Monroe County NyArchives History - Books .....Irondequoit Bay 1957
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Book Title: Irondequoit Story

IRONDEQUOIT BAY

Its Coves

   Few bodies of water the size of Irondequoit Bay have so many sheltered coves.
Starting at Sea Breeze along the west side of the bay let us visit some of these
coves, learn their names and how they came to be so called.

   Before the new road was constructed along the railroad tracks from Ridge Rd.
to the Outlet, and before the sewerage disposal plant was built at the Sea
Breeze, there was a cove called "The Secret Cove." The Indians used this cove as
a hideout to spy on Denonville's army in 1689, when it camped at the sand bar
between the lake and the bay.

   Just to the north of Point Pleasant was a large cove, sheltered by a point of
land extending out into the bay about 300 ft. This cove has now been filled in
by grading off a high hill to the south of it and in the rear of Point Pleasant
Hotel.

   Immediately south of Point Pleasant was Ide's Cove, (now Schnackel Cove)
covering about 2 acres of very deep surface water. At one time it had a very
narrow entrance from the bay. This cove is protected by high timbered hills.
Point Pleasant is there were many cottages around the cove. The name Ide's Cove
was given to it because Daniel Ide owned a 75-acre farm which extended from
Culver Rd. to the Bay. Before Point Pleasant Rd. was fit for travel, the only
way to reach Ide's Cove was by a lane through Ide Farm. When the Dummy Line ran
to the Sea Breeze there was a platform along the tracks called Ide's Station, a
regular stop from which people walked to the Cove and other places along the Bay.

   About midway between Point Pleasant and the point of land called Birds and
Worms, is Webber's Cove, protected by high hills. Mr. George Webber owned 50
acres of land extending from the boulevard to the Lake. He was known for his
trapping of mink and muskrats along the Bay and this cove is named for him.

   The cove south of Birds and Worms is Little Massaug Cove, also known at one
time as Cook's Cove. This was named for a man who owned 50 acres extending along
Seneca Rd. to the Bayshore and including the cove, which is about one-half mile
by 500 ft. It is another of the coves around which cottages were built. One can
reach this cove by turning at the end of Titus Ave. down a very steep hill.

   Big Massaug Cove is next on the south. Its form is that of a large horse
shoe. It is about a half mile wide and extends inland nearly a mile. The two
coves are separated by a narrow strip of land, the tip of which points out into
the bay like a long finger. This cove was sometimes called Walzer Cove because
Mr. Joseph Walzer owned the 160-acre farm that extended from Culver Rd. to the
Bay. The name Massaug is of Indian origin. Both of these coves were fed by large
springs. Years ago they were some of the best fishing grounds in the Bay.

   Just north of the Newport House was another large cove. When the water was
high, it extended nearly a mile inland. It is narrow at the mouth and wider at
the rear. In the days between 1870 and 1900, this was considered the shipyard of
the Bay. Both steamboats and gasoline launches were built there, as well as
hundreds of row boats. Newport Cove was a busy place all the year around. Boats
were repaired and built there all during the winter months. Over the mouth of
the cove, Mr. Sours, owner of the Newport House, built a foot bridge. At one
time there was a lift bridge in the center operated with iron weights to lift
and lower the center span.

    Between 1840 and 1845, Newport Cove was also a kind of terminal for a ferry
boat that carried logs across the bay from the Webster side to the saw-mill
which formerly occupied the site of the Newport House and was owned by Mr.
Joseph Vinton. Mr. Vinton sawed the logs into lumber by horse power and then
hauled the lumber to Rochesterville.

    Not far to the south of the Newport cove was a much smaller one known as
McBride or Galusha Cove. In this sheltered spot the Rochester Canoe Club has
carried on its activities for 42 years. It is not a deep cove, but its approach
from land is through a beautiful valley, where a spring creek flows. Water from
this creek at one time furnished water for the Irondequoit Wine Co.

   Ward's Scientific Establishment now occupies the building originally used by
the Wine Company and the spring water is still used by Ward's. The name Galusha
was given to the cove because Mr. Galusha built his summer home there fronting
on the bay. Later the home became a club house. Hiram Edgerton one-time Mayor of
Rochester and then owner, sold it to the Club.

    Point Lookout just south of Galusha cove extends out in the bay and protects
the marsh beyond. Into this marsh land the Hobbie and Densmore Creeks empty.
These two creeks have, over the years, washed into the valley considerable silt,
sand and gravel, so that what once was water is now pasture land. When the city
directed its sewage into these two creeks, it spoiled the cove for fishing and
recreation. When the Bay Shore Blvd. was built over this cove and creek in 1933
it practically landlocked the cove. The fill-in was 1000 ft. long by 25 ft. in
height. Two 8 ft. culverts were placed in the fill, for the flow of the creek.
Pt. Lookout was once called Arrowhead.

   Between Bay View and Glen Haven was another small cove which extended to the
rear of the Hebing and Glen Haven property. This cove has since been entirely
filled in.

    Between Glen Haven and Snyder's Island was quite a large cove which at one
time extended about 2000 ft. inland toward the Helendale Rd. This cove was
sometimes called the Bauman and Pardee Cove. In grading down the steep hills to
make land for Glen Haven Park, most of this cove was filled in. There are also
very interesting coves along the east side of the bay and while they belong to
Irondequoit history, they are a part of Webster.

   Just north of Empire Boulevard is the largest and deepest cove around the
Bay. It is called Isles Cove, named for the Isles family who, for many years,
lived on a hill at the entrance to the cove. One can walk for nearly a mile
around the east side of this cove, which is fed by a creek of spring water
coming down the valley from Penfield. Much grading has been done around the
hills surrounding this cove.

   About a mile north of Isles Cove was a small cove known as Drake's Landing.
This has been filled in by land from the Drake Farm and is now referred to as
Glen Edyth.

   Held's Cove, about two miles north of Glen Edyth, is very picturesque. It is
surrounded by timbered hills nearly 200 ft. high, one of which is Inspiration
Point,-which protects the cove from the north. In the center of this cove is an
island, which at one time covered about an acre of land. For several years Mr.
Held had a home on the island. He was an artist of some note.

Boats on the Bay and Lake

   There were many boats plying the Irondequoit Bay between the years 1870 and
1910. Of these perhaps the two best known were the "Galusha" and the "Woodworth."

   The Galusha was built in 1877 at Newport by Norman N. Galusha. It was a
double-deck boat and the only side-wheeler steamboat to ply the Bay. After the
Glen Haven resort came into existence in 1889 its name was changed to the "Glen
Haven." It had a seating capacity of 175 and a round trip of 10 miles around the
Bay cost 25 cents. The Galusha (Glen Haven) was in service for about 30 years
and was destroyed by fire at the Newport dock.

   The "Woodworth" was only one of several boats owned or operated by F. C.
Woodworth. This boat was built for Mr. Woodworth by Orlo Walzer in 1885 at Glen
Edyth, or Drake's Landing as it was then called. It too, was a double-deck boat
but differed from the Galusha in that it was driven by a propeller. It was a
long narrow boat and carried about 200 passengers. The Woodworth operated for
about 25 years and was then beached at the Newport cove, where it was stripped
of its machinery and abandonded. [sic]

   The first steamboat to operate on the Bay was the "Jennings." It too was
built at Drake's Landing by Alf Jennings in the early 1870s. Later this boat was
re-christened the "Webster." It had a capacity of 30 persons and was a sort of
flat-bottomed raft with an upright steam boiler.

   The "Island Queen" was another well known steamer on the Bay. It was built by
Richard Snyder and his sons, Edward and George. Snyder's Island at the head of
the Bay was their home. They built the boat to carry people to the Island from
all parts of the Bay. It was smaller than the Galusha or the Woodworth, but a
much faster boat. It carried about 100 passengers.

   The "Lookout" was still another steamboat for passenger service on the Bay
and has a very interesting history. When Rochester acquired Hemlock Lake for the
city's water supply, it disposed of the cottages and boats there. Mr. Frank
Evershed of Irondequoit purchased three of the cottages and one of the boats.
This boat had a single deck, measured 45 feet in length and had a 10 1/2 ft.
beam. Since there were no tractors in general use in 1903 there was a problem of
getting the boat to Irondequoit. Mr. Evershed solved this by securing two heavy
wagons, and after removing the superstructure and the machinery, the hull was
securely fastened to these wagons by means of a long pole. Then he hired a
thrashing machine engine to draw the hull and a horse and wagon to transport the
machinery and superstructure. It took three days to make the trip from Hemlock
Lake to Sea Breeze, where the boat was re-assembled and launched. The Lookout
was well named: in the three day trip, that exclamation was probably used many
times. The boat cost Mr. Evershed $75 and it was used, to the enjoyment of many,
for twelve years on the Bay.

   The "Damascus" was partially built at Charlotte in 1892 and owned by J. D.
Scott, a very well-known Lake Captain. The lower part of the boat was towed to
the cove between the old Whitehouse Hotel and the cottage of the Unique Social
Club where the engine was installed and the superstructure completed. This boat
was built after the pattern of the Mississippi River boats with a back wheel
propeller. It was a most difficult boat to manage and was used for only a very
short time and then sold to a man who anchored it and used it as a restaurant.
Another boat owned by J. D. Scott and used on the Bay was the "Eleanor."

   More popular than the large steamboats were the gasoline launches that began
to appear after 1900. Members of the Unique Social Club placed the first
gasoline motor launch on the Bay. It was christened by Colonel Moulthrop the
"Otetiani" in 1901. In 1904, it won first prize in the Carnival of the Damascus
Temple Shrine Patrol held off Glen Haven.

   The majority of these gasoline launches were owned by the Irondequoit
Navigation Company headed by William Sours who was at one time the owner and
proprietor of the Newport House.

   The period between 1900 and 1930 was one of great prosperity for the Bay
resorts. Thousands of people took advantage of the round trip offered by which
one could go by rail to Charlotte, across on the boat "J. D. Scott" to Sea
Breeze and then take either a steamboat or a gasoline launch to Glen Haven, and
the trolley back to Rochester; or the trip could be taken in reverse. Stopover
privileges were granted at most of the Bay resorts, including Point Pleasant,
Birds and Worms, Newport and Glen Edyth. This trip was called "The Pink Ticket
Trip" and tickets for the trip were sold by Mr. J. D. Scott, owner of the Lake
boat by the same name, from a tent at the Four Corners in Rochester. Thousands
will remember this little man, who began his career as conductor on the Dummy
line. The J. D. Scott boats once ran from the old Glen House at the Lower Falls
on the Genesee River, down the river, across the Lake to Sea Breeze and later
from Charlotte to Sea Breeze. The Glen House was built in 1870. An elevator to
carry people to the Glen House from the west side of the river was built in
1878. The Old House was destroyed by fire in 1894 and about that time trips down
the river ended.

Early Navigation Companies

   In 1909 the Irondequoit Navigation Company was formed by five men who owned
gasoline launches on the Bay. These members were William Sours, Frank Evershed,
Joseph Fisher, Joseph Keible and Edmund De Maecker. William Sours owned Newport
I, II and III, Edmund De Maecker and Joseph Fisher owned Point Pleasant I and
II, Frank Evershed owned the Lookout. The boats owned by Mr. Sours were built at
the bay but Point Pleasant I and II were built on the grounds of the Forest
House and taken to the bay on wagons.

   These boats ran from Sea Breeze to Glen Haven, stopping at all docking places
between. Some of them were about 100 ft. in length and could carry about 75
passengers, with a speed of 15 knots per hour and were in use until 1925.

   In 1911 these same men formed the Lake Ontario Navigation Company and their
boats, the "Walkan" and the "Glen" plied the lake from Sea Breeze to Charlotte
and up the Genesee River as far as Brewers Dock or Glen House, until 1924, when
the Glen House was destroyed by fire.

   Mr. De Maecker is the only surviving member of the Navigation Companies. He
celebrated his 82nd birthday this past year but is still very active. For some
time he was employed by the town to guide the children across the dangerous
Culver-Ridge intersection on their way to Ridgewood and Abraham Lincoln Schools.
The Ridgewood paper "The Chalkboard" has paid him the following tribute: "All
the children love him, and we parents are grateful for his vigilance."

Ice Boating

   Boating on the Bay in summer was great sport but ice boating in the winter
was more exciting. The first ice boat to sail on the bay was a very crude
contraption. It was built in the 1880's by George Payne, whose home was on
Culver Road near the Sea Breeze. This crude boat caused a lot of excitment
because it was the first iceboat that many, living along the bay, had ever seen.
For two or three years after the Payne boat made its first run, a lot of
experiments were carried on to improve iceboating. John and Jacob Aman built a
very complete iceboat. Still better and more modern types followed. By 1900
there were a number of iceboats sailing up and down the bay. The Rochester Canoe
Club had some of these boats and Mr. William Sours, who owned the gasoline
launches, also owned two fast iceboats. The speed of these craft is limited only
by the force of the wind and the skill of the skipper.

   One of the largest and fastest iceboats at that time was one built by Orlo
Walzer and Daniel Forman about 1890. It could carry six passengers.

   From 1890 to 1910 ice boating on the bay was very popular. Now, in 1957, the
sport is enjoying a revival.

Bay Fishing

   Down through the years fishing on the Bay has been a most popular pastime.
Before 1890 and before the city of Rochester emptied sewage into the bay,
Irondequoit Bay was one of the favorite fishing grounds of western New York.
Fifty years ago the bay teemed with all kinds of game fish. Trout, bass, pike,
pickerel, and even sturgeon were found.

   At the Newport House, Mr. Sours owned more than 100 row boats that could be
rented at 50 cents a day. To accomodate the many persons who wanted to fish, Mr.
Sours erected a building about 30 ft. square which rested on piling over the
water at the entrance of the Newport cove, called the Minnow House. Inside was a
screened-in tank about 10 ft. square and 4 ft. deep where minnows were kept, and
scooped out with hand nets in sizes and amounts as anglers desired. Mr. Sours
hired two men, who fished the creeks about town, to keep this minnow house
supplied. Other resorts on the bay also furnished boats and bait to fishermen.
Sometimes as many as 100 boats could be counted at one time, all there for the
same purpose-that of fishing.

   With the bay so full of fish, it was only natural for some to do illegal
fishing with nets. Sometimes they got away with it, but more often the game
warden, always on the lookout, would find the nets and then, according to law,
he was required to take them to the Court House, where a committee from the
Board of Supervisors would burn the nets in the boilers of the Court House. Some
of these nets were handmade and therefore quite expensive.

   In the early days, fishing in Lake Ontario with nets was legal. This was
later changed to limit fishing with nets one half mile from shore and with a
proper permit. It was easy to row a boat loaded with nets from the Lake into the
Bay through the outlet, a great temptation when the lake was rough because the
bay always had a sheltered place to set the nets. This was usually done on dark
nights or during a rain storm when the game warden was less likely to be around.
From the bay, one could fill a long net with a ton or more of edible fish, while
the same net set in the lake would catch much less.   The lake yielded mostly
white fish.
   The thing that destroyed fishing in Irondequoit Bay was not the illegal
fishing, but the amount of sewage emptied into the bay through the creeks which
flowed into it near Point Lookout. This occurred in the early days of Rochester
before the houses were equipped with modern plumbing.

   The only fish that seem to thrive in the bay today are carp. They are
generally referred to as scavengers and became plentiful in the bay about 1910.
Carp are considered vegetarians, sometimes called pigs, because they are found
around the roots of flags and swale, and they literally plow up the bottom in
coves and along the shore.

   Carp are good eating if properly prepared. They should be skinned in order to
remove the strong-flavored oil between the skin and the flesh.

   Twenty-five tons is a lot of fish-even when they are carp. But that was the
"take" in just one net full from Irondequoit Bay in one day in 1939. It is said
to be the largest single haul ever made in New York State. Many of these carp
weighed 2 lbs. each and some more. This big catch was made by a crew of
fishermen who have undertaken to rid the bay of carp. A previous haul netted
about 10,000 lbs.

   In the first year, 1936, they netted 85 tons; in 1937, they hauled 60 tons
and in 1938, they got 45 tons. This makes a grand total of 190 tons or 380,000
lbs. Their work was done under sponsorship of the Conservation Committee. These
many pounds of carp are not destroyed but are sold to New York dealers.

   In 1939, the fourth year of the Carp Crew's operations, their success in
netting resulted in partial restoration of the bay as the best fishing grounds
in upstate New York.

Harvesting Ice on the Bay

   Before the age of manufactured ice, people had to depend on ice made by
nature's zero weather on ponds and lakes. Ice was cut for storage when it had
frozen to a depth of ten to fourteen inches.

   The Town of Irondequoit was well supplied with spring fed ponds, among which
were Emerson's on St. Paul Street, Stanton's on Titus Avenue, Staudenmaier's at
Rifle Range, Cole's at Cole Road, Goer's at Eaton Road, Hobbie's on Culver Road,
Bumpus on Ridge Road, east of Culver, Buyck's on Titus Avenue opposite Bouckhart
Avenue and Titus's on Hudson Street. Ice on nearly all of these ponds was cut
two or three times during the winter, depending, of course, on the extent of the
cold weather.

   Irondequoit Bay was looked upon as the best place to procure enough ice to
fill the large ice houses. When frozen over, it produced thousands of tons of
crystal pure ice. Saw dust was used in great quantities to pack the ice in the
ice houses. The breweries of Rochester were the largest users of bay ice.

   Cutting ice on the Bay was surrounded by more or less danger; thus, only
those with experience and training took contracts for this work. Ice was cut by
plows, drawn by teams of horses, in the following manner. Soundings were made to
determine the thickness of the ice. If found heavy enough the snow was scraped
off and a space comprising about an acre was marked off in straight rows, 18
inches one way and 30 inches the other. Following these rows, the ice plow was
lowered to within three inches of the bottom of the ice, so that after the ice
was plowed it would still be safe to walk on, even for the horses. An ice plow
has a steel blade about 6 feet long, 8 inches wide and one half inch thick, with
long sharp teeth. After the ice was plowed the cakes were broken apart, loaded
on sleighs and hauled to the land. Ice harvesting was hard work. Many a man
slipped and got a boot full of ice water, or got his hands and feet pinched
between cakes of ice. Frost bitten ears and noses were common. Since horses had
to be especially shod with sharp points on their shoes, blacksmiths did a
thriving business during the ice season.

   Irondequoit Bay had a very large ice house built by William Schneider in
1920, on the sand bar near Oklahoma Beach and operated under the name of the
Ontario Ice and Coal Company, Inc. It was built primarily for icing freight cars
for the railroad. In the fruit season, as many as 500 refrigerator fruit cars
were iced. At this time cold storage plants for storing fruit and vegetables
were very rare. Freight cars were also loaded with ice and shipped to Rochester.

   The Schneider Ice House could store 60,000 tons of ice. It was filled from
the Bay by a conveyer that extended over the road about 30 feet high to the top
of the icehouse. To drop the ice from this height to the first layer required an
extra chute which could be raised and lowered as the house was filled. During
the time of cutting and storing the ice, many men were hired. Schneider's Ice
House was destroyed by fire in 1939.

   There was another large ice house at Stanton's Pond where ice from that pond
was stored.

   Resorts along the Bay, as well as some of the summer homes and Club Houses,
had their own ice houses. In the homes where ice was not obtainable, "cool
cellars" were used for the storage of food or food was placed in buckets and
lowered into a well. This was, of course, before the days of refrigeration.

Bay Resorts

SEA BREEZE

   The building of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad in 1872-1875 over
the sand bar and on over to Charlotte was the first means of advertising Sea
Breeze as a resort. The passenger trains on this road then stopped at Sea Breeze.

       Sea Breeze did not really become a resort for Rochester people until
1897, when the Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad was finished. As has been
noted, this road was called the "Dummy Line."

   As early as 1865, Mr. George E. Allen purchased about 5 acres of land
fronting on both the Lake and the Bay. There was a house on this property
formerly occupied by a Mr. Shaw, which Allen remodeled for a three story hotel.
This hotel stood about where the amusement and refreshment concessions now line
the highway. It was an imposing building with its three balconies. The water
supply came from a well located in front of the building in about the center of
the road, and covered by a concrete manhole. Not only was this a water supply
for the hotel, but water from it was carried in pails to several households in
the vicinity. This well was still intact when the present highway was built.

   After Mr. Allen's death, the property reverted to his daughter, Mrs. Libby A.
Brewer. The Allen Hotel was also known as the Sea Breeze House and there was a
sign in front which read "As we journey through life, let us live by the way."
It burned in 1885 and was never rebuilt.

   As a resort, Sea Breeze reached a high point of popularity when, in 1889, the
Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad Company spent considerable money to make the
grounds attractive. They erected the large Lake View Hotel on the bluff
overlooking the Lake. This hotel was a very popular place for twenty years, but
was destroyed by fire on April 1, 1909.

   In 1890, Sea Breeze had its own electric light plant. The building for this
purpose was erected opposite where the Sea Breeze Post Office is now located. It
served for about twenty years. Later, power was procured from the city.

   With the abandonment of the steam road for the electric railway in 1900, Sea
Breeze came under new management and many concessions and amusements were
brought in. The grounds were so large that great crowds could assemble there
with little friction. Some were in the lovely cool grove, some spent time at the
beaches, or in the dancing pavilion, while others visited the various amusement
stands, went fishing, or sought refreshments at the several stands about the
grounds. It was easy for a crowd to lose itself where every foot of space had
something to offer. The grounds extended from the Culver Road entrance to Durand
Eastman Park, to the Outlet, a distance of about a mile.

   The Natatorium, built in 1925 at Sea Breeze, proved quite an attraction and
covered about three acres of ground. The swimming pool was open and in the
center. It was about 300 ft. long and 125 ft. in width. At one end, the water
was shallow for the use of children while at the other end it was deeper for
those who wished to use the diving board and enjoy a swim. There were a host of
devices in the pool, including a fast toboggan, smaller slides, a water wheel
and a water merry-go-round. Music was furnished, by well known bands, on special
occasions. Around the pool was a promenade walk, used also for sun-bathing.
Beyond this walk, the grandstands were placed, while beyond the grandstands were
the shower baths, dressing rooms and lockers. There were also rest rooms,
lounging rooms and a dining room.

   The water, before being pumped into the pool, was brined to the degree of sea
water. This was done in a very large room in which there were seven glass-lined
tanks, each of which held 3000 gallons. The water was pumped from the lake into
these tanks where it was made salty and heated to a temperature of 70-75
degrees. The pool was thoroughly cleaned and then filled from the tanks. There
was a continuous flow from the tanks so that the water in the pool was
constantly changed, thus keeping it in a sanitary condition and of even
temperature.

    At the time it was opened on July 1, 1925, it was the largest salt water
swimming pool in the world. It cost $300,000 and was the idea of Bert Wilson,
the Traffic Manager for the N. Y. State Railroad. Financially, it proved a
failure, and investors in its stock lost considerable money. It was taken over
by the Rochester Transit Corporation and finally abandoned as a pool on May 24,
1931. A roof was put over it and it was used as a Bingo Hall until the Culver
Parkway took part of the land on which it stood. A small part of the building
still stands and is being used as a warehouse.

   George W. Long has been associated with Sea Breeze Amusement Park for many
years. He rented the Park from 1935 to 1946 when he purchased the 35 acres and
all concessions from the Transit Corporation. His father was a concessionaire
there before him. Mr. Long has made many improvements, built a number of
first-rate concessions, and established a well-run park, free from rowdyism, and
this has won him a host of friends among his Sea Breeze neighbors.

NEWPORT HOUSE

   The vine-covered Newport House is the oldest hotel on the Bay. In 1840,
Joseph Vinton converted his saw mill into the inn which became this famous
landmark. He sold the place later to Mr. Walzer who built up a reputation for
fine dinners at his hotel and attracted many of the rich and well-to-do. Mr.
Walzer was drowned in the bay one winter day in 1880 while walking on the ice.

   Mr. William Sours then became owner of the property. He had been an employee
of Mr. Walzer's and was familiar with the business and its clientele. Within ten
years, the business had doubled and Mr. Sours had built horse barns, stables and
sheds as well as additional rooms in the hotel. A pavilion and large docks were
built where steamboats could tie up. The hills were graded and a road was built.

   By this time the Newport had not only a reputation for fine food, but also as
the best place to go fishing. People drove from miles around, stabled their
horses, rented a boat and fishing tackle and were off for a day's sport.

   The supervisors of Monroe County held their annual picnic at the Newport for
more than 20 years. George Aldridge, Republican boss, was a very prominent
figure at these affairs. It is said that many a man's political future was made
or marred at one of these gatherings, which thousands of people attended.

   Newport was also for many years the annual picnic ground for the Sunday
School picnics of both the east and the west sides of the town. They were held
on the same day and usually referred to as the "Town Picnic." The north and
larger pavilion was occupied by the Sunday School from the W. C. T. U. on Titus
Avenue and the south pavilion by the group from the Presbyterian Church on
Culver Road located just south of the Ridge. It was a basket picnic and enough
food was always taken for both dinner and supper. The supper meal was a family
affair. After the dinner, the children were treated to a free ride around the
bay on the steamer "Galusha."

   The beautiful willow trees which shaded the lawn were an ideal place under
which to sit and visit. The spacious veranda with its comfortable chairs was
another enjoyable spot. The young people enjoyed the dance hall and boating on
the Bay. Altogether, it was a day to look forward to and to long remember.

   In its heyday, the Newport House also catered to Tallyho parties of the elite
from all over the state. It often served from three to five hundred dinners per
day in the busy season. Irondequoit can feel proud of the past reputation of the
Newport as a clean, orderly resort.

   In 1914, Mr. Sours turned the Newport property over to his brother-in-law and
son-in-law, Frederick and Warren Frost. Later, it was operated by George W.
Henner. The present owners are Buster F. and Florence Cross and M. Hazel Tiefel.

GLEN HAVEN

   Glen Haven did not possess the natural features of most resorts on the Bay
since it was built in 1899 on made ground. This was done by leveling a large
hill and filling in a marsh land. In all, the area covered was about six acres
of level ground, on which buildings were erected.

   The hotel at Glen Haven was a mammoth affair, well-designed, artistic and
well-constructed. The grounds were beautifully laid out with walks, drives,
shade trees, flower beds and lawns. It bid fair to outshine all other resorts
around and was a very popular place for several years. The large verandas and
dining rooms could seat four hundred people. There was a very large dance hall
surrounded with a wide balcony for spectators. Under the balcony on one side of
the hall was a complete stage arrangement for the band, burlesque shows,
vaudeville and concerts. In connection with the hotel kitchen, which had all the
facilities for taking care of large crowds, there was a machine laundry where
all the washing and drying were done. There was a complete electrical power
plant for lighting and heating the entire building. Glen Haven was, in all
respects, a first class hotel. It was for twenty years under the management of
Henry P. Reuther.

   With the coming of the trolley car which took the place of the steam
railroad, the Rochester Street Railway Company took possession of Glen Haven and
started to promote it in order to increase the passenger traffic on the Glen
Haven Line. Instead of making the grounds more attractive, they erected carnival
booths and a midway. There was a high ferris wheel, a roller coaster and a
miniature railroad built which ran in and out of the coves and gullies around
the grounds. The little railroad could haul several miniature cars, loaded with
passengers, at a high rate of speed. The Railway Company leased the grounds to
the T. W. Harton Company of Pittsburg and they in turn leased to other
concessions and amusements. The entire grounds were fenced in and an entrance
admission charged.

   Between the years 1900 and 1910, Glen Haven was visited by thousands. It was
the period of the Raines Law when a hotel could serve drinks only to hotel
guests but there were many ways of getting around this law and the people of
Glen Haven knew them all.

   In 1904, when the Shriners and Masons held their Carnival at Glen Haven,
extravagant merrymaking and feasting were carried on for a week, headed by some
of the most prominent people of Rochester.

   The largest crowd (25,000) ever seen at Glen Haven and Bay View came to
witness the reproduction of the Battle of San Juan Hill on August 3, 1904. This
was a feature of the two-week Fair and Carnival held by the Damascus Temple
Patrol from July 25th to August 6th of that year and it proved to be the
greatest drawing card of the Carnival. The battle started at seven o'clock in
the evening and took place on the big hill in the rear of the Bay View Grounds.
It was very spectacular and dramatic. The Companies taking part were the 34th
Separate Company of Geneva, the Naval Reserves, the First Separate Company Fife
Drum and Bugle Corps of Rochester and the 54th Regiment Band. The battle lasted
40 minutes and with the crack of the musketry, the roar of the cannon and the
thunder of bombs, it produced a very realistic effect. After the charge up the
hillside, Old Glory was displayed in front of the Spanish Blockhouse. Enough
"dead" were left on the field to illustrate the horrors of war. When the summit
of the hill was won, the Spanish Blockhouse was burned. As the band played the
Star Spangled Banner, two aerial bombs were exploded releasing two beautiful
American flags, 18 by 20 ft. in size. Everything went off without a hitch, and
the spectators were most enthusiastic about the whole affair.

   Glen Haven's hour in the sun was from 1899 to 1929, although in the latter
years the shadow of the horseless carriage darkened its onetime glory. On the
morning after the election of 1928, the Glen Haven Hotel was destroyed by fire.
It had been vacant for some time. Now quiet has descended on Glen Haven. There
are still traces of the old roadbed of the trolleys, but all the onetime
attractions and glory of the place are gone.

BAY VIEW

   A short distance north of Glen Haven is Bay View, an older resort but without
so colorful a history. It was first called Shingle Landing because of the
shingle mill there. Lake boats brought lumber to this factory and Rochester was
its market.

   Before the railroads were extended to the bay, Bay View could only be reached
by horse and buggy or carryall. After the Bay Road came to Sea Breeze,
excursionists visited Bay View by steamboat from Sea Breeze.

   Bay View Hotel was built and opened for business by Leo Schlitzer about 1872.
There were a number of men who became proprietors of the hotel between that time
and the present. Valentine Schaefer was manager from 1898 to 1905. In 1923, the
property came into the hands of Mrs. Emma Whitehouse and the name was changed
from Bay View to Whitehouse. Mr. Thomas J. Whitehouse ran the Hotel from 1923 to
1933 when his son Leon took over. In 1946 the property was sold to John Mathias
and wife and they are the present owners.

   There was a reason for the changing of the name of Bay View Hotel to that of
the Whitehouse. The Whitehouse family had owned and operated a large white house
a short distance north of Bay View. It was their family home but they also
catered to guests. The house was a two and a half story structure and a
delightful place to spend a vacation. On the evening of April 9, 1939, while the
family was absent from home, fire started in the cellar. The blaze gained
considerable headway before discovered and damage was estimated at $10,000. With
the destruction of this home it was natural, upon taking up residence in the Bay
View Hotel, to give it the name the family home had for so many years.

   The old hotel has been remodeled and is again called the Bay View Hotel.

HEBING HOTEL

   In 1881, Ferdinand Griebel and his wife Barbara built a hotel at Glen Haven.
It was known as the Griebel Hotel for some years.

   In July of 1900, Mr. Griebel met with an accident on the grounds. A
merry-go-round was being erected when the rigging slipped and the center pole
fell and struck Mr. Griebel. He lived for two weeks following the accident.

   Mr. Louis F. Hebing, his son-in-law, became a partner in the business with
Mrs. Griebel. In 1922, Mr. Hebing was taken seriously ill and his son, Harold
took over the business. It was then that the name was changed to the Hebing
Hotel. Harold Hebing continued as proprietor until 1951 when fire again claimed
one of the Bay's old landmarks.

   Mr. Hebing and his mother still make their home in a cottage near the old hotel.

BIRDS AND WORMS

   Birds and Worms was one of the first resorts located at the Bay and has
always been popular, especially with fishermen. It is located on a point of land
just north of the Massaug Coves and had its beginning in 1872. William Cook was
one of the first owners of the property. James Vandelinde and his brother Dennis
operated a summer resort hotel there until 1890 when the hotel burned.

   Another hotel was built near the shore and was run by two men named Englert
and Weible from 1890 to 1893. Then Valentine Schaefer became proprietor for the
next three years. In April of 1896 Mr. Charles Stoffel operated an
all-year-round hotel on the grounds until 1940. In April 1941, Mr. Val Weber,
veteran cafe manager and boat owner at Sea Breeze, re-opened the hotel when he
assumed management of the famous resort. The building had been remodeled and
enlarged to accommodate overnight guests and the wharf was rebuilt, making it
convenient for boats to moor there.

   In 1946, the owners of the Birds and Worms Hotel, Douglas and Claude Stoffel,
sold the building to the Newport Yacht Club and it is still the home of that
organization.

POINT PLEASANT

   Just north of Birds and Worms is Woodchuck Point, better known as Point
Pleasant. Old-timers say that the point was a camping place around 1876 for
hunters of grouse and for fishermen. The hills around were noted for their fine
crop of wild blueberries.

   When a dock was built for the fishing boats about 1884, lumber was brought up
from the Newport by horse-drawn sleighs on the ice. At one time a hotel was
moved from Birds and Worms to Pt. Pleasant on the ice, and the following winter
it was moved back in the same way.

   The Point Pleasant Hotel was built about 1900. Many a gay party was held
there, but the last was on the evening of Dec. 21, 1954. About 3:45 the
following morning, fire was discovered in the hotel and the old building was
soon a total loss. It was owned by Mr. Walter Machnik who had bought it only 11
months before.

Interesting Characters at the Bay

PHILOSOPHER OF GLEN HAVEN

   There are few in and about Irondequoit and the City of Rochester who can ever
forget the self-styled "Philosopher of Glen Haven." There will never be a man
with more friends and acquaintances than George Vocsell. George, of "hot dog"
fame, at Hebing's Hot Stand, always lent an ear to his customers, whether they
were six or sixty. His favorite expression, "The Greeks have a word for it," was
followed by a lengthy discourse on the problems of his listeners.

   George came to Glen Haven about 1904 and opened a stand selling "Salt Water
Taffy," which at that time was an innovation to the sweet tooth of the younger
set. He often labored until the wee small hours of the morning in order to have
a sufficient supply for the next day's line-up. Upon opening the blinds of his
stand each morning, he would be greeted by a group of well-wishers, many of whom
had walked from the city, with their willow-branch fish poles, to try their
luck. Many a man and woman of to-day, with grown families, will remember "Good
Old George" as he was known for three generations.

   George, in later years, was a leader in what to-day is considered a modern
way of cooking. In his own crude way, he started the fad of deep-frying hots in
a skillet. Many will testify that George's hots had a flavor all their own.

   The waiting line of a modern super-market has nothing on George's customers.
Much philosophy was served with each sale. His discourses ranged from the early
Greek Empire to current subjects, and he waited on his customers only when he
had finished with his particular subject,

   No boy or girl ever went hungry at George's. He was always there with a hot,
a bottle of pop, a pat on the head and, "Your Daddy will pay me when he comes,"
and George knew he would. George saw three generations come and go in his
forty-three years at the old stand.

   George's place passed out of existence in 1947, when the more modern
refreshment stands came into vogue, but his philosophy will linger on in the
minds of boys and girls of yester-years for many years to come.

WALTER L. PAGE

   Walter L. Page, known as "Chief," was another of the interesting characters
around the Bay. He was born in 1833, and, when home, lived at Brockport, N.Y. He
died in February of 1909. He claimed to be a graduate of the University of
Rochester in the class of 1863. His daughter was married to a son of Frederick
Douglass, whose statute stands in Highland Park.

   Mr. Page was a gray-haired, gray-bearded negro, who ran the engine of the
"Lookout," a steamer on the Bay of which Frank Evershed was Captain. It is
probable that comparatively few people knew that the dusky engineer had rather
extreme ideas of sociology, criminology and kindred subjects. He once gave
expression to some of his views in the hearing of a number of prominent
Rochester citizens, on the veranda of the Glen Haven Hotel. What he had to say
referred chiefly to criminals, imbeciles, swindlers, millionaires, and others
"of a kindred nature." His contention was that the members of these classes
should be summarily transferred from earthly scenes as expeditiously as
possible. Mr. Page would often launch out into a number of arguments on similar
subjects, supporting his statements with quotations presumably from Shakespeare,
Chaucer, Bellamy and James Bryce.

   His engineer's license, which hung on the wall of the engine room, he
obtained in 1855. He claimed it was the oldest of its kind in the country and
the first ever issued to a colored man. It was also the only unlimited license
in the country, and entitled him to run anything from a tub to a battleship. In
still another particular, it was unique. Under present laws, a man would have to
be 145 years old to merit it. It was known as the "Fifteenth Class Certificate"
and was the only one ever issued by the United States Government. When Mr. Page
was engineering, only one year was required for each class certificate but when
he had been working and studying fourteen years, the law was changed, requiring
five years for each class. The license was a great curiosity among engineers and
many of them visited him just to have a look at it.

Bay Clubs

BIRDS AND WORMS

   A hunting and fishing organization was started in 1870 with the following
members:
Thomas Pritchard            J. W. McElbenny
Charles Stillwell           Walter Welden
These were the hunters known as The Birds.

John H. Wilson              George Welden
Burton H. Davey             Henry S. Hebard
These were the fishermen known as The Worms.

   Thus the Club got its name.

   The Birds and Worms Club rented land of a Mr. William Cook and built a small
place which they called Modoe Hall. After renting for two years they purchased
the property of Mr. Cook. In 1885, the Club disbanded and sold their property
but reserved Modoe Hall and the privilege of using it as long as any of the Club
members lived.

ROCHESTER CANOE CLUB

   The Rochester Canoe Club was organized in 1881 with six members and for two
years was homeless, living on the Newport Dock.

   In 1883, the Club erected a building next to the Remus Club in the area of
the Massaug coves. In 1884, the two clubs combined with a membership of fourteen.

   In 1887, having outgrown its quarters, a new clubhouse was built near the
Newport House on Canoe Point at the junction of Big Massaug Cove and the Bay.
The club was incorporated in 1893.

   In 1915, they left Canoe Point and moved to a location south of the Newport
House where they purchased the former summer home of Hiram Edgerton, one time
mayor of Rochester. This building has been used ever since, but a site has now
been prepared near the present Clubhouse, for a new building, which the members
hope will be completed by the summer of 1958.

   Two very interesting canoes have been owned by the Club over the years. The
first was a Ceremonial Canoe called the "Elm Bark Canoe" and was made by the
Tuscarora Indians in 1890 and presented to a club officer, Mr. George H. Harris.
The second was a war canoe and was built by Capt. George W. Ruggles of Charlotte
in 1891. It was named "Huff" and presented to the Rochester Canoe Club members,
who often sailed it on the Bay. This canoe was apparently quite impressive with
a ten-inch gun forward and gay colored sails.

   In the Granite Building fire of 1904, all club papers and records were
destroyed.

UNIQUE SOCIAL CLUB

   The Unique Social Club was organized on September 12, 1892 in a building
situated on the northwest corner of Clifford Ave. and Remington Streets. There
were nine charter members who for eighteen years met weekly on Friday nights. It
was purely a social affair with much visiting and card playing. On special
occasions the members invited friends to meet with them.

   The Leidecker Building on Joseph Ave. was used by the Club for a while and in
1893 property on Washington Ave. in Irondequoit was rented. At the time of the
fire at Windsor Beach when 42 cottages were burned, this was one of them. The
Club then rented a cottage on the Boulevard in Summerville from 1893 to 1899. In
1900, one of the Club's members purchased a cottage on Irondequoit Bay north of
Bay View and later sold it to the Club for use as its permanent headquarters.

   This Club had the distinction of having the first gasoline launch on the Bay.
Its members enjoyed fishing and boating at the Bay until 1948 when the Club gave
up its charter. Members continue to meet occasionally and a reunion was held at
the home of Mr. Charles Peiffer, September 4, 1954. Of the twenty-three members
now living, eleven were present.

ALGONQUIN YACHT CLUB

   The Algonquin Yacht Club was formed in 1933 by a group of people sailing all
different types of sail boats. They sailed from the dock at Point Pleasant Hotel
every Sunday. After a couple of years they decided to race in earnest, and
bought or built 16-ft racing sailboats of the Comet Class.

   In 1938, they moved into the cottage north of Point Pleasant in a cove known
as German Village. The Club membership grew until there was a fleet of 22 Comets
and about a dozen Lightning Class sloops. There was much activity, and many
important regattas were held on the Bay. In 1947, the cottage, rented by the
Club, was sold, and Algonquin was forced to move.

   From 1948 to 1950, the Club occupied quarters at Inspiration Point, a
beautiful spot on the east shore of the Bay, directly opposite the Newport
House. This was a pleasant sailing location and very much enjoyed by the Club
members until high water flooded the building, making it necessary for the Club
to move again. (On July 21, 1954 this abandoned club house was destroyed by fire).

   For two years, the proprietor of the Glen Edyth Hotel was very generous in
allowing the group to use his lovely place for their meetings, races and regattas.

   Since high water at the Bay had ruined most of the places suitable for a club
house, it was decided to disband the Algonquin Yacht Club. The entire group then
joined the Newport Yacht Club, and have been pleased by their decision because
the friendly people and the location at the foot of Seneca Road make for very
pleasant sailing.

NEWPORT YACHT CLUB

   The Newport Yacht Club was founded in 1936. The charter for the club, as
listed with the State of New York, shows that its main purpose is to promote the
sports of small boat sailing, and small boat racing. By adhering to this line,
the club has grown and prospered.

   The Snipe was the first boat listed on the roster and this class has grown
with the club until they now rate as one of the largest Snipe clubs in the
country. Lightning and Comet fleets followed and to-day these three fleets make
Newport one of the largest small boat sailing Clubs in this part of the State.
Other "Class" sailboats can be seen at moorings in the cove near Birds and
Worms, and it is the hope of all concerned that they too will grow to large
competitive fleets, for interfleet racing and regattas have brought many
interesting events to Irondequoit Bay.

   In the fall of 1943, beset by many troubles and handicapped by the war, the
club moved to the site at Birds and Worms they now hold. In 1946, with the help
and through the kindness of Mr. Douglas Stoffel, the club was able to assume
ownership of the grounds and club house.

   The club exists on the co-operation of its members-their willingness to work
when needed, to sail competitively or for relaxation, or to just loaf and enjoy
the facilities the club affords.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

IRONDEQUOIT STORY
A History of the Town of Irondequoit
(Suburb of Rochester, County of Monroe, State of New York)
COVERING THE YEARS 1839-1957
Collected and Compiled
by
MAUDE I. WEST, Town Historian

Published by The Town of Irondequoit


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