded.  Neither  did  he  hes- 
itate from  lifting  up  his  voice,  whenever  and  wherever  it  seemed  most  effective,  against 
the  curse  of  slavery,  and  that,  too,  during  a  period  when  it  was  anything  but  a  source 
of  honor  to  oppose  the  institution.  From  about  the  year  1826,  during  a  period  equal 
to  the  lives  of  most  men,  General  Riley  has  devoted  himself,  heart  and  soul,  to  these 
reforms.  In  the  cause  of  temperance  he  has  traveled  in  most  of  the  English-speaking 
countries  of  the  world,  going  always  at  his  own  expense,  making  no  request  for  com- 
pensation or  aid,  and  often  offering  to  pay  those  who  differed  with  him  for  their  time 
spent  in  listening  to  his  potent  arguments.^  He  spent  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  Great 
Britain,  and  considerable  time  on  the  continent,  delivering  in  those  countries  about  four 
hundred  lectures,  while  those  of  his  different  tours  throughout  America  are  almost  in- 
numerable. He  procured  the  dies  and  had  an  appropriate  medal  struck,  of  which  he 
has  distributed  more  than  six  thousand  to  persons  who  would  sign  his  pledge.  Many 
of  these  persons  he  has  met  and  heard  from  years  after  their  pledge,  in  the  enjoyment 
that  always  comes  with  temperate  living.  The  influence  of  this  life-work,  to  which 
General  Riley  has  always  made  worldly  riches  and  advancement  subject,  is  simply  in- 
estimable for  the  general  good  and  morality  of  humanity.  As  an  eminent  writer  once 
said  of  him,  "He  has  been  to  reforms  what  the  white  caps  are  to  the  waves — always  in 
the  ascendant."  General  Riley  speaks  extemporaneously,  and,  although  not  an  orator  in 
the  polished  and  educated  sense,  he  never  fails  to  hold  the  interest  of  his  hearers.  In  a 
series  of  Pen  Portraits  of  Illustrious  Abstainers,  written  by  George  W.  Bungay,  we  find 
the  following  terse  criticism  of  General  Riley's  eloquence  and  platform  manner :  — 

"Gener.1l  Riley's  speeches  were  strings  of  beads,  coral,  common  glass,  and  gold,  with  here  and 
there  a  rare  jewel,  and  even  diamonds  in  the  rough.  The  thread  of  his  discourse  shone  and  sparkled 
with  wit,  humor,  sarcasm,  pathos,  and  eloquence  when  he  shook  the  brilliant  rosary  before  an  audi- 
ence. His  hearers  laughed  and  cried  alternately.  Sometimes  they  were  ready  to  shout  his  praises,  at 
other  times  to  pelt  him  with  showers  of  unmerchantable  eggs.  Without  trying  to  think  in  a  direct 
line,  or  caring  to  speak  logically,  his  lectures  as  a  whole  were  arguments.  He  would  leap  over  the 
laws  of  rhetoric,  in  his  eager  earnestness,  as  a  blooded  steed  would  a  five-barred  gate  to  get  into  good 
clover  or  good  company." 

It  will  also  be  appropriate  to  quote  from  remarks  made  by  General  Riley  himself  at 

1  More  extended  details  of  Cjeneral  Kiley's  military  career  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  of  this  work 
devoted  to  that  branch  of  the  history  of  Rochester. 

2  In  this  connection  the  following  copy  of  one  of  General  liiley's  peculiar  handbills' will  be  of  inter- 
est: "One  thousand  able-bodied  men  wanted  I  to  hear  an  address  in  behalf  of  drunkards'  wives  and 
children,  by  General  Riley,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  late  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  the  New  York  state 
temperance  society.  He  will  pay  wholesale  dealers  and  owners  of  distilleries  and  breweries  that  are 
now  in  operation,  25  cents  an  hour;  retailers  of  liquors  18J  cents  per  hour,  and  other  able-bodied  men 
l%\  cents  per  hour,  if  they  are  not  satisfied  at  the  close  of  the  meeting." 


668  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

a  reform  meeting  held  in  the  spring  of  1883,  in  Rochester,  where  he  spoke  as  follows 
relative  to  his  life-work :  — 

"  I  have  long  been  a  business  man  and  property  holder  in  Rochester,  but  I  have  never  paused  to 
weigh  the  consequences  of  doing  right  in  a  plain  case,  to  the  business  which  I  chanced  to  be  in.  My 
mother  taught  me  when  a  child  the  lesson  of  the  modern  ditty,  '  Dare  to  do  right ; '  and  I  have  ever 
obeyed  her  injunction.  And  though  I  have  suffered  in  the  world's  estimate  for  doing  right  and  oppos- 
ing wrong ;  though  I  have  sometimes  lost  money,  and  sometimes  reputation  by  opposing  Masonry, 
liquor-selling  and  slavery  in  past  years,  my  family  have  not  suffered  hunger, — and  I  own  a  residence  in 
this  city  now  as  good  as  my  neighbors,  and  have  means  to  live  in  it, 

"  It  is  ever  best  in  the  long  run  to  do  right,  though  the  words  of  our  Savior  were  true  when  he 
warned  us  that  men  would  hate  us  for  doing  right.  '  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love 
his  own,  but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  therefore  the 
world  hateth  you.'  There  never  was  a  man  in  the  city  of  Rochester  so  thoroughly  hated  as  was  Josiah 
Bissell ;  find  yet  there  never  was  so  general  mourning  at  any  other  funeral  as  at  his.  His  life  was  one 
protest  against  Sabbath-breaking,  liquor-selling,  slavery  and  the  secret  lodge,  and  hence  he  was  hated 
while  living,  and  universally  honored  and  lamented  when  he  was  dead."  l 

It  does  not,  perhaps,  need  further  details  to  show  that  the  reform  work  carried  on  by 
General  Riley  has  been  eminently  unselfish.  He  has  pursued  it  for  neither  glory  nor 
for  gain,  but  because  he  believed  it  the  right  thing  to  do,  even  if  at  his  financial  loss. 
He  has,  moreover,  been  a  Christian  but  little  less  radical  than  in  his  reform  labors.  He 
was  nurtured  in  the  Congregationalist  faith,  but  has  long  been  a  member  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  in  Rochester.  He  was  chairman  of  a  meeting  held  here  many 
years  ago,  having  for  its  object  the  abolition  of  mail  carrying  on  Sunday.  While  the 
measure  did  not  succeed  upon  a  basis  of  its  Christianity,  it  did  subsequently  result  in 
mail  carrying  but  six  days  in  the  week  upon  all  except  the  great  through  lines,  because 
it  would  save  one-seventh  of  the  expense  to  the  government.  In  this  line  of  reform 
General  Riley  established  a  line  of  boats  on  the  canal,  in  1835,  to  run  six  days  each 
week.  This  enterprise  cost  him  $20,000,  which  he  considered  an  excellent  investment. 
For  the  cause  of  religion  as  a  whole  he  has  done  much  in  this  city,  building  one  early 
church  at  his  own  expense,  and  giving  substantial  aid  to  others.  One  wooden  church, 
40  by  80  feet  in  dimensions,  for  which  there  was  an  imperative  necessity  through  a  division 
in  the  Third  Presbyterian  church  in  the  village,  was  erected  on  General  Riley's  garden, 
and  in  the  short  space  of  five  weeks.  This  will  serve  to  indicate  the  man's  energy. 
Once  having  decided  that  it  is  necessary  and  right  for  him  to  do  a  certain  thing,  it  is  an 
insurmountable  obstacle  that  can  prevent  its  consummation. 

It  is  not  as  reformer  alone  that  General  Riley  has  lifted  his  hand  and  opened  his 
heart.  When  the  cholera  epidemic  broke  out  in  Rochester  in  1832,  he  was  the  youngest 
member  of  the  board  of  health,  and  a  large  share  of  the  repulsive  labor  connected  with 
the  terrible  scourge  fell  to  him.  The  first  victim  (an  unknown  tramp)  was  buried  in  the 
night,  General  Riley  performing  the  work  almost  single-handed.  Out  of  it6  deaths  by 
the  dread  disease,  he  placed  eighty  of  the  bodies  in  their  coffins,  eleven  of  which  were 

1  As  an  interesting  incident.  General  Riley  relate  his  casual  meeting,  at  a  dinner  table  in  Rome, 
Italy,  with  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Ayre,  M.  A.,  vicar  of  Saint  Mark's  church,  London,  and  their  succeeding 
short  acquaintance.  When  General  Riley  arrived  in  London,  at  a  later  date,  he  called,  by  invitation, 
on  the  distinguished  divine,  who  honored  him  with  the  unusual  invitation  to  speak  on  temperance  in 
his  church.  This  was  done,  and  with  excellent  effect,  as  is  vouched  for  by  the  editor  of  the  Sf.  Mark's 
Monthly  Parish  Paper,  a  little  sheet  published  in  the  interest  of  the  church,  a  copy  of  which  was  sent 
to  General  Riley  after  his  return  to  America.  It  contains  a  very  complimentary  reference  to  his  ad- 
dress and  its  influence. 


AsHBEL  Wells  Riley.  —  Nathaniel  Rochester.  669 

in  one  day.  But  he  never  shrank  from  nor  complained  at  the  labor.  He  accepted  it 
as  his  duty,  and  did  it,  passing  through  the  ordeal  unscathed. 

In  his  semi-centennial  historical  address,  delivered  in  Rochester  in  June,  1884,  Hon. 
Charles  E.  Fitch  made  the  following  beautiful  allusion  to  General  Riley's  unselfish  labor 
during  the  cholera  epidemic  :  — 

"  1  had  thought  to  observe  faithfully  the  proprieties,  by  refraining  from  anything  like  eulogy  of 
living  citizens,  but  I  am  sure  you  will  pardon  an  allusion  to  one  who,  amid  that  dreadful  scourge,  bore 
liiniself  with  a  dauntlessness,  before  which  that  wliich  faced  the  Redan  battery  or  climbed  the  frowning 
crest  of  Molino  del  Key  pales  and  grows  weak;  who  met  the  pestilence  with  equanimity,  when  others 
fled  before  it;  whose  step  never  faltered,  and  whose  hand  never  trembled  in  the  ordeal;  who  w.as  as 
gentle  in  his  bedside  ministrations  as  he  was  fearless  in  the  chamber  of  death,  and  who,  with  his  own 
hands,  placed  over  eighty  victims  in  their  coffins.  ,\h !  that  is  a  sublimer  type  of  courage  which  walks 
undismayed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  plague  than  that  which  rushes  upon  the  foemen's  serried  ranks  in 
the  frenzy  of  battle,  amid  the  plaudits  of  a  n.ition.  And  the  citizen-hero.  General  Ashbel  W.  Riley, 
the  sole  survivor  of  the  whole  body  of  village  trustees  —  for  he  was  a  trustee  sixty  years  ago  —  and  the 
only  living  member  of  the  first  board  of  aldermen,  although  the  frosts  of  nine  decades  have  silvered  his 
locks,  still  walks  our  stieets,  erect  in  form,  stately  in  his  bearing,  with  his  mind  yet  vigorous,  and  the 
blood  of  health  still  coursing  his  veins,  as  the  results  of  temperate  habits  and  cleanliness  in  living. 

"  Serus  in  caelum  redeat.  "^ 

This  sketch  has  already  exceeded  its  |)rescribed  limits,  and  perhaps  enough  has  been 
said  to  enable  the  reader  to  picture  to  himself  the  life  and  character  of  General  Ashbel 
W.  Riley.  He  is  a  reformer ;  but,  unlike  many  aspiring  to  that  title,  he  has  always 
backed  his  theories  not  only  with  the  utmost  fearlessness,  but  with  all  his  might  and 
means.  This  means  a  great  deal  and  has  won  for  him  the  respect  of  those  who  differ 
with  him,  as  well  as  those  who  are  in  sympathy  with  him.  He  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
citizens  of  Rochester,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  has  spent  more  than  one  liberal 
fortune  in  support  of  what  he  believes  to  have  been  his  duty,  he  still  enjoys  a  compe- 
tence for  his  declining  years. 

General  Riley  was  first  married  in  1S19,  to  Betsey  Ann  Stillson,  of  Brighton.  She 
died  four  years  later,  and  in  1827  he  married  her  sister,  Charlotte  Stillson.  She  died  in 
1870  and  in  the  following  year  he  married  his  third  wife,  in  the  person  of  Mary  E.  Hoyt, 
of  Rochester.  There  were  born  to  him  by  his  first  wife  two  children,  but  one  of  whom, 
his  son  George,  is  living.  By  his  second  wife  he  had  two  sons  Ashbel  W.,  jr.,  and  Jus- 
tin Gamaliel,  and  one  daughter,  Anna  H.  His  youngest  son,  J.  Gamaliel,  died  in  1873. 
His  daughter  married  Cyrus  Bentley  in  1853,  a  lawyer  then  and  now  residing  in  Chi- 
cago. One  of  his  surviving  sons  is  in  the  treasury  department  at  Washington,  and  one 
is  George  S.  Riley,  of  Rochester. 


NATHANIP2L  ROCHESTER,  second  son  of  John  Rochester,  was  born  on  the 
2ist  day  of  February,  1752,  in  Cople  Parish,  Westmoreland  county,  Va.,  on  the 
plantation  on  which  his  father,  grandfather  and  great-grandfather  had  lived.  When  he 
was  two  years  old  his  father  died,  and  when  he  was  seven  his  mother  married  a  Mr. 
Thomas  Critcher,  who,  in  1763,  removed  with  the  entire  family  to  Granville  county, 
N.  C.  "  During  his  childhood  the  opportunities  for  a  liberal  education  were  extremely 
limited.     The  varied  and  practical  information  for  which  he  was  distinguished  in  private 


1  For  further  reference  to  General  Riley's  work  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  health  at  this  time,  see 
preceding  pages  upon  the  cholera  in  Rochester. 


670  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

intercourse,  as  well  as  in  the  public  trusts  he  so  honorably  filled,  was  the  fruit  of  the 
later  application  of  a,  clear  and  vigorous  mind,  in  the  intervals  of  leisure  afforded  by  a 
life  of  no  ordinary  activity  and  vicissitude." 

In  the  autumn  of  1768,  when  sixteen  years  old,  he  entered  the  mercantile  establish- 
ment of  James  Monroe,  in  Hillsboro',  N.  C.  (forty  miles  from  hotne),  as  a  clerk,  where 
he  remained  till  1783,  when  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his  former  employer  and 
Colonel  John  Hamilton,  who  was  consul  for  the  British  government  in  the  middle  states 
after  the  close  of  the  revolution.  In  1770  he  was  clerk  of  the  vestry  of  Hillsboro'.  In 
1775  the  partnership  was  dissolved  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolution,  and  the  same 
year  (being  only  twenty-three  years  old  at  the  time)  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
committee  of  safety  for  Orange  county,  N.  C,  whose  business  it  was,  to  use  his  own 
words,  "  to  promote  the  revolutionary  spirit  among  the  people,  procure  arms  and  ammu- 
nition, make  collections  for  the  people  of  Boston,  whose  harbor  was  blocked  up  by  a 
British  fleet,  and  to  prevent  the  sale  and  use  of  East  India  teas." 

In  August  of  the  same  year  (1775)  he  attended,  as  a  member,  the  first  provincial 
convention  in  North  Carolina,  and  at  that  time  was  made  paymaster  (with  the  rank  of 
major)  for  the  North  Carolina  line,  which  at  the  time  consisted  of  four  regiments. 
About  the  same  time  he  was  also  made  justice  of  the  peace. 

At  the  reassembling  of  the  convention,  in  May,  1776,  the  North  Carolina  line  was 
increased  to  ten  regiments;  and  in  the  proceedings  of  the  convention,  on  Friday,  May 
loth,  1776,  it  was  ^'■Resolved,  That  Nathanial  Rochester,  esquire,  be  appointed  deputy 
commissary-general  of  military  and  other  stores  in  this  county  for  the  use  of  the  Conti- 
nental army,  and  that  he  be  allowed  the  same  allowance  as  provided  by  the  Continental 
congress  for  such  officer;  and  that  he  give  security  in  ^10,000  for  the  faithful  discharge 
of  the  trust  reposed  in  him." 

On  the  adjournment  of  the  convention  he  entered  upon  the  active  duties  of  provid- 
ing food  and  clothing  for  the  army ;  the  fatigue  incident  to  which,  accompanied  by 
unusual  exposure  in  unhealthy  districts,  brought  on  disease  so  permanent  in  its  charac- 
ter as  to  compel  him  to  resign,  in  accordance  with  medical  advice.  Returning  to  Hills- 
boro' he  found  that  he  had  been  elected  a  member  of  the  legislature,  in  which  he  soon 
took  his  seat;  thus  becoming  a  member  of  one  of  the  earliest  legislative  bodies  organ- 
ised and  assembled  in  defiance  of  British  claims  to  dominion.  During  this  session  he 
was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel  of  militia,  and  in  the  following  spring  was  made  clerk 
of  Orange  county,  which  office  had  been  held  for  many  years  by  General  F.  Nash,  who 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Germantown. 

In  1777  he  was  appointed  commissioner  to  establish  and  superintend  a  manufactory 
of  arms  at  Hillsboro',  the  iron  for  which  had  to  be  drawn  in  wagons  from  Pennsylvania, 
a  distance  of  over  four  hundred  miles. 

Resigning  the  office  of  county  clerk,  "because  the  fees  of  the  office  would  not  pay  for 
the, postage,"  he  was  appointed  one  of  a  board  of  three  to  audit  the  public  accounts,  and 
was  also  promoted  to  be  colonel. 

In  1878  he  again  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits  with  Colonel  Thomas  Hart  (fath- 
er-in-law of  Henry  Clay)  and  James  Brown  (afterwards  minister  to  France).  In  1783 
he  and  Colonel  Hart  began  the  "  manufacture  of  flour,  rope  and  nails,  at  Hagerstown, 
Md." 

On  the  20th  day  of  April,  1788,  he  married  Sophia,  daughter  of  Colonel  Wm.  Beatty, 
of  Frederick,  Md.     She  was  born  in  Frederick,  Md.,  Jan.  25th,  1768. 


Nathaniel  Rochester.  671 

While  living  at  Hagerstown,  Md.,  he  successively  filled  the  offices  of  member  of 
Assembly  of  Maryland,  postmaster  at  Hagerstown,  judge  of  the  county  court,  and,  in 
1808,  was  chosen  a  presidential  elector  (with  Dr,  Jno.  Tyler,  of  Fredericktown,  Md.), 
in  favor  of  James  Madison  for  president  (Frederick,  Washington,  and  Allegany  counties 
forming  the  district). 

In  1808  he  was  the  first  president  of  the  Hagerstown  bank.  A  portrait  taken  while 
he  held  that  position  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  bank,  and  is  highly  prized.  All  this 
time  he  was  carrying  on  extensive  manufacturing  establishments  in  Hagerstown,  and 
had  in  operation  two  mercantile  establishments  in  Kentucky. 

In  1800  he  first  visited  the  "Genesee  country,"  where  he  had  previously  made  a 
purchase  of  640  acres ;  and  in  September  of  that  year,  associating  with  him  Major 
Charles  Carroll,  Colonel  William  Fitzhughand  Colonel  Hilton,  made  large  purchases  of 
land  in  Livingston  county,  near  Dansville;  In  1802,  with  Colonel  Fitzhugh  and  Major 
Carroll,  he  purchased  the  "  loo-acre  or  Allan  mill  tract"  (in  what  now  is  called  Roch- 
ester, at  that  time  called  Falls  Town),  for  seventeen  and  a  half  dollars  per  acre.  In  May, 
1810,  having  closed  up  his  business  in  Maryland,  he  first  became  a  resident  of  Western 
New  York,  and,  removing  to  Dansville  with  his  family,  occupied  his  purchase  there. 
Here  he  remained  five  years,  and  erected  a  large  paper-mill,  and  made  many  improve- 
ments. 

In  1815,  having  disposed  of  his  interests  in  Dansville,  he  removed  to  a  large  and 
well  improved  farm  in  Bloomfield,  Ontario  county.  After  staying  here  for  three  years, 
during  which  time  he  constantly  visited  the  falls  of  the  Genesee  and  his  property  there, 
laying  it  out  into  lots  to  be  brought  into  the  market,  he,  in  April,  1818,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence there,  the  town  in  the  interim  having  been  called  after  him, ."  Rochester." 

In  1816  he  was  a  second  time  an  elector  of  president  and  vice-president. 

In  January,  1817,  he  was  secretary  of  the  important  convention  at  Canandaigua 
which  urged  the  construction  of  the  Erie  canal.  During  this  year  he  went  to  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  as  an  agent  of  the  petitioners  for  the  erection  of  what  is  now  known  as  Monroe 
county,  but  was  not  successful  till  the  year  1821  in'  obtaining  its  accomplishment.  He 
was  the  first  clerk  of  the  new  county,  and  also  its  first  representative  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture, 1821-22.  In  1824  he  was  ofie  of  the  commission  for  taking  subscriptions  to  the 
capital  stock  of  the  Bank  of  Rochester,  and,  upon  the  organisation  of  the  institution,  was 
unanimously  elected  its  president.  He  resigned  this  position  the  December  following 
on  account  of  an  impaired  physical  constitution  and  the  increasing  infirmities  of  age. 
This  was  the  last  of  his  numerous  public  and  corporate  trusts.  From  this  time  he 
retired  from  active  duties,  but  was  always  a  good  and  willing  counselor  to  those  in  the 
young  and  thriving  town  which  was  rapidly  growing  up  around  him.  He  had  always 
been  attached  to  the  Protestant  Episcopal  churcii,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  St. 
Luke's  church,  Rochester.  It  was  the  will  of  God  to  remove  him  by  a  most  painful 
disorder,  forbidding  him  even  an  hour's  troubled  repose ;  but  the  end  finally  came,  and 
the  pain  ceased,  and  there  was  quiet  and  peace  that  was  so  gradual  that  those  about 
him  scarcely  knew  the  moment  of  his  final  departure ;  he  died  on  the  morning  of  the 
17th  of  May,  1831. 

Starting  in  life  with  but  few  advantages,  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  the  early 
age  of  sixteen,  with  energy  and  integrity  of  purpose,  and  a  fearless  self-reliance,  he  had  a 
long  career  of  usefulness.     His  country  demanded  his  services,  and  he  freely  gave  them, 


6/2  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

alternating  in  its  financial,  military  and  legislative  work.  Its  exigencies  terminating,  he 
was  a  zealous  co-worker  in  all  that  related  to  the  beneficial  uses  of  free  government. 
Almost  constantly  filling  important  public  trusts,  he  was  at  the  same  time  the  founder 
of  business  establishments,  the  promoter  of  public  prosperity,  and,  finally,  the  founder  of 
a  city. 

His  wife,  Sophia  Beatty,  was  a  descendant  of  John  Beatty,  who  was  born  in  Scotland 
in  1660,  from  which,  on  account  of  religious  persecutions,  he  emigrated  to  Ireland,  and 
from  thence  to  England,  where  he  married  Susanna  Affordby.  He  then  went  to  Hol- 
land, and  about  1700  came  to  America,  and  settled  at  Esopus,  New  York,  where  he 
died,  leaving  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  widow  removed  with  the  children  to 
Maryland  about  the  year  1728,  where  she  purcliased  a  large  tract  of  land.  Their  son, 
whose  name  was  William,  was  born  about  the  year  1693,  and  died  in  1757,  leaving  one 
son,  William,  and  five  daughters.  The  son  William,  was  born  January  17th,  1739,  and 
married  Mary  Dorotha  Grosh  (daughter  of  Jno.  Conrad  and  Maria  Sophia  Grosh,  of 
Mayence,  on  the  Rhine,  who  settled  in  Frederick,  Maryland,  in  1757).  He  died  April 
25th,  i8oi,  and  his  wife  on  August  2d,  1810.  They  had  sixteen  children,  of  whom  Sophia, 
born  January  25th,  was  the  sixth. 

Col.  Nathaniel  Rochester  and  Sophia  his  wife  had  twelve  children :  William  Beatty 
Rochester,  Nancy  Barbara  Rochester,  John  Cornelius  Rochester,  Sophia  VMza  Roches- 
ter, Mary  Eleanor  Rochester,  Thomas  Hart  Rochester,  Catharine  Kimball  Rochester, 
Nathaniel  Thrift  Rochester,  Anna  Barbara  Rochester,  Henry  Elie  Rochester,  Ann  Cor- 
nelia Rochester,  Louisa  Lucinda  Rochester.' 


JASON  W.  SEWARD  was  born  in  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on  the  23d 
day  of  December,  1806.  Like  the  great  majority  of  pioneers  of  Central  and  West- 
ern New  York,  he  came  of  the  sturdy  New  England  stock  whose  descendants  played 
such  an  important  pa^t  in  subduing  the  wilderness  and  advancing  the  general  interests 
of  the  new  communities.  -  His  father  was  Abram  Seward  of  Durham,  Conn.,  and  his 
mother  Sarah  Bostwick,  who  came  from  near  New  Milford,  Conn. ;  she  was  a  daughter 
of  Elijah  Bostwick,  who  was  a  militia  captain  in  the  revolutionary  war  and  gave  his  coun- 
try seven  years  of  honorable  service  during  that  struggle  for  liberty. 

Mr.  Seward's  boyhood  and  young  manhood  were  passed  at  his  parental  home,  where 
he  attended  school  in  the  winter  months  and  did  his  share  of  farm  labor  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  years.  It  is,  perhaps,  worthy  of  mention  that  his  first  school  teacher  was 
Isaac  Hills,  a  graduate  of  Union  college,  and  in  later  years  one  of  the  prominent  law- 
yers of  Rochester,  where  he  recently  died.  Mr.  Seward  was  an  apt  student  and,  fortu- 
nately for  hirn,  his  father  was  a  believer  in  the  value  of  education ;  consequently  the 
young  man  was  sent  to  the  Oneida  institute  during  the  years  1828-29,  ^'  ^^^  ^^^  °f 
which  period,  still  unsatisfied  with  his  acquired  education,  he  entered  Williams  college, 
Mass.,  in  the  class  of  1833,  where  he  graduated  with  honor.  Leaving  college  he  came 
directly  to  Rochester,  to  which  village  his  sister,  T.  Seward,  had  received  an  invitation  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  a  school  for  young  ladies.  While  the  field  did  not  at  that  time 
appear  especially  promising  to  Mr.  Seward,  he  decided  to  remain  and  bear  the  heavier 

iThis  biographic  sketch  is  taken  from  a  pamphlet,  Early  History  of  the  Rochester  Family  in  America, 
compiled  by  Nathaniel  Rochester,  of  Buffalo,  1882. 


Jason  W.  Seward.  673 


burdens  of  the  new  educational  undertaking,  for  whicii  he  felt  that  his  sister,  although  a 
self-reliant  woman,  was  scarcely  adapted.  The  boarding-school  and  young  ladies'  semi- 
nary was  accordingly  founded  (1833),  first  occupying  apartments  in  the  old  United  States 
building,  on  Main  street.  After  beginning  the  school,  Mr.  Seward  returned  to  Williams- 
town  and  received  his  diploma  from  the  college.  In  the  winter  cJf  1837  and  1838  the 
institution  was  incorporated  by  act  of  legislature  and  became  subject  to  the  visitation  of 
the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  state.  The  seminary  was  successful  from  the  first 
and  for  its  better  accommodation  a  building  was  erected  in  1835  on  Alexander  street, 
on  the  premises  now  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Freeman  Clarke.  Here  the  school  was 
continued,  with  far  greater  success  in  point  of  numbers  of  pupils  and  its  general  charac- 
ter as  an  educational  institution,  than  in  a  financial  sense,  until  1841,  when  the  founders, 
Miss  Seward  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  withdrew  from  it  as  instructors.  This  action 
on  the  part  of  its  founders  was  due  chiefly  to  the  necessity  then  existing  for  much  more 
extensive  accommodations  for  the  attendance  already  assured,  and  their  inability  to  erect 
buildings  and  make  the  other  improvements  without  which  they  felt  the  school  could 
not  be  made  what  it  should  be.  The  institution  was  continued,  however,  for  a  number 
of  years  by  Miss  L.  Tracy,  as  principal,  and  others,  with  varying  success. 

After  leaving  the  school  Mr.  Seward  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  becoming  quite 
extensively  employed  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  grain,  flour  and  similar  products.  In 
this  business,  through  the  persevering  energy  for  which  he  is  known,  his  native  ability 
and  his  correct  and  honorable  methods,  he  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  competence,  in  the 
full  enjoyment  of  which  he  has  passed  his  life  since  the  year  1856,  when  he  retired  from 
active  pursuits. 

As  a  teacher  he  was  eminently  successful — a  success  due,  undoubtedly,  to  some  extent, 
to  the  fact  that  he  lov.ed  the  profession  for  its  own  sake,  for  the  good  which  he  could 
accomplish  in  it.  He  was  always  a  student  and  has  familiarised  himself  with  the  so- 
called  learned  professions  and  with  many  subjects  demanding  brain  power,  applica- 
tion and  studiousness,  not  so  much  that  he  expected  to  make  direct  use  of  such  knowl- 
edge for  the  advancement  of  his  material  position,  as  in  gratification  of  his  natural  and 
acquired  love  of  study.  He  pursued  the  study  of  law  in  Rochester  for  about  two  years 
and  might,  had  he  so  elected,  have  made  an  honorable  career  in  that  profession.  But 
his  chief  interest  has  always  centered  in  the  cause  of  education,  in  recognition  of  which 
fact  his  fellow-citizens  have  placed  him  in  several  positions  of  trust  connected  with  the 
schools  of  Rochester.  He  was  prominently  instrumental  in  organising  the  free  school 
system  of  the  city;  was  made  superintendent  of  schools  of  the  county  of  Monroe  and 
was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  of  the  city  where  his  influence  was  potent 
for  the  good  of  the  cause  of  education.  His  contributions  to  the  press  in  the  same  direc- 
tion have  been  numerous  and  valuable.  He  was  elected  alderman  of  his  ward  (the  sev- 
enth) in  1861-62  and  in  1867  was  made  supervisor;  the  duties  of  these  offices,  it  need 
scarcely  be  said,  were  discharged  with  fidelity  and  ability. 

In  the  year  1855  Mr.  Seward  was  married  to  Ruth  Ann  Bedell,  of  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  are  without  children,  and  still  reside  on  premises  adjoining  those  where  the  seminary 
was  formerly  located,  enjoying  the  respect  of  the  community  at  large. 


674  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

CHAUNCEY  B.  WOODWORTH.  — Among  the  pioneers  of  Monroe  county  was 
the  family  of  Spencer  Woodworth,  who  came  from  South  Coventry,  Tolland  county, 
Conn.,  to  the  town  of  Gates  in  the  summer  of  1819.  They  located  about  one  and  one- 
half  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  on  what  is  known  as  the  Chili  road.  Their 
journey  from  Connecticut  to  Rochester  was  made  in  one  of  the  large  covered  wagons 
used  in  early  days,  there  being  then  no  other  means  of  travel  in  this  section.  On  the 
9th  day  of  June,  1819,  they  arrived  at  the  tavern  of  Oliver  Culver,  in  Brighton,  .where 
they  halted  for  the  night.  The  following  day  was  entirely  spent  in  reaching  their  new 
home,  so  little  had  been  done  towards  opening  a  road ;  they  traveled  by  way  of  "  the 
rapids,"  following  as  best  they  could  a  line  of  marked  trees. 

In  the  family  of  this  pioneer  was  an  infant. son,  who  was  born  on  the  25th  day  of 
February,  1819,  and  consequently,  at  the  time  of  the  migration  to  Monroe  county,  was 
about  four  months  old.  This  was  Chauncey  B.  Woodworth,  now  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  and  business  men  of  the  city  of  Rochester  and  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He 
remained  at  the  parental  home,  devoting  a  share  of  each  year  to  the  acquirement 
of  such  education  as  was  then  available,  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age^  when  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  on  the  corner  of  East  Main  and  North  St.  Paul  streets, 
on  the  site  of  the  Osburn  House  block,  thus  for  the  first  time  identifying  himself  with 
the  business  interests  of  the  city  that  has  since  felt  in  so  many  ways  the  influence  of  his 
energies. 

About  the  year  1841  Mr.  Woodworth  abandoned  the  grocery  business  and  purchased 
a  farm  at  Irondequoit  and  established  a  large  saw-mill  which  he  operated  several  years, 
supplying  the  lumber  for  many  of  the  buildings  erected  in  Rochester  in  early  days. 

In  1853,  together  with  Jones  &  Osburn,  he  built  the  Crystal  Palace  block  on  Main 
street.  About  the  same  time  he  removed  to  his  present  place  of  residence,  41  South 
Washington  street. 

Down  to  this  time  Mr.  Woodworth  had,  by  virtue  of  industry,  energy  and  unusual 
business  sagacity  and  judgment,  met  with  success  in  all  of  his  undertakings;  he  now 
engaged  in  the  business  that  has  ever  since  occupied  a  large  share  of  his  attention  and 
has  made  his  name  familiar  throughout  the  country ;  this  is  the  manufacture  of  per- 
fumery and  extracts.  For  this  work  he  in  1856  associated  with  Reuben  A.  Bunnell, 
and  the  manufacture  of  glass-ware  was  subsequently  added.  Three  years  later  (1859) 
Mr.  Woodworth  succeeded  to  the  entire  business,  which  has  since  been  developed  into 
one  of  the  largest,  most  successful  and  honorable  of  the  kind  in  the  country. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1841,  Mr.  Woodworth  was  married  to  Martha  Jane  Smith, 
a  daughter  of  Clark  Smith,  of  Boston,  Mass.  They  have  had  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are  sons.  One  of  these,  Harry  S.  Woodworth,  is  now  in  college,  and  the  others, 
Chauncey  C.  Woodworth  and  Frank  E.  Woodworth,  are  associated  with  their  father  in 
business,  the  firm  being  C.  B.  Woodworth  &  Sons.  Their  manufactures  are  known 
throughout  the  country  and  the  standard  of  their  reputation  is  the  highest. 

The  present  extensive  and  efficient  street  railroad  system  of  Rochester  is  largely  the 
outgrowth  of  Mr.  Wood  worth's  enterprise.  In  the  year  1868,  when  the  Rochester  City 
&  Brighton  railro'ad  company's  property  and  franchise  was  sold  under  a  mortgage  fore- 
closure, Mr.  Woodworth  purchased  it  entire.  He  then  joiiied  with  the  present  board  of 
directors,  reorganised  the  company,  extended  its  tracks  and  other  facilities  until  now 
there  are  few  cities  in  the  country  more  thoroughly  and  satisfactorily  supplied  with  street 


r  %r.rr/yyy  >:  /^/^///f/y 


Chauncey  B.  Woodworth.  —  George  J.  Whitney.  675 

car  accommodations  than  Rochester.  Mr.  Woodworth  has  been  treasurer  of  the  com- 
pany since  its  organisation. 

Mr.  Woodworth  is  not  without  clearly  defined  political  convictions,  but  he  has  never 
sought  public  office.  In  1852  he  was  induced  to  accept  the  nomination  for  sheriff  of 
the  county  of  Monroe  on  the  Whig  ticket,  and  was  elected.  It  is,  perhaps,  unnecessary 
to  add  that  the  duties  of  the  office  were  faithfully  and  capably  discharged. 

Mr.  Woodworth  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  Mechanics'  savings  bank  and  a  trustee  of 
the  Rochester  Theological  seminary.  Since  1864  he  has  been  a  director  and  is  now  vice- 
president  of  the  Flour  City  National  bank.  In  these  several  important  trusts  he  has 
enhanced  his  well-deserved  business  reputation  and  has  added  to  the  high  estimation  in 
which  he  is  held  by  his  associates.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Second  Baptist  church 
for  about  thirty-one  years,  and  one  of  its  trustees  about  thirty-three  years.  In  all 
measures  for  the  general  advancement  and  well-being  of  Rochester  he  has  always  ex- 
hibited a  deep  interest  and  an  active  public  spirit,  while  in  his  social  and  family  rela- 
tions he  enjoys  the  esteem  of  the  community. 


GEORGE  J.  WHITNEY.  Among  the  pioneers  who  exerted  a  marked  influence 
upon  the  village  and  city  of  Rochester  was  Warham  Whitney,  who  came  to  Monroe 
county  from  Oneida  county  in  the  year  1819,  and  settled  in  that  part  of  Rochester 
known  as  Frankfort.  He  there  built  a  mill,  which  he  operated  with  unqualified  success, 
his  brands  of  flour  attaining  a  wide  reputation  for  uniform  excellence.  He  also  became 
a  large  owner  of  real  estate  in  this  vicinity  and  was  a  prominent  man  in  all  the  public 
relations  of  life.  He  was  the  father  of  four  daughters  and  three  sons,  of  whom  George 
J.  Whitney,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  one.  He  was  born  on  the  26th  of  January, 
1819,  and  was  brought  to  Rochester  by  his  parents  while  an  infant.  After  spending  his 
early  life  in  school,  alternated  with  various  kinds  of  labor,  he  took  charge  of  the  farm 
upon  which  his  father  died  in  March,  1840,  and  remained  there  a  year  or  two.  In  1842 
he  was  married  to  Julia  BuUard.  For  a  short  time  he  conducted  a  store  at  Frankfort, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  the  milling  and  grain  business,  which  he  followed  until  his 
death,  becoming  an  operator  on  a  scale  of  great  magnitude  and  known  throughout  the 
entire  country.  In  the  milling  business  he  was  for  a  time  at  first  associated  with  the  late 
General  John  Williams,  and  here  his  business  capacity  seemed  for  the  first  time  to 
find  a  field  broad  enough  for  its  successful  development.  He  built  in  the  year  1857  the 
large  elevator  in  Rochester  which  still  bears  his  name  and  is  operated  by  his  son,  James 
W.  Whitney,  and  also  had  the  charge  of  the  New  York  Central  elevators  in  both  Buffalo 
and  New  York.  In  this  enterprise  and  in  his  position  as  director  of  the  New  York  Cen- 
tral and  Hudson  River  railroad,  he  was  brought  in  immediate  business  relations  with 
Mr.  Vanderbilt,  and  had  he  lived  would  undoubtedly  have  been  one  of  the  chief  instru- 
ments in  the  establishment  of  the  proposed  steamship  connection  across  the  Atlantic,  one 
of  the  most  stupendous  enterprises  ever  projected.  As  a  director  of  the  Central  railroad, 
his  services  were  considered  of  such  value  and  his  counsels  were  so  generally  wise  and 
judicious,  that  he  was  continued  in  the  office  through  three  different  administrations  — 
those  of  the  Richmond-Corning  regime,  then  under  the  Keep  organisation,  and  finally 
under  the  Vanderbilt  management.  He  was  not  retained  by  Mr.  Vanderbilt  the  first 
year  of  Vanderbilt's  reign,  but  was  put  in  the  second  year  (being  dropped  the  first  year). 


6j6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

He  was  the  only  director  in  the  previous  organisations  who  was  retained  by  Mr.  Van- 
derbilt  when  he  became  president  of  the  road  —  the  highest  compliment  to  his  worth  in 
that  position  that  could  have  been  paid  him.  He  became  practically  the  manager  of 
the  western  division  of  the  road  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  in  absolute  control  of 
all  the  transportation,  storage  and  delivery  of  grain  which  passed  over  the  Central  rail- 
road from  Buffalo  to  New  York.  The  writer  of  an  obituary  of  Mr.  Whitney,  in  allud- 
ing to  this  portion  of  his  business  life,  said  "  he  was  the  only  resident  director  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  and  how  ably  he  discharged  the  manifold  duties  resting  upon  him,  his 
record  speaks  with  an  eloquence  that  will  not  be  hushed  for  years  to  come."  Mr.  Van- 
derbilt  said  of  him,  when  apprised  of  his  death,  "  men  like  Mr.  Whitney  are  not  very 
plentiful.  As  a  husband,  as  a  father,  as  a  friend,  he  was  equally  admirable  and  relia- 
ble, and  as  a  business  man  he  was  exceedingly  capable.  The  New  York  Central  will 
keenly  feel  his  loss." 

Mr.  Whitney  will  be  most  vividly  remembered  for  his  farseeing  sagacity,  his  strong 
determination,  his  prompt  and  vigorous  action  in  all  emergencies,  his  wise  judgment  and 
remarkable  executive  ability.  In  these  respects  he  was  not  surpassed  by  any  of  his 
contemporaries.  His  insight  into  all  business  details  was  wonderfully  clear  and  com- 
prehensive ;  his  plans  were  quickly  devised  and  then  followed  with  resolution  and  unfal- 
tering vigor  to  the  end.  Obstacles  were  recognised  by  him  only  to  be  surmounted.  He 
was,  in  short,  the  ideal  successful  business  man. 

Mr.  Whitney  never  had  time,  and  probably  little  inclination,  for  political  preferment ; 
the  bent  of  his  genius  was  in  other  directions.  He  did  once  permit  the  use  of  his  name  for 
alderman  (by  one  party ;  the  other  party  also  nominated  him  and  when  election  day  came 
no  tickets  had  been  printed  each  party  thinking  the  other  would  do  that),  but  only  that 
he  might  serve  his  neighbors  and  friends  in  the  city,  which  he  did  to  their  eminent  satis- 
faction. He  was  for  ten  or  twelve  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the 
Western  House  of  Refuge,  and  for  eight  years  of  the  time  its  president;  and  it  was  said 
of  him  at  the  time  of  his  death  that  it  would  be  "  difficult  to  name  any  enterprise  of 
large  proportions  that  did  not  owe  the  greater  part  of  its  success  to  the  foresight  and  in- 
defatigable industry  of  George  J.  Whitney."  He  was  mainly  instrumental  in  establish- 
ing the  driving  park,  and,  as  president  of  the  institution,  gave  it  the  prestige  it  has  always 
retained. 

Mr.  Whitney  was  a  man  of  social  disposition  and  a  genial,  warm-hearted,  kindly  na- 
ture. He  drew  around  him  many  sincere  friends,  whose  companionship  and  regard  was 
dearer  to  him  than  any  practical  worldly  success.  To  those  who  knew  him  intimately, 
what  has  been  called  "  the  home  side  of  his  nature"  was  his  best  side. 

James  W.  Whitney,  of  Rochester,  is  his  only  son,  and  he  had  three  daughters.  He 
died  December  31st,  1878. 


MARTIN  B.  ANDERSON,  LL.  D.  —  Of  the  men  who  have  been  identified  with  the 
intellectual  and  moral  growth  of  this  city,  there  is,  perhaps,  none  who  holds  a  more 
prominent  place  than  Martin  B.  Anderson.  For  the  last  thirty-one  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  University  of  Rochester,  and  in  this  position  he  has  become  conspicuous 
by  his  efforts  to  advance  the  cause  of  education.  And  by  his  broad  common  sense,  his 
rugged  force  of  character  and  his  positive  moral  convictions,  he  has  naturally  become 


Martin  B.  Anderson.  6tj 


recognised  as  a  leader  or,  at  least,  adviser  in  nearly  every  enterprise  of  a  benevolent 
and  philanthropic  nature.  His  life  has  been  a  constant  and  earnest  effort  to  elevate 
the  intellectual  and  moral  tone  of  the  coiiimunity  in  which  he  has  lived. 

Dr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Brunswick,  Me.,  February  12th,  1815.  The  influence 
of  his  Scotch-Irish  descent  has  left  a  strong  impress  upon  his  mind  and  character.  In 
early  life  he  was  thrown  largely  upon  his  own  resources;  and  while  yet  a  boy  he  was 
compelled  to  think  and  act  as  a  man.  Among  the  first  impulses  given  to  his  intellectual 
life  was  his  contact  with  a  few  men  of  mature  age  and  experience  who  had  organised 
themselves  into  a  society  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  questions  relating  to  politics  and 
other  topics  of  general  interest.  He  then  became  an  omnivorous  reader,  and  acquired 
a  taste  and  talent  for  public  speaking.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  Waterville 
college  (Colby  university)  where  he  was  graduated  in  1840.  In  college  he  acquired 
a  reputation  for  great  industry,  breadth  of  knowledge,  and  thoroughness  of  research, 
especially  in  subjects  relating  to  philosophy  and  the  sciences.  After  graduation  he 
spent  a  year  in  the  theological  seminary  at  Newton,  Mass.,  preaching  sometimes  in 
neighboring  towns.  In  1841  he  was  appointed  tutor  of  Latin,  Greek  and  mathematics 
in  Waterville  college;  and  in  1843  he  was  promoted  to  the  chair'of  rhetoric  in  the  same 
institution.  Besides  rhetoric  he  taught  also  Latin  and  history,  and  delivered  a  course 
of  lectures  on  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  English  language — probably  the  first  course 
on  this  subject  delivered  in  an  American  college.  In  1850  he  resigned  his  professorship 
and  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  he  became  editor-in-chief  and  joint-proprietor 
of  the  New  York  Recorder,  a  weekly  Baptist  journal.  His  editorials  were  marked  by 
extensive  learning,  vigor  of  thought,  and  frequently  by  keen  controversial  acumen.  In 
1853  he  received  a  unanimous  call  to  the  ])residency  of  the  University  of  Rochester. 
This  institution  had  but  recently  been  established,  and  the  work  of  laying  securely  its 
foundation  and  of  determining  its  future  character  was,  in  a  great  measure,  placed  in  his 
hands.  So  fully  has  he  identified  himself  with  the  cause  of  the  university  that  whatever 
reputation  and  success  it  has  achieved  may  be  attributed  greatly  to  his  personal  efforts 
and  influence.  'The  largest  and  most  valuable  part  of  his  hfe  has  been  devoted  to  its 
interests  and  to  the  cause  of  higher  education  which  it  represents. 

His  success  as  an  educator  has  depended  largely  upon  his  extensive  and  varied 
accjuirements  as  a  scholar,  his  high  conception  of  the  functions  of  the  teacher  and  his 
unusual  capacity  for  administration.  In  his  scholarship  he  is  broad  and  liberal.  He 
has  pushed  his  investigations  into  many  departments  of  human  knowledge,  and  has 
organised  the  results  of  his  investigations  into  lectures  and  courses  of  study  suited  to 
the  students  under  his  charge.  These  lines  of  instruction  have  included  intellectual 
and  moral  philosophy,  history  and  constitutional  law,  pohtical  economy,  social  science, 
jurisprudence,  art  criticism,  the  history  of  the  fine  arts,  etc.  In  connection  with  these 
studies  he  has  frequently  used  his  pen  for  the  promotion  of  interests  of  a  scientific  and 
educational  character.  His  writings  are  comprised  for  the  most  part  in  newspaper 
editorials,  article  for  reviews,  discourses  and  essays  upon  education,  religious  addresses, 
papers  on  social  science,  official  reports  and  articles  for  encyclopaedias.  These  writings 
are  characterised  by  vigor  of  thought,  directness  of  expression,  breadth  of  learning  and 
earnestness  of  purpose.- 

But  it  is  not  as  a  mere  scholar  that  his  power  and  success  are  to  be  measured.  It 
is  rather  as  a  teacher,  or,  better  still,  as  a  guide  and  an  inspiration  to  young  men  that 


678  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

his  influence  has  become  permanent.  His  power  is,  by  way  of  eminence,  personal 
power,  and  is  due  to  imparting  his  own  ideas  and  spirit  to  others.  The  young  man 
who  cannot  be  aroused  by  his  magnetic  appeals  is  dead  beyond  the  possibility  of  resur- 
rection. His  greatness  is  most  fully  seen  within  the  walls  of  his  own  class-room,  and 
is  shown  not  so  much  in  mere  instruction,  or  the  exposition  of  scientific  topics,  as  in 
the  transmission  of  mental  and  moral  vitality,  and  in  revelations  of  the  practical  signifi- 
cance of  human  life. 

But  his  energies  have  not  been  entirely  restricted  to  the  institution  and  to  the  young 
men  immediately  under  his  charge.  He  has  freely  given  his  aid  to  enterprises  of  a 
social  and  political  nature.  During  the  war  he  was  ardently  patriotic,  writing  editorials 
and  delivering  speeches  in  favor  of  the  natiorfel  cause.  In  1868  he  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  New  York  state  board  of  charities;  and  while  a  member  of  this  board  he 
wrote  several  valuable  reports  to  the  legislature,  chief  among  which  are  those  upon 
Out-Door  Relief  s.T\A  Alien  Paupers.  As  a  recognition  of  his  ability  as  an  economist,  he 
was  chosen  as  an  honorary  member  of  the  Cobden  club  of  England.  An  appreciation 
of  his  judgment  in  matters  relating  to  public  improvements  was  shown  by  the  governor 
in  appointing  him  a  member  of  the  Niagara  Falls  commission.  And  his  willingness  to 
assist  in  carrying  out  the  benevolent  purposes  of  his  fellow-citizens  is  shown  by  his  ac- 
ceptance of  the  position  as  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  "  Reynolds  Library." 

To  those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  President  Anderson  he  appears  at  once  as  a 
raan  of  thought  and  a  man  of  action.  As  a  scholar  he  syni[)athises  with  all  honest 
efforts  to  enlarge  the  sum  of  human  knowledge.  As  a  man  of  affairs  he  is  willing  to 
lend  his  aid  to  any  cause  which  tends  to  increase  the  sum  of  human  happiness  and  to 
improve  the  general  well-being  of  society. 


HON.  ERASMUS  DARWIN  SMITH,  LL.  D.,  ex-justice  of  the  Supreme  court 
and  of  the  court  of  Appeals  of  the  state  of  New  York,  was  born  at  DeRuyter, 
Madison  county,  on  the  loth  day  of  October,  1806.  De  Ruyter,  the  southwestern  town 
of  Madison  county,  was  settled  about  the  commencement  of  the  present  century. 
Among  its  pioneers  was  Dr.  Hubbard  Smith,  who  removed  from  Stephentown,  Rens- 
selaer county,  in  1801  or  1802,  having  previously  married  Eunice  Jones,  of  that  place, 
one  of  a  family  of  ten  children.  Dr.  Smith  was  engaged  in  an  extensive  practice  at 
De  Ruyter  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  was  the  first  postmaster,  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  for  several  terms  one  of  the  judges  of  the  court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Madi- 
son county.  At  the  outset  of  his  professional  life,  the  celebrated  Dr.  Erasmus  Darwin, 
the  father  of  the  still  more  celebrated  Charles  Darwin,  was  in  the  full  tide  of  success 
and  popularity  as  a  poet  and  philosophical  writer,  and  Dr.  Smith  gave  to  his  son  the 
name  of  the  author.  Erasmus  Darwin  Smith  was  studious  and  relf-reliant,  and,  having 
received  a  good  common  schooleducation,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  became  a  school 
teacher,  following  the  avocation  for  five  successive  winters,  and  using  his  earnings  to 
secure  a  classical  education.  During  three  summers  he  pursued  preparatory  studies  at 
Hamilton  academy,  and  in  the  fall  of  1826  entered  Hamilton  college.  Soon  occurred 
the  long  controversy  between  Dr.  Davis,  the  president  of  the  college,  and  the  trustees, 
in  consequence  of  which  no  students  were  graduated  in  1829  and  1830.  The  advan- 
tages of  study  were  so  much  impaired  that  most  of  the  students  left  in  1828.    In  the  follow- 


Erasmus  Darwin  Smith.  679 

ing  winter  Mr.  Smith  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of  Gregory  &  Hum- 
phrey, at  Rochester,  which  he  continued  with  Ebenezer  Griffin,  esq.,  of  the  same  place, 
until  his  admission  to  the  bar  at  the  October  term  in  1830,  when  he  went  into  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Griffin,  whose  daughter,  Janet  Morrison,  he  afterwards  married.  The 
year  1828  was  a  presidential  year,  and  Mr.  Smith,  being  somewhat  active  in  politics  as 
a  supporter  of  Gen.  Jackson  for  the  presidency,  came  into  collision  with  an  old  merchant 
of  Rochester,  of  the  family  of  Smith,  who  as  an  individual  was  also  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  the  English  physician.  This  Erasmus  Darwin  Smith  was  opposed  in  poli- 
tics to  Gen.  Jackson,  and  not  at  all  incHned  to  indorse  the  acts  and  sayings  of  the 
youthful  partisan  of  the  same  name.  The  latter  was  accommodating,  and,  having  no 
desire  to  appear  to  sail  under  another's  colors,  avoided  the  difficulty  by  agreeing  to 
suppress  a  portion  of  the  prenomen,  and  has  ever  since  written  his  name  E,  Darwin 
Smith.  The  interruption  which  he  had  encountered  in  his  studies  was  compensated  for 
by  his  private  reading  and  reflection,  and  he  became  well  qualified  for  legal  practice. 
His  professional  connection  with  Mr.  Griffin,  which  continued  for  several  years,  was 
terminated  by  the  removal  of  that  gentleman  from  Rochester,  when  Mr.  Smith  formed 
a  new  copartnership  with  Hon.  Samuel  L.  Selden,  afterwards  an  eminent  judge  of  the 
court  of  Appeals.  Subsequently  Mr.  Smith  was  associated  in  practice,  for  many  years, 
with  Henry  E.  Rochester,  esq.  In  1832  he  was  appointed  master  in  Chancery,  and 
continued  to  hold  the  office  for  three  successive  terms  of  three  years.  Soon  after  this 
appointment  he  was  designated,  by  Chancellor  Walworth,  as  injunction  master  for  the 
eighth  district,  of  which  Monroe  county,  including  Rochester,  was  a  portion.  In  the 
year  1841  he  was  appointed  by  the  chancellor  clerk  in  Chancery  for  the  eighth  district, 
a  position  not  only  unsolicited,  but  accepted  with  much  hesitation.  His  practice  in  all 
the  courts,  especially  in  the  court  of  Chancery,  was  then  extensive.  The  office  pre- 
cluded practicing  in  that  court;  he  therefore  formed  a  partnership  with  E.  Peshine 
Smith,  esq.,  who  conducted  that  part  of  his  legal  business.  He  continued  to  act  as  the 
clerk  of  the  Chancery  court  until  it  was  abolished  July  ist,  1847,  under  the  provisions 
of  the  constitution  which  had  been  adopted  the  year  before.  During  a  portion  of  this 
period  he  resided  in  the  town  of  Gates,  adjoining  Rochester,  to  which  he  moved  in 
1839.  Returning  to  Rochester,  five  years  later,  he  was  chosen  for  various  local  offices, 
"serving  one  year  as  health  commissioner,  and  for  several  years  as  school  commissioner. 
His  services  were  ofteii  required  as  a  public  speaker  on  political  and  other  topics,  and 
he  made  many  addresses  on  social  topics,  and  Fourth  of  July  orations  in  different  places. 
Twice  he  was  nominated  for  member  of  Assembly,  and  once  for  Congress,  but,  his  party 
not  being  in  the  ascendancy  in  the  district,  he  shared  the  fate  of  his  fellow  candidates. 
As  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  national  convention  held  at  Baltimore  in  1848,  he  co- 
operated in  the  nomination  of  Gen.  Lewis  Cass  for  the  presidency,  whom  he  supported 
actively  during  the  canvass,  being  an  earnest  and  effective  speaker.  The  Democratic 
party  in  the  state  was  now  divided,  and  the  Daily  Advertiser  of  Rochester  supported 
the  Van  Buren  or  Free  Soil  movement.  The  conservative  Democrats  established  the 
Daily  Courier,  which  supported  Cass.  After  the  campaign  was  over,  Mr.  Smith  united 
with  Judge  S.  L.  Selden,  Joseph  Medbury,  Joseph  Sibley,  and  H.  G.  Warner  in  the 
purchase  of  the  Daily  Advertiser,  with  which  the  Courier  was  merged.  He  became, 
soon  after  such  purchase,  the  political  editor,  and  wrote  most  of  the  leading  articles  for 
the  paper  during  the  year  1849.     The  Free  Soil  wing  of  the  party  afterwards  decided  to 


68o  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

establish  a  new  paper,  and  the  prospectus  of  the  Daily  News  was  issued ;  but  a  com- 
promise was  effected,  in  consequence  of  which  its  projectors  abandoned  their  enterprise 
and  bought  the  stock  of  some  of  the  partners  in  the  Advertiser,  which  was  continued 
under  the  editorship  of  Mr.  Horatio  Gates  Warner  until  Mr.  Isaac  Butts,  the  former 
editor,  repurchased  an  interest,  and  united  the  Advertiser  with  the  Rochester  Union,  a 
journal  then  recently  established.  Pursuing  his  profession,  he  was  engaged  in  many  im- 
portant litigations,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1855  was  nominated  by  the  conservative  Demo- 
crats as  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  court.  The  American  party  also  gave  him  its  support. 
He  was  elected  by  a  small  majority,  and  commenced  a  judicial  course  which  was  to  re- 
flect credit  on  his  personal  and  legal  character,  and  continue  for  the  remainder  of  his 
active  life.  Until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  he  had  always  been  firm 
in  resisting  any  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  rights  of  the  Southern  people ;  but,  after 
they  appealed  to  arms,  he  acted  with  the  war  Democrats  and  subsequently  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  On  the  call  of  the  government  for  troops  he  put  himself  into  sympathy 
with  the  movement,  addressed  public  meetings  on  the  subject,  and  took  an  active  part 
generally  in  encouraging  enlistments.  In  his  official  capacity  as  a  judge  he  was 
prompted  by  the  same  patriotic  impulse,  and,  in  his  addresses  to  the  grand  jury,  incul- 
cated the  duty  of  every  citizen  to  give  an  active  and  earnest  support  to  the  government 
in.  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  In  1863  he  was  reelected  to  the  bench  of  the  Supreme 
court,  and  again  in  1871,  continuing  to  hold  the  office  until  January  ist,  1877,  when  he 
had  reached  seventy  years  of  age,  the  constitutional  limitation  of  the  tenure  of  a  justice 
of  the  Supreme  court.  Under  the  provision  making  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  court 
having  the  shortest  period  to  serve  ex-officio  members  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  Judge 
Smith  was  a  member  of  that  court  in  1862,  and  again  in  1870.  He  was  designated  by 
Governor  Hoffman,  in  December,  1872,  on  the  death  of  Judge  Johnson  of  the  fourth 
department  of  the  Supreme  court,  to  take  his  place,  and  sat  in  that  department,  as  gen- 
eral term  justice,  until  1877.  His.  judicial  decisions  have  been  marked  by  research, 
lucidity,  and  logical  precision.  The  opinion  which  he  wrote  in  the  case  of  Freeman 
Clarke  v.  the  City  of  Rochester  (24  Barbour's  Reports,  p.  446)  was  the  first  to  settle 
really  the  question  of  the  power  of  cities  to  take  stock  in  corporations.  The  opin- 
ion in  the  legal  tender  case  of  Hague  v.  Powers,  extending  from  the  427th  to  the 
479th  page  of  the  39th  volume  of  Barbour's  Reports,  was  of  the  greatest  importance, 
settling  the  question  of  the  power  of  the  federal  government  to  issue  paper  money  as  a 
means  of  self-preservation  in  time  of  war,  and  as  a  war  measure.  Chief  Justice  Chase, 
of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  court,  remarked  to  Judge  Johnson  of  this  state  that  the  decision 
was,  in  its  influence  on  the  credit  of  the  government,  equal  to  a  victory  in  the  field.  It 
relieved  the  whole  country  from  a  position  of  extreme  embarrassment.  Other  important 
opinions  will  be  found  in  the  cases  of  the  People  v.  the  Albany  &  Susquehanna  Railroad 
Company  (55  Barbour,  344);  the  habeas  corpus  case,  "In  the  matter  of  Jordan,"  (2 
American  Law  Register,  p.  749) ;  and  the  People  v.  the  Central  Railroad  Company  of 
New  Jersey  (42  N.  Y.,  283),  a  decision  rendered  in  the  court  of  Appeals.  Many  opin- 
ions written  in  the  fourth  department  are  to  be  found  in  Cook  &  Thompson's  and 
Hun's  Reports.  The  degree  of  doctor  of  laws  was  conferred  upon  Judge  Smith  while 
on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  court,  wholly  unsolicited  and  without  any  knowledge  on 
his  part.  Since  Judge  Smith  left  the  bench  he  has  been  employed  in  closing  litigated 
cases  as  counsel,  and  has  acted  as  referee  in  quite  a  number  of  important  cases,  but  has 


Erasmus  Darwin  Smith.  —  Hulbert  Harrington  Warner.     68  i 

rarely  appeared  in  the  courts.  He  is  enjoying  a  vigorous  old  age.  Though  in  his  sev- 
enty-seventh year,  he  has  lost  little  of  the  stamina  and  alertness  which  characterised  his 
whole  mature  life.  He  coinmands  universal  respect  as  an  upright  and  enlightened 
citizen  who  manifests  his  concern  for  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men ;  a  sincere  desire  to 
be  helpful  to  every  one  who  may  claim  his  friendship  or  enlist  his  solicitude.  His  ex- 
tensive and  important  labors  on  the  bench  have  gained  him  the  highest  esteem  of 
contemporaries  and  entitle  him  to  the  respect  of  his  successors,  who  will  benefit  by  his 
painstaking  elucidation  of  controverted  questions.  Those  who  have  come  into  the  pro- 
fession and  grown  up  under  his  long  administration  of  justice  applaud  his  fidelity,  and 
acknowledge  the  uniform  courtesy,  the  helpful  kindness  which  have  encouraged  them 
in  times  of  difficulty  and  aided  in  overcoming  obstacles  that  impeded  their  advancement. 
The  house  in  which  Judge  Smith  resides,  a  commodious  and  elegant  mansion,  was  built 
by  Ira  West,  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Rochester,  who  opened  the  first  store  there  on 
the  settlement  of  the  village  in  1812.  Having  lost  his  first  wife  in  1877,  Judge  Smith 
married  Mrs.  Emily  Perkins  Smith  in  1879.  Of  his  five  children  by  the  first  wife  three 
are  living:  Vincent  M.  Smith,  attorney  at  law  at  Rochester;  Cora  E.,  wife  of  Isaac  E. 
Sheldon,  of  New  York;  and  Erasmus  D.  Smith,  law  clerk  and  stenographer. 


HULBERT  HARRINGTON  WARNER.  When  the  British  fleet  was  making  its 
deadly  assault  on 'the  city  of  Oswego,  during  the  war  of  181 2,  the  echo  of  the 
guns,  resounding  through  the  rolling  lands  of  Central  New  York,  fell  upon  the  ear  of  a 
stalwart  farmer  in  Onondaga  county,  and,  like  Cincinnatus  of  old,  he  left  his  plow,  un- 
limbered  his  horses,  and,  with  a  quick  good-bye  to  his  family,  shouldered  his  gun  and 
hastened  to  the  defense  of  the  beleagured  city.  This  man  was  Captain  Seth  Warner, 
the  grandfather  of  Hulbert  Harrington  Warner,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  -He  would 
not  have  been  true  to  his  name  or  lineage,  had  a  second  summons  been  necessary  to 
urge  to  the  doing  of  a  patriotic  duty..  The  Warner  line  is  graced  with  many  examples 
of  genuine,  stalwart,  heroic  manhood,  illustrating  to  the  full  the  significance  of  the  motto 
of  an  English  branch  of  the  family,  in  their  "  pluck  and  persistence." 

Hulbert  Harrington  Warner  traces  his  ancestry  through  nine  generations,  in  this 
country,  to  1650.  The  family  originated  in  Kent,  Essex,  and  Leicester,  England.  In 
this  country  one  branch  started  from  Ipswich,  Mass.,  another  from  Woodbury,  Conn., 
and  another  from  New  Hampshire.  The  line  to  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  be- 
longs originated  in  this  country  in  Woodbury,  Conn.,  and  is  thus  delineated  :  ist,  John; 
2d,  John;  3d,  John;  4th,  Dr.  Ebenezer;  5th,  Thomas;  6th,  Samuel;  7th,  Seth;  8th, 
William;  gth,  Hulbert.  The  Seth  of  the  seventh  generation  was' first  cousin  of  Colonel 
Seth  Warner,  the  famous  Vermont  hero  of  the  revolution,  and  was  christened  by  him. 
Samuel  of  the  sixth  generation  served  in  the  war  of  1776,  was  wounded,  and  drew  a 
pension  for  life.  Seth  of  the  seventh  generation  was  a  captain  in  the  war  of  181 2.  Dr. 
Ebenezer  of  the  fourth  generation  was  one  of  eight  in  his  line  who  won  excellent  repute 
in  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  on  Hulbert,  though  he  himself  is  not  a  physician,  the 
mantle  of  the  healing  art  has  descended  genealogically  and  gracefully. 

WiUiam  of  the  eighth  generation  was  born  in  Van  Buren,  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  in 
1807,  and  Electa  Harrington,  his  wife,  was  born  in  the  same  town,  November  13th,  i8iO. 


682  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

They  were  married  May  3d,  1827,  Hulbert  being  the  seventh  child  and  the  fourth  son. 
William  died  in  1877,  his  widow  surviving  him  and  residing  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Electa  Harrington  was  a  direct  descendant  in  the  fourth   generation  of  t\>e   Rev. 

Jones,  a  Baptist  minister  who  came  to  this  country  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the 

Mayflower.     Her  grandfather,  Silas  Brown,  served  with  honor  in  the  revolutionary  war, 
and  her  father,  Dr.   Lionel   Harrington,  won  fame  and  an  untimely  death  in  the  war 

of  l8l2. 

Hulbert  Harrington  Warner  was  born  in  Van  Buren,  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y., 
January  19th,  1842.  He  was  trained  in  the  common  schools  of  the  town,  and  after- 
wards spent  several  years  in  the  famous  academy ,  of  Dr.  T.  K.  Wright,  at  Elbridge, 
N.  Y.  His  grandfather,  Seth,  moved  into  Van  Buren  in  1807  from  Stockbridge,  Mass., 
settling  near  the  village  of  Warners,  which,  in  consideration  of  the  character  of  himself 
and  his  two  brothers,  Heman  and  Henry,  was  given  the  family  name. 

With  an  honored  lineage  on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides,  Hulbert  began  his 
career  with  the  strong  advantage  of  good  blood.  Tiring  of  farm  life,  his  father,  seeing 
that  he  was  determined  to  "  strike  out  for  himself,"  apprenticed  him  to  the  tinsmith  trade 
in  Memphis,  Onondaga  county,  when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  In  1865  young  War- 
ner "  went  west,"  conducting  the  stove  and  hardware  business  until  1870  in  Michigan, 
when  he  returned  to  New  York  and  settled  in  Rochester.  If  life  in  the  great  west  did 
nothing  else  for  him,  it  quickened  his  early-formed  purpose  to  succeed  despite  all  obsta- 
cles, and  the  better  fitted  him  for  the  extraordinary  business  career  which  was  about  to 
open.  In  1870,  having  secured  the  general  agency  of  the  Mosler,  Bahmann  &  Co.  fire 
and  burglar-proof  Safe,  manufactured  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  he  began  a  record  in  the  safe 
business  which  has  had  no  parallel  in  this  country  or  in  any  other  country.  At  that  time 
the  excitement  in  the  oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania  ran  high.  Towns  sprang  up  in  a  night. 
Great  men  and  great  opportunities  met.  Personally  taking  the  field  he  disposed  of  sev- 
eral hundred  safes  in  a  few  weeks,  and  acquired  that  intimate  insight  into  the  business 
which  ever  after  made  him  master  of  its  details  and  a  good  judge  of  the  requirements 
of  successful  safe  salesmen.  This  mission  gave  him  his  first  substantial  success,  and  in 
a  short  time  he  had  safe  warehouses  all  over  the  land,  and  had  over  a  hundred  men  in 
the  field.  He  thus  early  realised  the  ambition  of  his  boyhood,  which  was  to  see  his 
name  associated  with  a  widely-extended  and  successful  commercial  enterprise.  Even 
in  his  youth  his  ideas  were  all  on  a  large  scale,  and  his  later  life  has  demonstrated  that 
he  is,  in  all  things,  a  man  of  maxima. 

The  panic  of  1873  overtook  him  with  plans  and  purposes  of  continental  extent.  In 
that  stupendous  crisis  strong  men  were  unmanned,  and  weak  men  were  undone.  While 
his  competitors  did  not  dare  to  assume  the  risk  of  holding  the  territory  until  the  return 
of  better  times,  he,  with  pluck' and  sagacity,  determined  at  whatever  sacrifice  to  take  no 
steps  backward.  It  was  a  severe  financial  and  physical  strain,  but  the  end  justified  him. 
The  tide  turned  in  1876.  The  territory  which  he  had  held  had  now  become  exclusively 
his  own.  Concentrating  all  his  energies,-  making  Rochester  his  sole  basis  of  opera- 
tions, he  sold  in  less  than  eighteen  months  over  two  and  a  half  million  dollars'  worth 
of  safes,  had  not  only  made  good  all  the  losses  of  the  three  years  of  business  depression, 
but  had  also  acquired  a  handsome  competence.  It  is  said  that  circumstances  often 
make  men  great,  but  in  this  case  the  man  of  "  pluck  and  persistence ''  wrested  success 
out  of  most  adverse  circumstances.     In  the  past  twelve  years  he  has  sold  over  70,000 


HuLBERT  Harrington  Warner.  683 

safes,  aggregating  $15,000,000.  In  1884,  owing  to  the  extraordinary  demands  made 
upon  his  time  by  his  other  enterprises,  he  disposed  of  the  safe  business  to  Mosler,  Bowen 
&  Co.,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Like  too  many  other  energetic  men,  Mr.  Warner  exhausted  in  his  business  energy 
his  stock  of  vitality,  and  when  commercial  success  had  rewarded  him,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  an  easy  future  dawned  upon  hira,  he  was  quite  broken  in  health;  — so  much  so 
that  his  physicians  thought  he  could  not  live  a  year.  But  when  they  had  exhausted  all 
known  means  for  his  recovery,  by  providential  suggestions  he  was  led  to  the  use  of  a 
simple  compound  which  was  reputed  to  be  a  specific  for  the  kidney  disorders  from  which 
he  suffered.  In  less  than  a  year  it  cured  him.  Grateful  for  his  own  release,  and  with  a 
characteristic  generosity,  he  determined  to  devote  a  part  of  his  accumulated  capital  to 
the  manufacture  of  this  compound,  for  the  benefit  of  others  who  might  be  suffering  as 
he  had  suffered  without  hope.  When  he  learned  that  the  medical  profession  had  no 
other  curative  for  extreme  kidney  and  liver  disorders,  and  that  the  compound  was  per- 
fectly safe  to  use,  he  had  it  scientifically  perfected  and  gave  it  to  the  world  under  the 
name  of  "  Warner's  Safe  Cure."  In  process  of  time  he  added  "  Warner's  Safe  Diabetes 
Cure,"  "Warner's  Safe  Nervine,"  "Warner's  Safe  Pills,"  "Warner's  Safe  Rheumatic 
Cure,"  "  Warner's  Tippecanoe,"  and  "Warner's  Safe  Throatine."  The  formulae  of  these 
preparations  are  all  of  the  very  highest  order,  and  the  preparations  themselves  have  only 
been  manufactured  in  obedience  to  a  strong  public  demand  for  them,  the  character  of 
"Warner's  Safe  Cure  "  being  so  high  as  to  commend  to  public  patronage  any  prepara- 
tion manufactured  by  H.  H.  Warner  &  Co. 

This  personal  experience  explains  why,  in  addition  to  conducting  the  largest  safe 
business  in  the  world,  he  assumed  the  proprietary  medicine  business.  The  enterprise 
grew  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  what  was  begun  in  1879  as  a  testimonial  of  gratitude, 
has  at  length  absorbed  almost  his  entire  personal  and  financial  attention.  The  gross 
sales  amount  to  over  $2,500,000  per  annum.  In  five  years  he  was  obliged  to  make  three 
removes  ta  accommodate  his  growing  business,  and  in  1884  he  erected  the  largest  and 
completes!  medicine  laboratory  in  the  world.  -It  is  built  of  wrought  iron  and  brick, 
is  absolutely  fire-proof,  and  cost  a  half  million  dollars.  It  contains  over  4  1-4  acres  of 
flooring.  It  is  eight  stories  high,  is  of  very  imposing  appearance,  and  is  located  on  North 
St.  Paul  street,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

In  the  early  part  of  1879  Mr.  Warner  casually  met  Mr.  Swift,  the  famous  comet 
finder.  With  his  customary  liberality,  being  interested  in  the  man  and  his  work,  he 
assured  him  that  if  he  would  raise  the  money  to  purchase  a  large  telescope,  he  would 
build  him  an  observatory ;  and  in  January,  1883,  the  Warner  observatory  was  completed, 
finished  and  furnished  at  an  estimated  expense  of  $100,000.  Dr.  Swift  was  appointed 
director,  at  a  handsome  salary  paid  by  the  founder.  This  observatory  is  the  finest 
private  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  world,  and  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Arnold  Park 
and  East  avenue.  It  is  built  of  Lockport  white  sandstone,  rough  ashlar,  and  is  finished 
throughout  with  the  rarest  native  hardwoods.  The  telescope  was  made  by  the  Clarkes, 
of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  is  a  little  over  sixteen  inches  in  diameter,  twenty-two  feet  long, 
with  its  mountings  weighs  over  three  tons,  and  cost  about  $13,000.  The  fund  for  its 
purchase  was  raised  by  Dr.  Swift  among  the  public-spirited  citizens  of  Rochester. 

The  Warner  observatory  is  the  only  private  astronomical  observatory  in  the  world 
which  is  open  to  the  public,  Mr.  Warner  being  determined  that  it  shall  minister  pleasure 


684  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  profit  to  the  greatest  possible  number  of  people.  The  Vienna  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  1880,  having  abandoned  the  giving  of  medals  for  cometary  discovery,  he  at  once  offered 
two  hundred  dollars  in  gold  to  any  American  astromomer  who  should  discover  a  tele- 
scopic, unexpected  comet.  The  prize  has  been  renewed  every  year  since. ,  In  1882  it 
was  extended  to  Great  Britain,  and  in  addition  thereto  one  of  two  hundred  dollars  in 
gold  was  offered  for  any  meteoric  stone  containing  organic  remains,  and  fifty  dollars  for 
any  meteoric  stone  seen  to  fall  during  that  yeah  In  1881  he  offered  a  prize  of  $200  for 
the  best  essay  on  Comets,  their  Composition,  Purpose,  and  Effect  on  the  Earth.  This  prize 
was  won  by  Dr.  Lewis  Boss,  of  the  Dudley  observatory,  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  his  essay  is  said 
to  be  the  finest  monograph  extant  on  the  subject  of  comets.  Since  the  establishment  of 
the  Warner  observatory  eighteen  hundred  dollars  have  been  awarded  in  prizes.  For  his 
distinguished  patronage  of  astronomy,  Mr.  Warner  in  1882  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  at  the  Montreal  session. 

His  sympathies  move  quickly,  and  his  generosity  does  not  lag.  He  believes  in  giv- 
ing judiciously,  and  has  often  said  that  every  dollar  properly  given  away  has  come  back 
to  him  in  fourfold  measure.  He  does  not  give  for  the  public  fame,  for  in  countless 
ways  he  illustrates  to  the  full  the  Scriptural  injunction  not  to  allow  his  left  hand  to 
know  what  his  right  hand  doeth. 

Mr.  Warner  when  he  works,  works  with  extraordinary  energy.  When  he  rests,  he 
enters  into  all  diversions  with  a  like  zest.  He  is  very  fond  of  fishing  and  hunting,  and 
yachting,  and  spends  several  weeks  of  each  year  on  board  his  handsome  steam  yacht, 
the  Siesta,  cruising  up  and  down  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  chain  of  great  lakes.  True 
to  inherited  instinct,  he  is  a  successful  sportsman,  and  owns  as  fine  a  dog  kennel  as  can 
be  found  in  the  land.  In  his  stables  also  can  always  be  seen  horses  of  the  choicest 
blood. 

He  owns  a  fine  summer  residence  on  one  of  the  Thousand  Islands  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  his  city  residence,  on  the  comer  of  Goodman  street  and  East  avenue,  is  one 
of  the  most  striking  houses  in  the  city.  It  was  erected  in  1879,  of  brick  and  stone,  and 
with  the  grounds  cost  about  $150,000.  It  is  sumptuously  furnished,  its  walls  being 
adorned  with  many  notable  paintings,  among  them  several  of  Henry  Mosler's  earliest 
works  —  an  artist  whose  genius  Mr.  Warner  discovered  and  liberally  "encouraged" 
long  before  the  French  government  conferred  upon  him  the  coveted  honor  of  its  patron- 
age —  the  first  distinction  of  the  kind  conferred  on  an  American  artist. 

Mr.  Warner  is  a  conservative  Republican  in  politics,  and  though  he  has  never  sought 
political  preferment,  he  was  unanimously  elected  a  delegate  to  the  national  Republican 
convention  which  met  in  Chicago  on  the  3d  of  June,  1884.  With  his  customary  trait 
of  doing  whatever  he  attempts  on  a  large  and  generous  scale,  he  chartered  two  Pull- 
man cars  and  invited  over  a  hundred  of  his  friends  to  accompany  him  to  the  convention 
city,  as  his  personal  guests. 

He  is  of  a  marked  domestic  habit,  and,  though  connected  with  many  social  and  fra- 
ternal organisations,  he  finds  his  greatest  pleasure,  when  the  duties  of  the  day  are  done, 
in  the  pleasant  companionship  of  his  family.  He  is  vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  Protestant 
Episcopal  church,  and  is  a  generous  contributor  to  all  the  church  enterprises. 

December  19th,  1864,  Mr.  Warner  married  Miss  Martha  L.  Keeney,  of  Skaneateles, 
Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.  She  was  bom  in  Auburn,  June  18th,  1842,  and  died  Jan. 
24th,  1871. 


EDWIN  PANCOST. 


HuLBERT  Harrington  Warner. —  Edwin  Pancost.  685 


October  29th,  1872,  he  married  Miss  Olive  Emily  Stoddard,  in  Oneida,  N.  Y.  She 
was  born  in  Livingston  county,  Mich.,  August  loth,  1847,  ^"d  belongs  to  a  family  of 
distinction.  Her  line  begins  with  John  of  Weathersfield,  Conn.,  who  came  to  America 
somewhere  between  1630  and  1640.  The  family  includes  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
names  in  American  history  and  literature,  and  originated  in  England,  the  pioneer  ances- 
tor going  to  England  with  William  the  Conqueror,  and  being  attached  to  his  court.  To 
the  well-equipped  mind,  excellent  judgment  and  wise  counsels  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Warner 
attributes  much  of  the  success  which  he  has  won. 

Mr.  Warner  is  about  six  feet  one  inch  high,  weighs  250  pounds,  is  of  light  complex- 
ion, with  blue  eyes  and  dark  brown  hair.  He  has  great  physical  vigor,  and  belonging 
to  a  line  of  long-lived  ancestors,  bids  fair  to  live  to  a  ripe  old  age.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  thoroughgoing  citizens  of  Rochester,  public-spirited,  enterprising,  charitable  — 
such  a  citizen  as  every  city  delights  to  claim  and  honor. 


EDWIN  PANCOST.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Scipio,  Cayuga  county, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  ist  of  June,  1812,  and  died  June  22d,  1867,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five 
years.  He  was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  fourteen  children.  After  spending  a  por- 
tion of  his  early  life  at  school,  feeling  a  desire  to  start  in.  life  for  himself,  he  obtained 
permission  from  his  parents  to  leave  home.  He  accordingly  went  to  Auburn,  in  his 
native  county,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  dry  goods  store.  In  183 1,  when  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Rochester,  where  for  a  time  he  served  as  clerk  in  the 
store  of  Kempshall  &  Bush.  Three  years  later  (1834)  he  married  the  eMest  daughter 
of  the  late  Oren  Sage.  He  soon  after  began  the  boot  and  shoe  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count. In  the  following  year  he  formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr.  Oren  Sage  who  had 
been  in  the  same  business  since  1827.  The  firm  continued  as  Sage  &  Pancost  until 
1856,  when  E.  O.  Sage  was  admitted.  Under  the  name  of  Sage,  Pancost  &  Co.,  the 
firm  did  business  until  i860,  when  Oren  Sage  retired  and  Wm.  N.  Sage  was  admitted. 
This  partnership,  under  the  name  of  Pancost,  Sage  &  Co.,  continued  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Pancost  in  1867.  The  firm  was  for  some  years  one  of  the  largest  manufacturers 
of  boots  and  shoes  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Pancost  always  occupied  a  conspicuous  position  among  the  prominent  business 
men,  and  in  the  social  and  official  circles  of  the  city.  Though  never  seeking  political 
office,  he  was  often  entrusted  with  positions  of  responsibility,  where  his  strict  business 
habits  and  well  known  integrity  rendered  him  especially  useful.  He  was  elected  alder- 
man of  the  first  ward  for  two  years,  and  held  the  office  of  school  commissioner  one  or 
two  terms.  Always  foremost  in  promoting  the  cause  of  education,  he  was  made  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Rochester  university  from  its  first  establishment. 
He  also  evinced  a  deep  and  practical  interest  in  the  Theological  seminary.  He  was  a 
trustee  of  the  Monroe  County  savings  bank,  a  director  of  the  First  National  bank  of  Roch- 
ester, and  a  prominent  member  of  the  board  of  trade.  These  institutions  united  in  pay- 
ing tribute  to  Mr.  Pancost's  worth  in  appropriate  resolutions  passed  after  his  death.  He 
was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  held  the  offices 
of  deacon  and  trustee  ;  he  was  also  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school  for  seven  years. 

It  was  said  of  Mr.  Pancost  by  one  who  knew  him  well,  that  an  indomitable  will 
was  a  prominent  characteristic  of  his  life.     He  was  an  independent  thinker,  and  when 


686  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

he  had  once  reached  a  conclusion,  it  was  difficult  to  turn  him  from  the  purpose  he  had 
formed.  His  mind  was  clear,  comprehensive  and  well-balanced,  and  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  cultivating  it  by  constant  and  critical  study.  Mr.  Pancost's  benevolence  was 
earnest,  practical  and  discriminating,  and  his  benefactions  were  both  large  and  well 
bestowed,  while  they  were  so  modestly  made  that  few  were  aware  of  their  extent.  His 
Christian  character  and  perfect  uprightness  pervaded  all  the  acts  of  his  life,  gaining  for 
him  the  unqualified  respect  of  the  entire  community.  His  life  and  character  were  cor- 
rectly portrayed  by  one  of  the  speakers  in  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  trade  after  Mr. 
Pancost's  death,  in  the  following  words :  "  He  has  perfectly  fulfilled  the  command  to  be 
'  fervent  in  spirit,  diligent  in  business,  serving  the  Lord.' " 


JONATHAN  CHILD  was  always  unobtrusive;  always  true  to  his  convictions  in 
sunshine  or  storm.  He  was  unaffected  by  envy ;  not  dazzled  by  prosperity;  not 
demeaned  by  reverses.  He  indulged  in  no  man-worship  for  the  exalted,  or  disdain  for 
the  lowly.     He  was  a  self-respecting.  Christian  man. 

These  were  his  personal  characteristics.  To  this  may  be  added  —  his  temper  was 
genial;  his  manners  courteous  ;  his  presence  marked. 

Mr.  Child  was  born  in  Lyme,  N.  H.,  January  30th,  1785.  Lyme  is  directly  on  the 
Connecticut  river,  opposite  Thetford,  Vt.  His  father's  home  was  in  Thetford,  but  own- 
ing, and  temporarily  occupying,  a  farm  in  Lyme,  Mr.  Child  there  first  saw  the  light, 
surrounded  by  the  bears  and  wolves.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  Thetford,  upon  a 
charming  plateau ;  upon  the  foot  hills  of  the  White  Mountains;  1,500  feet  above  the 
sea.  He  was  prepared  for  Dartmouth  college,  at  Hanover,  an  adjoining  town  in  New 
Hampshire,  but,  owing  to  a  fracture  of  his  knee,  severely  painful  and  slow  of  recovery, 
his  expectations  of  a  college  education  were  relinquished.  When  he  was  twenty-one 
years  old,  in  accordance  with  the  then  New  England  custom,  his  father  gave  him  a  saddle- 
horse  and  one  hundred  dollars,  and,  thus  equipped,  he  started  westerly  to  make  his  way 
through  life.  He  reached  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  secured  a  position  as  school  teacher ;  sold  his 
horse,  and  remitted  to  his  father  the  proceeds  with  the  one  hundred  dollars  given  him, 
and  thus  began  his  career,  feeling  unshackled  with  that  slight  pecuniary  obligation. 

This  self-reliance  was  in  his  blood.  It  was,  perhaps  unconsciously,  a  part  of  his 
muscle.  Wendell  Phillips  says  that  a  despised  opinion  of  1620  was  soon  a  precedent; 
then  a  statute;  ended  by  being  incorporated  into  the  blood,  bones,  minds  and  souls  of 
the  babies. 

His  New  England  parentage  was  pure  and  his  lineage  wholly  Puritan.  His  ances- 
tors were  among  the  English  emigrants  to  America,  under  Governor  Winthrop,  in  1630 
—  ten  years  after  the  Pilgrim  fathers.  The  historical  record  is:  "  In  1630,  about  three 
hundred  of  tlie  best  Puritan  families  came  to  New  England.  They  were  virtuous,  well 
educated,  courageous  men  and  women,  who  left  comfortable  homes  with  no  expectations 
of  returning."  Among  them  were  General  Grant's  ancestors.  Among  them,  too,  was 
listed  as  a  passenger  Oliver  Cromwell.  The  English  government  prevented  his  de- 
parture.    It  was  providential.     He  remained  to  cut  off  the  head  of  Charles  I.,  a  tyrant. 

Both  New  and  Old   England  were  then  doing  duty  in  advancing  liberty.     The  one 

by  creating  a  state  with  civil  and  religious  freedom  ;  the  other  —  by  wielding  a  heads- 
man's axe. 


Jonathan  Child. — Wh^liam  Henry  Gorsline.  687 

Peaceful  farmers  in  New  England,  Mr.  Child's  ancestors  yet  obeyed  all  calls  which 
summoned  thera  to  war.  When  trouble  came,  they  shouldered  their  flint-locks,  and  in 
King  Philip's  and  other  Indian  massacres,  protected  their  homes  as  became  Christian 
braves,  and  then  quickly  returned  to  their  cornfields. 

In  the  battle  of  Lexington  twenty-two  of  the  family,  whose  names  and  memories  are 
honored  by  their  descendants,  fought  and  bled  in  driving  back  the  British  slayers. 

The  grandfather  of  Jonathan  Child,  his  namesake,  gave  himself  and  eight  sons. 
Green  Mountain  boys,  during  the  revolution,  as  patriot  soldiers.  He  fought  at  Ben- 
nington, at  Bunker  Hill,  in  Pennsylvania,  in  New  York,  at  Lake  Champlain,  there  re- 
sisting the  same  red  coats  with  whom  he  was  an  ally  in  1755,  at  Quebec,  when  he,  hold- 
ing the  commission  of  King  George  IL  as  a  British  officer,  fought  the  French  when 
Montgomery  and  Montcalm  fell.  At  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  with,  liberty 
won,  he  returned  to  his  Vermont  home,  bearing  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  patriot  army. 

Such  were  the  progenitors  of  Jonathan  Child.  As  for  himself,  he  served  his  country 
during  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  in  the  engagement  at  Fort  Erie,  the  most  sanguinary 
battle  fought  on  this  continent  prior  to  the  rebellion. 

Mr.  Child  moved  to  West  Bloomfield,  Ontario  county,  from  Utica,  and  while 
there  was  twice  elected  member  of  Assembly  —  in  1816  and  '17.  He,  for  a  while,  was 
in  business  at  Charlotte,  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee,  shipping  produce  to  Mlontreal, 
and  was  there  poistmaster.  In  1820,  he  removed  to  Rochester  which  thenceforward 
was  his  home.  He  was  a  merchant,  forwarder,  and  contractor.  He  constructed  the 
first  locks  on  the  Erie  canal  at  Lockport.  In  1834,  when  Rochester  became  a  city,  he 
was  its  first  mayor.  During  the  second  year  of  his  mayoralty,  disagreeing  with  the 
common  council  on  the  propriety  of  giving  licenses  to  sell  intoxicating  liquors,  he  re- 
signed his  office,  although  the  board  offered  to  relieve  him  from  the  necessity  of  signing 
them  by  appointing  a  special  officer  for  that  purpose.  He  declined  to  accept  the  favor, 
thinking  it  an  evasion  of  his  official  duties,  and  an  indirect  way  of  countenancing  and 
effecting  what  his  judgment  disapproved,  yet  avoiding  the  responsibility. 

As  to  his  domestic  life,  he  married  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Nathaniel  Rochester,  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  city.  Tlieir  married  life  continued,  until  severed  by  death,  for 
over  thirty  years.  His  own  death  occurred  October  27th,  i860.  "As  he  was  closing 
his  eyes  in  death  he  heard  of  the  successful  election  in  Pennsylvania  which  gave  assur- 
ance of  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  presidency,  and  then,  as  if  spiritual  prescience 
w;us  illuminating  his  last  moments,  he  thanked  God  that  slavery  would  die." 

Such  are  a  few  outlines  of  a  good  man's  useful  career.  Jonathan  Child  was  a  val- 
uable citizen;  respected  by  the  community;  beloved  by  his  family  and. friends. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  GORSLINE,  a  well  known  contracting  builder  and  business 
man  of  Rochester,  was  born  in  that  city  on  the  12th  of  July,  1829.  Richard 
Gorsline,  his  father,  who  was  of  French  extraction,  resided  for  some  years  at  East  Bloom- 
field,  whence  he  removed  to  Rochester  in  1816.  He  was  a  builder  by  profession,  and 
many  substantial  and  costly  specimens  of  his  work,  still  standing,  testify  of  his  genius 
and  skill.  The  ponderous  stone  aqueduct  which  crosses  the  Genesee  river,  reviving,  by 
its  solid  masonry  and  graceful  arches,  recollections  of  old  time  bridges  over  more  classic 
streams,  was  built  by  him,     He  was  a  typical  specimen  of  the  race  from  which   he 


688  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

sprang,  being  sprightly  and  vivacious,  and  possessing  the  artistic  temperament  in  a 
marked  degree,  as  well  as  a  fine  physique  and  great  capacity  for  hard  work.  He  lived 
to  a  good  old  age,  dying  in  1870,  and  was  survived  by  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Aurelia  Rice,  about  seven  years.  For  some  years  preceding  his  death  he  was  a  dea- 
con in  Dr.  Shaw's  Presbyterian  church  in  Rochester,  and  his  name  heads  those  inscribed 
on  the  memorial  slab  to  the  founders  of  that  edifice.  William  Henry  Gorsline,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  was  brought  up  and  educated  in  his  native  place.  The  school  he 
attended  was  presided  over  by  one  of  those  fiery-tempered  village  pedagogues,  now, 
fortunately,  less  frequently  found  in  such  responsible  positions,  who  was  commonly 
known  as  "  old  Perry,"  and  who  is  doubtless  remembered  with  unpleasant  associations 
by  many  other  citizens  of  Rochester.  "  Old  Perry  "  was  much  more  given  to  flogging 
than  to  education,  and,  his  harshness  growing  unendurable,  young  Gorsline  abandoned 
the  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  and  associated  himself  with  his  father,  then  bus- 
ily engaged  in  prosecuting  his  profession.  With  him  he  obtained  the  most  excellent 
training  to  which  he  could  have  been  subjected;  for,  besides  being  a  willing  and  active 
boy,  he  inherited  his  parent's  taste  for  everything  pertaining  to  architecture  and  build- 
ing. On  attaining  to  manhood  he  became  invested  with  responsibility  as  his  father's 
trusted  associate,  and  acquitted  himself  with  credit  both  to  himself  and  his  industrious 
and  painstaking  parent.  As  he  became  older  he  became  intensely  interested  in  munici- 
pal affairs,  and  engaged  in  politics  with  all  the  warmth  of  an  enthusiastic  nature.  After 
some  little  experience,  his  fellowrcitizens,  who  readily  appreciated  his  capacity  for  public 
business,  nominated  him  for  alderman  of  the  city.  His  election  followed,  and  he  served 
one  term,  at  the  close  of  which,  feeling  that  he  had  discharged  his  share  of  public  duty, 
he  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  business  pursuits.  Mr.  Gorsline's  acknowledged  ex- 
cellence in  his  business  has  naturally  led  to  his  being  intrusted  with  the  construction  of 
many  important  buildings, — both  public  and  private  ;  and  it  may  be  said  that  the  large 
number  of  the  fine  structures,  for  which  the  city  of  Rochester  is  famous,  have  been 
erected  by  him.  Among  the  most  noteworthy  of  these  are  the  University  of  Rochester, 
the  Rochester  Theological  seminary,  Rockerfeller  hall,  the  High  school,  tiie  City  hall, 
the  Arsenal,  the  Rochester  savings  bank,  Powers  commercial  building.  Powers  Hotel, 
Warner's  fire-proof  building  (one  of  the  finest  in  the  city,  which  was  built  in  six  months), 
the  Cunningham  carriage  factory,  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  the  Central  church,  the 
Brick  church  (Dr.  Shaw's)  and  the  Jewish  synagogue.  Besides  these,  Mr.  Gorsline  has 
constructed  many  large  blocks  of  buildings  devoted  solely  to  business  purposes,  and  a 
number  of  the  most  magnificent  private  residences  in  the  city.  'I'o  give  an  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  operations  in  which  Mr.  Gorsline  has  been  engaged,  reference  need 
only  be  made  to  some  of  the  principal  buildings  he  has  constructed.  Probably  foremost 
among  them  stands  Powers  commercial  building,  situated  in  the  very  heart  of  Roches- 
ter's business  district.  This  structure  is  said  to  be  unsurpassed,  either  in  magnitude, 
convenience,  or  elegance,  by  any  similar  edifice  in  this  country.  Quadrangular  in  shape, 
it  has  a  total  frontage  of  over  five  hundred  feet,  and  is  eight  stories  in  height,  exclusive 
of  the  basement,  with  a  French  roof  of  tile  and  slate  twenty-five  feet  high,  above  which 
rises  a  tower  for  sixty  feet,-  averaging  thirty  feet  long  by  twenty-four  feet  wide.  The 
structure  is  fire-proof  throughout,  and  so  perfectly  secure  that  no  insurance  has  ever  been 
deemed  necessary.  The  ground  flopr  of  this  edifice  is  occupied  by  Powers  banking 
house  and  fifteen  spacious  stores,  while' the  upper  parts  contain  about  two  hundred  and 


I'linli  13/  K.nu.  r'.oe.53'.f?i:,  ir  '/. 


AtUnlic  FiibksliLiig  SiEugra-viri^  Co.  N Y^ 


William  Henry  Gorsline.  689 

fifty  rooms.  Everything  demanded  by  the  most  improved  systems  of  modern  comfort 
are  combined  in  this  building,  including,  of  course,  thorough  ventilation,  steam-heating 
apparatus,  and  water  facilities  in  every  apartment,  and  two  steam  elevators.  Constructed 
on  the  tubular  plan,  every  room  in  the  edifice  is  amply  hghted  from  without;  while  the 
halls  and  corridors,  paved  with  Vermont  and  Italian  marble  and  wainscoted  with  the 
latter,  are  airy,  spacious,  and  elegant.  The  basement,  which  is  furnished  in  keeping  with 
the  rest  of  the  structure,  contains  the  drums  and  hoisting  apparatus  for  the  elevators, 
steam  enghie,  powerful  steam  pump  for  forcing  water  throughout  the  entire  structure, 
eleven  steam  boilers  employed  in  supplying  heat,  and  all  the  necessary  mechanism  for 
making  changes  and  repairs  in  so  colossal  an  establishment.  Some  idea  of  the  solidity 
of  the  edifice  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  it  is  calculated  to  resist  a  pressure  of  two 
hundred  pounds  to  the  .square  foot  on  every  floor.  More  than  one-half  of  the  upper 
floor  of  the  building  is  devoted  to  a  superb  art  gallery.  A  striking  evidence  of  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  the  integrity  of  Mr.  Gorsline  is  afforded  by  the  fact  that  all  the  pay- 
ments made  by  Mr.  Powers  for  his  splendid  hotel,  just  completed  (which  was  finished 
in  eleven  months  from  the  day  of  commencement),  passed  through  his  hands.  The  limits 
of  a  biographical  sketch  do  not  permit  of  a  more  extended  allusion  to  Mr.  Gorsline's 
labors.  In  conclusion,  however,  it  is  pertinent  to  say  that  each  succeeding  task  in  which 
he  found  himself  engaged,  proved  in  a  still  greater,  degree  his  claim  to  preeminence  in 
his  calhng.  Whatever  he  undertook  to  accomplish,  he  entered  upon  with  zeal  and  pros- 
ecuted with  all  the  vigor  of  an  enthusiast.  The  larger  the  undertaking  the  niore  it 
seemed  to  develop  his  capabilities,  and,  even  though  sometimes  threatened  with  loss,  he 
never  relaxed  his  efforts  to  make  his  work  as  perfect  as  all  his  great  skill  and  all  the  mod- 
ern appliances  and  inventions  would  permit.  No  confidence  reposed  in  him  ever  proved 
unfounded,  and  his  name  has  become  synonymous,  in  the  city  where  he  has  spent  his 
whole  life,  with  all  that  is  honorable  and  reliable  in  business  transactions.  In  1874  Mr. 
Gorsline  entered  into  partnership  with  Ira  L.  Otis,  a  gentleman  of  Uberal  education  and 
fine  business  capacity,  for  the  manufacture  of  salt-glazed  pipe.  The  factory  of  the  con- 
cern has  become  one  of  the  foremost  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  The  firm  now  have 
four  clay  mills,  two  presses  and  ten  kilns  for  burning  pipe,  in  active  operation,  the  entire 
plant  occupying  a  .space  of  three  acres  on  Oak  street.  The  superior  quality  of  this  com- 
l)any's  manufactures  has  commended  them  to  general  use,  and  from  the  company's  retail 
yard  in  New  York  city  shipments  are  now  made  to  all  parts  of  the  globe.  The  annual 
product  for  some  time  past  has  averaged  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  pipe  yearly. 
The  success  of  this  enterprise  is  largely  due  to  the  inventive  genius  of  Mr.  Gorsline. 
From  the  various  facts  given  in  this  sketch  it  can  be  seen  that  Mr.  Gorsline's  life  has 
been  an  exceedingly  active  one,  and  that  his  business  operations  have  always  been  more 
or  less  on  a  gigantic  scale.  Yet,  despite  the  wear  and  tear  imposed  by  the  important 
undertakings  and  enterprises  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  life,  his  energy  is  in  no  way 
abated  and  his  activity  promises  much  more  in  the  future.  Unlike  many  upon  whom 
fortune  has  smiled,  he  does  not  allow  his  heart  to  become  hardened  by  success  and 
wealth,  and  vanity  finds  no  place  in  his  nature.  With  cordial  respect  for  every  deserv- 
ing fellow-being,  and  an  active  .sense  of  justice  to  all,  he  is  rarely  met  in  any  other  than 
an  agreeable  mood,  and  his  face  is  seldom  without  the  smile  that  comes  of  a  goofd  con- 
science, and  a  contented  mind.  His  well  known  reliability,  industry,  and  thorough  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  his  profession,  place  him  in  the  front  rank  among  the  first-class  busi- 


690  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ness  men  of  Rochester.  Mr.  Gorsline  is  a  trustee  of  the  Brick  church,  of  which  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Shawls  pastor.  His  domestic  relations  are  exceedingly  happy,  and  he  has 
the  proud  satisfaction  of  seeing  a  family  of  five  promising  sons  growing  up  around  him, 
the  eldest  of  whom,  named  Russell,  is  a  youth  of  20  years.  The  other  sons  are  Walter, 
Ralph,  William  Henry,  and  Richard  aged,  respectively,  18,  17,  6,  and  4  years. 


ABELARD  REYNOLDS.  It  has  been  well  said  that  "to  write  the  history  of  Abel- 
ard  Reynolds  is  to  write  the  history  of  Rochester."  He  came  to  the  place  when 
no  building  marked  its  site,  other  than  one  log  hut  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  and 
here  his  long  and  useful  life  was  passed,  until  thfe  great  busy  city  took  the  place  of  the 
woodman's  clearing. 

Abelard  Reynolds  was  born  October  2d,  1785,  at  a  place  called  Quaker  Hill,  near 
Red  Hook,  Duchess  county,  N.  Y.  His  father  was  a  saddler  by  trade,  and  the  son  was 
apprenticed  to  the  same  vocation.  The  family  hved  successively  at  Stringer's  Patent,  in 
New  York,  and  at  Groton,  Montville,  and  Windsor,  Conn.  When  Abelard  reached  his 
twentieth  year  he  was  given  the  remaining  year  of  his  apprenticeship  by  his  father,  and 
he  went  to  Manchester,  Vt.  Here  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  he  accumulated  his  first 
hundred  dollars.  Returning  home  he  found  his  father- in  pecuniary  difficulty,  which  he 
at  once  assumed  and  also  purchased  a  farm  and  began  the  saddler's  business  on  his  own 
account,  at  Washington,  Berkshire  county,  Mass.  He  removed  from  there  to  Pitttsfiekl, 
where,  on  the  ist  of  October,  1809,  he  was  married  to  Lydia  Strong,  with  whom  he  was 
permitted  to  enjoy  a  wedded  life  of  seventy  years. 

In  the  fall  of  181 1  Mr.  Reynolds  determined  to  make  a  western  tour  of  observation, 
with  a  view  to  subsequent  permanent  removal.  He  loaded  a  one-horse  wagon  with 
saddlery  ware,  and  traveled  through  Lowville,  Watertown,  Brownsville,  and  to  Sackett's 
Harbor,  but  returned  to  Pittsfield  without  having  satisfied  himself  as  to  a  place  for  per- 
manent settlement.  He  started  again,  however,  upon  a  still  more  extended  tour  through 
Western  New  York,  Northern  Pennsylvania,  to  Warren,  Ohio,  to  which  place  he  was 
strongly  attracted.  He  returned  to  Pittsfield,  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  181 2,  again 
started  westward  with  the  intention  of  making  Warren  his  future  home.  He  came 
through  Rome,  Manlius,  Skaneateles,  Geneva  and  Canaiidaigua,  and  halted  at  Bloom- 
field,  where  he  was  informed  of  the  bright  prospects  of  Charlotte.  He  immediately 
started  for  that  place.  At  "  the  falls  "  he  met  Enos  Stone,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Roch- 
ester, of  whom  he  learned  of  the  purchase  of  100  acres  of  land  by  Messrs.  Rochester, 
Carroll  and  Fitzhugh,  who  had  laid  out  the  tract  in  lots  and  offered  it  for  sale.  Mr. 
Stone  was  their  agent.  After  thorough  examination  of  the  distinctive  features  of  Char- 
lotte and  Rochester,  and  comparison  of  them  with  his  impressions  of  Warren,  he  finally 
decided  in  favor  of  Rochester  and  immediately  purchased  lots  23  and  24  (the  site  of 
the  Arcade)  and  erected  the  first  frame  house  on  the  "  loo-acre  tract."  In  August  of 
the  same  year  (181 2)  Mr.  Reynolds  returned  to  Pittsfield,  disposed  of  his  interest  there 
and  arranged  for  permanent  removal  to  his  new  home.  While  absent  he  was  appointed 
the  first  postmaster  of  the  village,  holding  the  office  eighteen  years. 

In  February,  1813,  he  removed  his  family  to  the  litde  hamlet  and  soon  after  opened 
his  dwelling  as  a  public  house,  the  first  in  the  place.  Mr.  Reynolds  Hved  in  the  dwell- 
ing on  the  Arcade  site  until  18 17,  when  he  removed  to  a  hou.se  which  he  had  built  on 


Abelard  Reynolds.  691 


the  corner  of  Buffalo  and  Sophia  streets,  having  leased  the  "  tavern"  to  a  Mr.  Skinner.  In 
the  spring  of  1819,  the  lease  having  expired,  he  returned  to  his  first  dwelling,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  a  house  that  stood  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent city  hall.  There  he  lived  but  one  year,  returning  to  his  own  house  on  Buffalo 
street,  where  he  remained  until  he  removed  to  his  farm  in  the  western  part  of  the 
city,  in  1836.  In  1828  he  erected  the  Arcade  then  the.  largest  and  most  expensive 
building  in  the  United  States  west  of  Albany.  In  1838  he  purchased  a  house  on  North 
Sophia  street,  where  he  lived  until  1847,  when  he  occupied  his  residence  on  South  Fitz- 
hugh  street.    There  he  died  on  Thursday,  December  igthj  1878,  aged  ninety-three  years. 

Such  is  a  brief  review  of  the  business  and  domestic  incidents  in  the  life  of  Abelard 
Reynolds.  In  this  place  little  more  can  be  said  of  him.  He  was  a  Whig  and  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  never  sought  political  preferment,  only  twice  consenting  to  the  use 
of  his  name  for  public  office.  He  was  member  of  Assembly  in  1827  and  represented 
the  first  ward  in  the  board  of  aldermen  in  1838.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Athenaeum  —  Rochester's  first  public  library — and  furnished  a  room  specially  for  the 
library  when  the  Arcade  was  erected.  He  was  for  nearly  sixty  years  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  in  which  he  always  exhibited  a  deep  interest  and  warm  pride.  He 
passed  through  the  various  grades  of  the  order  and  in  1854,  when  a  member  of  Monroe 
commandery,  Knights  Templar,  he  was  exalted  to  the  high  office  of  Prelate,  which  he 
administered  for  more  than  twenty  years.  It  was  said  of  him,  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
that  he  had  "  probably  received  more  templars  at  the  altar  than  any  other  prelate  in  the 
United  States." 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  identified  himself  unselfishly  with  ev- 
ery measure  having  for  its  object  tlie  growth  and  welfare  of  Rochester,  while  his  char- 
acter was  broadly  founded  upon  principles  of  justice,  probity,  benevolence  and  kindness. 

Six  children  were  born  of  this  marriage  already  alluded  to,  four  of  whom  only  reached 
maturity.  William  A.  the  eldest,  was  born  at  Pittsfield;  Mortimer  F.  (the  first  white 
child  born  in  Rochester) ;  Clarrissa  R.,  who  married  Dr.  Henry  Strong,  of  CoUinsville, 
111.,  and  Mary  E.,  who  married  B.  D.  McAlpine,  of  Rochester.  Of  these  children,  only 
Mortimer  F.  is  now  living  of  whom  mention  is  made  below. 

It  is  eminently  proper  to  make  personal  reference  to  the  wife  of  Abelard  Reynolds, 
who  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  September  23d,  1784,  and  still  survives  at  the  great 
age  of  one  hundred  years.  For  a  period  longer  than  the  lives  of  most  people,  she  shared 
her  husband's  labors,  his  trials  and  his  success,  and  has  witnessed  the  entire  growth  of 
Rochester  from  its  first  beginning.  Their  wedded  life  was  one  long  season  of  mutual 
love  and  helpfulness.  In  his  own  language,  "  She'  has  well  performed  her  share  of  the 
burdens  which  devolved  upon  us,  as  a  helpmeet.''  Her  children  and  her  home  were 
her  world,  and  to  the  rearing  of  the  one  and  the  beautifying  and  making  hospitable  the 
other,  she  ever  gave  her  unselfish  devotion.  The  following  beautiful  allusion  was  made 
to  Mrs.  Reynolds  by  Chas.  E.  Fitch  in  his  address  at  the  celebration  of  Rochester's 
semi-centennial ;  — 

"  Mrs.  Abelard  Reynolds  came  to  Rochester,  a  young  wife  and  mother,  to  share  in  the  toils  of  the 
frontier  settlement,  and  to  rear  her  family  in  '  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.'  What  pano- 
rama of  dissolving  woods',  of  opening  thoroughfares,  of  artificial  water-ways,  of  iron  fingers  with 
friendly  clasp  of  distant  communities,  of  ascending  walls  enshrining  peaceful  homes  or  uplifting  dome 
and  tower  and  steeple,  of  hammers  swinging  and  wheels  revolving,  of  varied  industries  unfolding  and 
expanding,  of  hospitals  and  asylums  evoked  by  the  gentle  genius  of  charity,  of  the  confident  tread  of 


692  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

the  sons  pressing  upon  the  tottering  steps  of  the  fathers,  has  passed  before  her  eyes.  Mother  in 
Israel !  we  greet  thee,  to-day,  with  reverence  and  love,  grateful  that  thou  hast  been  spared  to  witness 
all  these  wonders,  and  earnestly  imploring  that  upon  the  rounded  cycle  of  thy  hundred  years,  now 
so  near  its  consummation,  health  and  peace  and  mercy  may  descend  in  benediction. " 


WILLIAM  ABELARD  REYNOLDS, eldest  son  of  Abelard  and  Lydia  Reynolds, 
was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  September  2d,  i8io,  came  to  Rochesterville  with 
his  parents  in  February,  18 13,  as  above  noted.  When  about  six  years  old  he  met 
with  an  accident,  which  rendered  him  a  lifelong  cripple,  necessitating  his  use  of  a 
crutch.  He  was  educated  first  at  the  Mid^lebury  academy,  Wyoming  county,  and 
after\vard  at  the  academy  in  Geneseo  where  he  finished  his  education.  His  first  business 
enterprise  (aside  from  assistance  rendered  his  father  in  the  post-office)  was  in  the  seed 
trade,  in  connection  with  M.  B.  Bateham.  This  business  was  soon  extended  by  the  ad- 
dition of  green-houses  and  nurseries,  and  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  now  gigantic  nurse- 
ries of  Elhvanger  &  Barry,  who  were  in  Mr.  Reynolds's  employ  and  to  whom  he  trans- 
ferred the  business,  and  of  the  world-renowned  seed  house  of  Hiram  Sibley  &  Co. 

From  1838  to  1845  Mr.  Reynolds  had  the  management  of  the  large  Livingston 
flouring  mills  in  Penfield,  near  Rochester. 

January  12th,  1841,  he  was  married  to  Sophia  Clark,  of  Penfield,  whose  death  oc- 
curred about  fifteen  months  later.  She  was  a  woman  of  excellent  traits  of  character, 
and  her  death  was  a  blow  which  left  upon  him  a  lifelong  impression.  He  was  never 
afterward  married. 

In  1845  he  assumed  control  and  management  of  the  Arcade,  built  by  his  father  in 
1829.  This  property  was  greatly  enlarged  and  improved  by  him,  and  it  continued  in 
his  hands  until  his  death.  "  The  Arcade  stands  to-day  a  fitting  monument  to  the  far- 
seeing  judgment  of  his  father  in  its  erection  and  to  the  liberal  and  untiring  industry  of 
the  son  in  his  judicious  and  unstinted  expenditures  in  its  completion." 

In  1848  he  erected  the  Corinthian  hall,  which  he  managed  many  years,  until  his 
duties  became  so  onerous  that  he  felt  compelled  to  dispose  of  it. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was,  as  far  as  Rochester  is  concerned,  a  public  man,  although  he  never 
sought  and  seldom  accepted  station  of  any  kind,  except  as  he  felt  that  by  identification 
with  various  institutions  and  enterprises,  he  could  promote  the  general  welfare  of  the 
city.  He  was  for  three  years  a  member  of  the  common  council  and  was  a  delegate  to 
the  last  constitutional  convention  (1867).  He  was  for  many  years  a  trustee  of  the 
Rochester  savings  bank  and  its  president  when  he  died.  He  was  president  of  the  board 
of  managers  of  the  Western  House  of  Refuge.  He  was  president  and  trustee,  and  one 
of  the  foremost  patrons  of  the  Athenaeum  and  Mechanics'  association,  an  institution  in 
which  he  always  felt  pride  and  deep  interest.  With  a  few  others  he  organised  the  West- 
ern New  York  Agricultural  society,  which  held  its  annual  fairs  in  Rochester.  He  was 
also  a  trustee  of  the  Rochester  university  and  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  public 
library,  while  all  worthy  charities  received  his  countenance  and  generous  aid. 

Mr.  Reynolds  died  on  the  12th  of  January,  1872,  aged  sixty-one  years.  The  event 
was  mourned  by  the  community  at  large,  and  local  societies  and  institutions,  some  of 
which  have  been  mentioned,  united  in  spontaneous  tributes  of  respect  to  his  memory, 
through  resolutions  of  eulogy. 


William  Abelard  Reynolds.  693 

It  will,  perhaps,  more  fully  delineate  Mr.  Reynolds's  character  to  quote  briefly  from 
the  remarks  made  by  President  Anderson  of  Rochester  university  at  the  funeral ;  — 

"  He  was  a  lender,  constant  and  faithful  son.  Indeed,  he  may  be  said  to  have  spent  his  life  in 
caring  for  the  wants  and  watching  over  the  happiness  of  these  venerable  and  aged  parents.  Surely 
never  a  parent's  l)lessing  crowned  with  its  priceless  garland  the  head  of  a  more  exemplary  son. 

"  lie  W.1S  an  eminently  faithful  man  in  the  discharge  of  all  liis  obligations.  Whatever  duties  arose 
out  of  his  relations  to  his  fellow-men,  or  were  voluntarily  assumed  l^y  him,  never  failed  of  perfor'mance. 
This  promi>tness  and  fidelity  in  the  expenditure  of  time,  or  thought,  or  physical  .strength,  were  a  part 
of  his  nature,  and  were  hardened  into  habits  of  life  by  the  action  of  a  steady  and  unwavering  will. 
Whatever  he  promised  to  do  was  done  well  and  done  promptly  and  thoroughly. 

"  He  was  honest  and  fair  in  all  his  business  transactions.  Few  men  had  better  illustrated  the 
sound  maxim  of  morals  and  economy  combined,  that  no  bargain  is  in  the  broadest  and  highest  sense  a 
good  one,  which  is  not  beneficial  to  all  the  parties  concerned.  His  numerous  tenants  became  his  per- 
sonal friends.  If  they  were  young  or  inexperienced  he  gave  counsel,  encouragement,  patronage  and 
aid.  IIow  many  objects  of  charity  have  received  his  bounty  as  the  landlord  of  Corinthian  hall !  In 
all  moneyed  transactions,  in  all  public  trusts,  he  retained  through  life  the  unbounded  confidence  of  this 
entire  community.  ' 

"  He  was  preeminently  a  gentleman  in  his  social  relations,  and  in  his  intercourse  with  all  classes  of 
men.  With  him  courtesy  took  on  the  value  and  dignity  of  a  Christian  virtue.  It  was  not  that  super- 
ficial varnish  of  word  and  manner  which  often  conceal  a  mean  spirit  and  a  hard  and  vulgar  nature, 
llis  bearing  among  men  was  the  natural  outgrowth  of  a  benevolent  heart  and  a  sincere  respect  for  the 
rights  and  feelings  of  all,  without  regard  to  rank  or  social  position.  He  was  endowed  with  that  broad 
good  sense,  quick  syin])atliy  and  delicacy  of  apprehension  which  enabled  him  to  say  the  right  word  at 
the  right  time,  and  do  the  right  act  in  the  right  place.     I  have  never  known  a  truer  gentleman  than  he. 

"He  was  an  eminently  public-spirited  man.  I  remember  to  have  remarked  on  some  former  occasion, 
that  our  city  was  fortunate  in  the  character  of  the  formative  forces  of  its  early  civil  and  social  life. 
Take  away  from  Rochester  what  has  resulted  from  the  benevolent  feeling,  Christian  principle  and  un- 
paid labor  of  its  public-spirited  pioneers,  and  how  morally  meagre  would  be  the  residue.  Among 
those  who  have  done  work  for  our  city,  with  no  motive  but  the  public  good,  with  no  reward  but  the 
consciousness  of  duty  performed,  we  can  hardly  find  a  brighter  record  than  that  of  our  departed  friend. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  noble  body  of  men  who,  up  to  this  time,  have  given  commercial  credit,  moral 
tone  and  an  honorable  reputation  to  our  city  is  fast  passing  away.  There  are  gathered  around  this 
cofRn  to-day  those  men  in  whose  hands  must  lie  the  well-being  of  our  beautiful  city  in  these  coming 
years.  All  may  not  have  hi.s  capacity  to  plan  and  execute  for  the  public  good,  but  all  may  emulate 
the  simplicity  of  his  aims  and  the  purity  of  his  motives. 

"All  these  virtues  of  the  man  seemed  to  me  to  spring  from  deep-rooted  moral  convictions  and 
Christian  feeling.  Of  his  personal  religious  life  I  have  little  knowledge,  but  I  have  learned  that  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  is  most  clearly  shown  in  the  love  and  service  of  our  fellow-men.  All  sin  is  in- 
volved in  the  control  of  the  character  by  selfishness,  in  the  disposition  to  make  all  social,  civil  and  per- 
sonal relations  subservient  to  lust  or  avarice,  ambition  or  love  of  power.  Too  often  this  selfishness 
describes  the  '  course  of  this  world,'  and  the  life  of  men.  The  aim  of  Christ  is  to  reverse  all  this  — 
so  to  change  the  current  of  the  moral  life,  that,  spontaneously,  the  citizen  shall  serve  the  city,  the 
Christian  the  church ;  that  the  learned  shall  serve  the  ignorant,  the  rich  shall  serve  the  poor ;  that 
the  strong  shall  serve  the  weak,  that  the  good  shall  serve  the  bad.  For  many  years  our  friend  has 
been  in  your  homes  and  streets,  and  every  day,  like  all  of  us,  has  been  tried  by  this  test.  How  he  has 
passed  this  trial  you  all  know.  The  verdict  of  this  community  is  expressed  in  the  spontaneous  utter- 
ances of  affection  and  respect  which  are  springing  from  every  heart  and  dwelling  on  every  tongue." 

The  above  remarks  of  President  Anderson  are  not  only  a  just  estimate  of,  but  a 
deserved  tribute  to  the  character  of  Mr.  Reynolds,  and  picture  the  man  as  he  was  so 
well  known  in  the  community  where  he  spent  his  life.  In  closing  a  lengthy  obituary  to 
Mr.  Reynolds,  the  editor  of  the  Rochester  Democrat  (f  Chronicle  wrote  as  follows  :  — 

"  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  executive  ability.  This  quality  showed  itself  in  every 
enterprise  to  which  he  gave  his  attention.  It  was  this  which  made  him  the  real  head  of  every  public  as 
well  as  private  undertaking   to  which  his  mind  was  directed.     He  was  a  man  who  worked.     He  was 


694  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

incapable  of  indifference  upon  any  subject  when  it  had  once  excited  his  interest.  He  gave  the  most 
patient  attention  to  every  detail.  A  man  of  such  qualities  is  rare,  and  his  importance  to  a  young  and 
growing  community  cannot  be  exaggerated.  But,  however  closely  Mr.  Reynolds  gave  his  attention 
to  business  undertakings  and  however  much  his  mind  was  burdened  with  the  cares  of  public  oflices,  he 
found  time  to  advance  the  moral  and  intellectual  interests  of  the  city.  lie  was  active  in  all  reforms 
and  emphatically  in  our  educational  institutions.     His  death  is  a  public  loss." 

The  Union  fir*  Advertiser  gave  him,  in  the  course  of  its  lengthy  tribute,  the  following 
high  praise :  — 

"  Mr.  Reynolds,  perhaps  as  much  as  any  other  man,  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  career  of 
Rochester,  and  during  his  lifetime  had  as  much  influence  in  shaping  her  affairs  as  any  citizen.  The 
decease  of  Mr.  Reynolds  is  indeed  a  public  calamity  and  will  be  so  regarded  by  all." 


MORTIMER  F.  REYNOLDS.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1814,  there  was  born,  in 
the  narrow  "  clearing ''  that  skirted  the  ford  of  the  Genesee  river,  the  first  child 
of  white  parents  to  see  the  light  upon  that  "  Hundred-Acre  Tract "  which  was  the  primi- 
tive site  of  the  present  city  of  Rochester.  Perhaps  in  no  manner  could  the  amazing  de- 
velopment of  that  infant  community  be  brought  home  so  effectively  to  the  apprehen- 
sion of  a  denizen  of  the  old  world,  as  by  the  statement  of  the  concrete  fact  that  the 
earliest  offspring  of  that  colony,  having  seen  in  twenty  years  its  incorporation  as  a  city, 
finds  himself  now,  while  still  in  splendid  vigor,  surrounded  by  a  population  of  more  than 
a  hundred  thousand  souls.  The  emphasis  of  this  fact  might,  however,  be  heightened 
by  the  further  circumstance,  that  his  mother  also  survives  to  see  the  wilderness  rejoicing 
and  blossoming  as  the  rose. 

Of  individuals  it  may  be  said,  as  it  has  been  of  nations,  that  that  one  is  happy  that 
has  no  history.  An  uneventful,  orderly  and  peaceful  life  has  been  this  one,  coeval 
hitherto  with  that  of  the  community  in  which  it  began.  A  struggling  infancy,  subject  to  all 
the  hardships  and  limitations  of  a  raw  and  poor  society,  was  followed  by  a  maturity  of 
hard  and  successful  labor,  and  that  in  turn  by  intelligent  and  not  indolent  repose  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  accumulations  of  a  life-time.  The  story  of  Abelard  Reynolds  has  al- 
ready been  told  in  these  pages.  That  he,  of  whom  we  speak,  was  the  son  of  Abelard 
and  the  younger  brother  of  William  is  that  which,  more  than  anything  else  in  his  life, 
would  seem  to  him  vi^orthy  of  record. 

Mortimer  Fabricius  Reynolds  was  the  name  given,  for  family  reasons,  to  the  first- 
born of  this  backwoods  settlement.  To  say  that  the  young  child's  boyhood  was  dili- 
gently trained  at  home  and  in  such  schools  as  were  accessible,  would  only  be  to  reiterate 
the  averment  of  the  Puritan  New  England  origin  of  his  parents.  Beyond  this  not  inuch 
could  be  added,  but  that  for  thirty  years  of  mature  life  the  man  engaged  in  active  com- 
merce in  his  native  city.  Withdrawing  in  1872,  with  a  competency,  from  the  business 
in  which  he  had  acquired  it,  he  devoted  himself  thenceforth  to  the  assistance  of  his 
venerable  father  in  the  management  of  the  large  estate  left  by  his  elder  brother,  and 
which  not  long  afterward  devolved  almost  entirely  upon  him.  But  during  all  this  time 
the  interests  of  the  city  which  had  grown  up  with  him  engaged  his  constant  observation 
and  his  active  aid.  In  many  corporate  and  charitable  trusts,  in  the  promotion  of  public 
improvements,  and  in  the  exercise  of  that  private  virtue  which  bears  the  name  of  "  pub- 
lic spirit,"  the  time  and  the  means  of  Mr.  Reynolds  have  been  liberally  expended.  But 
it  is  with  a  foundation  but  just  now  laid,  upon  which  is  to  rise  in  the  future  an  institu- 
tion more  beneficent,  perhaps,  than  all  others  established  here  by  private  liberality,  that 
he  has  chosen  to  link  his  name  and  that  of  his  family. 


r 

^^^^.,, 

R    \ "~" 

. 

hb^9 

jflj 

^^Hi^n^^l 

i'^B 

i 

^ 

\ 

>  s^. 

_- 

Ar' i/ y/'9//,<//i  San^.-yr--.  n  ',■ 


Mortimer  F.  Reynolds.^- ArI-hur  G.  Vates.  6I9S 

The  large  estate  which  had  grown  out  of  the  purchase  of  village  lots  by  Abelard 
Reynolds  in  i8i2  had  descended  to  his  son,  the  sole  Survivor  of  the  father's  six  children  ; 
the  sole  descendant,  himself  childless,  who  bore  the  family  name  of  which  he  was  justly 
proud.  Before  him  father  and  elder  brother  had,  from  the  beginning,  interested  them- 
selves profoundly  in  the  intellectual  and  moral  advancement  of  the  community  in  which 
they  lived.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  determined,  therefore,  to  establish  with  that 
estate  an  enduring  memorial  of  his  family,  which  should  also  be  a  perpetual  benefaction 
to  the  city.  In  order,  therefore,  that  there  might  be  a  body  competent,  when  the  time 
shall  come,  to  receive  and. administer  such  a  trust,  the  legislature  of  1882  was  applied 
to  for  a  suitable  charter. 

It  is  not  agreeable  to  recall  the  criticism  which  met  this  disclosure  of  Mr.  Reynolds's 
purpose,  upon  the  publication  of  the  bill.  This  work  is  not  devoted  to  disparagement 
of  the  people  of  Rochester,  or  of  any  part  of  them.  It  is  enough,  therefore,  to  say  that 
the  bill,  as  signed  by  the  governor,  was  such  in  its  terms  as  to  be  unanimously  rejected 
by  those  named  in  it  as  trustees.  In  1884,  however,  there  was  passed  "An  Act  to  in- 
corporate the  Reynolds  Library,''  which  is  chapter  9  of  the  laws  of  that  year.  It  declared 
the  purposes  of  the  corporation  which  it  created  to  be  "  to  establish  and  maintain  a 
public  library  and  reading-room,"  and  "  to  promote  the  mental  improvement  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  city  of  Rochester  by  means  of  lectures,  discussions,  courses  of  instruc- 
tion, collections  of  objects  of  art  and  science,  and  other  suitable  means." 

To  this  body  Mr.  Reynolds  at  once  turned  over  a  collection  of  some  12,000  vol- 
umes, which,  at  liis  own  cost,  he  had  some  years  before  rescued  from  the  wreck  of  the 
old  "Athenaeum"  which  his  father  and  brother  had  so  liberally  and  efficiently  sustained, 
as  a  nucleus  for  the  far  greater  collection  which  must  grow  up  around  it.  And  it  is 
publicly  announced  that  he  has  made  such  disposition  that,  at  his  death,  the  splendid 
estate  known  as  the  "  Arcade  "  and  the  "  East  Arcade,"  together  with  his  superb  home- 
stead and  its  adjoining  grounds  on  Spring  street,  will  pass  to  the  Reynolds  Library  for 
its  perpetual  endowment. 

Thus,  as  it  was  said  of  another  that  Providence  denied  him  children  that  a  nation 
might  call  him  father,  it  might,  with  slight  change,  be  written  of  the  first-born  child  of 
the  new  city.  And  when  the  stately  figure  of  the  last  surviving  child  of  the  pioneer 
Abelard  Reynolds  shall  be  no  more  seen  upon  the  streets  of  Rochester,  a  grateful  city 
will  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  extinct  race. 


ARTHUR  G.  YATES,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Factory ville  (now 
East  Waverly,  N.  Y.),  December  i8th,  1843.  He  is  the  second  son  of  Judge  Ar-  ' 
thur  Yates  and  grandson  of  WiUiam  Yates,  M.D.,  who  was  born  at  Sapperton,  near 
Burton-pn-Trent,  England,  1767.  He  studied  medicine  but  never  practiced  it.  Being 
the  eldest  son,  he  inherited  a  large  estate  with  the  title  of  baronet.  His  marked  char- 
acteristics were  great  benevolence.  He  erected  and  conducted  at  his  own  expense  an 
insane  asylum  for  paupers  at  Burton-on-Trent,  for  treating  the  insane  upon  the  humane 
plan,  and  he  is  spoken  of  in  his  biography  as  a  great  philanthropist.  He  was  a  cousin 
of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  the  statesman,  and  John  Howard,  the  philanthropist.  He  sailed, 
for  Philadelphia  in  1799  and  was  the  first  to  introduce  vaccination  in  America,  expend- 
ing much  time  and  money  to  introduce  this  great  boon  to  humanity.  The  following 
year  he  returned  to  England,  and  then  again  returned  to  America,  and  from   Phila- 


696  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

delphia  ascended  the  Susquehanna  valley  with  Judge  Cooper,  General  Morris  and  Judge 
Franchot.  He  met  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  leading  settlers  of  the  Butternuts  valley, 
married  her,  and  immediately  sailed  for  England.  After  two  years'  absence  he  returned 
to  America.  After  having  disposed  of  Sapperton  to  his  brother  Harry,  he  purchased  a 
large  estate  in  Butternuts  (now  the  town  of  Morris),  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  and  during 
his  life  he  disposed  of  a  large  fortune  to  carry  out  his  benevolent  ideas.  He  died  in 
his  ninetieth  year  greatly  respected  and  widely  known  as  a  great  philanthropist. 

Judge  Arthur  Yates  was  his  eldest  son,  born  in  Butternuts,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y., 
February  7th,  1807.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  1832 
left  Otsego  county  and  settled  in  Factoryville  (now  East  Waverly,  N.  Y.),  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  and  lumber  business,  which  he  continued  extensively  for  thirty 
years,  doing  much  to  build  up  and  beautify  the  present  village  of  Waverly.  He  was 
appointed  by  the  governor  judge  of  Tioga  county  in  1838.  All  his  life  he  was  prom- 
inently identified  with  the  church,  school,  and  banking  interests.  In  January,  1836,  he 
was  married  to  Jerusha,  daughter  of  Zeba  Washbon  of  Otsego  county,  and  died  in 
1880,  widely  known  and  greatly  respected.  He  had  seven  children,  the  fourth  of  whom 
was  Arthur  G.  Yates.  He  obtained  his  education  principally  in  his  native  town  and 
finished  it  in  various  academic  institutions. 

In  March,  1865,  at  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Rochester  to  accept  a 
position  with  the  Anthracite  Coal  association.  Two  years  later  he  engaged  in  the 
coal  business  on  his  own  account,  continuing  it  at  the  present  time,  developing  it  to  a 
remarkable  degree — his  personal  anthracite  coal  business  extending  over  all  the  Northern 
and  Western  states  and  Canadas  and  aggregating  over  350,000  tons  annually ;  while 
the  shipping  interests  at  Charlotte  are  now  being  developed  by  the  immense  shipping 
docks  recently  erected  by  him,  making  Rochester  headquarters  for  the  distribution  of 
vast  quantities  of  coal. 

In  1876  the  firm  of  Bell,  Lewis  &  Yates,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  was  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  mining  and  shipping  bituminous  coal.  Their  success  has  been  remark- 
able, the  tonnage  having  reached  650,000  tons  or  more,  annually.  He  is  a  director  in 
the  Bank  of  Monroe,  trustee  of  the  Mechanics'  savings  bank,  and  for  many  years  a 
warden  of  St.  Paul's  church,  and  is  a  director  in  various  coal  and  other  companies  and 
interests  outside  of  the  state. 

He  has  never  accepted  poHtical  office,  but  prefers  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
large  and  increasing  business  interests.  Mr.  Yates  is  high  principled  and  honorable  in 
all  his  dealings,  and  is  in  the  broadest  sense  one  of  the  most  honorable  and  foremost  of 
the  business  men  of  Rochester.  Having  developed  the  coal  trade  in  so  few  years  to 
such  enormous  proportions,  he  has,  at  the  same  time,  acquired  a  reptutation  most  en- 
viable as  a  man  of  ability  and  integrity. 

He  was  married  December  26th,  1866,  to  Jennie  L.  Holden,  daughter  of  Roswell 
Holden,  esq.,  of  Watkins,  N.  Y.  They  have  had  six  children,  Frederick  W.,  Harry, 
Florence,  Arthur  (deceased),  Howard  L.  (deceased),  and  Russell  P. 


THE  MUMFORD  FAMILY.  The  Mumford  family  was  of  English  extraction. 
Thomas  Mumford,  of  South  Kingston,  R.  I.,  emigrated  to  this  country  about  1650. 
The  family  afterward  settled  in  New  London  and  Groton,  Conn.  In  1758  David  Mum- 
ford, the  grandson  of  Thomas,  married  Rebecca  Saltonstall,  granddaughter  of  Gover- 


The  Mumford  Family.  697 


nor  Saltonstall  and  great  granddaughter  of  Governor  Thomas  Dudley,  of  Connecticut. 
The  sixth  child  of  this  marriage  was  Thomas  Mumford,  the  father  of  William  Woolsey, 
and  George  Huntington  Mumford. 

David  Mumford  was  one  of  a  family  of  six  sons,  mentioned  in  the  accounts  of 
that  locality  as  distinguished  for  their  size,  being  of  the  average  height  of  six  feet,  or 
according  to  familiar  report,  "  thirty-six  feet  of  Mumford  in  one  family."  Early  in 
the  disputes  between  America  and  the  mother  country  this  family  took  a  decided 
stand  in  favor  of  the  claims  of  the  colonies,  and  prior  to  and  during  the  revolution- 
ary war,  were  prominent  and  enthusiastic  in  their  assertion  of  these  claims.  It  is 
related  that  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  revolution,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graves,  the 
rector  of  the  Episcopal  church  at  New  London,  had  been  respectfully  requested  to  de- 
sist from  reading  that  portion  of  the  liturgy  containing  the  prayers  for  the  king  and  royal 
family ;  "  but  with  this  request,"  the  chronicle  goes  on  to  state,  "  he  declared'  that  he 
"could  not  conscientiously  comply.  It  was  then  intimated  to  him  that  if  he  persisted, 
it  was  at  his  peril,  and  he  must  abide  the  consequences.  Accordingly  the  next  Sunday 
a  determined  party  of  whigs  stationed  themselves  near  the  door  with  one  in  the  porch  to 
keep  his  hand  on  the  bell-rope,  and  as  soon  as  the  minister  began  the  obnoxious  prayer, 
the  bell  sounded  and  the  throng  rushed  into  the  house.  They  were  led  by  the  broth- 
ers Thomas  and  David  Mumford,  both  men  of  commanding  aspect  and  powerful  frame, 
who  ascended  the  pulpit  stairs  and  taking  each  an  arm  of  the  minister,  brought  him 
expeditiously  to  the  level  of  the  floor."  The  account,  however,  goes  on  to  relate  how 
he  was  rescued  by  two  "  resolute  matrons"  who  protected  him  from  violence  and  es- 
corted him  to  a  place  of  safety. 

The  name  of  Thomas,  son  of  the  David  here  referred  to,  apears  in  the  list  of  alumni 
of  Yale  college  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1790.  •  In  January,  1795,  he  was  married 
to  Mary  Sheldon  Smith  and  shortly  thereafter  moved  from  Connecticut,  and  established 
himself  at  Cayuga  Bridge  at  the  head  of  Cayuga  lake,  in  this  state,  where  he  continued 
to  reside  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Here  were  born  in  November,  1795,  William 
Woolsey,  and  in  July,  1805,  George  Huntington. 

William  Woolsev  Mumford  was  prepared  for  college  at  Utica  and  graduated  at 
Yale  in  the  class  of  18 14,  numbering  among  his  classmates  and  friends  Samuel  B.  Rug- 
gles,  Daniel  Lord  and  others  who  afterward  became  conspicuous  in  various  professions. 
He  studied  law  at  Litchfield,  then  the  most  prominent  law  school  of  the  country,  and 
about  1818  established  himself  at  Rochester  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  became 
extensively  interested  in  real  estate,  and  either  as  owner  or  agent  of  his  father,  controlled 
a  large  amount  of  land  adjoining  the  Genesee  river,  on  the  west  side,  and  particularly 
in  that  portion  of  the  city  which  was  for  many  years  known  as  Frankfort.  To  the  im- 
provement of  this  real  estate  and  the  advancement  of  the  growth  of  the  city  he  devoted 
his  time  and  means.  About  1828  he  erected  on  South  St.  Paul  street  the  first  brick  block 
for  residences  of  any  considerable  size  constructed  in  the  city,  and  resided  in  one  of  these 
houses  to  the  time  of  his  death.  For  many  years  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Frederick  Whit- 
tlesey, the  firm  of  Mumford  &  Whittlesey  conducted  an  extensive  law  business  through 
this  portion  of  the  state.  He  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  old  Bank  of  Rochester ; 
was  deeply  interested  in  educational  matters  and  was  instrumental  in  organising  the  old 
High  School,  and  for  many  years  one  of  its  trustees.  About  1830  he  retired  from  active 
practice  of  the  law  and  devoted  himself  principally  to  the  care  of  his  real  estate.  During 
this  time  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  milling,  particularly  in  the  villages  of  Mumford 


698  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

and  Lima.  During  a  life  of  thirty  years  here  he  was  a  witness  of  the  marvelous  growth 
of  the  town  —  a. growth,  in  fact.that  far  exceeded  his  most  sanguine  predictions.  He 
saw  during  these  years  a  mere  hamlet  expand  into  a  city  of  upwards  of  50,000  souls. 
He  died  in  January,  1848,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  He  \yas  twice  married  and  left 
three  children. 

George  Huntington  Mumford  was  the  fifth  child  of  the  family  of  six.  He  grew 
up  at  the  hospitable  old  family  mansion  at  Cayuga  Bridge,  then  on  the  direct  line  of 
travel  between  Albany  and  Buffalo,  and  at  which  most  of  the  prominent  men  in  the  state 
were  entertained  in  their  journeyings  back  and  forth.  At  an  early  age  he  entered  Union 
college,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1824.  Soon  thereafter  he  came  to  Roch- 
ester and  entered  the  law  office  of  Mumford  &  Whittlesey  as  a  student.  After  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  and  the  retirement  of  his  elder  brother  from  practice,  he  formed  a  business 
connection  with  Mr.  Whittlesey,  and  the  firm  of  Whittlesey  &  Mumford  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  leading  law  firms  in  Western  New  York.  He  remained  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession  until  about  the  year  1855,  when  the  state  of  his  health  induced 
him  to  relinquish  it.  Few  men  have  commanded  confidence,  public  and  private,  to  a 
greater  degree  than  did  Mr.  Mumford,  or  more  thoroughly  deserved  it.  The  various 
positions  he  was  called  upon  to  fill,  unsolicited  by  him,  and  often  against  his  protest, 
testify  to  the  confidence  reposed  in  him.  Though  he  studiously  avoided  public  posi- 
tions, he  was  for  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors ;  for  nearly  thirty  years  he 
was  a  trustee  of  the  Rochester  savings  bank  and  at  times  its  president  and  attorney;  he 
was  trustee  and  president  of  the  Rochester  City  hospital  from  its  organisation  to  the  time 
of  his  death ;  he  was  director  in  the  old  Bank  of  Monroe,  and  in  the  Commercial  bank ; 
he  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Union  bank,  a  director  during  its  entire  existence, 
and  at  one  time  its  financial  officer ;  he  was  director  and  president  of  the  Manufactu- 
rer's bank,  and  the  first  president  of  the  Trader's  bank.  In  the  early  history  of  railroad 
construction  in  this,  state  he  had  become  interested  in  the  organisation  and  construction 
of  the  Tonawanda  railroad,  and  after  its  absorption  into  the  Buffalo  &  Rochester  rail- 
road was  for  many  years  one  of  its  directors  and  the  secretary  of  its  board.  He  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  development  of  the  telegraph  system  of  the  country  and  early 
foresaw  its  value  and  importance;  was  identified  with  the  Western  Union  telegraph 
company  in  its  early  struggle,  and  later  triumphs,  and  up  to  shortly  before  his  death  was 
one  of  its  directors,  and  at  times  an  officer.  There  were  few  enterprises  of  a  public  na- 
ture in  this  locality,  during  the  busy  period  of  his  active  life,  with  which  he  was  not 
identified,  and  to  which  his  sound  judgment  and  perfect  integrity  did  not  add  weight 
and  character.  He  was  a  man  of  earnest  religious  convictions,  and  for  many  years  .senior 
warden  of  Grace  church. 

Hedied  in  this  city  in  September  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  His  wife,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Truman  Hart,  of  Palmyra,  and  four  children  survived  him. 


AARON  ERICKSON  was  notable  among  those  pioneers  whose  sturdy  industry  and 
purity  of  life  left  durable  impress  upon  the  new  settlement  of  Rochester. 
For  nearly  sixty  years  he. made  this  city  his  home  and  the  varied  occupations  which 
engaged  him  all  bore  direct  relation  to  productive   employments  which  alone  create 
human  wealth  and  substance  and,  in  their  best  forms,  supply  those  natural  requirements 
which,  untrammeled,  maintain  enlightened  civilisation.     When  such  a  man  passes  away. 


Aaron  Erickson.  -  699 


the  results  and  influence  of  his  life  remain  to  mold  and  give  pattern  to  human  enterprise 
and,  too,  with  that  fragrance  which  arises  from  the  "  remembrance  of  the  just." 

It  is  due  to  the  memory  of  one  who  tempered  the  manly  and  successful  resolves  of  a 
strong  intellect  with  the  gentler  guidings  of  religious  subjection,  that  the  man  himself 
should  not  be  forgotten,  even  though  his  example  remains  a  beacon  to  those  who  come 
after. 

Mr.  Erickson  was  of  Scandinavian  origin,  and  a  descendant  of  the  historical  Swedish 
colony  which  was  planted  in  New  Jersey,  near  Trenton  Falls,  about  the  year  1632.  In 
1626,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  illustrious  king  of  Sweden,  issued  his  proclamation  grant- 
ing substantial  advantages  to  colonists.  The  German  war  delayed  the  mission,  but  it 
finally  departed,  provided  with  ships  and  necessaries,  and  also  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
which  latter  were  required  by  the  king,  not  only  to  attend  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the 
colonists,  but,  in  the  words  of  the  edict,  to  plant  the  Cliristian  religion  amongst  the 
heathen.     The  descendants  of  this  colony  largely  remain  along  the  Delaware  to  this  day. 

Mr.  Erickson  was  born  at  Freehold,  N.  J.,  not  far  from  Trenton  Falls,  directly  in  sight 
of  the  battle-field  of  Monmouth,  on  the  25th  of  February  1806,  and,  as  it  was  his  pride 
to  avow,  of  patriotic  revolutionary  ancestry.  But,  honorable  and  gratifying  as  was  this 
birthright,  he  was  permitted  to  know  still  greater  than  this,  that  the  earliest  historical 
knowledge  of  tl^^is  North  American  continent  was  due  to  the  fearless  and  brave  ambition 
of  his  progenitors. 

In  the  year  984,  five  hundred  years  before  Columbus  set  foot  upon  San  Salvador,  the 
Norsemen,  under  the  leadership  of  Eric,  with  the  stars  for  guidance,  discovered  New- 
foundland ;  and,  in  the  year  1000,  Leif  Eric-son,  son  of  Eric,  sailed  westerly  into  the  Sea 
of  Darkness,  as  the  Atlantic  was  called,  and,  coasting,  discovered  this  continent,  landing 
near  Fall  River,  Mass.;  and,  in  the  year  1002,  Thorwald  Ericson,  brother  of  Leif 
sailed  to  Fall  River,  remained  three  years,  was  killed,  and,  an  inteUigent  fancy  suggests, 
it  was  his  skeleton  in  armor,  discovered  in  1832,  that  was  the  foundation  of  Longfellow's 
poem.  This  is  a  record  which. inspires  justifiable  pride  in  a  genealogical  history  both 
remote  and  distinguished,  and  the  story,  too,  that  of  bold  discovery  attained  by  the  high- 
est exhibition  of  human  daring. 

This  inherited  trait  of  resolute  purpose  marked  Mr.  Erickson's  successful  life.  He 
came  to  Rochester  in  1823,  when  seventeen  years  old,  poor  and  indomitable.  First  a 
superior  iron-worker,  possessing  a  versatility  of  adaptation  to  the  various  demands  in  his 
toil,  so  needed  in  new  communities,  and  always  marking  a  skillful  from  an  inefficient 
worker,  he  then  engaged  in  the  wool  business,  and  not  content  with  merely  buying  and 
selling,  he  acquired  such  knowledge  of  the  trade  of  the  world  in  wool;  of  its  annual 
supply ;  of  the  effects  of  tariffs ;  of  British  prohibition  of  exportation ;  and  other  dis- 
turbing elements  in  the  prices  and  uses  of  this  commodity,  that  his  views  became  of 
recognised  public  value,  and  were  asked  by  statesmen ,  such  as  Robert  J,  Walker,  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury,  and  Henry  Clay.  When  mature  life  was  reached  and  worldly  com- 
petence obtained,  he  established  a.  large  moneyed  institution,  and  through  it  greatly 
advanced  the  industries  which  gave  the  city  of  Rochester  prosperity.  His  business  life 
was  spent  in  promoting  legitimate,  productive  employments,  by  which  all  wealth  is 
created,  and  is  removed  by  infinite  distance  from  the  speculative  gambling  of  idlers  and 
chance-seekers. 

Such  was  Mr.  Erickson's  business  career.  It  was  the  natural  consequence  of  a 
strong,  personal  individuality,  guided,  first,  by  conscience,  and  then  by  sound  intellectual 
reasoning,  enlightened  by  the  best  self-culture. 


700  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

In  private  life  he  was  beloved  by  all  in  whom  he  reposed  such  confidence  as  gave 
access  to  his  home  and  heart.  Always  courteous  and  hospitable,  in  the  genial  atmos- 
phere of  his  fireside  the  graces  of  a  self-respecting,  manly  character  shone  with  delight- 
ful impress.  In  foreign  travel  he  equipped  himself  with  such  acquisition  of  useful  lore 
that  hours  were  passed  in  unalloyed  enjoyment  at  his  clear  recital.  At  his  home,  his 
extensive  grounds  gave  opportunity  for  such  indulgence  in  tree,  and  lawn,  and  shrub 
that  they  made  entrance  there  to  a  delightful,  unfading  recollection.  And  here,  sur- 
rounded by  an  elegant  sufficiency,  his  welcome  and  kindly  greeting,  made  more  marked 
by  his  patriarchal  form,  gave  a  happiness  to  the  wayfarers  which  made  life  sweeter  and 
helped  dissipate  earthly  disappointments. 

Mr.  Erickson's  death,  which  took  place  January  27th,  1880,  called  sincere  tributes 
to  his  honored.  Christian  character.  His  unostentatious  charities  were  somewhat  divulged ; 
his  offerings  to  the  Rochester  City  hospital ;  his  unexepected  gift  in  the  winter  of  1869  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  flour  to  the  sick  poor,  through  the  Female  Charitable  society; 
his  friendly  help  to  the  young  desiring  education  ;  to  others  seeking  start  in  business  life; 
to  help  needy,  humble  friends ;  and.  in  a  manner  delicate  and  unobtrusive,  all  these 
were  recounted  with  warm  recollections  of  the  well  proportioned  outlines  in  strength  and 
kindliness  of  their  benefactor's  life. 

Such  a  man  was  Aaron  Erickson,  fearless,  just,  merciful. 


GEORGE  ELLWANGER.  The  hfe  and  character  of  Mr.  George  Ellwanger  illus- 
trate the  truth  that  an  honorable  and  successful  career  —  one  that  wins  domestic 
happiness,  sincere  friendships,  public  confidence  and  private  esteem,  —  in  a  word,  every- 
thing that  renders  life  desirable,  is  the  result,  in  most  cases,  not  so  much  of  great  genius 
and  brilliant  intellectual  gifts,  as  of  early  training,  persevering  industry,  integrity  of  pur- 
pose and  a  sincere  regard  for  virtue  and  purity  of  life.  These  qualities  command  respect 
and  deserve  success,  and  generally  gain  them. 

Mr.  Ellwanger  was  born  December  2d,  1816,  at  Gross- Heppach,  in  the  Remsthal, 
one  of  the  many  beautiful  valleys  that  extend  in  everj'  direction  through  the  kingdom 
of  Wurtemberg  in  Germany,  called  the  "  Garden  of  the  Fatherland."  In  accordance  with 
the  law  and  practice  in  his  native  country,  he  passed  the  period  of  his  youth  at  school. 
The  intervals  of  study,  vacations,  etc.-,  he  spent  with  his  father  and  brothers  in  the 
vineyards' which  constituted  the  family  patrimony,  the  raising  of  grapes  and  manufacture 
of  wine  being  the  chief  sources  of  revenue  and  support  for  the  inhabitants  of  this  favored 
valley. 

The  love  of  nature  and  taste  for  flowers  and  horticultural  pursuits  that  was  developed 
by  the  associations  and  occupations  of  his  home  decided  him  to  learn,  practically  and 
scientifically,  all  that  was  possible  relating  to  plants  and  flowers,  fruits,  shrubs,  soils,  etc. 
Accordingly,  he  entered  a  leading  horticultural  establishment  at  Stuttgart,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years  till  he  had  perfected  himself  in  all  the  arts  of  horticulture  and  land- 
scape gardening. 

This  education  constituted  his  whole  capital,  his  "stock  in  trade."  He  then  sought 
a  proper  sphere  for  its  profitable  use.  His  intelligent  mind  was  quick  to  profit  by  the 
information,  then  first  spreading  in  Germany,  of  the  great  possibilities  of  the  New  world. 
The  limit  for  achievement  in  the  Fatherland  no  longer  satisfied  his  restless,  growing 
ambition ;  and  he  resolved  to  leave  old  friends  and  home  and  make  his  career  and  win 


George  Ellwanger.  7°! 


fortune  and  distinction,  if  possible,  in  America.  He  sailed  for  this  country  and  arrived 
in  New  York  in  1835.  He  did  not  come  as  a  parasite,  to  live  off  its  bounty,  but  brought 
with  him  the  wealth  of  a  strong  purpose,  well  disciplined  mind  and  habits,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  was  to  help  develop  the  resources  of  the  country  of  his  adoption.  Pushing 
westward  he  settled  first  in  Ohio,  at  Tiffin,  then  a  mere  hamlet,  but  now  a  large  and 
flourishing  city.  His  expectations  not  being  fully  realised  at  this  point,  he  recalled  the 
many  attractive  towns  lie  had  passed  on  his  way  through  Central  New  York.  Among 
them  Rochester  had  most  favorably  impressed  him,  from  its  beauty  of  location,  its  thrifty 
vegetation  and  apparently  prosperous  condition. 

The  wisdom  of  his  resolution  to  settle  here  has  been  amply  proved  by  the  results. 
He  did  not  wait  until  tlie  position  he  most  desired  presented  itself,  but  accepted  the 'first 
occupation  that  offered,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1835,  entered  the  horticultural  estab- 
lishment of  Reynolds  &  Bateham.  From  his  industry,  his  quick  perception  of  the  re- 
quirements of  such  a  business,  and  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  modus  operandi  oi\iX<y^- 
agation,  etc.,  he  was  intrusted  with  tlie  entire  management  of  the  establishment.  In 
1839  he  began  business  for  himself  He  saw  the  opening  offered  in  this  then  new  coun- 
try, for  planting  fruit  and  ornamental  trees,  and  bought  out  the  horticultural  establish- 
ment of  Reynolds  &  Bateham,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Rochester.  He  also  purchased 
eight  acres  of  land  on  Mt!  Hope  avenue,  the  soil  being  in  its  primitive  state,  and  natur- 
ally well  suited  to  the  growth  of  nursery  stock.  This  was  the  commencement  of  the 
Mt.  Hope  nurseries,  so  widely  known,  and  so  justly  celebrated,  and  now  covering  nearly 
600  acres  in  extent. 

Seeking  then,  as  always  and  everywhere  since,  for  all  kinds  of  information  relating 
to  the  propagation  of  fruits  and  flowers,  Mr.  Ellwanger  examined  the  lists  of  the  few 
horticulturists  to  be  found  in  the  United  States.  From  that  of  Mr.  Kendrick,  near  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  he  riiade  his  first  collection  of  fruit  trees  from  which  to  cultivate  and  sell 
specimen  stock.     This,  he  often  says,  proved  one  of  his  "  best  investments." 

In  1840  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  his  present  partner,  Mr.  Barry;  and  their 
views  being  in  accord,  they  entered  into  a  copartnership  which  has  continued  without 
interruption  ever  since. 

Mr.  Ellwanger  made  many  business  trips  to  Europe  in  the  interest  of  his  establish- 
ment, collecting  trees  and  plants  previously  unknown  in  this  country,  thus  advancing 
public  taste  and  greatly  enlarging  the  scope  of  his  business.  He  imported  the  first  dwarf 
apples  and  i)ears,  and  drew  public  attention,  prominendy,  to  the  advantages  of  growing 
fruit  trees  with  low  heads,  in  contrast  to  the  old  method  of  pruning  away  the  lower 
branches. 

Mr.  Ellwanger  has  been  a  constant  student  and  careful  observer  of  all  that  has  been 
written  and  accomplished  in  horticulture,  and  has  visited  all  the  best  establishments  in 
the  Old  world.  He  has  introduced,  grown,  and  disseminated  a  greater  number  and 
variety  of  trees  throughout  the  United  States,  than  any  other  person.  In  this  way  he 
has  added  greatly  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  living,  and  shown  what  taste  and 
refinement  can  accomplish  in  embellishing  our  American  homes. 

Immediately  after  the  formation  of  the  partnership  of  Ellwanger  &  Barry,  the  united 
enterprise  of  these  two  gentlemen  projected  and  put  into  execution  numerous  other 
business  plans.  The  Toronto  nurseries,  in  Canada,  were  established  by  them,  and,  later, 
the  Columbus  nurseries,  in  Ohio,  both  of  which'  have  since  become  famous. 


702  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Through  extensive  correspondence  with  leading  horticulturists  in  Europe,  the  house 
of  EUwanger  &  Barry  has  been  enabled  to  add  everything  valuable,  new  or  old,  suited 
to  our  climate,  to  their  own  constantly  increasing  collections.  Nothing  has  been  spared 
in  time,  money  and  pains  to  make  the  Mt.  Hope  nurseries  the  most  complete  and  largest 
in  the  world,  and  worthy  of  the  famed  valley  of  the  Genesee,  called  the  "  Garden  of  the 
great  state  of  New  York."  They  were  the  first  in  this  country  to  plant  complete  col- 
lections of  fruit  trees  to  propagate  from,  and  produce  new  varieties.  This  system  has 
been  continued  till  their  specimen  grounds  are  of  very  large  extent.  They  have  also  a 
complete  arboretum  for  their  own  personal  satisfaction,  and  .serving,  at  the  same  time,  as 
a  school  for  their  friends  and  patrons.  Most  of  the  old  orchards  of  choice. fruit,  in  the 
western  states  and  California,  have  been  furnished  by  this  establishment.  For  many 
years  nurserymen  in  all  parts  of  the  country  were  supplied  from  it,  and  its  productions 
are  in  demand  all  over  the  world.  They  make  shipments  to  Europe,  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  Japan,  and  even  to  Jerusalem.  The  Japanese  government  honored  it  with  an 
unlimited  order  for  a  complete  collection  of  fruit  trees,  shrubs  and  plants,  to  be  accom- 
panied also  by  a  horticultural  instructor. 

-  Rochester  had  previously  only  been  known  as  a  city  at  the  falls  of  the  Genesee,  with 
a  good  water-power  turning  the  wheels  of  a  dozen  mills  for  grinding  wheat,  and  ambi- 
tiously called  the  "  Flour  city."  But  the  constantly  extending  fame  of  the  horticultural 
establishment  of  Messrs.  EUwanger  &  Barry,  first,  and  chiefly,  attracted  the  attention  of 
people  of  taste  and  refinement,  at  home  and  abroad,  to  visit  their  extensive  grounds 
and  conservatories.  These  visitors,  witnessing  the  effects  produced  in  this  city,  by  sur- 
rounding the  homes  scattered  along  its  well  shaded  avenues,  with  beautifully  planted 
grounds,  gave  it  the  more  appropriate  name  of  the  "  Flower  city." 

When  Messrs.  EUwanger  &  Barry  first  established  their  nurseries  in  Rochester,  money 
was  scarce,  trade  was  limited,  and  there  were  no  manufactories  to  attract  labor  and  create 
wealth.  But  their  business  soon  expanded  into  a  vast  industrial  establishment,  employ- 
ing several  hundred  hands.  These  had  to  be  housed,  and  provided  with  all  the  require- 
ments of  life,  and  the  money  earned,  and  paid  out  for  labor,  soon  circulated  among  the 
merchants,  and  gave  new  life  to  business.  The  enterprise  of  this  establishment,  and  the 
industry  and  economy  of  its  employees,  showed  a  most  beneficent  result  in  the  numerous 
comfortable  homes  that,  year  after  year,  were  planted  around,  and  encroached  upon  the 
grounds  of  the  Mt.  Hope  nurseries.  Most  of  these  were  built  for  the  employees  by  Messrs. 
EUwanger  &  Barry  on  easy  terms  of  payment  that  encouraged  saving  by  their  workmen, 
in  the  prospect  of  soon  possessing  homes  of  their  own.  Many  more  costly  houses  of 
tasteful  architecture  have  been  built  by  the  firm,  on  streets  laid  out  and  improved  by 
themselves,  bordering  the  grounds  of  their  large  estate. 

For  a  long  time  Mr.  EUwanger  has  been  identified  with  the  banking  interests  of  the 
city,  having  been  successively  director  in  the  Union  bank,  the  Flour  City  bank,  and 
trustee  in  the  Monroe  County  savings  bank,  and  the  Safe  Deposit  company,  since  their 
organisation.  He  is  also  a  director  in  the  Rochester  Gas  company,  and  in  the  Rochester 
&  Brighton  street  railroad  company.  He  and  his  partner,  Mr.  Barry,  own  half  the  stock 
of  this  latter  company,  and  it  has  been  pushed  forward  with  great  rapidity,  till  its  tracks 
run  to  every  part  of  the  city,  and  are  constantly  extending,  as  the  increase  of  population 
in  new  sections,  renders  it  necessary.  The  money  he  has  given,  without  ostentation  or 
publicity,  to  churches,  charitable  institutions,  schools,  etc.,  of  Rochester  would  amount 


George  Ellwanger.  703 


to  many  thousands,  and  would  surprise  those  accustomed  to  see  gifts  and  bequests  pa- 
raded before  public  attention.  His  many  acts  of  personal  kindness,  and  generosity  to 
friends,  are  known  only  to  those  who  have  been  the  recipients  of  them. 

While  Mr.  Ellwanger  has  been  looked  upon  as  a  successful  and  accomplished  horti- 
culturist, and  has  kept  the  details  of  this  vast  business  always  well  in  hand,  as  also 
of  various  other  business  enterprises  that  have  occupied  his  attention  and  helped  him  in 
the  accumulation  of  his  large  fortune,  he  has  found  time  for  extensive  reading,  study  and 
intercourse  with  the  most  intelligent  men  of  the  day.  Not  only  is  he  familiar  with  the 
rich  literature  and  varied  and  interesting  history  of  his  own  country,  Germany,  but  he  is 
well  informed  in  the  political,  social  and  financial  history  and  literature  of  America,  and 
has  kept  pace  with  the  scientific  discoveries,  inventions  and  improvements  of  the  times. 
In  architecture  his  taste  is  carefully  correct,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  best  methods  for 
building  is  as  good  as  that  of  professional  architects  and  builders.  He  has  a  fine  artistic 
sense,  a  critical  judgment  and  practised  eye,  in  ancient  and  modern  art,  formed  by  fre- 
quent visits  to  the  most  celebrated  galleries  and  studios  in  Europe ;  during  his  travels 
abroad  he  has  purchased  many  fine  original  paintings  and  pieces  of  statuary. 

As  a  citizen  of  Rochester  Mr.  Ellwanger  has  constantly  exercised  a  helpful  and 
elevating  influence  on  its  material  prosperity  and  busine.ss  integrity.  He  is  always  ac- 
tive and  prominent  in  every  public  enterprise,  giving  freely  of  his  time  and  means,  if  the 
object  is  to  promote  the  general  good. 

In  1846  Mr.  Ellwanger  married  a  daughter  of  General  Micah  Brooks,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Western  New  York.  Four  sons  were  born  of  this  marriage,  who  received  the 
advantages  of  education  afforded  in  the  best  schools  and  colleges  of  this  country,  and 
of  extended  study  and  travel  in  Europe. 

Breadth  of  culture,  variety  of  knowledge,  and  experience  and  contact  with  the  world, 
especially  with  refined,  cultivated  people,  and  correct,  moral  principles,-  have  always 
been,  in  Mr.  EUwanger's  opinion,  the  surest  foundation  for  usefulness  and  success  in  life. 
These  lessons  he  has  always  inculcated  in  the  minds  of  his  children,  and  his  rapidly  ac- 
cumulating fortune  has  been  freely  used  in  procuring  for  them  these  advantages.  The 
same  satisfactory  results  have  followed  his  ambition  for  his  children  that  have  come  from 
his  business  enterprises. 

The  eldest  son,  George  H.  Ellwanger,  is  a  gentleman  of  extensive  and  varied 
literary  accomplishments,  and  he  was,  till  recently,  the  editor  of  the  Rochester  Post- 
Express. 

The  second  son,  the  late  Henry  B.  Ellwanger,  ranked  with  the  first  horticulturists  of 
the  day  in  scientific  attainments,  and  was  widely  known  in  Europe  and  America  for  his 
interesting  and  instructive  writings  upon  rose  culture. 

The  third  son,  William  D.  Ellwanger,  after  graduating  at  Yale  college,  and  the 
Albany  law  school,  has  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in  this  city. 

The  youngest  son,  Edward  S.  Ellwanger,  is  possessed  of  literary  tastes,  and  is 
engaged  in  the  book  trade. 

In  his  social  and  domestic  life  Mr.  Ellwanger  is  genial  and  entertaining,  and  is  never 
happier  than  when  he  welcomes  his  friends  to  his  'beautiful  home.  This  is  always  a 
scene  of  the  most  generous  and  gracious  hospitality.  People  of  cultivation  and  distinc- 
tion are  constantly  received  and  entertained  by  him,  with  a  refined  and  graceful  courtesy 
that  gives  an  added  pleasure  to  social  intercourse. 


704  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

In  the  attainment  of  his  ambitions  he  has  added  to  the  wealth,  and  increased  the  at- 
tractiveness, of  the  city  of  his  adoption.  The  avarice  of  accumulating  and  hoarding 
material  wealth,  he  has  been  quick  to  see,  enriches  no  one ;  while  a  selfish  absorption  of 
the  property  and  labor  of  others,  without  the  just  return  which  leaves  every  man  with 
capital  and  means  equal  to  his  ability  and  opportunities,  impoverishes  both  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  community,  and  reacts  on  those  whose  only  conception  of  riches  is  to 
possess  all  themselves. 

In  how  many  respects,  and  how  beneficially,  his  fine  taste,  his  practiced  eye  and 
skilled  hand  have  turned  the  waste  places  —  the  highways  and  byways  —  into  teeming 
fields  and  blooming  gardens,  those  have  seen,  who  have  stood  with  him  on  the  elevation 
south  of  Rochester  and  looked  at  the  extensive  vineyards  he  has  planted,  and  fields  of 
grain  sweeping  southward  that  he  annually  cultivates,  and  hundreds  of  acres  of  fruit 
trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers  he  has  planted  in  this  section. 

Those  who  have  known  him  through  the  busy,  active  years,  during  which  he  has  ac- 
complished so  much  work,  and  amassed  a  princely  fortune,  have  seen  how  strongly  he 
has  impressed  his  character  on  the  business  enterprises  of  Rochester,  and  reflected  his 
taste  for  out-of-door  adornment  on  this  thriving  and  prosperous  city.  His  vigorous,  and 
determined  purpose,  have  made  him  one  of  the  foremost  among  our  citizens,  and  won  for 
him  the  distinction  of  being  universally  respected  and  honored;  While  active  and  suc- 
cessful in  business,  however,  he  has  retained  his  early  love  for  nature,  and  his  faith  in  the 
precept  that  "  much  of  the  purest  happiness  of  life  is  found  in  active  employment  in 
the  garden." 

Whatever  else  he  has  createdj  or  become,  he  has  always  remained  the  true  artist 
among  flowers  —  a  landscape  gardener  without  a  superior,  his  skill  in  creating  an  effective 
picture  rivaling  that  of  the  best  landscape  painter.  Indeed,  his  knowledge  of  the  har- 
mony and  contrasts  of  color,  of  light,  and  shade,  of  distance  and  perspective,  and  their 
proper  treatment  for  producing  fine  effects,  in  a  given  space,  enables  him  to  paint  the 
lawn  with  nature's  actual  colors,  and  dispose  the  trees,  shrubs,  and  plants  —  even  the 
sky  itself,  with  its  gleams  of  light  and  depths  of  shadow  —  into  pictures,  as  pleasing  to 
the  eye,  and  satisfying  to  the  taste,  as  the  most  accomplished  artist  can  put  on  canvas. 
Downing  was  a  genius  in  landscape  art,  and  Mr.  EUwanger  seems  also  to  have  been  en- 
dowed with  this  rare  gift,  fostered  and  nourished  among  the  hills,  and  valleys  and  varied 
and  beautiful  scenery  of  his  native  land. 

Some  twenty  years  since  the  writer  of  this  sketch  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  an 
extended  tour  of  travel  with  the  subject  of  it,  through  the  states  of  Germany.  We 
went  along  the  Nekar  and  Rhine  valleys,  to  Frankfort,  the  great  commercial  center 
where  the  Rothschild  family  originated,  and  on  to  the  picturesque  region  of  Eisenach 
and  the  Wartburg,  to  Leipzig,  and  thence  to  the  art  city  of  Dresden.  We  spent  a  week 
at  Berlin,  the  ambitious  city  extending  along  the  banks  of  the  river  Spree,  and  then 
went  to  Potsdam,  visiting  the  numerous  palaces  and  villas  of  Prussian  kings  and  queens. 
Everywhere  Mr.  EUwanger  was  an  intelligent  and  instructive  companion.  The  art, 
history,  associations,  political  and  social  condition  of  Germany  were  subjects  on  which 
he  was  as  well  informed  as  if  he  had  not  already  been  twenty  years  a  citizen  of  the 
New  world.  At  Munich,  then  first  developing  into  the  great  art  emporium  of  Germany, 
his  appreciation  and  enthusiasm  for  its  new  schools  of  modern  art  gave  him  great 
pleasure  in  visiting  the  royal  galleries,  and  the  studios  of  the  best  living  masters. 


//.  j.L^^^u^ 


.■  ,    r.  lI,..  I......     -c'-'  ■■•■ 


George  Ellw anger.  —  Halbert  Stevens  Greenleaf.         70S 

From  Stuttgart,  the  capital  of  Wurtemberg,  we  went,  during  the  October  vintage,  to 
the  Remsthal,  the  early  home  of  Mr.  Ellwanger.  Here  it  was  easy  to  realize  how  ):he 
scenes  and  incidents  surrounding  his  youth,  had  influenced  his  whole  life  and  character,  in 
America  —  how,  in  his  case,  "the  child"  was  emphatically  "the  father  of  the  man." 
The  peaceful  spirit  of  rural  life  reigns  in  this  beautiful  valley.  Hills  covered  with  the 
lavish  bounties  of  nature  hem  it  in,  and  purple  mists,  and  gray  shadows,  fall  deep  into 
the  furrows  between  them.  We  climbed  up,  through  the  vineyards,  meeting  the  vin- 
tagers bearing  the  luscious  fruit  to  the  wine-press.  At  the  summit  we  walked  along  the 
crest  of  the  hills,  among  a  profusion  and  variety  of  flowers  growing  wild,  and  free,  such 
as  only  the  most  careful  culture  could  produce,  in  a  less  favored  locality.  From  this 
elevation  we  looked  across  the  smiling  valleys  below,  and  down  upon  the  scenes  that 
had  been  the  daily  contemplation  of  the  child,  and  the  cherished  remembrance  of  the 
man,  in  maturer  years.  The  industry  and  thrift,  apparent  on  every  hand,  had  become 
both  precept  and  example  with  him ;  and  united  with  taste,  ambition  and  ardent  love 
of  nature,  had  enabled  him  to  repeat  these  pictures  of  surpassing  beauty,  in  his  work 
as  a  landscape  artist,  and  to  attain  so  honorable  and  prominent  a  postion,  in  the  land 
of  his  adoption. 


HON.  HAI.BERT  STEVENS  GREENLEAF,  of  Rochester,  member  of  the  Forty- 
eighth  Congress  of  the  United  States,  representing  the  thirtieth  congressional 
district  of  New  York,  was  born  in  Guilford,  Vermont,  April  12,  1827.  The  descent  of 
the  Greenleaf  family  of  New  England  "  is  undoubtedly  to  be  traced,"  says  the  com- 
piler of  the  Greenleaf  genealogy,  "from  the  Huguenots,  who,  when  persecuted  for  their 
religion,  fled  from  France  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century."  The  name  was 
originally  Fuillevert,  anglicised  Greenleaf,  in  which  form  it  occurs  in  England  towards 
the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  common  ancestor  of  the  Greenleaf  family  of 
America  was  Edward  Greenleaf,  a  silk  dyer  by  trade,  who  was  .born  in  the  parish  of 
Brixham,  in  the  county  of  Devonshire,  England,  about  the  year  1600.  He  married 
Sarah  Dole,  by  whom  he  had  several  children  in  England,  and  with  his  wife  and  family 
came  to  this  country,  settling  first  in  Newbury  and  afterwards  in  Boston,  Mass.,  where 
he  died  in  1671.  A  number  of  the  family  have  distinguished  themselves  in  New  Eng- 
land by  their  intellectual  attainments,  which  have  been  of  a  high  order.  One  of  these, 
Jeremiah  Greenleaf,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  author  of  what  was 
known  as  Greenleaf  s  Grammar,  and  devoted  a  large  part  of  his  life  to  study,  author- 
ship, and  instruction  in  this  special  branch  of  education.  He  was  also  the  author  of 
Greenleaf  s  Gazetteer,  and  Greenleaf  s  Atlas,  both  excellent  works  of  their  kind,  and 
highly  esteemed  at  the  time  they  appeared.  True  to  his  instincts  and  patriotism  as  a 
"Green  Mountain  boy,"  Jeremiah  Greenleaf  took  an  active  part  in  the  war  of  1812, 
enlisting  as  a  private  and  winning  his  commission  as  an  officer.  He  married  Miss 
Elvira  E.  Stevens,  the  daughter  of  Simon  Stevens,  M.  D.,  of  Guilford,  Vermont  —  "a 
true  and  noble  woman,  of  no  small  degree  of  culture."  Thus  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
combines  in  his  nature,  as  in  his  name,  the  elements  of  two  characteristic  New  England 
families  of  the  old  school.  His  career  has  been  in  many  respects  a  most  varied  and 
remarkable  one.  The  son  of  educated  parents,  it  was  quite  natural  that  he  should 
receive  a  good  education,  which  was  received    in  part,  of  course,  at   home,  and   in 


7o6  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

part  at  the  common  schools  and  academy  of  his  native  New  England.  His  boy,- 
hood  and  youth  were  spent  in  farm  life,  but  from  his  nineteenth  to  his  twenty-third 
year,  he  taught  district  and  grammar  schools  in  the  winter  months,  and  during  one 
season  —  so  as  to  add  as  much  as  possible  to  his  funds — worked  in  a  country  brick- 
yard. At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  made  a  six  month's  sea  voyage  in  the  whaling 
vessel,  Lewis  Bruce,  serving  before  the  mast  as  a  common  sailor.  On  the  24th  of 
June,  1852,  shortly  after  his  return  from  sea,  he  married  Miss  Jeannie  F.  Brooks,  the 
youngest  daughter  of  John  Brooks,  M.  D.,  of  Bernardston,  Mass.,  and,  in  the  month  of 
September  following,  removed  to  Shelburne  Falls,  Mass.,  where  he  obtained  employ- 
ment as  a  day  laborer  at  the  bench  in  a  large  cutlery  establishment.  A  few  months  after 
engaging  in  this  work,  he  found  a  position  in  the  office  of  a  neighboring  manufactory, 
and  in  a  short  time  became  manager  of  its  growing  business,  and  subsequently  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Miller  &  Greenleaf  On  the  nth  of  March,  1856,  he  was  commis- 
sioned by  the  governor  of  Massachusetts  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  one  of  the 
youngest,  if  not  the  youngest,  magistrate  in  the  state  not  a  member  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession. In  1857,  a  military  company  having  been  formed  in  Shelburne  Falls,  the 
young  men  composing  it  selected  Mr.  Greenleaf  as  their  captain,  and  he  continued  in 
command  of  the  organisation  from  the  29th  of  August  in  that  year,  until  the  3d  of 
March,  1859,  when,  owing  to  pressure  of  business  duties,  he  resigned  his  captain's  com- 
mission. The  same  year  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Linus  Yale,  jr.  &  Co., 
in  Philadelphia,  and  went  to  that  city  to  live,  remaining  in  business  there  until  1861, 
when  he  returned  to  Shelburne  Falls,  and  organised  the  Yale  &  Greenleaf  Lock  com- 
pany, of  which  he  became  business  manager.  Making  the  best  disposition  he  could  of 
his  business,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Union  army  in  August,  1862,  entering 
the  52d  Massachusetts  regiment,  to  the  organising  and  recruiting  of  which  he  devoted 
both  his  money  and  energy.  He  was  commissioned  captain  of  Co.  E,  September  12th, 
1862,  and,  on  the  13th  of  October,  was  unanimously  elected  colonel  of  the  regiment, 
which  was  soon  afterwards  ordered  into  service  under  General  Banks,  in  the  department 
of  the  Gulf  During  Banks's  first  Red  River  expedition  Colonel  Greenleaf  was  com- 
mandant of  the  post  at  Barre's  Landing,  Louisiana,  and  for  a  brief  period  in  command 
of  the  second  brigade  of  Grover's  division.  At  the  head  of  his  regiment  he  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Lidian  Ridge,  and  performed  gallant  service  at  Jackson  Cross  Roads; 
and  in  the  grand  assault  on  Port  Hudson,  June  14th,  1863,  and  in  the  subsequent  siege 
operations  resulting  in  the  surrender  of  that  important  confederate  .stronghold,  he  bore 
a  conspicuous  part,  and  distinguished  himself  by  his  coolness,  judgment,  and  bravery. 
The  following  brief  extracts  from  the  pages  of  the  graphic  little  work  entitled  The  Color 
Guard,  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  James  K.  Hosmer,  a  member  of  the  52d  Massachusetts 
regiment,  attests  the  gallant  service  of  that  corps,  and  the  bravery  of  its  commander,  to 
whom  the  volume  is  inscribed,  as  follows:  "To  Halbert  Stevens  Greenleaf,  late  Colonel 
of  the  52d  Regiment,  Massachusetts  Volunteers,  a  resolute  soldier  and  noble  man,  this 
volume  is  respectfully  inscribed  by  one  who  has  witnessed  his  courage  and  experienced 
his  goodness."  The  author,  (now  professor  of  English  and  German  literature,  Wash- 
ington university,  St.  Louis,  Mo.)  is  describing  the  operations  of  the  command  on  those 
eventful  days  in  June,  and  thus  graphically  pictures  its  share  in  the  assault  on  Port 
Hudson :  — 

"Toward  the  end  of  that  Saturday  (June  13th,  1863)  afternoon,  the  explicit  orders  came.     The  as- 
sault was  to  be  made  the  next  morning,  and  our  regiment  was  to  have  a  share  in  it.     Before  dark  we 


Halbert  Stevens  Greenleaf.  707 

were  ordered  into  line,  and  stacked  our  arms.  Each  captain  made  a  little  speech.  'No  talking  in  the 
ranks  ;  no  flinching.  Let  every  one  see  that  his  canteen  is  full,  and  that  he  has  hard  bread  enough  for  a 
day.  That  is  all  you  will  carry  beside  gun  and  equipments.'  We  left  the  guns  in  the  stack, 
polished  and  ready  to  be  caught  on  the  instant,  and  lay  down  under  trees.  At  midnight  came  the  cooks 
with  coffee  and  warm  food.  Soon  after  came  the  order  to  move;  then  slowly  with  many  halts,  nearly 
five  hundred  strong,  we  took  up  our  route  along  the  wood  paths.  At  length  it  was  daybreak;  and, 
with  every  new  shade  of  light  in  the  east,  a  new  degree  of  energy  was  imparted  to  the  cannonade.  As 
we  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  wood,  it  was  roar  on  all  sides.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  motion  again. 
We  crossed  a  little  bridge  over  a  brook  thickly  covered  with  cotton  to  conceal  the  tramp  of  men,  and 
noise  of  wheels ;  climbed  a  steep  pitch,  and  entered  a  trench  or  military  road  cut  through  a  ravine, 
passing  some  freshly  made  rifle-pits  and  batteries.  We  were  now  only  screened  from  the  rebel  works 
by  a  thin  hedge.  Here  the  rifle  balls  began  to  cut  keen  and  sharp  through  the  air  about  us;  and  the 
cannonade,  ,as  the  east  now  began  to  redden,  reached  its  height  —  a  continual  deafening  uproar,  hurling 
the  air  against  one  in  great  waves,  till  it  felt  almost  like  a  wall  of  rubber,  bounding  and  rebounding 
from  the  body — the  great  guns  of  the  Kichmond,  the  siege-Parrots,  the  smaller  field  batteries ;  and, 
through  all,  the  bursting  of  the  shells,  within  the  rebel  lines,  and  the  keen,  deadly  whistle  of  well- 
aimed  bullets.  A  few  rods  down  the  military  road  the  column  paused.  The  work  of  death  had  begun ; 
for  ambulance  men  were  bringing  back  the  wounded ;  and,  almost  before  we  had  time  to  think  we  were 
in  danger,  I  saw  one  of  our  men  fall  back  into  the  arms  of  his  comrade,  shot  dead  through  the  chest. 
The  banks  of  the  ravine  rose  on  either  side  of  the  road  in  which  we  had  halted ;  but  just  here  the 
trench  made  a  turn  ;  and  in  front,  at  the  distance  of  five  or  six  hundred  yards,  we  could  plainly  see  the 
rebel  rampart,  red  in  the  morning  light  as  with  blood,  and  shrouded  in  white  vapor  along  the  edge  as 
the  sharji-shooters  behind  kept  up  an  incessant  discharge.  Between  us  and  the  brown  earth-heap, 
which  we  are  to  try  to  gain  to-day,  the  space  is  not  wide  ;  but  it  is  cut  up  in  every  direction  with 
ravines  and  gullies.  These  were  covered,  until  the  parapet  was  raised,  with  a  heavy  growth  of  tim- 
ber; but  now  it  has  all  been  cut  down,  so  that  in  every  direction  the  falling  tops  of  large  trees  inter- 
lace, trunks  block  up  every  passage,  and  brambles  are  growing  over  the  whole.  It  is  out  of  the 
question  to  advance  here  in  line  of  battle;  it  seems  almost  out  of  the  question  to  advance  in  any  order; 
but  the  word  is  given,  '  Forward  ! '  and  on  we  go.  Know  that  this  whole  space  is  swept  by  a  con- 
stant patter  of  balls  ;  it  is  really  a  'leaden  rain.'  We  go  crawling  and  stooping;  but  now  and  then  be- 
fore us  rises  in  plain  view  the  line  of  earthworks,  smoky  and  sulphurous  with  volleys ;  while  all  about 
us  fall  the  balls,  now  sending  a  lot  of  little  splinters  from  a  stump,  now  knocking  the  dead  wood  out 
of  the  old  tree-trunk  tliat  is  sheltering  me,  now  driving  up  a  cloud  of  dust  from  a  little  knoll,  or  cut- 
ting off  the  head  of  a  weed  just  under  the  hand  as  with  an  invisible  knife.  I  see  one  of  our  best  cap- 
tains carried  off  the  field,  mortally  wounded,  shot  through  both  lungs,  —  straight,  bright-eyed,  though 
so  sadly  hurt,  supported  by  two  of, his  men;  and  now  almost  at  my  side,  in  the  color  company,  one 
soldier  is  struck  in  the  hand,  and  another  in  the  leg.  'Forward  !  '  is  the  order.  We  all  stoop;  but  llie 
colonel  dots  not  sloop  ;  he  is  as  cool  as  he  was  in  his  tent  last  night  when  I  saw  him  drink  iced  lemon- 
ade. He  turns  now  to  examine  the  ground,  then  faces  back  again  to  direct  the  advance  of  this  or  that 
flank." 

Continuing  liis  description  of  the  sub.sequent  siege  operations,  Professor  Hosmer 
adds : — 

"  We  advanced  in  the  battle  as  skirmishers,  as  I  have  written  ;  and  when  the  roar  and  heat  were 
over,  and  the  tide  of  federal  energy  and  valor  had  ebbed  again  from  off  the  field  —  leaving  it  wet  with 
red  pools  and  strewn  with  bloody  drift  — it  was  given  to  our  brigade  to  stay  in  our  steps,  to  hold  the 
tangled  ravines  and  slopes  we  had  conquered  under  the  daily  and  nightly  volleys  of  the  Mississippi, 
Alabama,  and  Arkansas  regiments,  who,  we  hear,  hold  the  breastwork  in  our  front.  Now  and  then 
we  lose  a  man,  killed  or  wounded,  l)Ut  we  believe  our  loss  would  have  been  quadrupled,  were  it  not 
that  our  colonel  has  handled  his  command  so  prudently  and  skillfully." 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  military  service,  Col.  Greenleaf  was  offered,  and  ac- 
cepted, the  command  of  the  government  steamer  Col.  Benedict,  on  the  lovcer  Mississippi. 
Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  took  charge  of  the  extensive  salt  works  on  Petite  Anse 
Isle,  St.  Mary's  parish,  Louisiana.  In  June,  1867,  he  removed  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and, 
the  ist  of  July  following,  the  firm  of  Sarg«nt  &   Greenleaf,  of  which  he  is  the  junior 


7o8  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

member,  was  organised.  The  firm  of  Sargent  &  Greenleaf  manufacture,  under  patents 
held  by  them,  magnetic,  automatic,  chronometer,  and  other  burglar  locks ;  combination 
safe  locks,  padlocks,  drawer,  trunk,  house,  chest,  store,  door,  and  other  locks,  night- 
latches,  etc.,  and  so  successful  has  the  firm  been,  that  to-day  their  locks  of  every 
description  have  made  their  way  to  every  part  of  the  civilised  world.  The  factory  in 
which  the  locks  are  made  consists  of  a  main  building  three  stories  in  height  by  125  feet 
in  length,  and  an  extensive  foundry  adjoining,  and  is  one  of  the  best  organised  and 
most  thriving  in  Rochester.  The  tools  and  machinery  used  by  the  firm  are  highly  valu- 
able; nearly  all  having  been  made  for,  and  expressly  adapted  to,  their  use.  In  the 
presidential  campaign  of  1880  Colonel  Greenleaf  devoted  himself  with  energy  to  the 
support  of  General  Hancock,  the  Democratic  caiylidate,  and  organised  and  commanded 
the  ''  Hancock  Brigade"  —  a  political  military  organisation  opposed  to  the  Republican 
organisation  of  similar  character,  knowns  as  the  "  Boys  in  Blue."  In  the  early  part  of 
February,  1882,  he  was  elected  commander  of  the  First  New  York  veteran  brigade, 
with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  unanimously  reelected  to  that  position  in  Janu- 
ary, 1883.  He  is  likewise  president  of  the  military  organisation  in  Rochester,  known 
as  the  "  Greenleaf  Guard,"  which  was  named  after  him,  and  which  is  composed  of  an 
active  corps  of  sixty-five  young  men  of  the  highest  respectabihty,  and  an  honorary  corps 
of  one  hundred  of  the  leading  busine.ss  men  of  that  city.  It  is  a  uniformed  and  well- 
disciplined  command,  and  is  organised  as  a  battalion  of  two  companies.  Although  he 
did  not  seek  the  honor,  in  the  fall  of  1882  the  Democratic  Congressional  convention, 
for  the  30th  district,  at  Rochester,  nominated  Col.  Greenleaf  for  Congress  by  acclama- 
tion, and  he  was  elected  to  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  as  a  Democrat,  receiving  18,042 
votes,  against  12,038  for  John  Van  Voorhis,  Republican,  and  1,419  for  Gordon, 
Prohibitionist. 


HON.  HIRAM  SIBLEY,  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  a  man  of  national  reputation  as 
the  originator  of  great  enterprises,  and  as  the  most  extensive  farmer  and  seedsman 
in  this  country,  was  born  at  North  Adams,  Berkshire  county  Mass.,  February  6th,  1807, 
and  is  the  second  son  of  Benjamin  and  Zilpha  (Davis)  Sibley.  Benjamin  was  the  son 
of  Timothy  Sibley,  of  Sutton,  Mass.,  who  was  the  father  of  fifteen  children  —  twelve 
sons  and  three  daughters :  eight,  of  these,  including  Benjamin,  lived  to  the  aggregate 
age  of  677  years,  an  average  of  about  seventy-five  years  and  three  months.  From  the 
most  unpromising  beginnings,  without  education,  Hiram  Sibley  has  risen  to  a  position 
of  usefulness  and  affluence.  His  youth  was  passed  among  his  native  hills.  He  was  a 
mechanical  genius  by  nature.  Banter  with  a  neighboring  shoemaker  led  to  his  attempt 
to  make  a  shoe  on  the  spot,  and  he  was  at  once  placed  on  the  shoemaker's  bench.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  migrated  to  the  Genesee  valley,  where  he  was  employed  in 
a  machine  shop,  and  subsequently  in  wool  carding.  Before  he  was  of  age  he  had  mas- 
tered five  different  trades.  Three  of  these  years  were  passed  in  Livingston  county. 
His  first  occupation  on  his  own  account  was  as  a  shoemaker  at  North  Adams ;  then  he 
did  business  successfully  as  a  machinist  and  wool  carder  in  Livingston  county,  N.  Y. ; 
after  which  he  established  himself  at  Mendon,  fourteen  miles  south  of  Rochester,  a 
manufacturing  village,  now  known  as  Sibleyville,  where  he  had  a  foundry  and  machine 
shop.     When  in  the  wool' carding  business  at  Sparta  and  Mount  Morris,  in  Livingston 


Hiram  Sibley.  709 


county,  he  worked  in  the  same  shop,  located  near  the  line  of  the  two  towns,  where 
Millard  Fillmore  had  been  employed  and  learned  his  trade ;  beginning  just  after  a  fare- 
well ball  was  given  to  Mr.  Fillmore  by  his  fellow-workmen.  Increase  of  reputation  and 
influence  brought  Mr.  Sibley  opportunities  for  office.  He  was  elected  by  the  Democrats 
sheriff  of  Monroe  county,  in  1843,  when  he  removed  to  Rochester;  but  his  political 
career  was  short,  for  a  more  important  matter  was  occupying  his  mind.  From  the 
moment  of  the  first  success  of  Professor  Morse  with  his  experiments  in  telegraphy,  Mr. 
Sibley  had  been  quick  to  discern  the  vast  promise  of  the  invention ;  in  1840  he  went 
to  Washington  and  assisted  Professor  Mor.se  and  Ezra  Cornell  in  procuring  an.  appro- 
priation of  $40,000  from  Congress  to  build  a  line  from  Washington  to  Baltimore,  the 
first  ])Ut  up  in  America.  This  example  stimulated  other  inventors,  and  in  a  few  years 
several  patents  were  in  use,  and  various  lines  had  been  constructed  by  different  compa- 
nies. The  business  was  so  divided  as  to  be  always  unjjrofitable.  Mr.  Sibley  conceived 
the  plan  of  uniting  all  the  patents  and  companies  in  one  organisation.  After  three  years 
of  almost  unceasing  toil  he  succeeded  in  buying  up  the  stock  of  the  different  corpora- 
tions, some  of  it  at  a  price  as  low  as  two  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  in  consolidating  the 
lines  which  then  extended  over  portions  of  thirteen  states.  The  Western  Union  tele- 
graph company  was  then  organised,  with  Mr.  Sibley  as  the  first  president.  Under  his 
management  for  sixteen  years,  the  number  of  telegraphic  offices  were  increased  from 
132  to  over  4,000,  and  the  value  of  the  property  from  $220,000  to  $48,000,000.  In 
the  project  of  uniting  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  by  a  line  to  California,  he  stood  nearly 
alone.  At  a  meeting  of  the  prominent  telegraph  men  of  New  York  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  report  upon  his  proposed  plan,  whose  verdict  was  that  it  would  be  next  to 
impossible  to  build  the  line;  that,  if  built,  the  Indians  would  destroy  it;  and  that  it 
would  not  pay,  even  if  built,  and  not  destroyed.  His  reply  was  characteristic :  that  it 
should  be  built,  if  he  had  to  build  it  alone.  He  went  to  Washington,  procured  the 
necessary  legislation,  and  was  the  sole  contractor  with  the  government.  The  Western 
Union  telegraph  company  afterwards  assumed  the  contract,  and  built  the  line,  under  Mr. 
Sibley's  administration  as  i)resident,  ten  years  in  advance  of  the  railroad.  Not  satisfied 
with  this  success  at  home,  he  sought  to  unite  the  two  hemispheres  by  wayof  Alaska  and 
Siberia,  under  P.  McD.  CoUins's  franchise.  On  visiting  Russia  with  Mr.  Collins  in  the 
winter  of  1864-65,  he  was  cordially  received  and  entertained  by  the  Czar,  who  approved 
the  plan.  A  most  favorable  impression  had  preceded  him.  For  when  the  Russian 
squadron  visited  New  York  in  1863  —  the  year  after  Russia  and  Great  Britain  had  de- 
clined the  overture  of  the  French  government  for  joint  mediation  in  the  American  con- 
flict—  Mr.  Sibley  and  other  prominent  gentlemen  were  untiring  in  efforts  to  entertain 
the  Russian  admiral,  Lusoffski,  in  a  becoming  manner.  Mr.  Sibley  was  among  the 
foremost  in  the  arrangements  of  the  committee  of  reception.  So  marked  were  his  per- 
sonal kindnesses  that,  when  the  admiral  returned,  he  mentioned  Mr.  Sibley  by  name  to 
the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  thus  unexpectedly  prepared  the  way  for  the  friendship  of 
that  generous  monarch.  During  Mr.  Sibley's  stay  in  St.  Petersburg  he  was  honored  in 
a  manner  only  accorded  to  those  who  enjoy  the  special  favor  of  royalty.  Just  before 
his  arrival  the  Czar  had  returned  from  the  burial  of  his  son  at  Nice,  and,  in  accordance 
with  a  long  honored  custom  when  the  head  of  the  empire  goes  abroad  and  returns,  he 
held  the  ceremony  of  "  counting  the  emperor's  jewels;"  which  means  an  invitation  to 
those   whom  his   majesty  desires  to  compliment  as  his  friends,  without  regard  to  court 


7IO  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

etiquette  or  to  formalities  of  official  rank.  At  this  grand  reception  in  the  palace  at 
Tsarskozela,  seventeen  miles  from  St.  Petersburg,  Mr.  Sibley  was  the  second  on  the 
list,  the  French  Ambassador  being  the  first,  and  Prince  GortschacofF,  the  prime  minis- 
ter, the  third.  This  order  was  observed  also  in  the  procession  of  250  court  carriages 
with  outriders,  Mr.  Sibley's  carriage  being  the  second  in  the  line.  On  this  occasion 
Prince  Gortschacoff,  turning  to  Mr.  Sibley,  said;  "Sir!  if  I  remember  rightly,  in  the 
course  of  a  very  pleasant  conversation  had  with  you  a  few  days  since,  at  the  state  de- 
partment, you  expressed  your  surprise  at  the  pomp  and  circumstance  attending  upon 
all  court  ceremony.  Now,  sir !  when  you  take  precedence  of  the  prime  minister,  I 
trust  you  are  more  reconciled  to  the  usage  attendant  upon  royalty,  which  were  so  re- 
pugnant to  your  democratic  ideas."  Such  aij  honor  was  greatly  appreciated  by  Mr. 
Sibley;  for  it  meant  the  most  sincere  respect  of  the  "Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias"  for 
the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  a  recognition  of  the  courtesies  conferred  upon  his 
fleet  when  in  American  waters.  Mr.  Sibley  was  duly  complimented  by  the  members 
of  the  royal  family  and  others  present,  including  the  ambassadors  of  the  great  powers. 
Mr.  Collins,  his  colleague  in  the  telegraph  enterprise,  shared  in  these  attentions.  Mr. 
Sibley  was  recorded  in  the  official  blue  book  of  the  state  department  of  St.  Petersburg, 
as  "the  distinguished  American,"  by  which  title  he  was  generally  known.  Of  this  book 
he  has  a  copy  as  a  souvenir  of  his  Russian  experience.  His  intercourse  with  the  Russian 
authorities  was  also  facilitated  by  a  very  complimentary  letter  from  Secretary  Seward  to 
Prince  Gortschacoff.  The  Russian  government  agreed  to  build  the  line  from  Irkootsk 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Araoor  river,  .^fter  1,500  miles  of  wire  had  been  put  up,  the 
final  success  of  the  Atlantic  cable  caused  the  abandonment  of  the  line  at  a  loss  of 
$3,000,000.  This  was  a  loss  in  the  midst  of  success,  for  Mr.  Sibley  had  demonstrated 
the  feasibility  of  putting  si  telegraphic  girdle  round  the  earth.  In  railway  enterprises 
the  accomplishments  of  his  energy  and  management  have  been  no  less  signal  than  in 
the  establishment  of  the  telegraph.  One  of  these  was  his  connection  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  important  line  of  the  Southern  Michigan  &  Northern  Indiana  railway 
for  three  years.  His  principal  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been  in  the  Southern  states. 
After  the  war,  prompted  more  by  the  desire  of  restoring  ainicable  relations  than  by 
the  prospect  of  gain,  he  made  large  and  varied  investments  at  the  South,  and  did  much 
to  promote  renewed  business  activity.  At  Saginaw,  Mich.,  he  became  a  large  lumber 
and  salt  manufacturer.  He  bought  much  property  in  Michigan,  and  at  one  time  owned 
vast  tracts  in  the  Lake  Superior  region,  where  the  most  valuable  mines  have  since 
been  worked.  While  he  has  been  interested  in  bank  and  manufacturing  stocks,  his 
larger  investments  have  been  in  land.  Much  of  his  pleasure  has  been  in  reclaiming 
waste  territory  and  unproductive  investments,  which  have  been  abandoned  by  others  as 
hopeless.  The  satisfying  aim  of  his  ambition  incites  him  to  difficult  undertakings,  that 
add  to  the  wealth  and  happiness  of  the  community,  from  which  others  have  shrunk,  or 
in  which  others  have  made  shipwreck.  Besides  his  stupendous  achievements  in  tele- 
graph and  railway  extension,  he  is  unrivaled  as  a  farmer  and  seed  grower,  and  he  has 
placed  the  stamp  of  his  genius  on  these  occupations,  in  which  many  have  been  content 
to  work  in  the  well-worn  ruts  of  their  predecessors.  The  seed  business  was  commenced 
in  Rochester  thirty  years  ago.  Later  Mr.  Sibley  undertook  to  supply  seeds  of  his  own 
importation  and  raising  and  others'  growth,  under  a  personal  knowledge  of  their  vital- 
ity  and  comparative  value.     He  instituted  many  experiments  for  the  improvement  of 


Hiram  Sibley.  711 

plants,  with   reference  to  their  seed-bearing  quaHties,  and  has  built  up  a  business  as 
unique  in  its  character  as    it  is  unprecedented  in  amount.     He  cultivates  the  largest 
farm  in  the  state,  occupying  Howland  Island,  of  3,500  acres,   in   Cayuga  county,  near 
the  Erie  canal  and  the  New  York  Central  railroad,  which  is  largely  devoted  to  seed 
culture;  a  portion  is  used  for  cereals,  and  500  head  of  cattle  are  kept.     On  the  Fox 
Ridge  farm,  through  which  the  New  York  Central  railroad  passes,  where  many  seeds 
and  bulbs  are  grown,  he  has  reclaimed  a  swamp  of  six  hundred  acres,  making  of  great 
value  what  was  worthless  in  other  hands,  a  kind  of  operation  which  affords  him  much 
delight.     His  ownership  embraces  fourteen  other  farms  in   this  state,  and  also  large 
estates  in  Michigan  and  Illinois.     The  seed  business  is  conducted  under  the  firm  name 
of  Hiram  Sibley  &  Co.,  at   Rochester  and  Chicago,  where  huge  .structures  afford  ac- 
commodations for  the  storage  and  handling  of  seeds  on  the  most  extensive  scale.     An 
efficient  means  for  the  improvement  of  the  seeds  is  their  cultivation  in  different  climates. 
In  addition  to  widely  separated  seed  farms  in  this  country,  the  firm  has  growing  under  its 
directions,  several  thousands  of  acres  in  Canada,  England,  France,  Germany,  Holland 
and  Italy.     Experimental  grounds  and  greenhouses  are  attached  to  the  Rochester  and 
Chicago  establishments,  where  a  sample  of  every  parcel  of  seed  is  tested,  and  experi- 
ments conducted  with  new  varieties.     One  department  of  the  business  is  for  the  sale  of 
horticultural  and  agricultural  implements  of  all  kinds.     A  new  department  supplies  or- 
namental grasses,  immortelles,  and  similar  plants  used  by  florists  for  decorating  and  for 
funeral  emblems.     Plants  for  these  purposes  are  imported  from  Germany,  France,  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  other  countries,  and  dyed  and  colored  by  the  best  artists 
here.     As  an  illustration  of  their  methods  of  business,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the 
firm' has  distributed  gratuitously,  the  past  year,  $5,000  in  seeds  and  prizes  for  essays  on 
gardening  in  the  Southern  states,  designed  to  foster  the  interests  of  horticulture  in  that 
section.     The  largest  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Sibley,  and  the  largest  cultivated  farm  in  the 
world,  deserves  a  special  description.     This  is  -the  "SuUivant  farm,"-  as  formerly  desig- 
nated, but  now  known  as  the  "Burr  Oaks  farm,''  originally  40,000  acres,  situated  about 
one  hundred  miles  south  of  Chicago,  on  both  sides  of  the  Waba.sh,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific 
railroad.     The  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  an  assignee,  and,  on  Mr.  SuUivant's 
death  in  1879,  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Sibley.     His  first  step  was  to  change 
the  whole  plan  of  cultivation.     Convinced  that  so  large  a  territory  could  hot  be  worked 
profitably  by  hired  labor,  he  divided  it  into  small  tracts,  until  there  are  now  rriany  hun- 
dreds of  such  farms ;  146  of  these  are  occupied  by  tenants  working  on  shares,  or  cash 
rent,  consisting  of  about  equal  proportions  of  Americans,  Germans,  Swedes,  and  French- 
men.    A  house  and  a  barn  have  been  erected  on  each  tract,  and  implements  and  agri- 
cultural machines  provided.     At  the  centre,  on  the  railway,  is  a  four-story  warehouse, 
having  a  storage  capacity  of  20,000  bushels,  used  as  a  depot  for  the  seeds  grown  on 
the  farm,  from  which  they  are  shipped  as  wanted  to  the  establishments  in  Chicago  and 
Rochester.     The  largest  elevator  on  the  line  of  the  railway  has  been  built  at  a  cost  of 
over  $20,000;  its  capacity  is  50,000  bushels,  and  it  has  a  mill  capable  of  shelling  and 
loading  twenty-five  cars  of  corn  a  day.     Near  by  is  a  flax-mill,  also  run  by  steam,  for 
converting  flax  straw  into  stock  for  bagging  and  upholstery.     Another  engine  is  used 
for  grinding  feed.     Within  four  years  there  has  sprung  up  on  the  property  a  village  con- 
taining one  hundred  buildings,  called  Sibley  by  the  people,  which  is  supplied  with 
.schools,  churches,  a  newspaper,  telegraph  office,  and  the  largest  hotel  on  the  route  be- 


712  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

tween  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.,  A  fine  station  house  is  to  be  erected  by  the  railway 
company.  The  Sibley  Fireproof  Warehouses}  (A,  B  and  C),  the  finest,  as  well  as  the 
largest  warehouses  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  have  a  frontage  on  Clark  street  of  189  feet, 
by  240  feet  deep  (or  river  front  of  240  feet).  The  river  front  is  ten  stories  high,  the 
Clark  street  front  eight  stories,  with  basement  and  sub-basement.  The  whole  construc- 
tion is  fireproof.  The  exterior  is  all  faced  with  Addison  pressed  brick,  with  terra  cotta 
details.  The  Clark  street  front  is  planned  for  stores  of  the  most  modern  design,  with 
large  plate-glass  windows,  stained  glass  transoms,  light  iron  divisions  for  the  doors,  and 
iron  girders  spanning  each  store-front.  Above  the  stores,  the  several  floors  are  used 
for  general  offices.  The  north  60  feet  of  first  floor  is  elaborately  fitted  up  for  the  busi- 
ness of  Hiram  Sibley  &  Co.  Immediately  back  of  the  portion  used  for  offices  are  the 
great  warehouses,  ten  stories  high,  each  floor  estimated  in  the  construction  to  hold  a 
weight  of  five  hundred  pounds  per  foot.  In  estimating  such  a  weight  as  before  men- 
tioned for  the  full  ten  stories,  few  would  imagine  the  great  pressure  the  footings  or  foun- 
dations would  have  to  sustain,  On  the  river  front  piles  are  driven.  The  other  piers  or 
walls  come  on  the  natural  earth.  In  looking  at  the  foundation  plan  the  footings  of  piers 
or  walls  seem  to  nearly  cover  the  whole  area.  Mr.  Edbrooke  carefully  estimated  every 
pound  as  near  as  possible,  and  proportioned  the  base  or  bearing  accordingly,  as  well  as 
the  supports  above,  columns,  girders,  etc.,  to  the  roof.  The  river  front  is  240  feet  long 
by  ten  stories  high.  The  design  of  the  river  front  is  somewhat  plainer  in  style  than  the 
Clark  street  front,  but  it  has  a  grandeur  and  solid  repose  about  it  that  is  not  surpassed 
by  any  commercial  building  in  the  country.  The  long,  broad  pilasters  starting  from  the 
basement  story  and  terminating  in  arches  at  the  top,  seem  to  increase  the  apparent 
height.  The  architect  utilised  this  feature  and  made  the  principal  lines  in  the  design 
perpendicular,  which  is  highly  satisfactory  and  far  more  effective  than  to  have  used 
horizontal  string-courses,  to  diminish  the  height.  The  openings  generally  are  arched. 
The  whole  exteri  >t  is  of  pressed  brick  and  terra  cotta.  This  warehouse  was  constructed 
to  accomr.iodme  the  western  seed  business  of  Hiram  Sibley  &  Co.,  and  for  bonded 
and  genera)  warehouse  purposes,  and  is  an  enduring  monument  to  Hiram  Sibley,  and  a 
giant  among  the  many  large  buildings  of  Chicago,  as  well  as  a  magnificent  architectural 
production.  The  cost  of  this  building  was  $500,000.  Mr.  Sibley  is  the  president  and 
the  largest  stockholder  of  the  Bank  of  Monroe,  at  Rochester,  and  is  connected  with 
various  institutions.  He  has  not  acquired  wealth  simply  to  hoard  it.  The  Sibley  col- 
lege of  mechanic  arts,  of  Cornell  university,  at  Ithaca,  which  he  founded,  and  endowed  at 
a  cost  of  $100,000. —  which  sum  he  has  largely  increased  and  is  now  extending  and  en- 
larging the  present  buildings  —  has  afforded  a  practical  education  to  many  hundreds  of 
students;  443  have  reported  their  present  residence  and  occupation  —  they  reflect  high 
credit  upon  Sibley  college  and  demonstrate  the  practical  usefulness  of  this  institution. 
Sibley  hall,  costing  more  than  $100,000,  is  his  contribution  for  a  public  library,  and  for 
the  use  of  the  university  of  Rochester  for  its  library  and  cabinets ;  it  is  a  magnificent 
fireproof  structure  of  brown  stone  trimmed  with  white,  and  enriched  with  appropriate 
statuary.  Mrs.  Sibley  has  also  made  large  donations  to  the  hospitals  and  other  charit- 
able institutions  in  Rochester  and  elsewhere.  She  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $25,000,  St. 
John's  Episcopal  church,  in  North  Adams,  Mass.,  her  native  village.  Mr.  Sibley  has 
one  son  and  one  daughter  living :  Hiram  W.  Sibley,  who  married   the  only  child  of 

1  George  H.  Edbrooke,  Chicago,  Architect. 


A^r(>N    UKONSON. 


Hiram  Sibley.  —  Amon  Bronson.  713 

Fletcher  Harper,  jr.,  and  resides  in  New  York,  and  Emily  (Sibley)  Averell,  who  resides 
in  Rochester.  He  has  lost  two  children :  Louise  (Sibley)  Atkinson  and  Giles  B.  Sibley. 
A  quotation  from  Mr.  Sibley's  address  to  the  students  of  Sibley  college,  during  a  recent 
visit  to  Ithaca,  is  illustrative  of  his  practical  thought  and  expression,  and  a  fitting  close 
to  this  brief  sketch  of  his  practical  life :  "  There  are  two  most  valuable  possessions 
which  no  search  warrant  can  get  at,  which  no  execution  can  take  away,  and  which  no 
reverse  of  fortune  can  destroy  :  they'  are  what  a  man  puts  into  his  head  —  knowledge  : 
and  into  his  hands  —  skill." 


AMON  BRONSON.  A  truthful  repre.sentation  of  a  worthy  life,  is  a  legacy  to  hu- 
manity. As  such  we  present  an  outline  of  the  business  and  official  character  of 
Amon  Bronson,  —  a  resident  of  Rochester  for  forty-four  years,  identified  with  all  its  in- 
terests, and  a  prominent,  successful  business  man.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Scipio, 
in  Onondaga,  now  Cayuga  county,  on  the  23d  of  March,  1807.  Little  indebted  to 
schools  for  education,  his  application  to  study  was  none  the  less  efficient  and  advan- 
tageous. His  authors  were  few  and  well  chosen  ;  their  teachings  were  understood,  assim- 
ilated, and  utilised.  In  his  library  history  and  science  predominate,  and  fiction  has 
no  place. 

Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age,  he  removed  to  Avon,  Livingston 
county,  where  he  acquired  and  practised  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  whereby  he  learned  of 
an  open  field  in  the  lumber  trade,  in  which  he  engaged  with  ardor  as  his  pursuit  for  life. 
In  the  year  1832  he  came  to  Rochester,  purchased  the  lumber  yard  on  Exchange  street, 
and  gave  his  mind,  with  untiring  energy  and  unwearied  patience,  to  carve  for  himself  a 
pathway  to  unexceptional,  yet  undoubted  success.  The  first  to  establish  the  lumber  bus- 
iness in  the  city  of  Rochester,  he  sustained  for  a  period  of  forty-four  years  a  leading 
position  among  those  engaged  in  the  same  branch  of  trade,  and  was  frequently  approached 
for  advice,  assistance,  and  counsel,  which  uniformly  reflected  credit  upon  himself  and  his 
associates. 

His  life  was  characterised  by  untiring  energy,  strict  integrity,  and  honorable  dealing. 
Enterprising,  thorough,  and  reliable,  his  trade  became  extensive  and  lucrative.  Exact, 
and  yet  generous,  his  many  employees  saw  in  him  a  man  of  strong  mental  power,  supe- 
rior, genial,  and  considerate,  regardful  of  all  in  interest,  and  actuated  by  innate  sympathy 
for  the  unfortunate  and  esteem  for  the  high-minded. 

In  all  dealing  he  was  never  known  to  oppress  a  debtor.  To  those  without  means  or 
credit  he  supplied  both,  with  a  knowledge  of  men  rarely  found  deceptive.  Himself  just, 
upright  and  honorable,  he  influenced  others  to  like  action  —  emulative  of  his  virtues, 
dreading  his  reproachful  look.  His  honesty  shone  conspicuous,  unshadowed  by  the 
slightest  cloud  of  distrust.  His  fidelity  to  right  was  equaled  only  by  his  ability  to  per- 
ceive it.  None  questioned  his  word,  whether  given  during  the  routine  of  business  tran- 
saction or  expressed  in  the  ordinary  relations  of  society;  it  was  as  good  as  his  bond. 

Long  and  assiduously  devoted  to  one  pursuit,  skill,  caution  and  method  combined 
to  safety,  harmonious  action  and  eminent  success.  Familiarised  with  the  minutest  detail  of 
his  concerns,  punctual  to  the  moment  in  meeting  an  agreement,  lenient  to  the  unfortu- 
nate, he  was  accorded  genuine  respect ;  the  entire  community  gave  him  their  confidence, 
and  his  assured  progress  was  observed  without  envy.     He  labored  from  a  love  of  activ- 


714  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

ity,  and  not  alone  for  acquisition  of  wealth.  He  had  in  view  no  ultimate  elegant  leisure. 
With  unselfish  motive  he  plied  his  vocation,  and  gave  of  well-won  means  to  the  benefit 
of  the  public  and  the  needy.  A  mind  less  active  would  have  sought  recreation,  ease, 
and  rest  where  he  centered  all  thought  and  time  on  business.  Confident  of  self,\ impatient 
of  dictation  or  obligation,  he  sought  no  partnership,  but  conducted  his  affairs  with  a  cer- 
tainty and  regularity  not  the  less  assured  from  the  absence  of  noise  and  bustle. 

Amon  Bronson  was  more  than  a  business  man.  All  enterprises  having  for  their  object 
the  advancement  of  the  people,  the  city,  and  the  welfare  of  the  country  obtained  his 
hearty  commendation  and  support.  He  was  to  an  eminent  degree  a  public-spirited  and 
benevolent  man.  His  benefactions  are  mainly  known  to  their  recipients.  Of  a  disposi- 
tion which  shrank  from  notoriety,  he  was.  unostentatious  in  the  alleviation  of  distress,  and 
generous  of  his  gifts.  Many  are  the  poor  wlio,  but  for  his  substantial  aid,  would  have 
lacked  their  now  comfortable  homes.  It  has  been  said  of  him,  "  The  blessing  of  him 
that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  him,  for  he  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy; 
he  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had  none  to  help  him." 
Kind  and  sympathetic,  his  heart  responded  to  appeals  for  charitable  and  benevolent 
objects,  and  the  philanthropic  institutions  of  the  city  found  in  him  a  sincere  and  liberal 
friend.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  City  hospital,  to  which  he  contributed  largely, 
and  in  the  Industrial  school  and  other  laudable  institutions. 

In  person  Mr.  Bronson  was  above  the  ordinary  height.  His  deep,  dark  eyes  twinkled 
with  merriment,  anticipating  and  enjoying  a  witticism,  or  spoke  a  volume  of  reproof  to 
misstatement  or  maladministration.  His  habits  were  temperate  and  abstemious.  So- 
cially, he  was  reticent,  yet  genial  and  courteous,  winning  and  retaining  the  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His  gait  was  an  index  of  the  man  —  never  hurried,  but 
uniform.  To  and  from  office  and  house  he  traveled  day  after  day  for  years,  with  a  reg- 
ularity marked  and  proverbial. 

A  believer. in  the  elevating  tendency  of  religious  influences,  he  aided  in  the  upbuilding 
of  the  churches  which  adorn  the  city.  For  many  years  he  was  an  attendant  at  St.  Luke's 
church,  and  was  during  his  entire  life  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  practical  Christians  to 
be  found  in  any  community. 

Capable  and  efficient  in  the  management  of  his  own  affairs,  he  was  called  to  engage 
in  various  offices  of  trust.  For  years  he  was  a  trustee  of  the  Monroe  County  Savings 
Bank,  and  was  for  a  time  a  director  in  the  City  bank.  In  the  former  institution  he  had 
been  a  prominent  member  from  its  first  organisation,  and  the  board  of  trustees,  at  a 
meeting  held  July  29th,  1876,  entered  upon  their  record  the  following:  "We  hereby 
record  our  appreciation  of  his  unquestioned  integrity  of  character,  and  of  the  benevolence 
and  generosity  of  his  disposition,  so  constantly  manifested,  not  only  in  his  relations  to 
this  board,  but  in  all  his  social  and  public  relations  in  this  community  where  he  has  lived 
so  long." 

Political  advancement  Mr.  Bronson  never  sought,  and  many  solicitations  to  accept 
public  preferment  were  courteously  yet  firmly  declined.  He  was  an  alderman  for  one 
term,  and  was  elected  supervisor  from  the  third  ward  from  1859  continuously  to  1867. 
At  elections  he  received  the  cordial  support  of  both  political  parties,  and  their  unanimous 
action  was  a  high  personal  tribute  to  his  worth. 

In  the  board  of  supervisors  he  served  as  chairman  on  most  of  the  important  com- 
mittees, and  performed  the  duties  of  the  position  ably  and  acceptably.     To  older  citizens 


Amon  Bronson. —  E.M.Moore.  715 

his  signal  services  during  his  term  of  office  are  well  known.  In  unearthing  fraud  his 
sagacity  and  business  ability  were  of  great  service.  By  a  searching  investigation  into 
the  accounts  of  a  defaulting  treasurer,  deficits  were  discovered  and  losses  exposed. 

During  the  civil  war  he  was  on  the  committee  of  bounties,  and  frequently  advanced 
large  sums  from  his  own  purse  for  the  use  of  the  county.  He  was  known  as  a  war  Dem- 
ocrat, and,  without  stint,  threw  his  influence  in  behalf  of  a  government  imperiled  by  re- 
bellion. A  consistent  Democrat,  he  was  never  a  bitter  partisan,  and  when,  in  1865,  an 
unsought  nomination  for  senator  had  been  accepted  through  the  urgent  request  of  many 
prominent  citizens,  it  was  a  proof  of  popularity,  and  confidence  of  capacity  and  worth, 
that  he  ran  largely  ahead  of  his  ticket  in  a  senatorial  district  hopelessly  Republican. 

He  was  married  in  1840  to  Miss  Ann  Emerson,  daughter  of  Thomas  Emerson,  and 
in  1848  built  the  residence  on  Plymouth  avenue,  where  he  resided  till  the  close  of 
life.  In  domestic  relations  the  testimony  is  uniform  and  emphatic  as  regards  colisidera- 
tion,  kindness  and  indulgence.  When  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  physical  and  intellectual 
vigor  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  on  November  13th,  1869,  and  incapacitated  for  other 
than  general  supervision  of  business  affairs.  A  second  shock  in  July,  1876,  was  final,  and 
under  its  influence  he  gradually  passed  away,  retaining  his  mind  to  the  last.  His  funeral 
was  attended  by  many  friends,  who  followed  his  remains  to  Mount  Hope  Cemetery.  The 
Rochester  board  of  lumber  dealers  closed  their  places  of  business  and  attended  the  fu- 
neral in  a  body,  and  the  employees  of  Mr.  Bronson  formed  part  of  the  funeral  train. 

Resolutions  of  respect  were  passed  by  the  Rochester  board  of  lumber  dealers,  by  the 
ernployees  of  the  firm,  by  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Monroe  county  savings  bank,  and 
by  the  board  of  supervisors  at  their  regular  meeting  on  October  i  ith,  1876.  The  follow- 
ing resolution,  introduced  by  Supervisor  Pond,  was  put  to  motion  and  adopted  unani- 
mously, by  a  rising  vote :  "  Desiring  to  recognise  in  a  suitable  and  appropriate  manner 
the  great  loss  which  the  county  of  Monroe  has  sustained  in  the  death  of  Amon  Bronson, 
who  died  July  28th,  1876,  we  hereby  record  our  high  regard  and  reverence  of  his  char- 
acter and  ability  as  a  citizen  and  public  officer.  His  honesty  of  purpose,  his  strength  of 
mind,  his  breadth  of  thought,  together  with  his  noble,  generous  heart,  will  ever  be  a 
bright,  conspicuous  example  to  this  community  and  in  this  board,  where  he  so  long  lived 
and  labored,  giving  so  liberally  of  his  time  and  best  effort  for  the  good  and  interest  of 
his  fellow-citizens." 


DR.  E.  M.  MOORE  is  descended  from  ancestors  who  came  to  this  country  in  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  He  was  a  son  of  Lindley  Murray  Moore  and 
Abigail  L.  Moore,  nee  Mott.  His  father'  was  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  of  English  origin, 
and  a  teacher  by  profession.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  New  York,  of  French-Hugue- 
not extraction.  He  received  a  classical  education  at  his  father's  school  and  afterward 
attended  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  institute  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  while  it  was  purely  a  sci- 
entific institution,  under  the  prosperous  regime  of  Prof.  Amos  Eaton.  He  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine  in  Rochester  in  1835  and  attended  his  first  course  of  medical  lec- 

1  L.  M.'s  father  removed  form  New  York  city,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  to  Nova 
•Scotia.  His  ancestors  came  from  England  between  1625  and  '30,  and  had  lived  in  New  York  or  New 
Jersey  up  to  the  time  of  L.  M.'s  father  removing  to  Nova  Scotia.  ' 

E.  M.  Moore  was  born  in  Rahway,  N.  J.,  July  15th,  1814. 


7l6  HiSORY  OF  THE  CiTY  OF  ROCHESTER. 

tures  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York  city.  The  remainder  of 
his  student  life  was  spent  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia,  where  he 
graduated  in  1838,  having  been,  during  the  last  year  of  his  course,  resident  physician  of 
Blockley  hospital,  then,  as  now,  a  celebrated  school  for  clinical  knowledge.  He  after- 
wards held  the  same  position  for  nearly  two  years,  in  the  Insane  asylum  at  Frankfort, 
Philadelphia  county,  and  then  removed  to  Rochester  where  he  has  since  lived. 

Dr.  Moore  was  elected  professor  of  surgery  in  the  Medical  college  at  Woodstock, 
Vt.,  in  the  spring  of  1843,  since  which  time  he  has  taught  surgery  continuously  in  that 
and  other  institutions.  For  the  last  twenty-five  years  he  has  occupied  the"  position  of 
professor  of  surgery  in  the  Buffalo  Medical  college. 

Dr.  Moore  is  a  permanent  member  of  the  American  Medical  association  and  in  1874 
he  was  president  of  the  Medical  society  of  the. state  of  New  York.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  University  of  Rochester,  which  institution  has  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  Dr.  Moore's  contributions  to 
literature  have  been  mainly  on  medical  and  surgical  subjects  and  consist  of  essays  and 
papers  published  in  medical  journals  and  in  the  transactions  of  the  State  Medical  society 
and  the  American  Medical  association. 


HON.  CORNELIUS  R.  PARSONS,  mayor  of  Rochester,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
York,  Livingston  county,  N.  Y.,  on  the  2 2d  of  May,  1842.  His  father,  Hon. 
Thomas  Parsons,  was  a  native  of  Berkshire,  England,  where,  after  an  elementary  educa- 
tion, he  commenced,  in  boyhood,  earning  his  livelihood  in  shepherd  life.  Coming  to 
this  country  in  1832,  when  eighteen  years  old,  in  advance  of  his  parents,  he  was  drawn 
to  the  rich  valley  of  the  Genesee,  and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  in  Wheatland,  Monroe 
county,  for  four  years,  at  the  wages  of  seven  dollars  a  month  "  and  found."  This  labor 
was  rendered  with  fidelity,  a  distinguishing  trait  of  his  character.  In  1836  he  began  a 
series  of  efforts  at  Rochester,  which  resulted  in  gradually  yielding  him  the  means  for 
larger  operations.  Availing  himself  of  the  facilities  on  both  sides  of  Lake  Ontario,  he 
embarked  in  the  lumber  trade,  in  which  he  became  one  of  the  most  extensive  merchants 
and  exporters;  procuring  supplies,  especially  of  oak  and  other  heavy  timber,  for  ship 
building,  from  land  purchased  from  time  to  time,  principally  in  Canada.  His  sterling 
character  and  energy  of  purpose  introduced  him  into  public  life.  In  185 1  he  was 
elected,  by  the  Democratic  party,  alderman  for  the  sixth  ward  of  the  city  of  Rochester, 
and,  in  1853,  alderman  for  the  tenth  ward,  and  again  in  1857.  He  served  as  an  Assem- 
blyman in  1858,  and  was  the  originator  of  the  "pro  rata  railroad  freight  bill,"  designed 
to  compel  the  railroad  companies  to  carry  freight  for  local  shippers  as  low  in  proportion 
to  distance  as  the  rates  charged  to'citizens  of  other  states;  this  caused  much  opposi- 
tion among  railway  officials,  but  the  measure  was  zealously  advocated  by  Mr.  Parsons, 
and  the  bill  was  engrossed  for  a  third  reading,  and  only  failed  for  want  of  time.  Under 
the  agitation  of  the  grievance  thus  begun  and  continued  by  others  in  after  years,  these 
discriminations  were  essentially  modified.  Disagreeing  with  his  party  on  the  national 
questions,  he  sustained  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln  and  in  1865  was  elected 
by  the  Republicans  to  the  state  Senate  by  a  decided  majority.  As  a  member  of  the 
canal  committee  he  carefully  fostered  the  waterways  of  the  state,  and  his  mercantile  ex- 
perience rendered  his' opinions  of  value  on  all  commercial  questions.     He  was  a  mem- 


(yi^^^d--^--^ , 


Cornelius  R.  Parsons.  T^I 


ber  of  the  committees  on  engrossed  bills  and  on  privileges  and  elections.  His  leg- 
islative services  were  ably  and  faithfully  performed  and  cemented  the  ties  which 
bound  him  to  his  political  friends.  Without  his  solicitation  he  was  appointed  United 
States  collector  for  the  port  of  Geneseo,  and,  in  1 868  and  1869,  filled  the  requirements 
of  the  6ffice  acceptably.  After  an  honorable  and  Christian  career  he  died  in  1873,  leav- 
ing, as  his  survivors,  his  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Richard  Gorsline,  and  five  chil- 
dren —  Cornelius  R.,  Clifford  W.,  Frank  G.,  Julia  L.,  and  Charles  B.  Parsons.  An 
elder  son,  James  W.  Parsons,  who  followed  the  paternal  pursuit  as  a  lumber  dealer,  and 
was,  for  a  number  of  years,  a  member  of  the  common  council  of  Buffalo,  died  about  a 
month  before  his  father,  at  Erie,  Penn.  When  our  subject,  Cornelius  R.  Parsons,  was 
three  years  old,  the  residence  of  his  parents  was  changed  to  Rochester,  where  he  was 
trained  in  the  excellent  public  schools  of  the  city,  enjoying  the  instructions  of  experi- 
enced teachers,  especially  John  R.  Vosburg,  an  accomplished  scholar  who,  in  1868, 
established  Vosburg's  academy  in  East  Main  street,  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  pupils 
for  mercantile  pursuits.  At  the  time  of  reaching  his  majority  his  father's  lumber  business 
had  growfi  to  vast  dimensions.  I'homas  Parsons  had  extended  the  sphere  of  his  activity 
beyond  the  localities  of  Western  New  York  and,  from  the  boundless  forests  of  Canada, 
was  not  only  supplying  ship  timber  to  the  American  markets,  but  exporting  large  quan- 
tities to  Great  Britain.  He  had  a  mill  near  the  upper  falls  at  Rochester,  and  other 
manufacturing  establishments ;  so  that  the  details  of  purchase,  manufacture,  sale  and 
export  required  unceasing  attention  at  widely  separated  points.  The  son  grew  into  the 
business  of  his  father,  and,  while  the  latter  passed  his  time  chiefly  in  the  dominion,  Cor- 
nelius R.  Parsons  conducted  operations  at  Rochester._^He  was  admirably  adapted  by 
an  enterprising  and  stirring  nature  for  this  pursuit,  and  was  speedily  recognised  by  the 
citizens  as  a  business  man  of  superior  abilities.  Uniting  with/  these  qualities  courtesy 
and  public  spirit,  he  was  an  available  candidate  for  a  position  at  the  council  board  of 
the  city,  and  in  1867,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-five  years,  was  elected  alderman  of  the 
fourteenth  ward.  He  was  reelected  in  1868,  and  was  regarded  by  his  associates  of  both 
parties  as  a  good  choice  for  the  presidency  of  the  board;  he  sustained  their  estimate  by 
rulings  unsurpassed  in  promptness  and  accuracy.  A  record  creditable  and  satisfactory 
caused  his  selection  again  as  alderman  and  presiding  officer  in  1870,  and,  on  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term,  his  colleagues  expressed  their  appreciation  of  his  services  by  a  valuable 
testimonial.  His  anxiety  for  the  city's  advancement  and  welfare  was  manifested  in 
private  walks  as  well  as  in  official  place,  and  he  was  ever  ready  to  devote  time  to  such 
objects  without  remuneration.  Having  removed  to  the  seventh  ward,  he  was  chosen 
in  1874.  to  represent  that  constituency  in  the  board  of  aldermen.  This  long  experience 
and  his  popularity  with  the  masses  led  to  his  elevation  to  the  mayoralty  in  1876.  Dur- 
ing his  official  connection  with  the  municipal  government  some  of  the  most  important 
improvements  had  been  conducted  under  his  immediate  supervision.  Rochester  was 
now  a  large  city.  In  about  sixty  years  the  unsettled  forest  had  been  covered  by  thir- 
teen thousand  residences,  the  homes  of  nearly  eighty  thousand  persons.  The  five  wards, 
originally  dividing  the  city  when  it  was  incorporated  in  1834,  had  expanded  to  sixteen 
of  much  larger  average  area  and  population.  There  were  sixty  churches,  and  twenty- 
three  public  schools,  having  more  than  eleven  thousand  registered  pupils.  The  list  of 
real  and  personal  estate,  at  a  low  as.Sessment,  exceeded  $60,000,000,  on  which  a  tax  of 
$1,000,000  was  collected.     7'he  small  frame  building  in  which  the  local  government  waS 


;i8  History  OF  THE  City  OF  Rochester. 

originally  carried  on  had  long  before  given  place  to  a  large  and  beautiful  court-house 
and  city  hall,  with  granite  front,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $80,000.  The  chief  magistracy  of 
such  a  city  was  a  coveted  prize  to  many  aspirants.  The  leaders  of  the  two  parties 
sought  the  strongest  candidates.  The  canvass  was  spirited  and  not  without  detraction 
on  both  sides,  but  the  unblemished  public  record  of  Mr.  Parsons  and  the  purity  of  his 
life  could  not  be  gainsaid,  and  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  more  than  twenty-three 
hundred  over  his  opponent  of  the  Democratic  party,  a  man  of  ability,  character  and  in- 
fluence. The  message  of  the  new  mayor  supported  his  reputation,  and  among  his 
recommendations  were  many  which  have  been  adopted  and  proved  of  public  advantage. 
In  exercising  the  appointing  power  he  selected  good  men,  without  reference  to  party 
connection,  and  as  police  commissioner  he  acted  with  vigor  and  discretion  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  swelling  masses.  He  has. been  since  four  times  reelected  to  the  office 
of  mayor.  Thus,  during  a  period  of  some  fifteen  years,  he  has  been  closely  linked  with 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  a  city  —  the  fifth  in  rank  in  the  state  —  substantial  in  its 
wealth,  beautiful  in  its  public  and  private  structures,  and  attractive  in  its  parks ;  its 
streets  lined  with  trees,  and  the  gardens  and  ornamental  grounds  of  the  citizens.  No 
city  is  better  governed  or  enjoys  a  higher  promise  of  the  future. 

In  his  official  position  as  head  of  the  municipal  government  of  the  city,  Mr.  Parsons 
was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  work  of  preparation  for  the  celebration  of  the  semi- 
centennial of  Rochester  on  the  9th  and  loth  of  June,  1884.  In  a  brief  and  pertinent 
address  he  opened,  the  literary  exercises  on  the  9th.  He  delivered  the  address  of  wel- 
come to  Governor ICleveland-andjihis, staff  and  other  guests,  at  the  reception  on  the 
second  day  of  thelcelebration,  and  also. proposed  the  various  toasts  at  the  banquet  at 
Powers  Hotel;,  in  the  performance,  of  .these  duties  he  secured  the  unqualified  approval 
of  his  fellow-citizens...5jMuch,of  the  success  of  this  important  event  may  be  credited  to 
Mayor  Parsons,  and  without  reflection  upon  any  other  person. 

Mr.  Parsons  is  a  ready,  interesting,  and  able  public  speaker,  while  his  official  com- 
munications are. likewise  models  of  terse  and  effective  English.  With  substantial  and 
well  acknowledged  merit  as  a  worthy,  progressive  citizen  and  public  official,  and  com- 
bining a  frank  and  cordial  nature  with  courteous,  unassuming,  yet  dignified  manner,  he 
has  attained  exceptional  popularity  in  social  as  well  as  public  life,  and  can  hardly  fail  to 
develop  increasing  honor  and  usefulness  in  the  coming  years  of  his  career.  His  religious 
course,  as  a  member  of  St.  Peter's  Presbyterian  church,  has  been  consistent.  He  has 
been  a  trustee  of  the  society,  which  numbers  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  members. 
Mr.  Parsons  is  a  member  of  the'  Masonic  order,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Odd  Fellows. 
He  was  married  in  1864  to  Frances,  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  F.  Whitbeck,  a  skillful  and  ex- 
perienced physician  of  Rochester,  now  deceased.  His  children  are  Mabel  W.  and 
Ethel  M.  Parsons;  a  promising  Httle  son,  Warner  Parsons,  died  in  the  spring  of  1879. 


GEORGE  RAINES  is  the  fourth  son  of  Rev.  John  Raines  and  Mary  Remington, 
and  was  born  November  loth,  1846,  at  Pultneyville,  Wayne  county,  N.  Y.  His 
father  is  of  English  descent  and  comes  of  the  family  which  still  has  many  representa- 
tives at  Ryton,  Yorkshire,  where  the  old  family  homestead  has  been  entailed  for  many 
generations  to  the  eldest  son,  and  still  remains  in  their  possession,  known  as  Ryton 
Grange.     The  grandparent,  John  Raines,  in  1816-18,   gathered  together  the  remnant 


1  L      li  LFis  TsrtrToilt 


^^^l-Z^^^ytZ^ 


George  Raines.  719 


of  a  fortune  invested  in  shipping  interests,  well  nigh  destroyed  by  the  French  wars  en- 
suing upon  the  escape  of  Napoleon  from  Elba,  and  traveled  through  Pennsylvania  and 
Western  New  York  to  select  a  location  for  business  investment.  After  a  few  years'  res- 
idence in  Philadelphia,  about  1830  a  farm  was  purchased  near  Canandaigua.  Near  by 
and  overlooking  Centerfield  was  the  home  of  Colonel  Thaddeus  Remington,  the  mater- 
nal grandparent,  who  had  given  his  own  name  to  the  hill  upon  which  he  had  built  his 
log-house  in  1798.  Colonel  Remington  was  the  eldest  of  three  brothers  who  came  from 
Vermont,  where  the  traditions  of  the  family  run  back  until  they  are  lost  to  record,  By 
his  solicitations  two  younger  brothers,  who  had  come  from  Vermont  to  Connecticut, 
were  induced  to  come  west  to  make  a  settlement,  and  one  of  them  selected  Henrietta 
and  the  other  Mumford,  in  Monroe  county.  From  these  brothers  are  descended  the 
Remingtons  whose  branches  are  numerous  in  the  localities  named.  John  Raines,  the 
father  of  George,  after  his  marriage  to  Mary  Remington,  entered  the  Methodist  minis- 
try as  a  member  of  the  East  Genesee  conference,  and  received  an  appointment  to  the 
station  of  Pultney  ville,  after  which  he  was  a  stationed  pastor  for  periods  of  two  or  three 
years,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  denomination,  at  Dansville,  Hma,  Victor,  Geneva, 
Lyons,  Newark,  St.  John's  church  in  Rochester,  Hedding  church  in  Elmira,  Corning, 
and  Alexander  street  church  in  Rochester. 

George  Raines,  in  1854-56,  was  a  pupil  in  number  14  and  number  10  of  the  district 
schools  of  Rochester,  and  afterwards  prepared  for  admission  to  college  in  the  Free 
academy  at  Elmira  in  1861-62.  In  the  early  fall  of  1862,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
he  entered  college  at  Lima,  N.  Y.,  but  after  a  few  weeks,  on  account  of  a  change  of  the 
residence  of  his  father  to  the  city  of  Rochester,  he  entered  the  University  of  Rochester 
and  remained  a  member  of  the  class  of  1866  until  he  graduated  with  the  class.  It  was 
the  custom  of  the  college  to  award  prizes  to  be  competed  for  by  the  members  of  classes 
who  chose  to  labor  in  that  direction,  and  a  fair  proportion  of  such  honors  fell  to  him. 
First  prizes  in  Latin  and  Greek  studies,  for  declamation  and  for  the  senior  essay  were 
awarded  to  him,  but  in  no  case  was  the  competition  in  the  class  general,  though  the 
rivalry  of  the  contestants  was  very  sharp  and  the  labor  of  preparation  considerable. 
Leaving  college  with  a  fair  standing  in  scholarship  he  entered  the  office  of  J.  &  Q.  Van 
Voorhis,  in  Rochester,  as  a  law  student,  in  the  summer  of  1866,  wHere  he  remained 
until  admitted  to  the  bar  in  December,  1867,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  During 
the  fall  of  1866  a  bitter  political  contest  for  Congress,  in  which  Lewis  Selye  and  Hon. 
Roswell  Hart  were  opposing  candidates,  was  decided  by  the  election  of  Mr.  Selye. 
Through  the  natural  sympathy  of  a  young  man  with  a  cause  in  which  his  preceptors  were 
enlisted,  he  became  a  supporter  of  Mr.  Selye  and  made  his  first  political  speeches.  Mr. 
'Selye  conceived  a  strong  liking  for  his  young  friend,  and  in  the  spring  of  1867,  upon 
the  request  of  Mr.  Van  Voorhis,  procured  for  him  a  government  position,  the  salary  of 
which  was  of  great  service  in  enabling  him  to  continue  his  law  studies,  while,  at  the 
same  time,  he  served  full  hours  in  his  office  duties.  He  had  previously  taught  in  the 
Real  school  of  Rochester  for  about  eight  months  under  the  respected  Dr.  Dulon  as 
principal.  Mr.  Selye  aided  him  otherwise  by  furnishing  employment  at  his  own  charge, 
so  that  it  may  justly  be  said  that  in  the  day  when  young  Raines  needed  a  staunch  friend 
as  much  as  at  any  time  in  his  life,  Lewis  Selye  stood  at  his  back  to  encourage  and  as- 
sist him  as  few  men  would  have  done.  Upon  admission  to  the  bar  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  H.  C.  Ives  as  a  clerk,  at  the  salary  of  five  dollars  a  week.     After  a  year  of 


720  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

service  as  clerk,  Mr,  Ives  offered  him  a  partnership,  which  was  accei)ted  and  continued 
down  to  the  fall  of  187 1,  when  Mr.  Ives  was  compelled  to  cease  the  active  work  of  his 
profession  by  ill-health,  at  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Raines  was  elected  as  the  Republi- 
can candidate  to  the  office  of  district  attorney  of  Monroe  county.  He  had  tried  very 
few  cases  in  court  at  that  time,  and  was  of  the  age  of  twenty-four  years.  His  only 
trials  of  criminal  cases  had  been  the  defense  of  a  negro  upon  a  charge  of  abduction, 
which  had  resulted  first,  in  a  disagreement  of  a  jury,  and  next,  in  a  verdict  of  guilty. 
He  had  tried  several  civil  causes  at  the  circuit  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Ives,  who 
intrusted  him  with  the  summing  up  of  all  cases.  When  the  youth  and  inexperience  of 
Mr.  Raines  were  urged  against  him  in  the  canvass,  Gen.  J.  H.  Martindale  came  to  his 
rescue  with  most  positive  assurances  of  his  confidence  in  the  successful  administration 
of  the  office,  and  to  this  powerful  endorsement  Mr.  Raines  has  never  failed  to  attribute 
much  of  the  confidence  shown  by  the  voters  in  electing  him.  At  the  same  election  a 
brother,  Hon.  Thomas  Raines,  of  Rochester,  was  elected  state  treasurer,  and  in  1873 
was  reelected  to  the  same  office.  Another  brother,  Hon.  John  Raines,  has  been  twice 
a  member  of  the  legislature  from  Ontario  county. 

The  duties  of  the  office  of  district  attorney  were  laborious  and  required  close  appli- 
cation. The  session  of  courts  continued  daily  for  weeks,  and  frequently  the  nights  were 
consumed  in  the  preparation  of  bills  of  indictment,  or  of  cases  for  trial,  on  the  ensuing 
day.  No  labor  was  spared  to, bring  causes  to  a  successful  issue  when  justice  required 
it,  and  no  public  clamor  influenced  the  discharge  of  duty.  Among  the  notable  cases 
of  the  first  term  of  office  of  Mr.  Raines  was  the  prosecution  of  Stephen  Coleman  for  re- 
ceiving stolen  goods  with  knowledge  that  they  were  stolen.  Coleman  was  charged  with 
enlisting  boys  in  stealing  pig-iron  at  foundries,  and  many  of  the  boys  were  used  as  wit- 
nesses; but  the  convincing  testimony  on  the  various  trials,  which  lasted  each  about  two 
weeks,  was  that  of  merchants  who  had  lost  the  iron  or  bought  it  of  him,  and  of  the  de- 
tectives who,  in  spite  of  orders  from  the  chief  of  police  to  cease  their  inquiries,  had  pur- 
sued the  investigation  to  the  end  of  conviction.  J.  C.  Cochrane,  J.  M.  Davy  and  other 
counsel  defended  Coleman  with  ability  and  secured  a  reversal  of  one  conviction  in  the 
court  of  Appeals,  by  which  court  a  second  conviction  was  affirmed  and  Coleman  served 
his  sentence.  An  undercurrent  of  religious  prejudice  ran  through  the  trials  as  Coleman 
drew  upon  all  the  friends  with  whom,  as  an  influential  member  of  a  Protestant  church, 
he  had  been  identified  to  save  him,  while  the  prosecutors  were  Catholics.  It  is  to  be 
said,  however,  that  the  general  sentiment  of  the  community,  which  had  been  for  and 
against  Coleman  at  different  times,  finally  remained  against  him  and  was  content  with 
his  conviction  and  sentence.  The  other  most  notable  act  of  the  district  attorney  in  his 
first  term  of  office  was  the  destruction  of  a  corrupt  ring  in  control  of  the  police  depart- 
ment of  the  city.  Being  assured  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Hoekstra,  local  editor  of  the  Democrat 
fir"  Chronicle,  of  unflinching  support  in  his  columns,  Mr.  Raines  wrote  out  and  presented 
to  the  grand  jury  findings  and  resolutions  based  upon  evidence  given  before  them  of  in- 
terference with  the  course  of  justice  by  the  chief  of  police.  The  grand  jury  adopted  the 
findings  and  resolutions,  and  Mr.  Hoekstra  in  his  columns,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Raines 
as  to  facts,  precipitated  the  downfall  of  the  chief  of  police  by  a  general  arraignment  of 
his  conduct  as  such  officer,  and  a  demand  for  his  removal.  The  chief  of  police,  upon 
the  second  day,  tendered  a  resignation,  written  for  him  by  Mr.  Raines,  and  the  ring 
which  had  seemed  so  powerful  as  to  defy  public  opinion,  disappeared  from  prominence 
in  the  police  department. 


George  Raines.  721 


In  the  fall  of  1874  Mr.  Raines  was  reelected  to  the  office  of  district  attorney  as  the 
candidate  of  the  Democratic  party.     His  second  term  of  office  was  filled   with  difficult 
and  important  trials.     The  Clark,  Ghaul,  Stillman  and  Fairbanks  murder  trials,  in  which 
Howe  &  Hummel,  of  New  York,  L.  H.  Hovey,  of  Rochester,  and  Gen.  J.  H.  Martin- 
dale  conducted  the  defenses  as  chief  counsel,  required  great  labor  and  energy  to  bring 
about  convictions.     The  Stillman  trial  occupied  about  two  weeks,  and  a  most  elaborate 
defense  by  Gen.  Martindale  on  the  ground  of  insanity  was  urged  with  all  the  ingenuity 
and  power  of  this  most  eloquent  advocate  at  the  Monroe  county  bar.     Justice  Dwight 
became  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  mental  capacity  of  the  prisoner  was  not  such, 
though  not  within  the  legal  definition  of  insanity,  as  to  warrant  the  infliction  of  the 
death  penalty,  and  after  the  verdict  of  murder  in  the  first  degree,  joined  with  Gen.  Mar- 
tindale in  procuring  a  commutation  of  the  penalty  to  imprisonment  for  life.     The  Clark 
trial  will  long  be  cited  as  a  remarkable  case  in  Monroe  county,  as  strenuous  efforts  were 
made  by  able  counsel,  by  applications  and  arguments  before  seven  justices  of  the  Supreme 
court  in  remote  parts  of  the  state,  and  before  the  Albany  general  term  to  secure  a  re- 
view of  the  verdict  of  the  jury.     But  the  sentence  was  executed  upon  Clark  after  the 
expiration  of  a  respite  granted  by  Gov.  Tilden  for  the  purposes  of  such  applications. 
At  the  end  of  his  second  term  as  district  attorney   Mr.   Raines  was  nominated  by  the 
unanimous  vote  of  the  Democratic  convention  as  a  candidate  for  Senator  for  the  district, 
then  composed  of  Monroe  county,  and  was  elected  over  a  gentleman  who  had  served 
one  term  as  Senator  with  ability  and  was  renominated  by  the  Republican  party.     Mr. 
Raines  had  become  identified  with  the  special  supporters  of  Gov.  Tilden  by  his  polit- 
ical associations,  and  in  tJiis  canvass  received   the  bitter  opposition  of  the  enemies  of 
Gov.  Tilden  in  the  Democratic  party  led  by  ex-assemblyman  George  D.  Lord.     The 
newspaper  organ  of  the  party  had  little  to  say  in  his  behalf,  and  his  canvass  was  further 
embarrassed  by  the  sudden  development  of  strength  by  a  third  party,  called  the  Labor 
Reform  party,  which  drew  from  both  the  Republican  and  Democratic  parties,  chiefly 
from  the  latter  however,  3,818  votes  for  its  candidate  for  Senator.     In  his  office  of  Sen- 
ator Mr.  Raines  became  at  once  a  leader  of  the  supporters  of  the  reform  policy  of  Gov. 
Robinson  in  the  Senate,  and  was  identified  with  every  effort  to  forward  legislation  in 
that  interest.     He  continued  his  professional  work,  and  in  this  period  of  his  life  was  em- 
ployed in  numerous  important  trials  in  Western  New  York.     For  three  weeks  the  in- 
volved issues  of  the  Pontius-Hoster  trials  in  Seneca  county,  engaged  the  eflforts  of  Gen. 
Martindale  on  the  one  side  and  of  Mr.  Raines  on  the  other,  with  associate  local  coun- 
sel.    Forgery,  arsenical  poisoning,  and  assault  with  intent  to  kill  were  mingled  in  the 
case,  so  that  either  side  accused  the  other  of  each  offense  and  each  offense  had  to  be 
tried  to  get  to  the  final  verdict,  which  rested  in  favor  of  the  prosecution,  for  which  Mr. 
Raines  was  employed.     It  is  the  most  celebrated  case  of  the  criminal  courts  of  Seneca 
county.     The  Boyce-Hamm,  Hyland  and  Hickey  murder  trials  in  Monroe  county,  and 
the  Williams  murder  trial  in  Wayne  county  were  exacting  in  their  demand  of  great 
labor,  and  in  each  verdicts   were  rendered  in  favor  of  the  theories  supported  by  Mr. 
Raines. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  Mr.  Raines  was  again  presented  by  the  Democratic  party  by 
unanimous  nomination  for  the  office  of  Senator.  Three  years  before  a  Republican 
legislature  had  added  Orleans  county  to  the  senatorial  district,  with  the  purpose,  by 
putting  its  1,200  Republican  majority  with  the  1,500  Republican  majority  of  Monroe 


722  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

county,  which,  in  ordinary  political  years,  might  be  expected  to  render  the  election  of  a 
Democratic  Senator  impossible.  By  this  means  the  district  was  made  almost  the  largest 
in  the  state,  and  the  contest  appeared  almost  hopeless  for  any  Democrat  as  against  a 
powerful  and  skillful  opponent.  Hon.  E.  L.  Pitts,  who  had  been  Senator  the  previous 
term,  and  was  the  ablest  debater  and  conceded  leader  of  his  party  in  the  Senate,  was 
renominated  by  the  Republican  party.  Mr.  Raines  was  met  with  the  argument  that  his 
law  business  consisted  largely  of  litigations  against  corporations,  especially  the  New 
York  Central  &  Hudson  River  railroad  company,  and  his  defeat  must  be  secured  in 
their  interest.  The  powerful  influence  of  that  corporation  and  of  the  shippers  who  en- 
joyed its  favors  by  special  rates  alone  prevented  his  election.  He  was  favored  by  Re- 
publican voters  to  an  extent  that  placed  him  about  three  thousand  ahead  of  his  asso- 
ciates upon  his  party  ticket  in  Monroe  county,  and  upwards  of  two  hundred  more  in 
Orleans  county,  but  Mr.  Pitts,  by  keeping  within  about  two  hundred  of  his  party  ticket 
in  his  own  county  of  Orleans  had  about  nine  hundred  majority  in  Orleans  county  to 
offset  the  seven  hundred  majority  of  Mr.  Raines  in  Monroe  county.  The  Democratic 
party  suffered  a  general  defeat  in  the  state  by  a  tidal  wave  vote,  which  was  apparent 
in  this  district,  as  the  Republican  party  received  for  its  state  ticket  a  majority  of  up- 
wards of  one  thousand  more  than  was  usual  in  the  district  in  any  but  presidential  elec- 
tions. Since  the  canvass  for  Senator  in  1881  Mr.  Raines  has  been  stricriy  attentive  to  a 
large  and  lucrative  law  practice,  in  which  he  is  associated  with  his  brothers,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Raines  Bros.  He  has  occasionally,  however,  made  public  addresses  for 
societies  and  on  public  holidays.  He  was  selected  as  semi-centennial  orator  at  the 
celebration  of  that  event  in  the  history  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  June  9th,  1884,  and 
delivered  the  oration.  But  a  mass  of  important  litigations  of  a  civil  and  criminal  nature 
engage  the  attention  of  his  firm  to  the  exclusion  of  other  labors.  Perhaps  the  most 
satisfactory  to  Mr.  Raines  of  a  long  list  of  trials  in  its  incidents  and  results  was  the 
celebrated  case  at  the  city  of  Watertown,  known  as  the  Higham  homicide.  Higham 
was  tried  in  December,  1883,  for  the  murder  of  Fred.  W.  Eames,  the  inventor  of  the 
Eames  vacuum  brake.  At  the  commission  of  the  offense  Higham  could  hardly  name 
a  friend  in  that  cit)'.  He  was  a  skilled  mechanic,  and  Blames  was  rich  and  powerful. 
By  what  was  supposed  to  be  Eames's  inventive  genius,  the  people  were  led  to  believe  a 
great  manufacturing  enterprise  was  being  built  up  in  Watertown,  and  the  city  looked 
upon  him  as  one  of  its  public  spirited  citizens.  He  was  shot  by  Higham  when,  at  the 
end  of  severe  litigations,  Eames  was  entering  into  possession  of  his  shops  by  the  ap- 
proval of  the  courts.  A  Baptist  minister,  Mr.  Townley,  was  the  witness  of  the  prosecu- 
tion, whose  credit  was  excellent,  whose  spirit  was  revengeful,  and  whose  story  spoke 
murder  in  every  word.  After  a  two  weeks'  trial,  at  nine  o'clock  on  Christmas  day,  Mr. 
Raines  commenced  the  summing  up  of  the  defense  and  continued  until  five  o'clock, 
being  followed  in  an  able  argument  by  ex-Senator  Mills  for  the  prosecution,  and  the 
charge  of  the  court  on  the  following  day.  The  jury  acquitted  Higham,  and  it  was 
found  that  the  testimony  of  the  chief  witness  of  the  prosecution.  Rev.  Mr.  Townley, 
was  discredited  by  the  jury  as  to  all  its  essential  criminating  details.  The  verdict  was 
accepted  by  the  people  of  Watertown  with  pleasure,  and  Higham  was  restored  to  the 
position  he  lost  in  the  community  when  he  shot  Eames  in  self-defense.  Hon.  W.  F. 
Porter,  prepared  the  cause  for  trial,  and  largely  conducted  it  and  Mr.  Raines  attributed 
to  his  patient  and  skillful  work  the  victory  in  this  most  important  case.     Mr.  Raines  is 


George  Raines. — Lewis  Henry  Morgan.  723 

now  in  the  prime  of  life,  devoted  to  his  profession  and  content  with  its  rewards.  He 
points  when  he  has  occasion  with  pleasure  to  the  increase  of  favor  from  political  op- 
ponents, when  he  has  been  a  candidate  at  the  polls,  as  ascertained  by  comparison  of 
his  vote  with  that  of  candidates  for  state  offices  upon  his  party  tickets.  He  led  his 
party  ticket  for  district  attorney  in  1871,  798;  for  district  attorney  in  1874,  1,322;  for 
Senator  in  1877,  1,610;  for  Senator  in  1881,  3,200.  In  each  canvass  he  carried  his 
own  county  of  Monroe,  but  is  often  heard  to  say  that  he  will  never  test  the  loyalty  of 
his  friends  again  by  any  candidacy  for  office. 


HON.  LEWIS  HENRY  MORGAN,  LL.  D.,  president  of  the  American  association 
for  the  advancement  of  science,  and  one  of  the  foremost  ethnological  and  archaeo- 
logical scholars  and  authors  of  his  time,  the  son  of  Jedediah  and  Harriet  Morgan,  was 
born  at  Aurora,  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  November  21st,  1818,  and  died  at  his  home  in 
Rochester,  December  17th,  1881,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  The  following 
sketch  of  his  life,  from  the  pen  of  F.  W".  Putnam,  is  taken  from  the  J^oceedings  of  the 
Amerkaft  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  Vol.  XVII.,  May,  1882  :  — 

The  Hon.  Lewis  H.  Morgan  was  made  a  fellow  of  the  academy  in  1868.  His 
parents  were  of  old  New  England  stock,  and  of  this  he  often  spoke  with  feelings  of 
satisfaction.  His  father  was  descended  from  James  Morgan,  who  settled  near  Boston 
in  1646,  and  his  mother  from  John  Steele,  who  had  a  home  near  Cambridge  in  1641. 
At  the  time  of  his  birth,  November  21st',  1818,  his  parents  resided  in  the  village  of  Au- 
rora, Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.  He  had  the  advantage  of  an  excellent  preliminary  educa- 
tion, and  was  graduated  at  Union  college  in  1840.  He  afterwards  studied  law,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Making  his  home  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  his  zeal  and  honesty 
soon  secured  him  a  large  and  profitable  practice  in  his  profession.  In  business  he  was 
associated  with  his  classmate.  Judge  George  F.  Danforth.  In  1855  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  projected  railroad  from  Marquette  to  the  iron  region  on  the  south  shore  of 
I>ake  Superior,  and  in  the  development  of  the  iron  mines.  The  management  of  these 
enterprises,  from  which  he  derived  a  considerable  property,  caused  him  gradually  to 
withdraw  from  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  induced  him  to  make  excursions  into 
what  was  then  the  wilderness  of  northern  Michigan.  It  was  during  these  explorations 
that  he  became  interested  in  the  habits  and  works  of  the  beaver  —  a  study  which  he 
followed  for  several  years  as  opportunities  offered,  and  the  results  of  which  he  gave  to 
the  world,  in  1868,  in  an  octavo  volume  entitled  The  American  Beaver  and  his  Works. 
This  is  a  most  thorough  and  interesting  biological  treatise,  of  which  the  late  Dr.  Jeffries 
Wynian  remarked  that  it  came  the  nearest  to  perfection  of  any  work  of  its  kind  he  had 
ever  read.  It  is,  however,  to  his  labors  in  anthropology  that  Mr.  Morgan  owes  his 
widespread  fame,  and  it  is  of  interest  to  note  the  probable  cause  of  his  turning  his  at- 
tention to  the  study  of  Indian  life.  On  his  return  from  college  he  joined  a  secret 
society,  known  as  the  "  Gordian  Knot,"  composed  of  the  young  men  of  the  village. 
Chiefly  by  his  influence,  this  society  was  enlarged  and  reorganised,  and  became  the 
"  New  Confederacy  of  the  Iroquois."  The  society  held  its  councils  in  the  woods  at 
night.  It  was  founded  upon  the  ancient  confederacy  of  the  Five  Nations ;  and  its  sym- 
bolic council  fires  were  kindled  upon  the  ancient  territories  of  the  Mohawks,  the  Onei- 
das,  the  Onondagas,  the  Cayugas  and  the  Senecas.     Its  objects  were  to  gather  the 


724  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

fragments  of  the  history,  institutions,  and  government  of  the  Indians,  and  to  encourage 
a  kinder  feeling  towards  them.  A  friend  writes  that  "  many  of  its  members  have  since 
become  distinguished  in  various  walks  of  life,  but  upon  none  of  them  was  its  influence 
so  persuasive  and  so  permanent  as  upon  Mr.  Morgan.  It  gave  direction  to  his  thought, 
and  stimulus  to  his  energies.  In  order  that  it  might  be  in  conformity  with  its  model, 
he  visited  the  tribes  in  New  York  and  Canada,  even  then  remnants,  but  retaining,  so 
far  as  they  were  able,  their  ancient  laws  and  customs.  These  he  investigated,  and  soon 
became  deeply  interested  in  them."  On  his  removal  to  Rochester  his  studies  of  Indian 
institutions  were  continued,  and  in  1845  he  attended  day  after  day  a  grand  council  of  the 
Indians  at  the  Tonawanda  reservation;  and  in  April  of  the  same  year  he  went  to  Washing- 
ton to  plead  in  behalf  of  the  Indians  against  the^reat  injustice  done  them  in  taking  away 
some  of  their  lands.  While  on  this  journey  he  attended  a  meeting  of  the  New  York 
Historical  society,  of  which  he  had  been  elected  a  member,  and  read  his  first  public 
paper  on  the  subject  to  which  he  had  given  so  much  time  and  thought.  This  paper 
is  not  printed  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Society,  but  is  referred  to  as  "an  essay  on  the 
constitutional  government  of  the  Six  Nations  of  Indians."  The  substance  of  it  is 
probably  included  .in  the  series  of  fourteen  "  Letters  on  the  Iroquois,'"  addresssd  to 
Albert  Gallatin,  LL.  D.,  the  president  of  the  society,  and  published  in  the  several  num- 
bers of  the  American  Review  (a  Whig  journal  of  politics,  literature,  art,  and  science, 
Vols.  V.  and  VI.,  New  York  1847),  from  February  to  December,  1847,  under  the  www  rt'if 
plume  of  Skenandoah.  These  letters  were  followed  by  sevei-al  instructive  reports  to  the 
regents  of  the  university  of  the  state  of  New  York,  upon  Indian  remains  in  that  state, 
and  on  the  Fabrics  of  the  Iroquois,  all  bearing  evidence  of  his  great  interest  and  activity  in 
the  study  of  Indian  life  and  institutions.  These  several  papers  were  afterwards  rewrit- 
ten and  enlarged,  and  published  in  book  form  in  1851,  under  the  well  known  title  of 
League  of  the  Iroquois.  This  work  at  once  attracted  general  attention,  and  secured  for 
its  author  a  well  earned  position  in  literature.  It  contains  a  careful  analysis  of  the 
social  organisation  and  government  of  the  powerful  and  famous  confederacy,  with  many 
details  relating  to  Indian  life.  In  1847  Mr.  Morgan  again  attended  a  council  of  the 
Iroquois,  and  on  October  31st,  1847,  he  was  regularly  adopted  into  the  Hawk  gens  of 
the  Senecas,  and  given  the  name  of  Ta-ya-da-wah-kugh  (one  lying  across).  The  mean- 
ing of  this  name  is  that  he  was  to  put  himself  in  the  pathway  of  communication,  and 
preserve  friendship  between  the  two  races,  as  the  son  of  Jemmy  Johnson,  the  inter- 
preter, and  grandson  of  the  famous  Red  Jacket.  As  a  member  of  the  Seneca  tribe  he 
was  better  able  than  before  to  continue  his  studies  of  the  social  institutions  of  the  rem- 
nants of  the  tribes  forming  the  ancient  confederacy.  Ten  years  after  this,  at  the  Mon- 
treal meeting  of  the  American  association  for  the  advancement  of  science,  he  read  a 
paper  on  The  Laws  of  Descent  of  the  Iroquois,  which  furnished  the  basis  of  one  of 
the  most  important  generalisations  in  relation  to  American  ethnology.  In  1858,  in, an 
encampment  of  the  Ojibwa  Indians  at  Marquette,  he  found  that  their  system  of  kinship 
was  substantially  the  same  as  that  of  the  Iroquois.  The  conclusions  which  he  drew 
from  this  discovery  are  clearly  given  in  the  paper  which  he  read  before  the  academy  at 
its  meeting  on  February  nth,  1868,  entitled  A  Conjectural  Solution  of  the  Origin  of 
the  Classficatory  System  of  Relationship.  [  This  paper  is  printed  in  full  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Academy,  Vol,  VII.  pp.  436-437.]  This  paper  is  in  fact  a  resume  o{  his 
great  work,  which  was  then  passing  through  the  press,  and  appeared  as  a  thick  quarto 


Lewis  Henry  Morgan.  _        725 


volume  of  the  Smithsonian  contributions  to  knowledge,  published  in  1870,  under  the 
title  of  Systems  of  Cotisanguiniiy  and  Affinity  of  the  Human  Family.  This  volume  is 
literally  one  of  facts,  from  which  most  important  conclusions  are  constantly  being  drawn. 
As  Mr.  Morgan  states,  it  contains  the  systems  of  relationship  of  "  four-fifths,  numerical- 
ly, of  the  entire  human  family."  During  the  years  in  which  these  materials  were  being 
collected,  Mr.  Morgan  was  not  idle,  but  was  gradually  obtaining  information  for  future 
contributions,  both  by  study  in  his  well  stored  library  and  by  personal  expeditions 
among  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  West  and  of  Hudson's  Bay  territory.  This  was  also  the 
most  active  period  of  his  literary  life,  several  of  the  papers,  which  were  afterwards  re- 
vised and  printed,  having  been  sketched  during  this  time.  Among  the  most  important 
of  these  were  contributions  to  the  North  American  Review,  from  1869  to  1876,  under 
the  titles  of  The  Seven  Cities  of  Cibola,  Indian  Migrations,  Montezuma's  Din- 
ner, and  the  Houses  of  the  Mound  Builders.  Probably  the  paper  pi  1876,  entitled 
Montezuma's  Dinner,  is  the  most  characteristic  of  what  has  been  called  the  "  Morgan 
school"  of  ethnology.  In  it  he  showed  that  the  commonly  received  statements  re- 
lating to  the  Aztec  civilisation  were  founded  on  misconceptions  and  exaggerations,  and 
that  the  Mexican  confederacy,  reviewed  in  the  light  of  knowledge  derived  from  a  study 
of  the  social  and  tribal  institutions  of  the  Indians  of  America,  would  be  found  to  form 
no  exception  to  the  democratic,  military  and  priestly  government  founded  on  the  gentile 
system  common  to  the  American  tribes.  Mr.  Morgan  always  chose  forcible  language 
in  expressing  his  ideas,  and  he  held  fast  to  theories  which  he  believed  to  be  well  founded. 
The  recent  extended  investigations,  which  have  brought  many  additional  facts  to  light, 
will  naturally  lead  to  the  criticism  of  some  of  the  theories  which  he  formed,  from  the 
facts  at  his  disposal,  during  the  active  period  of  his  literary  work ;  but,  while  such  as 
were  constructed  of  loose  materials  will  fall  (and  none  would  have  been  more  ready 
than  he  to  pull  them  down  in  the  cause  of  truth),  the  great  principles  which  liif  researches 
have  brought  out  are  so  apparently  beyond  controversy  that  they  will  ever  stand  as  the 
rocks  against  which  the  wild  and  sensational  theories  will  be  dashed,  and  as  foundations 
upon  which  to  build  in  the  further  study  of  American  archaeology  and  ethnology.  Mr.- 
Morgan's  last  excursion  was  to  the  ancient  and  modern  pueblos  of  Colorado  and  New 
Mexico  in  1878,  and  was  undertaken  primarily  for  the  purpose  of  confirming  his  con- 
ceptions in  relation  to  the  development  of  house-life  among  the  Indian  tribes.  In 
House-Life  and  Architecture  of  the  North  American  Indians,  expressing  his  views  of 
communal  living  among  the  village  Indians,  we.  particularly  notice  the  persistency  with 
which  he  clung  to  his  early  theories  on  this  subject.  This  was  his  latest  work,  pub- 
lished only  a  few  weeks  before  his  death.  While  his  Systems  of  Affinity  aud  Consan- 
guinity, League  of  the  Iroquois,  and  paper  on  the  Mexican  civilisation  will  ever  stand  as 
monuments  of  his  industry  and  research,  and  give  to  him  enduring  fame,  he  will  be 
most  widely  known  by  his  more  popular  volume  of  1877,  Ancient  Society,  or  Researches 
in  the  Lines  of  Human  Progress  from  Savagery,  through  Barbarism  to  Civilisation, 
which  is,  in  fact,  the  embodiment  of  the  most  important  of  his  researches  —  the  grand 
summing  up  of  many  years  of  industrious  labor  and  deep  thought.  A  thorough  evolu- 
tionist in  his  treatment  of  the  subjects  of  his  volume,  he  commences  the  preface  with 
the  statement  that  "The  great  antiquity  of  mankind  upon  earth  has  been  conclusively 
established,"  and  goes  on  to  state  that  "  this  knowledge  changes  materially  the  views 
which  have  prevailed  respecting  the  relations  of  savages  to  barbarians,  and  of  bar- 


726  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

barians  to  civilised  men.  It  can  now  be  asserted,  upon  convincing  evidence,  that  sav- 
agery preceded  barbarism  in  all  the  tribes  of  mankind,  as  barbarism  is  known  to  have 
preceded  civilisation.  The  history  of  the  human  race  is  one  in  source,  one  in  experi- 
ence, and  one  in  progress."  He  then,  on  the  second  and  third  pages,  writes  that  "  In- 
ventions and  discoveries  stand  in  serial  relations  along  the  lines  of  human  progress,  and 
register  its  successive  stages,  while  social  and  civil  institutions,  in  virtue  of  perpetual 
human  wants,  have  been  developed  from  a  few  primary  germs  of  thought.  They  ex- 
hibit a  similar  register  of  progress Throughout  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of 

savagery,  and  the  entire  period  of  barbarism,   mankind  in  general  were  organised  in 

gentes,  phratries  and  tribes The  principal  institutions  of  mankind  originated 

in  savagery,  were  developed  in  barbarism,  arid  are  maturing  in  civilisation.  In  like 
manner  the  family  has  passed  through  successive  forms  and  created  great  systems  of 

consanguinity  and  affinity,  which  have  remained  to  the  present  time The  idea 

of  property  has  undergone  a  similar  growth  and  development.  Commencing  at  zero 
in  savagery,  the  passion  for  the  possession  of  property  as  the  representative  of  accumu- 
lated subsistence  has  now  become  dominant  over  the  human  mind  in  civilised  races." 
He  then  writes  that  "  The  four  classes  of  facts  above  indicated,  and  which  extend  them- 
selves in  parallel  lines  along  the  pathways  of  human  progress  from  savagery  to  civilisa- 
tion, form  the  principal  subjects  of  discussion  in  this  volume."  These  quotations  are 
sufficient  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  substance  of  the  volume  and  the  principles  which  its 
author  has  set  forth.  To  follow  his  scholarly  statements  and  call  attention  in  detail  to 
the  important  deductions  he  has  drawn,  particularly  to  American  ethnology,  would  be 
impossible  in  this  brief  notice  of  the  labors  of  one  who  has  done  so  much. 

In  the  Popular  Science  Monthly  for  November,  1880,  there  is  a  good  portrait  of  Mr. 
Morgan  as  president'  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  ac- 
companied by  an  account  of  his  life,  written  by  Major  J.  W.  Powell.  In  this  short 
sketch  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  mention  all  the  publications  of  which  Mr.  Morgan 
was  the  author.  A  full  list  of  his  papers  is  desirable,  as  they  are  widely  scattered,  and 
several  are  but  little  known,  and  difficult  to  obtain.  The  following  list  gives  the  titles 
of  those  which  have  come  under  the  writer's  notice :  — 

Letters  (1-14)  on  the  Iroquois,  "by  Skenandoah,"  addressed  to  .\lbert  Gallatin,  LL.  D.,  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  historical  society.  (The  American  Review :  A  whig  journal  of  politics,  litera- 
ture, art  and  science.     Volumes  V,  VI.     February-December,  1847).     New  York.     8vo. 

Communications  to  the  regents  of  the  New  York  stale  university:  An  account  of  Indian  pipes,  for- 
tifications, etc.,  in  New  York,  1848.  (Second  annual  report  of  the  regents  of  the  university  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  1849).     Albany.     8vo.     Illustrated. 

Report  upon  the  articles  furnished  the  Indian  collection,  1849.  (Third  annual  report  of  the  regent.s 
of  the  university  of  the  state  of  New  York,  1850).     Albany.     8vo.     Illustrated. 

The  fabrics  of  the  Iroquois.  ( Reprint  in  part  of  report  to  the  regents  of  the  New  York  state  uni- 
versity. Stryker's  American  Register  and  Magazine,  July,  1850,  Vol.  IV).  Trenton.  8vo.  Illus- 
trated. 

Schedule  of  articles  obtained  from  the  Indians  in  western  New  York  and  on  Grand  River,  Canada. 
Abstract  of  report.  (Third  and  fifth  annual  reports  of  the  regents  of  the  university  of  the  state  cabinet 
of  natural  history).     Albany,  1850,  1852.     8vo. 

League  of  the  Ho-d6-no-sau-nee,  or  Iroquois.     Rochester,  185 1.     8vo.     Illustrated. 

Report  on  the  fabrics,  inventions,  implements  and  utensils  of  the  Iroquois.  (Fifth  annual  report  of 
the  regents  of  the  state  of  New  York,  1851).     Albany,  1852.     8vo.     Illustrated. 

List  of  [198]  articles  manufactured  by  the  Indians  of  western  New  York  and  Canada  West,  with 
their  Indian  names.  (Catalogue  of  the  cabinet  of  natural  history  of  the  state  of  New  York).  Albany, 
1853.     8vo. 


Lewis  Henry  Morgan.  727 


Laws  of  descent  of  the  Iroquois.  (Proceedings  of  the  American  association  for  the  advancement  of 
science.     Montreal  meeting,  1857).     Vol.  XI.     Cambridge,  1858.     8vo. 

The  Indian  mode  of  bestowing  and  changing  names.  (Proceedings  of  the  American  association  for 
the  advancement  of  science.     Springfield  meeting,  1850).     Vol.  XIII.     Cambridge,  1866.     8vo. 

Circular  in  reference  to  the  degrees  of  relationship  among  different  nations.  (Smithsonian  miscel- 
laneous collections.     Vol.  II).     i860.     8vo. 

Suggestions  relative  to  an  ethnological  'm^P  of  North  America,  thirty-six  by  forty-four  inches. 
(Annual  report  of  the  Smithsonian  institute  for  1861).     1862.     8vo. 

A  conjectural  solution  of  the  origin  of  the  classificatory  system  of  relationship.  (Proceedings  of 
the  American  academy  of  arts  and  sciences,  February,  1868).     Vol.  VII.     Boston,  1868.     8vo. 

The  American  beaver  and  his  works.     Philadelphia,  1868.     8vo.     Illustrated. 

The  ",Seven  Cities  of  Cibola."  (North  American  Review,  Vol.  CVIII,  April,  1869).  Boston, 
1869.     8vo. 

Indian  migrations.  (North  American  Review,  Vol.  CIX,  October,  1869;  Vol.  CX,  January,  1870). 
Boston,  1869,  1870.     8vo. 

The  stone  and  bone  implements  of  the  Arickarees.  (Twenty-first  annual  report  of  the  regents  of  the 
university  of  the  state  of  New  York  on  the  state  cabinet  of  natural  history,  1868).  Albany,  1871.  8vo. 
Illustrated. 

Systems  of  consanguinity  and  affinity  of  the  human  family.  (Smithsonian  cdntributions  to  knowl- 
edge, 218).     Washington,  1871.     4to. 

Australian  kinship.  From  original  memoranda  of  Rev.  Lorinier  Fison.  (Proceedings  of  the  Amer- 
ican academy  of  arts  and  sciences,  March,  1872,  Vol.  VIII).     Boston,  1873.     8vo. 

Ethnical  periods.  (Proceedings  of  the  American  association  for  the  advancement  of  science.  De- 
troit meeting,  1875,  Vol.  XXIV).     Salem,  1876.     8vo. 

Arts  of  subsistence.  (Proceedings  of  the  American  association  for  the  advancement  of  science. 
Detroit  meeting,  1875,  Vol.  XXIV).     Salem,  1876.     8vo. 

Houses  of  the  Mound  Builders.-  (North  American  Review,  Vol.  CXXIII,  July,  1876).  Boston, 
1876.     8vo. 

Montezuma's  dinner.     (North  American  Review,  Vol.  CXXII,  1876).     Boston,  1876.     8vo. 

Ancient  society,  or  researches  in  the  lines  of  human  progress  from  savagery,  through  barbarism,  to 
civilization.     New  York,  1877.     8vo. 

On  the  ruins  of  a  stone  pueblo  on  the  Animas  river,  in  New  Mexico;  with  a  ground  plan. 
(Twelfth  annual  report,  Peabody  museum  of  American  archteology  and  ethnology).  Cambridge,  1880. 
8vo. 

Objects  of  an  expedition  to  New  Mexico  and  Central  America.  (Statement  presented  to  the  arch- 
reological  institute  of  America,  March,  1880).     Boston.     8vo. 

A  study  of  the  houses  of  the  American  aborigines,  with  a  scheme  of  exploration  of  the  ruins  in  New 
Mexico  and  elsewhere.  (First  annual  report  of  the  archieological  institute  of  America).  1880.  8vo. 
Illustrated. 

Houses  and  house  life  of  the  American  aborigines.  (Contributions  to  American  ethnology.  Vol. 
IV).     Department  of  the  interior,  Washington,  1881.     4to.     Illustrated. 

In  social  life  Mr.  Morgan  was  much  beloved  for  his  kind  and  genial  ways,  and  at 
Rochester  his  house  with  its  large  hall,  in  which  were  his  library  and  collections,  was 
often  the  gathering  place  of  scholars  and  scientists,  and  there  the  well-known  literary 
club,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  often  met.  Ever 
active  as  a  citizen  in  all  good  works,  he  was  twice  honored  by  public  offices:  in  186 1 
he  was  a  member  of  the  state  Assembly,  and  in  1867  and  1868  he  was  a  Senator.  In 
both  these  capacities  he  was  distinguished  as  the  uncompromising  foe  of  all  vicious 
measures,  and  his  fair  name  was  never  sullied  by  even  the  insinuation  of  corrupt  or 
double  dealing.  From  his  great  interest  in  the  Indian  tribes  and  from  his  knowledge 
of  the  natural  course  of  the  development  of  civilisation,  he  always  took  to  heart  the 
unfortunate  condition  of  the  Indians  and  the  unnatural  methods  which  were  pursued 
by  government  in  relation  to  their  civilisation,  and  often  urged,  as  occasions  arose,  the 
desirability  of  leading  the  Indians  to  civilisation  by  making  them  self-sustaining  as  a 
pastoral  people,  writing  several  letters  to  the  press,  particularly  to  the  NaHon,'m  which 
are  presented  forcible  reasons  for  following  such  a  plan. 


728  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  a  member  of  numerous  historical  and  scientific  societies,  and 
in  1879  he  was  elected  president  of  the  American  association  for  the  advancement  of 
science,  and  presided  over  the  meeting  held  in  Boston  the  following  year.  At  this  time 
it  was  noticed  that  his  strength  was  failing,  and,  although  he  had  much  enjoyment  at 
the  meeting,  he  remarked  that  it  would  probablyhe  the  last  time  he  should  meet  with 
the  association,  and  that  he  should  so  much  the  more  appreciate  the  honor  which  had 
been  conferred  upon  him.  From  that  time  he  slowly  declined,  and  died  at  his  home, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  on  December  17th,  1881.  Mr.  Morgan  was  married  in  1851 
to  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  the  late  Lemuel  Steele,  of- Albany,  N.  Y.,  who,  with  one  son, 
survives  him.*  The  death  of  his  two  daughters,  in  1862,  was  a  sad  calamity,  and  as 
Mr.  Morgan  was  much  interested  in  plans  for  the  higher  education  of  women,  he  en- 
deavored to  establish  in  Rochester  a  college  for  women,  to  which  he  proposed  to  make 
a  memorial  endowment ;  but  his  efforts  were  not  entirely  successful.  He  then  resolved 
to  leave  the  whole  of  his  property  for  the  purpose  after  the  decease  of  his  wife  and  son, 
hoping  that  others  will  unite  in  making  the  fund  ample  for  such  an  institution.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  object  he  has  left  his  entire  and  considerable  property  in  trust  to  the 
University  of  Rochester,  for  the  final  establishment  of  a  college  for  women.  * 

Union  college  conferred  upon  Mr.  Morgan  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  July  226, 1840,  and 
that  of  LL.  D.,  July  2d,  1873.  He  was  made  a  member  of  the  New  York  Historical 
society,  April,  1846 ;  of  the  American  Ethnological  society,  January,  1849;  of  the 
Natural  History  society  of  Williams  college,  February,  1850;  the  State  Historical  society 
of  Wisconsin,  March,  1854;  Michigan  Historical  society,  September,  1857;  American 
Antiquarian  society,  Worcester,  Mass.,  October,  1865;  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
Philadelphia,  December,  1865;  Buffalo  Historical  society,  December,  1866;  Marquette 
Historical  and  Scientific  association,  August,  1867  ;  Maryland  Historical  society,  Octo- 
ber, 1867  ;  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  Boston,  May,  1868 ;  Boston 
Academy  of  Natural  History,  January,  1869;  Associadad  Anxiliad  Orada  Industria 
Nacional,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  September,  187 1 ;  Wisconsin  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
February,  1874;  National  Academy  of  Sciences,  Washington,  April,  1875;  Academy 
of  Natural  Science,  Davenport,  Iowa,  April,  1877;  Institution  Ethnographique,  Paris, 
D^16gu6  Correspondant  pour  I'fitat  de  New  York,  August,  1880;  and  of  the  Royal 
Historical  society,  Grampion  lodge.  Forest  Hill,  S.  E.,  London,  October,  1880,  which 
latter  was  declined.  Mr.  Morgan  left  an  extensive  and  carefully  selected  library,  and  a 
most  interesting  and  valuable  collection  of  Indian  relics.  The  library  building  is  44 
feet  long,  25  feet  wide,  and  15  feet  high,  with  ceiling  in  panels  of  black  walnut  and 
bird's-eye  maple,  modeled  after  the  ceiling  of  a  room  at  Abbotsford,  with  panels 
much  enlarged.  In  the  center  of  the  ceiling  is  a  skylight  of  stained  glass,  i2x  12  feet, 
and  raised  two  feet  above  the  ceiling.  A  triple  bay-window  on  the  east  end,  and  glass 
doors  on  the  corresponding  opposite  end  give  the  only  additional  light  to  the  room. 
The  library  is  chiefly  a  working  collection  of  books,  histories  and  ethnological  works, 
such  as  were  in  constant  use  by  the  owner.  The  rarest  volume  in  the  collection  is  a 
Spanish  dictionary,  published  in  the  city  of  Mexico  in  1576,  parts  of  which  have  been 

1  Since  this  memoir  was  written  by  Mr.  Putnam,  Mrs.  Morgan's  death  has  occurred.  She  survived 
her  husband  not  quite  two  years.  Greatly  esteemed  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her,  she  died  at 
the  family  residence  in  Rochester,  December  1st,  1883. 

2  Mrs.  Morgan  also  bequeathed  her  separate  estate,  after  the  death  of  her  son,  to  the  same  purpose. 
Both  estates  amount  to  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


Lewis  Henry  Morgan. —  Henry  Rogers  Selden.  729 

destroyed  and  since  replaced  line  by  line,  with  great  skill.  Mr.  Morgan  ascertained, 
when  in  London  some  years  ago,  the  value  of  this  very  old  and  rare  volume  to  be  esti- 
mated at  $350  per  copy.  The  cabinet  of  relics  and  antiquities  was  in  a  large  measure 
collected  by  Mr.  Morgan.  The  most  interesting  American  Indian  article  is  the  gorget 
of  Joseph  Brandt  (Thayandanega),  copper,  plated  with  gold,  presented  to  him  in  Eng- 
land, with  the  royal  arras  in  relief  upon  it.  Articles  of  Indian  manufacture  are  numer- 
ous and  choice —  and  veritable  ones  —  many  of  them  having  been  made  specially  for 
Mr.  Morgan,  by  the  best  skilled  Indian  workers.  The  Rochester  Democrat  b"  Chron- 
icle prefaced  a  long  obituary  of  Mr.  Morgan  the  day  after  his  decease,  with  the  follow- 
ing statement :  — 

"  In  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  II.  Morgan,  which  occurred  at  his  residence  in  this  city  last 
evening,  his  family  has  lost  a  trusted  and  an  a(Tectionate  head,  Rochester  an  old  and  a  valued  citizen,  and 
the  state  one  who  had  rendered  it  good  and  patriotic  service.  Science,  for  which  he  had  labored  effi- 
ciently and  conspicuously,  will  mourn  one  of  its  brightest  lights  extinguished;  for  he  was  among  the 
foremost  investigators  of  his  time;  had  definitely  settled  some  of  the  most  perplexing  questions  in 
archteology,  and  had  achieved  a  world-wide  reputation  as  a  scholar  —  a  reputation  perhaps  more  bril- 
liant even  in  Europe  than  in  America." 

The  many  letters  of  inquiry  and  condolence  that  followed  Mr.  Morgan's  death  sug- 
gested to  his  surviving  family  the  appropriateness  of  a  memorial  containing  the  funeral 
address  of  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.,  his  intimate  friend  and  pastor  for  many 
years.  This  was  accompanied  also  by  a  memorial  card  giving  the  simple  record  of  the 
progress  of  his  works.  The  members  of  the  Rochester  Literary  and  Scientific  club,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  founders,  attended  the  funeral  in  a  body  and  acted  as  honorary 
pall-bearers,  and  their  sons  carried  the  casket  to  the  family  tomb  ^  at  Mount  Hope 
cemetery. 


HENRY  ROGERS  SELDEN  figured  for  more  than  half  a  century  among  the  agen- 
cies which  were  wholesomely  active  in  Rochester,  and  contributed  invaluable  forces 
toward  its  material  and  municipal  growth.  Now,  by  reason  of  the  feebleness  of  ad- 
vanced years,  relegated  to  repose  from  toilsome  labors  and  a  life  of  remarkable  public 
achievements,  the  venerable  form  of  the  eminent  jurist  may  still  be  seen  nourishing  its 
declining  years  in  the  vigor  of  the  open  air  upon  pleasant  sunny  days.  He  has  reached 
his  seventy-ninth  year.  Until  five  years  since  he  was  still  actively  engaged  in  the  duties 
of  his  profession  and  continuing  to  win  encomiums  from  the  bench  and  bar  and  plaudits 
from  the  public  press  as  the  Nestor  of  his  calling. 

Born  of  Puritan  stock  at  Lyme,  Conn.,  October  14th,  1805,  he  followed  his  brother, 
Samuel  Lee  Selden  to  Rochesterville  (as  the  then  insignificant  town  was  denominated) 
in  1825.  There  he  entered  the  office  of  a  man,  Addison  Gardiner  (who  died  in  June, 
1883),  who  during  a  long  and  eventful  life  was  conspicuous  as  one  of  the  most  notable 
figures  among  the  Democratic  party,  while  an  eminent  legal  authority  in  the  jurispru- 
dence of  the  state  of  New  York.  Samuel  Lee  Selden,  Henry's  brother  was  the  law  part- 
ner of  Addison  Gardiner,  so  it  came  about  that  the  younger  Selden  received  more  than 
even  a  cordial  welcome  in  the  office  of  the  noted  firm.  By  this  adventitious  circumstance, 
three  men  were  brought  together,  all  of  whom,  for  a  significant  period,  adorned  the  bench 
of  the  court  of  Appeals,  and  occupied  the  position  of  the  chief  judgeship  thereof,  besides 
figuring  among  the  noted  lawyers  of  the  century  in  the  Empire  state. 


730  History  of  the  City  of  Rochester. 

When  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  in  his  twenty-fifth  year  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  thereupon  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Clarkson, 
upon  the  western  border  of  Monroe  county.  In  1830  the  eye  of  no  man  was  yet  quite 
farseeing  enough  to  determine  exactly  which  of  the  several  thriving  places  within  the 
limits  of  the  county  enfolded  a  future  city  and  was  destined  to  spread  its  arms  over  the 
acreage  of  the  territory  and  be  absorbed  in  and  under  the  manifold  ramifications  of  a 
great  municipal  corporation.  Clarkson  bid  as  fair  to  become  a  commercial  center  as 
any  other  in  the  county,  and  the  village  of  Carthage,  stretching  upon  the  east  and  west 
banks  of  the  Genesee  clear  along  toward  the  mouth  of  the  beautiful  stream,  most  delu- 
sively promised  a  prosperity  it  never  fulfilled,  and  that  just  escaped  the  locality  by  pass- 
ing south  and  clustering  about  a  goodly  area  of  territory  between  the  rapids  and  the 
lower  falls.  That  territory  became,  and  to-day  substantially  is,  the  teeming,  seething 
Rochester  from  which  Henry  Rogers  Selden  was  to  ascend  the  bench,  and  to  carry, 
with  John  A.  King,  the  banner  of  the  Republican  party  in  its  initial  effort  for  political 
ascendency  during  the  Fremont  and  Dayton  campaign  of  1856.  The  national  leaders 
in  this  campaign  suffered  defeat ;  but  John  A.  King,  who  headed  the  state  ticket,  was 
triumphantly  elected  governor,  and  Henry  Rogers  Selden  lieutenant-governor,  the  first 
two  members  of  the  new  party  to  enter  upon  the  performance  of  grave  and  lofty  public 
duty  under  a  new,  and,  as  they  believed,  better  political  regime  in  the  nation.  It  is 
worth  mentioning  that  during  the  gubernatorial  canvass  Judge  Selden  was  in  Europe 
upon  professional  business ;  but  his  personal  popularity  carried  him  through  the  struggle 
with  a  very  handsome  inajority.  Throughout  the  state  he  was  known  and  recognised 
as  an  honest  man,  over  and  above  the  place  he  held  as  a  very  able  and  profound  lawyer. 
As  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate  at  a  time  when  skilled  parliamentarians  belonging  to  a 
party  hostile  to  the  Republicans  were  among  the  influential  and  powerful  members  of 
the  state  legislature,  none  of  his  rulings  ever  suffered  the  reproof  of  dissent.  There  was 
confidence  as  firm  in  his  good  judgment  as  in  his  honesty  and  legal  acumen.  The 
urbanity  with  which  he  presided  in  Senate  had  so  noticeable  a  judicial  cast,  that  in  July, 
1862,  upon  the  retirement  of  his  brother,  the  late  Samuel  Lee  Selden,  from  the  chief 
judgeship  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  Governor  Edwin  D.  Morgan  appointed  Henry  Rogers 
Selden  to  the  vacancy. 

Honorable  Hiram  Denio,  then  eldest  associate  judge,  would,  under  the  constitution 
of  1846,  have  succeeded  as  chief  judge-in  course  but  for  the  governor's  appointment. 
This  fact  the  generous-hearted  appointee  recognised,  notwithstanding  his  clear  right  to  the 
chief  judgeship,  and  very  characteristically  deferred  to,  by  waiving  everything  in  Judge 
Denio's  behalf  and  permitting  that  eminent  jurist  to  go  into  and  occupy  the  exalted  judi- 
cial place  at  once,  himself  content  to  take  the  subordinate  place  of  associate  judge. 

Henry  Rogers  Selden  remained  upon  the  court  of  Appeals  bench  continuously  from 
that  time  to  the  close  of  1863,  and  his  opinions  may  be  found  from  volumes  25  to  31, 
inclusive,  of  the  N.  Y.  Reports,  while  his  work  in  reference  to  the  compilation  of  the 
massive  monument  of  leading  precedents  represented  by  these  reports  is  included  be- 
tween the  4th  and  nth  volumes  of  the  same,  with  a  small  volume  Of  addenda,  known 
as  Selden's  notes,  all  of  which  were  the  product  of  his  toil  and  learning  while  court  of 
Appeals  reporter. 

From  1830  until  the  summer  of  1879  he  continued,  with  the  exceptioh  of  the  time 
spent  upon  the  bench  and  a  year  or  more  occupied  in  the  search  of  health  in  Europe, 


Henry  Rogers  Selden.  731 


lu  the  active  and  incessant  practice  of  his  profession.  But  he  was  never  without  interest 
in  every  reasonable  plan  for  the  advancement  of  mankind  in  civilisation  and  happiness. 

In  1845,  when  Professor  S.  F.  B.  Morse  was  knocking  vainly  at  many  doors  in  the 
interest  of  patents  in  telegraphy  that  have  since  become  world-famous,  he  found  a  will- 
ing ear  and  the  heartiest  co-operatijon  in  Henry  R.  Selden.  In  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Henry  O'Riely,  a  former  journalist  of  Rochester,  who  entered  into  a  contract  with  the 
Morse  patentees,  Henry  Rogers  Selden,  inaugurated  a  movement  whereby  a  number  of 
public-spirited  citizens  convened  with  the  view  of  forming  a  company  to  build  a  section 
of  40  miles  of  telegraph  (then  considered  a  most  visionary  scheme),  between  Lancaster 
and  Harrisburgh  in  Pennsylvania.  The  sole  subscribers  to  this  stock  were  Henry  R. 
Selden,  Samuel  L.  Selden,  Jonathan  Childs,,(the  first  mayor  of  Rochester),  Elisha  D. 
Ely,  Hugh  T.  Brooks,  and  Micah  Brooks,  (the  philanthropist),  Alvah  Strong  and  George 
Dawson,  (the  journalist),  John  S.  Skinner  and  Hervey  Brooks.  These  gentlemen  were 
associated  as  the  Atlantic,  Lake  &  Mississippi  Valley  telegraph  company,  of  which 
Henry  Rogers  Selden  became  president.  At  a  later  period  the  Selden  brothers  acquired 
an  interest  in  the  New  York  and  Mississippi  Valley  printing  telegraph  company,  organ- 
ised under  the  House  patent.  This  company  eventually  developed  into  that  gigantic 
corporation  known  as  the  Western  Union  telegraph  company.  In  the  manner  here  re- 
counted the  Seldens  were  among  the  pioneers  of  telegraphy  in  this  country  and  in  the 
world. 

In  January,  1865,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  solicited  to  accept  the  nomination 
for  the  Assembly  in  the  second  district  of  Monroe.  He  was  elected  and,  though  in  en- 
feebled health,  entered  upon  the  performance  of  his  duties  as  earnestly  and  as  modestly 
as  though  he  had  never  occupied  the  chair  of  the  state  Senate  and  the  bench  of  the 
court  of  Appeals.  In  1870,  on  the  reorganisation  of  the  court  of  Appeals,  he  consented 
to  be  a  candidate  on  the  Republican  ticket  against  the  late  Sanford  E.  Church  for  the 
chief  judgeship  of  the  court  of  Appeals ;  knowing  full  well  that  political  conditions  at 
the  time  precluded  the  possibility  of  Republican  success.  He  was  one  of  the  callers  of 
the  celebrated  Cincinnati  convention  of  1872;  but,  dissatisfied  with  its  results  he  has 
never  since  engaged  in  politics.  His  health,  which  had  so  often  been  an  impediment  to 
active  exertions  in  politics  and  public  life,  compelled  him  to  retire  from  professional  life 
in  1879,  since  which  he  has  resided  quietly  in  Rochester,  in  a  large  and  roomy  mansion 
at  the  comer  of  Gibbs  street  and  Grove  place.  He  was,  like  his  brother  Samuel  Lee 
Selden,  a  liberal  contributor  of  both  time  and  means  to  local  charitable  institutions,  offi- 
ciating as  a  manager  of  several  of  them,  and  according  all  the  benefit  of  his  sound  judg- 
ment, shrewd  common  sense,  and  professional  knowledge.  The  life  work  of  the  two 
jurist  brothers  stands  out  in  bold  relief  as  a  notable  part  of  the  leading  political  history 
of  the  Empire  state  and  constitutes  a  source  of  just  pride  to  every  one  of  its  citizens. 

Mr.  Selden  was  married  September  25th,  1834,  at  Clarkson,  to  Laura  Anne,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Abel  and  Laura  (Smith)  Baldwin,  who  is  still  living.  They  have  buried  seven 
children,  and  have  living  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  son,  George  Bal- 
dwin Selden  is  practicing  patent  law  at  Rochester,. and  is  already  recognised  as  a  noted 
authority  in  his  difficult  branch  of  the  profession.  Arthur  Rogers  Selden  is  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  great  manufacturing  company  of  D.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  at  Brockport,  N.  Y. 
The  youngest  son  is  Samuel  Lee  Selden,  a  lawyer,  practicing  in  Rochester.  A  daughter, 
Julia,  is  the  wife  of  Theodore  Bacon,  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Rochester  bar. 
The  youngest  daughter  is  Miss  Laura  H.  Selden,  who  resides  with  her  parents. 


INDEX. 


Aborigines  of  America,  13,  21,  27. 

Academy  of  science,  222. 

Active  hose,  209. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  117,  135. 

Advertiser,  Daily,  346. 

Age  of  the  virorld,  13. 

Agricultural  journals,  361. 

Aldermen  of  the  city,  185. 

Alert  hose,  208. 

Allan,  Ebenezer,  76,  77,  79,  80,  84. 

Allan's  mill-stones,  76,  78,  87. 

Allen,  John,  mayor,  136,  147. 

Allen,  Samuel  P.,  354. 

Alms  house,  427. 

Alexander  street  seminary,  306. 

America  the  Old  world,  12,  l6. 

American,  Daily,  351. 

Ancient  fire-place  under  the  lake  ridge,  15,  19. 

Antiquities  of  the  Genese.e  Country,   15,  21,  24, 

26,  46. 
Andrews  and  Atwater,  loi,  H3. 
Andrews,  Samuel  G.,  mayor,  145,  151. 
Amusements  in  Rochester,  450. 
Anti-gambling,  society  formed,  136. 
Anti-Masonic  excitement,  122,  124,  350. 
Anti-slavery,  society  formed,  133 ;  meetings,  136, 

146;  lectures,  145,  462. 
Appeals,  court  of,  372. . 

Aqueduct,  the  old,  115,  116;  the  new,  135,  235. 
Architects  and  Architecture,  524. 
Arsenal  built,  157. 
Art  exchange,  the,  531. 
Art  exhibitions,  523. 
Art  club,  the,  531. 
Artillery,  Rochester,  434. 
Assembly,  members  of,  200. 
Assessors  of  the  village,  109. 
Asylums,  orphan,  41 2;  insane,  428. 
Athenaeum,  the,  217. 
Atkinson,  William,  109. 
Attorneys,  list  of,  377. 
Auction,  sale  of  real  estate,  136. 
Backus,  Dr.  F.  F.,  108,  122,  147,  335.. 
Balloon,  first  ascension,  130. 
Band,  the  first  here,  109. 
Banking  institutions,  463. 
Barnard,  Jehiel,  107,  108. 
Barron,  his  murder  of  Lyman,  132. 
Battery  L,  First  N.  Y.  Light  artillery,  572. 
Bazaar  in  the  war  time,  151. 
Beach,  Gen.  E.  S.,  139. 
Bible  society,  Monroe  county,  410. 
Boyd  and  Parker,  71,  134. 
Brewer's  Landing,  23,  39,  41 . 
Bridges,  98,   III,    113,    118,  130,   145,   146,   150, 

156,  161,  166,  170,  172. 
Brown,  Dr.  Jonah,  166,  332. 


Brown,  Francis,  loi,  108. 

Brown,  Matthew,  jr.,  loi,  104,105,  I41. 

Brown  square  school,  298. 

Brownlow,  Parson,  150. 

Burglaries,  163,  166. 

Burnet,  Governor  Wm.,  65,  66. 

Butler's  Rangers,  40,  44,  71,  72. 

Butts,  Isaac,   162,  349. 

Catlin,  fate  of,  125. 

Cable,  first  Atlantic,  147. 

Canadian  rebellion,  131,  432. 

Canal,  Erie,  113,  136,  157,  163,  226. 

Can^l,  Genesee  Valley,  237. 

Carter,  Robert,  354. 

Carthage,  settlement  of,  107,  III;  famous  bridge 
at.  III;  last  bridge,  145. 

Casualties,  130,  146,  147,  148,  156,  163,  213,  214. 

Cathedral,  opening  of,  156. 

Catholic  cemeteries,  448. 

Catholic  orphan  asylums,  415 

Catholic  schools,  278,  312,  316. 

Celebration,  centennial,  164 ;  semi-centennial,  1 74. 

Cemeteries,  Mt.  Hope,  438;  Catholic,  448. 

Central  library,  219. 

Census  of  Rochester,  107,  no,  114,  116,  119, 
136,  140. 

Champion,  Aristarchus,  159,  235. 

Chapin,  Judge,  107,  154. 

Charier  of  city,  128,  138. 

Charitable  society,  female,  127,  407. 

Charlevoix,  Father,  64,  75,  79. 

Charlotte,  attack  upon,  102,  104. 

Cheney,  first  furnace,  133. 

Chinese,  first  voter,  171. 

Child,  Jonathan,  inaugurated  mayor,  129;  resigns, 
130;  dies,  148. 

Childs,  Timothy,  122,  234. 

Cholera,  127,  139,  142. 

Chronicle,  Daily,  352. 

Church  home,  425. 

Church,  Sanford  E.,  373. 

Churches,  the  First,  109,  118;  the  Presbyterian, 
243;  Episcopal,  254;  Friends,  or  Quakers, 
260;  Baptist,  261;  Methodist,  268;  Catholic, 
277;  Unitarian,  284;  Lutheran,  286;  United 
Evangelical,  288;  Evangelical  association, 
289;  German  Reformed,  290;  Congregation- 
al, 290;  Jewish,  291  ;  Universalist,  293; 
Advent  Christian,  294;  Reformed  Dutch, 
294;  Christadelphian,  295. 

Circus,  the  first  here,  451. 

City  building,  161. 

City  hall,  corner-stone  laid,  161  ;  finished,  163. 

City  hospital,  151,  163,  403. 

City,  incorporation  of,  128. 

City  officials  for  1884,   179. 

City  supervisors,  194. 


Index. 


733 


City  tax  levy,  i8i. 
City  treasurers,  193. 
Civil  list  of  the  city,  184. 
Civil  Service  Reform  association,  226. 
Clark,  John,  his  murder  of  Trevor,  163. 
Clay,  Henry,  136,  137. 
Clinton,  DeWitt,  103,  226,  230,  232,  237. 
Clubs,  Pundit,  221 ;  Fortnightly,  221  ;  Browning, 
222 ;    Shakespeare,    222 ;    Rochester,    223 ; 
Whist,  -223;  Phoenix,   224;  Abelard,   224; 
Mutual,  224 ;  Celtic,  224 ;  Commercial  Trav- 
elers', 225;    Lincoln,  226;    Riverside,  226; 
Canoe,  227. 
Coal,  first  used,  138;  its  supply,  241. 
Coldest  weather  known  here,  144. 
Coleman,  Dr.  Anson,  334. 
Commerce  of  the  village,  1 10. 
Congress,  members  of,  200. 
Convent  Schools,  316. 
Corinthian  hall,  139,  456. 
County  clerks,  199. 
County  court,  375. 
County  erected,  114. 
County  officials  for  1884,   183. 
County  treasurers,  200. 
Court-house,  115,  139,  141,  368. 
Court,  first  of  record,  114,  369. 
Courts,  state,  370;  county,  375. 
Culver,  Oliver,  23,  39,  67,  86. 
Cutler,  Jeremiah,  173,298. 
Dam,  its  construction,  109. 

Dauby,  Augustine  G.,  107,  344. 

Dean,  Dr.  H.  W.,  338. 

Deaf  mute  institution,  426. 

Debt  of  the  city,  180. 

Deed,  Allan's,  81,  82,  84. 

Deed,  first  in  the  county,  llj. 

Deeds,  Indian,  63,  67. 

De  Lave,  he  crosses  the  falls,  147. 

Democrat,  Daily,  351. 

DeNonville's  expedition,  50,  53,  57,  60. 

Dentistry,  341. 

Dewey,  Dr.  Chester,  146,  155,  308,  311. 

Directory  of  the  villagCi  first,  124. 

District-attorneys,  376. 

Doctors,  early,  332. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  141,  148. 

Draft  in  this  city,  151. 

Driving-park,  the,  457. 

Duel,  on  Pinnacle  hill,  135. 

Eagle  Hotel,  131,  140,  150. 

Eastwood,  Martin,  trial  for  murder,   144. 

Eighteenth  Light  artillery,  575. 

Eighth  cavalry  regiment,  $6g. 

Elks,  order  of,  402. 

Electric  Light  companies,  240. 

Elwood,  John  B.,  mayor,  165,  335. 

Ely,  Dr.  W.  W.,  338. 

Ely,  Elisha,  104. 

Ely,  Hervey,   104,  106,  120,  127,  150. 

Empire  order  of  Mutual  Aid,  401. 

Engravers  in  Rochester,  526. 

Executive  board,   182, 

lixhibitions  of  art,  523. 

Expeditions,  English,  66,  68,  69. 

Expeditions,  French,  50,  62. 

Expeditions,  Indian,  34,  62. 

Express,  Evening,  358. 

Factory,  first,  107. 

Female  academy,  306. 


Female  Charitable  society,  127,  407. 

Fenians,  154,  155,  157. 

Field,  Joseph,  mayor,  167. 

Fifty-fourth  regiment,  IJ  I,  159,  165,  434. 

Fillmore,  President,  visit  of,  140. 

Financial  crisis  of  1837,   IJI. 

Fine  arts  in  Rochester,  51°- 

Finney,  Dr.,  revivals  under,  145. 

Fire  alarm  telegraph,  210. 

Fire  department,  109,  201. 

Firemen's  Benevolent  association,  211. 

Firemen's  monument,  212. 

Fires,  notable,  213. 

First  Veteran  brigade,  576. 

Fish-culture,  Seth  Green's  experiments,  156. 

Floods,  of  1835,    130;    of    1857,    146;    of  1865, 

153;  of  1867,  155. 
Foresters,  the,  401. 
Fort  Bender,  104. 

Fortifications,  ancient,  39,  41,  42,  45. 
Forts,  French,  50,  52,  53,  63. 
Forts,  Indian,  56,  57,  59. 
Foundry,  first,  133. 
Fourteenth  Heavy  artillery,  574. 
Fox,  Louis,  mysterious  disappearance,   155. 
Fox  sisters,  the,  508. 
Frankfort  laid  out,  loi. 
Franklin  institute,  2i6. 
Free  academy,  321. 
Freemasons  m  Rochester,  381. 
Frost,  Alonzo,  98. 
Fugitive  slaves,  459. 
Gardiner,  Addison,  130,  173,  371. 
Garfield,  President,  mock  funeral,  168. 
Gas,  first  burned  here,  138;  present  companies, 

240. 
Gazette  established,  107,  344. 
Genesee  country,  30,  32,  73,  88. 
Genesee  falls,  64,  78,  79,  87. 
Genesee  Indian  castle,  33,  70,  71. 
Genesee  river,  17,  19,  22,  23,  26,  33,  75. 
German  churches,  486,  489. 
German  element  of  Rochester,  481. 
German  Grenadiers,  434,  486. 
Germans  in  the  war,  493. 
German  newspapers,  360,  492. 
German  insurance  company,  242. 
Geology,  surface,  16,  23. 
Giants,  remains  of,  22,  25,  26,  27. 
Gould,  Jacob,  mayor,  130,  155,  298. 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  576. 
Greek,  donation  to  the  fund,  117. 
Hall,  Dr.  A.  G.,  159. 
Hall,  Dr.  T.  F.,  338. 
Hammond,  Caleb,  298. 
Hanford's  Landing,  26,  40,  86,  88,  110. 
Hardenbrook,  Dr.,  trial  of,  139. 
Hawley,  Jesse,  114,  135. 
Herald,  Morning,  359. 
High  school,  308. 

Hill,  Charles  J.,  mayor,  115,  138,  173,  201. 
Hills,  Isaac,  mayor,  130,  168. 
Holmes,  William  F.,  143,  165. 
Holley,  Myron,  134,  230,  234,  445. 
Holy  Sepulcher  cemetery,  449. 
Home  of  Industrjf,  425. 
Home  for  the  Friendless,  418. 
Homoeopathic  physicians,  340. 
Horticultural  society  formed,  127;  exhibition,  137. 
Hospitals,  St.  Mary's,  150, 406;  City,  iJl,  163, 403. 


734 


Index. 


House  of  Refuge,  497. 

Howard  riot,  159. 

Humane  society,  427. 

Humphrey,  Harvey,  127,  165. 

Improvemeiits  in  1883,  172. 

Incorporation  of  the  village,  108;  of  the  city,  128. 

Industrial  school,  422. 

Indians,  Attiwandaronk,  30,  31,  47. 

Indians,  Neutral,  see  Attiwandaronk. 

Indians,  Seneca,  21,  28,  30,  32,  33,  48,  54,  61,  63, 

68,  69,  72,  74,  75. 
Indian  traditions,  21,  28,  29. 
Indian  trails   26,  34,  37,  47,  60. 
Indian  sacrifice,  40. 

Indian  legend  of  the  lower  Genesee,  41. 
Indian  population,  61,  75. 
Indian  reservations,  74,  75. 
Insane  asylum,  428. 
Insurance,  local  companies,  241. 
Irish    nationality,    135;    famine,    137;    National 

league,  225. 
Irondequoit  landing,  34,  39,  44,  -66. 
Irondequoit  bay,  ig,  34,  36,  45, 49,  52,  63,  67,  70. 
Iroquois,  28,  3',  38,  49,  61,  69,  70. 
Irrepressible  conflict,  147. 
Jail,  the  old,  116;  the  hew,  166,  507. 
Jemison,  Mary,  21,  75,  76. 
Jesuits,  31,  35,  47,  50,  56,  60. 
Jewish  hospital,  418. 
Jewish  orphan  asylum,  418. 
Jews,  147. 

Johnson,  Andrew,  155. 
Johnson,  Elisha,  mayor,  109. 
Judges  and  lawyers,  366. 
Keeler,  Rufus,  mayor,  136,  164. 
Kemble,  Fanny,  139. 
Kempshall,  Thomas,  mayor,  154. 
Knights  of  Pythias,  401. 
Know-Nothing  party,  144. 
ICiiichling,  Dr.  L.  A.,  339. 
Labor  Reform  journals,  364.. 
Lake  Erie,  14,  18,  63. 
Lake  Ontario,  14,  18. 
LaFayette,  visit  to  Rochester,  119. 
La  Salle,  48,  49,  67. 
Lawyers,  list  of,  377. 
Law  library,  219. 
Lectures,  139,  142,  143,  144. 
Literary  Union,  220. 
Liberty  party  formed,  133. 
Libraries,  216. 
Light  Guards,  433, 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  149 ;  mourning  over  his  death, 

154. 
Lind,  Jenny,  140. 
Lithography  in  Rochester,  527. 
Locomotive  explosions,  14S,  156. 
Loomis,  Daniel,  152,  524. 
Lyell  bridge,  battle  of,  433. 
Lyman,  murdered  by  Barron,  132. 
Lyon,  Caleb,  III. 
Mackenzie,  Navy  island  raid,  131. 
Mack's  battery,  575. 
Mails,  early,  90,  lo6. 
Mannerchor,  the,  166,  492. 
Manufacturers  of  Rochester,  598. 
Maps,  early,  34,  35. 
Masonic  bodies  in  Rochester,  381. 
Masonic  excitement,  122. 
Mastick,  John,  first  lawyer,  367. 


Mathews,  Dr.  M.  M.,  340. 

Mayors  of  the  city,  185. 

Medical  society,  Monroe  county,  332;   Homceo-/ 

pathic,  340. 
Meridian  of  Rochester,  141. 
Mexican  war,  137. 
Microscopical  society,  222. 
Militia  organisations,  429. 
Mills,  Allan's,  76  to  86. 
Mill,  first,  106. 

Moore,  Emma,  mysterious  disappearance,  144. 
Moore,  Lindley  Murray,  135. 
Moore,  S.  W.  D.,  mayor,  158. 
Morgan,  William,   his   abduction,   119;  sentence 

of  his   abductors,   121 ;  his  subsequent  fate, 

122. 
Morgan,  Lewis  H.,  168. 
Mormon  Bible,  first  appearance,  126. 
Monroe  County  Bible  society,  410. 
Mount  Hope  cemetery,  162,  438. 
Mounds,  ancient,  23,  25,  39,  45,  46, 
Mound-builders,  13,  20,  23,  25, 
Muniford,  George  II.,  102,  159. 
Municipal  court,  181. 

Munroe,  Timothy,  body  claimed  to  be  his,  123. 
Murders,  132,  133,  141,  146,  154,   156,   163,   164. 
Museum,  the  old,  455. 
Music  in  Rochester,  528. 
Mutual  Aid,  Empire  order,  401. 
Mysterious  disappearances,  138,  144,  155. 
Nash,  John  C,  mayor,  154. 
Navy  island  raid,  131,  432. 
Newspapers,  the  first,  107;  all  other  papers  here, 

343. 
Newton,  Col.  Aaron,  161. 
Nullification,  movement  against,  431. 
Odd  Fellows,  395. 
Oil  speculation,  152. 

One-hundred-acre  tract,  76,  78,  80,  84,  88. 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  regiment,  561. 
One  Hundred  and  Eighth  regiment,  561. 
One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  regiment,  563. 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  regiment,  566. 
Orphan  asylums,  Rochester,  412. 
O'Rielly's  Sketches,  133,  349. 
O'Reilly,  Bishop  Bernard,  145. 
O'Rorke,  Colonel,  565. 
Ox-Bow,  canal  break  at,  158. 
Paper-mill,  the  first  here,  no. 
Parnell,  Charles  S.,  visit  of,  167. 
Pastor,  first,  107. 
Patch,  Sam,  his  leap,  125. 
Patriot  soldiers,  burial  of  remains,  134,  446. 
Peck,  Everard,  108,  iio,  127,  144,  345. 
Penitentiary,  the,  506. 
Perkins,  William  H.,  147. 
Phelps  and  Gorham  purchase,  73,  97. 
Phillips,  J.  W.,  runs  steamboat,  129. 
Photography  in  Rochester,  527. 
Pierce,  Porter  P.,  mysterious  disappearance,  138. 
Pioneer  Rifles,  431. 
Pioneers,  junior,  society  of,  145. 
Pioneers,  society  of,  138. 
Pioneer  settlement,  97. 
Pitkin,  William,  mayor,  136,  157. 
Pneumonia  typhoides,  98. 
Police  board,  182. 
Police  justices,  194. 
Pond,  Elias,  164. 
Powers,  Colonel,  562. 


Index. 


73S 


Population  of  Rochester,  95,  107,  1 10,  1 14,  1 16, 
119,  136,  140,  173. 

Porter,  S.  U.,  133,  168.     . 

Post-Express,  Daily,  359. 

Post-Oflice,  90,  96. 

Postmasters,  94,  96. 

Presbyterian,  Old  school,  assembly,  148 ;  New 
school,  assembly,  155. 

Press  of  Rochester,  343. 

Printers,  celebration  of,  137. 

Private  schools^  296. 

Protectives,  205. 

Public  schools,  317. 

Pulteney  estate,  73,  85,  88. 

Railroads,  the  great  strike,  165 ;  construction 
of,  166 ;  description  of,  473. 

Rappings,  Rochester,  the,  508. 

Real  school,  the,  161,  494. 

Rebellion,  war  of  the,  149. 

Refuge,  House  of,  497. 

Rcid,  Dr.  W.  W.,  336. 

Religious  journals,  363. 

Reynolds,  Abelard,  91,  94,  loi,  104. 

Reynolds  arcade,  94,  95. 

Reynolds's  battery,  572. 

Reynolds  library,  84. 

Reynolds,  Mrs.  Abelard,  91,  176. 

Reynolds,  William,  92,  94,  160. 

Richardson,  Samuel,  mayor,  173. 

Ridge,  the  lake,  14,  16,  18,  23,  102. 

Rifle  battalion,  first,  430. 

Roads,  early,  90,  93. 

Rochester,  Col.  Nathaniel,  88,  91,  107,  127,  176. 

Rochester,  elevation  of,  18 ;  as  a  village,  108  ;  as 
a  city,  128;  meridian  of,  141. 

Rochester,  Thomas  H.,  mayor,  162. 

Rochester  knockings,  508. 

Rochester,  Mrs.  Nathaniel,  137. 

Rochester  orphan  asylums,  412. 

Rochester,  William  B.,  119,  370. 

Ryan,  Colonel  George,  funeral  of,  158. 

Ryan  Zouaves,  160. 

Sam  Patch's  leap,  125. 

Savings  banks,  run  on,   165  ;  sketch  of,  469. 

Schools,  parochial,  278 ;  early  private,  296  ;  con- 
vent, 316;  public,  317. 

Schuyler,  Captam  Peter,  66,  68. 

Scrantom,  Hamlet,  99,  139;  Edwin,  99,  167, 
344;  Hamlet  D.,  mayor,  99,  171;  Mr?.  Ed- 
win, 158. 

Sculptors  in  Rochester,  524. 

Secret  societies,  381. 

.Selden,  Henry  R.,  373. 

Selden,  Samuel  L.,  372. 

Selye,  Lewis,  146,  173,  354. 

Semi-centennial  of  Westerii  New  York,  134. 

Semi-centennial  celebration,  174. 

Settlement  of  Rochester,  97. 

Seward,  William  H.,  135,  144,  147,  155. 

SheriUs,  199. 

Sibley,  Levi  W.,  136,  ,345. 

Skinner,  Aaron,  297. 

Small-pox,  160,  169. 

Smith,  E.  Darwin,  160,  173,  349. 

Smith,  Edward  M.,  mayor,  173. 

Smith,  Elijah  F.,  mayor,  167. 

Smith,  E.  Peshine,  171. 

Smith,  Silas  O.,  loi,  151. 

Snow-storms,  145,  166. 

Speculation,  in  oil  and  in  telegraph  stock,  152. 


Spiritualism,  143. 

Squires,  murder  of  his  wife,  133. 

State  senators,  200. 

Steamboat  Ontario,  no;  Genesee,  129;  Caro- 
line, 131. 

Steam  fire  engines,  no. 

Stilwell,  Hamlin,  mayor,  143,  158. 

St.  Joseph's  orphan  asylum,  417. 

St.  Mary's  hospital,  150,  406. 

St.  Mary's  orphan  asylum,  416. 

St.  Patrick's  day  in  1833,   128. 

St.  Patrick's  orphan  asylum,  415. 

Stone,  Enos,  89,  100,  138,  141. 

Stone,  Isaac  W.,  104. 

Street  cars,  150. 

Street  railroads,  480. 

Strikes,  159,  165,  170,  171. 

Strong,  Huldah,,  92,  296. 

Sullivan's  campaign,  70,  72,  134. 

Sullivan,  Captain,  160,  171. 

Sullivan,  Major,  funeral  of,  151. 

Sunday  journals,  360. 

Surrogates,  376. 

Swan,  Gen.  L.  B.,  141,  149. 

Tavern,  the  first  here,  loi,  107. 

Tax  levy  for  1884-85,  181. 

Taylor,  funeral  procession,  139. 

Telegraph,  the  newspaper,  no,  345. 

Telegraph,  Western  Union,  speculation  in,  152; 
construction  of,  238. 

Telephone,  239. 

Temperance,  136,  137. 

Theater,  the  first.here,  451. 

Theological  seminary,  551. 

Third  cavalry  regiment,  569. 

Thirteenth  regiment,  149,  160,  204,  493,  556. 

Thirty-third  regiment,  560. 

Tod- Waddle,  battle  of,  431. 

Tolls  on  the  Erie  canal,  236. 

Totiakton,  56,  57. 

Trustees  of  the  village,  108,  184. 

Tryon's  Town,  39,  88,  90. 

Turners,  German,  the,  491. 

Twenty-first  cavalry  regiment,  571. 

Twenty-second  cavalry  regiment,  571. 

Twenty-fifth  regiment,  559. 

Twenty-sixth  regiment,  559. 

Twenty-seventh  regiment,  559. 

Twenty-eighth  regiment,  560. 

Typhoid  pneumonia,  98. 

Underground  railroad,-458. 

Union  Blues,  436. 

Union,  Daily,  348. 

Union  Grays,  144,  433. 

United  Workmen,  401. 

University  of  Rochester,  140,  531. 

Village,  incorporation  of,  108. 

Vincent  place  bridge,  161. 

Ward,  Dr.  Levi,  107,  149. 

Ward,  Levi  A.,  168,  217,  242. 

Warof  1812,  102;  Mexican,  137;  Civil,  149,  555. 

War  record,  the,  555. 

Warner,  Horatio  G.,  163,  164,  349. 

Water  works,  162,  210. 

Water  works,  the,  577. 

Webster,  Daniel,  140,  143. 

Wedding,  the  first,  106. 

Weed  Thurlow,  116,  123,  126,  345. 

Western  House  of  Refuge,  497. 

Western  Union,  speculation  in,  152. 


736 


Index. 


West,  Ira,  lOl. 

"  White  Woman,"  see  Mary  Jemison, 

Whittlesey,  Chancellor,  135, 141, 345,  372, 453,  516 

Wilder,  A.  Carter,  mayor,  161,  164. 

Williams,  Comfort,  first  clergyman,  107;  school 

teacher,  301. 
Williams,  John,  mayor,  150,  163,  164. 
Williams  Light  infantry,  432. 


Wolf,  last  in  the  county,  127.- 

Woman's  rights,  138,  144. 

Yacht  club,  Rochester^  165. 

Yellow  mill,  109. 

Yeo,  Admiral,  I02,  104. 

Young  Lion  of  the  West,  145,  233. 

Young  Men's  Catholic  association,  220. 

Young  Men's  Christian  association,  219. 


This  preservation  photocopy  was  made  at  BookLab,  Inc. 

in  compliance  with  copyright  law.  The  paper 

is  Weyerhaeuser  Cougar  Opaque  Natural, 

which  exceeds  ANSI  Standard 

Z39.48-1984. 

1992