Monroe County NyArchives History - Books .....Miscellany Of Historical Interest 1957 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 23, 2007, 6:24 pm Book Title: Irondequoit Story MISCELLANY OF HISTORICAL INTEREST The Iron Ring A reminder of the European occupancy of the Genesee Valley at least two centuries ago came to light a few years past on the farm of Henry Klem on Summerville Boulevard in Irondequoit. In cutting down a giant chestnut tree, one of the ancient monarchs of the forests for which this county was famed when the land was opened up for settlement, soon after the American Revolution, there was found imbedded close to the heart of the giant tree an iron ring and staple, apparently of European manufacture. How long the ring had lain there hidden from human eyes, is a mystery. The trunk of the tree, a sweet chestnut, was fifteen feet in circumference and solid as a rock. Its age, as nearly as Mr. Klem could judge from counting the rings in the trunk, was more than 200 years. When Mr. Klem came to live on the farm in 1881, the tree was fully as large as it was the day it was cut down. It was an old landmark, and should never have been disturbed, because of its historic value. However, its branches had been so marred by workmen stringing electric wires along the railway, that Mr. Klem considered the tree unsafe and ordered it cut down before some gale from off the lake should tear away the remaining branches and endanger traffic along the boulevard. The iron ring, three and three-fourths inches in diameter, was found solidly imbedded almost in the center of the trunk, about four feet from the ground, and the wood about the ring, for a depth of several inches was of a purple tint, probably from chemical reaction of the iron on the sap. The axe which Mr. Klem's son, William, was using, split the trunk, bit into the iron staple which had, in the tree's youth fastened the ring to the trunk, and destroyed it. The ring held firm, however, to the dismay of the man who had to put a new edge on the axe. Mr. Klem's home on Summerville Boulevard was located at the point where the road curves east and north again, at the junction of Cooper Rd. The old tree stood in front of the Klem house on the east side of the highway, between the road and the streetcar tracks. It must have been close to 200 years ago that someone drove the staple into the trunk of the healthy young chestnut tree to fasten the wrought iron ring there for a hitching post. It took years and years for the tree to grow over and about the ring. The hands that swung the axe or mattock that drove that staple are gone long since. But the ancient ring remains, and the stout old tree to which it was fastened was good for many, many years yet, had not fate, in the guise of progress, caused its downfall. But what Mr. Klem would like to know is: Who put the ring there? Was it the early French or English visitors? Or perhaps one of Sullivan's army? It is one of those mysteries that can never be solved. We can only ponder and guess. Mr. Henry Klem died in 1948 at the age of 96 years. Readers may be interested to know that Mr. William Klem has given the piece of wood holding the ring and staple to the Historian and it is available for any who care to examine it. The Hitching Post One of the interesting relics of early Irondequoit is the heavy iron hitching post standing in front of Mrs. Asenath Rogers' homestead at 2689 St. Paul Boulevard. This post is as old as the town itself. It has stood there over a hundred years and apparently is good for another century if widening of the road doesn't require its removal. Old Timers claim that it is the only hitching post in Irondequoit, To the modern youth, the hitching post appears to be a mystery, but to older citizens hitching posts were familiar landmarks. In fact, it was necessary to have hitching posts and stepping stones or blocks in the days of the horse and carriage. It was fashionable to drive up to the stone or block, to let Milady step down from the carriage without annoyance, and without revealing her ankles. Yes, the ladies were modest in those days, and it was vulgar for a lady to show her ankles. This iron hitching post was originally used as an anchor for the sailboat, "Daniel Webster", built by Hosea Rogers in the Genesee River, just south of what is now Memorial Bridge. Rogers was a skillful boat builder and the Daniel Webster was his first creation. It was a rugged sailboat, sailing Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and other waters. Launched in 1840, it was wrecked a few years later near the Thousand Islands. Captain Rogers was both pilot and commander as well as the boat builder. He removed the heavy anchor and brought it to his home where he erected it at the roadside. Several times its position was threatened; when the turnpike road was built 4 rods wide, it looked as if the hitching post would have to yield, but it remained; when the car tracks were laid, the original plan called for a roadbed near the post, but it was not necessary to remove it; improvements in the street almost annihilated the post, and the cinder path also threatened its existence, but it has survived all these modern developments and still stands to-day. The shaft of this anchor is embedded six feet in the ground and rises above the surface about three feet. The melodious sounds of its large ring may be heard, frequently, when boys toy with it when passing by. Watertowers A few Irondequoiters may remember the old watertowers and windmills located on St. Paul Boulevard. They supplied water to horse-drawn sprinkling carts which were used to settle the dust on the highway to Summerville. Dust storms were common and caused damage to wagonloads of vegetables and fruits being hauled to market, as well as annoyance to buggy riders enroute to the lake. Since there were no water lines in those days, the windmills pumped water to the towers. There were four of these towers, placed as follows: one at the southeast corner of Titus Ave. and St. Paul Blvd., another on the Holtz farm on the east side of the Boulevard in the region of Chelsea Rd., a third near the southeast corner of Pinegrove Ave. and the fourth on the farm of Mr. Julius Goers on the west side of the Blvd. There was a pond on the Goers' farm and water was pumped from there to the tower. A spring furnished water for the tower at Pinegrove, but the others were dependent upon wells dug at their locations. Among the drivers of these sprinkling carts were Mr. George Leake, Mr. Joseph Supes and Mr. Henry Camping, Jr. Children found it great sport to ride with the drivers of these carts. Frank Grant recalls being one of those lucky ones and Mrs. George Thompson says she, too, had that experience. Union Race Track Probably few people traveling up and down St. Paul Boulevard today are aware that some one hundred years ago a race track was situated on the farm of Mr. Ezra Rogers, Sr. and his brother, Hosea. It was on this track that the citizens of Rochester and nearby cities came to race their horses, some of the fastest in the country at that time. The Union Race Course was a mile track and was situated at the corner of the Boulevard and Scholfield Road and ran east along said road. It was built of clay and the track could be followed for a number of years, but is now completely lost. There was a grandstand that faced east and the course was enclosed by a high board fence. Mrs. Asenath Rogers says: "I can remember, as a young girl, peeking through a knothole in the fence to watch the horses race. I did it often on the sly as folks in those days had notions of what little girls should be about." On the southeast corner of Scholfield Road and the Boulevard stood the hotel which was run in connection with the race track, for the accomodation of the owners of the horses and other individuals, and which provided much entertainment for all visitors. Quotations from the Rochester Union and Advertiser for April 9 and 20, 1858, give the following picture of the diverse activities carried on at Union Race Track. "Our well-known townsman, George Wimble, has taken the Union Course and will hereafter manage the same, including the hotel attached. The course could not have been entrusted to more competent hands. Mr. Wimble will render it a popular and pleasant resort, and will see that good order is maintained so that gentlemen can visit it at all times and find that they are not degraded by associating with the vulgar and disorderly. The track is in good order, and gentlemen can drive upon it at all times. The stables are ready for boarding horses, with good drivers and grooms." "The Union Race Course has become the daily resort of many of our citizens for amusement and exercise upon the turf. Every pleasant afternoon many gentlemen ride to the track for recreation; Fast nags, and some not so fast, are constantly exercising upon the track, while those who do not care so much about exercising their horses indulge in agreeable and healthy exercise themselves on the grass within the track, at ball playing, and such other amusements as they choose to practice. No one is admitted to the grounds who does not demean himself properly." "Some thirty or forty of our citizens went to the Race Course yesterday where they found 'George* (Mr. Wimble) ready for them with house and gates open. A majority of the company preferred wicket and so that was the game played. Sides were chosen, the wickets set, and the party went at it in earnest, and so interested did they become in the game, that they only quit when darkness drew on at eight o'clock. The exercise was fine, and all enjoyed it heartily, spectators included, who were quite numerous. It is a fine place for ball playing, the track in front of the stand being just the spot. Spectators can see the play to good advantage. Mr. Wimble has balls, clubs, and all the conveniences for playing." In December of 1858, the hotel at the Race Track was totally destroyed by fire, but the valuable horses which were kept in the stables were all saved. In May of 1859, Captain Rogers erected a new hotel on the site of the old one and Mr. Wimble was again the host. Trotting matches were announced, with purses of $50, and scheduled for successive Thursdays. It is also evident that the Track Hotel maintained its reputation for appealing social events, as indicated by this final quote from the same newspaper for January 3, 1860-an interesting example of reporting for that era: "This being a pleasant moonlight week, and in the holiday season, with capital good sleighing to give zest to reasonable recreation, George in his unpretending way, intends to give a jolly good supper made up of game and other edibles calculated to overcome a provoking appetite, on Wednesday evening. Having given a scrutinizing survey through his well-stocked larder, we can say that if partridge, quail, wild duck, venison, oysters, and other choice dishes carefully selected, will satisfy the most scrupulous, they may be found in abundance at Wimble's, the Union Track House. Table will be furnished and supplied from 5 to 10 p.m." The old Union Race Track was abandoned when this second hotel was leveled to the ground by fire in 1873. First Radio An Irondequoit man has the distinction of owning the first wireless apparatus and starting the first radio station in this area. Lawrence G. Hickson's interest in wireless telegraphy started while he was a student at Mechanics Institute in 1917, before the First World War. He erected, at his home on Ridge Road, one of the largest amateur wireless telegraph stations in the State. But when the United States entered the war, all amateur stations were ordered dismantled. Soon after the Armistice, Mr. Hickson resumed his experiments. Early in 1920 he purchased the first wireless-telephone apparatus. Two other individuals followed suit and the three began a tri-cornered radio telephone communication. It was not unusual for a large crowd to gather on Hickson's lawn in the evenings to hear the weird, strange noises from the air. People came from Buffalo to see, hear and marvel. It seemed almost incredible that a voice in New York could be heard in Irondequoit, but Hickson proved it was a fact. By December 3, 1920 there were half a score of amateurs in Rochester and that evening the city's first broadcast of music was heard from the little white attic room of Mr. Hickson's home in East Parkway, Irondequoit. The strains of several phonograph records came floating over the ether to be picked up by enraptured ear-phone listeners. Mr. Hickson said, at the time, he hadn't ejxpected the experiment to carry to the city; he had only set up a small receiving set in his own back yard on which he hoped to be able to hear his broadcast. Radio's technical strides since that momentous night are reflected in Mr. Hickson's rise in the radio business. In 1921, he purchased a 100-watt De Forest set and began broadcasting three nights a week, and a new era in radio was achieved. Several months later he formed a partnership with Mr. Frank Gannett of Rochester and moved his apparatus to the Times-Union Building and pioneer station WHQ began sending out its messages to Rochester and vicinity. Somewhat later Mr. Hickson helped install station WABO in Lake Ave. Baptist Church to broadcast church services. In 1925 he built another station in the rear of his electrical store at 36 South Ave. Occasional programs were also broadcast from a studio in Seneca Hotel. Though WHQ was the forerunner, this enterprise was the direct genesis of station WHEC. This new station prospered and in June of 1928, began an all-day broadcasting schedule. In the fall of that year, 50,000 listeners petitioned the Federal Radio Commission for an increase to 500 watts. It was granted and offices and equipment were installed on the top floor of the Terminal building in Broad Street. In January 1928, WHEC broadcast its first program supplied by the chain of the Columbia Broadcasting Company. Still the station grew, and Mr. Hickson took quarters in the then new Rochester Savings Bank Building, at 40 Franklin Street. Formal opening of the new studio took place on May 31, 1929. Mr. Hickson sold out his interest in WHEC in 1932 and his untimely death in 1933 saddened the entire community. Resort Fires When the Windsor, popular dance hall at White City, Summerville, was destroyed by fire on Dec. 11, 1942 it was the tenth major resort property blaze in the lakeside area since 1889. The Windsor fire marked the end of a dance place that had its peak of- patronage in the early 1920s, when, high school and college youths, in white knickers and flannels, took their girls to the Windsor for club and fraternity dances. Many "big name" orchestras played at the Windsor in its day. Its destruction recalled some of the other old hotel and resort pavilion fires for the town's old timers. Berg's Summer Gardens, famous for vaudeville shows, dancing, concerts, a shooting gallery and outdoor bowling, was burned in 1889. It stood on Joseph Avenue in Irondequoit, for many years. In 1895 the big picnic pavilion at Windsor Beach popularly known as the House of Glass burned to the ground after 13 years of operation. The blaze occured one year after flames had swept the old Glen House on the west side of the river below Driving Park Avenue, Then in 1904, the original Forest House at Ridge Road East and Culver burned to the ground. Four years later, roaring flames that were swept by a 60-mile gale, destroyed 40 cottages at Windsor Beach. Rochester fire-fighting apparatus was sent to the scene on railroad flat cars. Lake View Hotel at Sea Breeze burned on April 1, 1909. In 1914, the big Bartholomay Pavilion at Ontario Beach went up in smoke and flame. The Glen Haven HoteL once the show spot of the resort section, burned to the ground on election night in 1928. In 1939, the large warehouse at Oklahoma Beach, formerly an ice house used by the Ontario Ice and Goal Company, was swept by fire. The Windsor was thus the tenth in the parade of vanishing weekend recreation places of a lakeside that in the old days, lured thousands from Rochester every summer. Storms in Irondequoit History 1920 In the Irondequoit Centennial Album, there is a picture of a snow plow and a storm crew of the Railway Company trying to clear the Sea Breeze Trolley Line of snow. That was in 1920 and some say it was the worst storm ever experienced in Irondequoit. All roads were blocked and transportation was at a standstill. The town's snow plow equipment was inadequate because most of it was horse drawn, and the trolley service was crippled for the reason that so many snow plows used in the city had broken down. Swirling snow, driven by a 60-mile gale, created such mountainous obstructions that the boulevard was closed for two days. Summerville, Sea Breeze, and Point Pleasant were isolated and inacessible for several days. The midnight trolley to Summerville was "lost" in a huge snow drift. The crew forced their way through snow to a telephone, but were obliged to walk home as no taxicabs could get through. In fact, four taxicabs were stalled on St. Paul St. between Ridge Rd. and the City line, and stayed there two days. It was a wearisome walk for hundreds not accustomed to long hikes, especially in deep snow drifts. One man recalls walking from Main St. and South Ave. right in the middle of St. Paul St. all the way to Stop 8 at Leland Rd. It took him 2 hours to make the trip. The worst drift was in front of the Rogers' home. Here the' snow was piled 20 ft high from the house to the old barns on the east side. It was necessary to walk through deep snow either around the Rogers' house or around the barns. Culver and Ridge Roads were buried in snow. There was no transportation by trolley, nor by horse for almost a week. Funerals were postponed and doctors found it impossible to answer urgent calls. Most of the Irondequoiters who worked in Rochester, remained there, though a few hardy ones walked to and from work each day. 1944 The most devastating storm for Irondequoit gardeners, occurred in July 1944. It was the "freakiest" storm ever seen or heard and virtually deprived at least fifty farmers of their season's profits. Coming without warning, the tempest seemed to concentrate its fury within a mile radius, north from Ridge Rd. and Norton St. and from the Flats to Irondequoit Bay. Huge hailstones were hurled against fields, hot houses and other buildings. Windows were broken, trees were stripped of their bark, fruit from apple, pear and peach trees covered the ground. Most field crops were totally destroyed. One of the hardest hit sections was between Titus and Pinegrove Avenues. Fields of geraniums and gladioli were laid bare. Even root vegetables were torn from the ground and whirled through the air. Corn fields were flattened. Culver Rd. also felt the disastrous effects of this twister. Beds of strawberries were ruined. One man's potential yield of 500 bushels of grapes was reduced to only 10 bushels. Owners of victory gardens suffered irreparable damage from ruined tomatoes, corn, peppers, onions and muskmelons. In December of this same year, Irondequoit growers of vegetables and greens for the holiday trade were severely hit by a very heavy snow storm. Many growers suffered some damage but undoubtedly the heaviest losses were realized by Richard W. Thorne of 400 Ridge Road East and Robert Maxwell, whose plant stood on the present site of the Home Equipment Company at 1149 Ridge Road East. Both these growers' houses were of the "ridge and furrow" type, a construction plan whereby each house was attached to the one next to it along the entire length of its sides: thus, there was no way of clearing the glass of the heavy fall of snow. The storm began the night of December 11 and continued all night long, piling up snow in the furrows between the houses. Mr. Maxwell's four 300-foot houses fell during the night and put him completely out of business. As the first of Thome's houses caved in under the weight of the snow, the heating plant was put out of commission and, with no heat to melt the snow on the other houses, they too fell under the great pressure. Nine houses with all their crops were destroyed for a loss of about $25,000. Other hothouses in town suffered much damage from broken glass and the freezing weather before the glass could be replaced. Altogether, the total loss was estimated at $50,000. The heavy fall of snow continued through December 12 and 13 and traffic was at a standstill both in Rochester and Irondequoit. The total fall was measured at 22.4 inches. In Rochester, the City Manager declared a state of emergency and appealed to Governor Dewey for State help. All parking of cars in the streets was forbidden and all snow-bound cars were towed away. Plows were brought in from Buffalo, Syracuse and Hornell, fully equipped with crews and mechanics. Mail was delivered only in plowed out streets. Newspapers omitted all advertising to lighten the load: instead of the usual 48 or 52 pages, the papers carried only 14 pages of news. Most of the bus lines were back in service after four days, but it took more than a week to accomplish a state of normalcy. March has been the month most to be dreaded because of past experiences. For example, on March 1, 2, 3, of 1900 we saw 43.5 inches of snow and the whole town was snowbound. In March of 1930, there were three days when 19 inches of snow covered Irondequoit. In 1932, we had 15.1 inches. In 1936, we again had a very heavy fall. At the height of the storm, the snow fell at one inch per hour for thirty consecutive hours, The coldest record we have is for February 9, 1934 when the mercury registered 22 degrees below zero. We came close to this record this past January with a 19 below. On the whole, though, the weather in 1957 hasn't been bad, has it? Post Offices and Rural Mail Delivery There was no rural free mail delivery before 1898. In those early days, Irondequoit residents picked up their mail at some designated or pre-arranged place in Rochester. For example: some had their mail left at the Liberty Pole store; some at Reynolds Arcade Post Office on Main Street where they had a box; others arranged to collect their mail at a meat market, grocery store or bake shop in Rochester where they were accustomed to trade; some called for their mail at hotels in downtown Rochester; and, too, there were private homes of friends or relatives in the city where mail was received and held for them until called for. The Post Office at Clyde has been mentioned in the article on Carthage. Summerville had a Post Office called Claverhouse established in 1895 in a grocery store. It closed in 1934. There was a Post Office at Swayne's Corners from 1839-1859 and at the Forest House for several years. Following is a list of the Postmasters from 1839-1866, including the dates of their terms, when known: Caleb Hobbie 1839-1848 George McGonegal 1849 Benjamin Wing 1850-1851 Caleb Hobbie 1852-1856 Daniel C. Brown 1857 Henry Butts John Bundy Delos White Perry Green White This Post Office at the Forest House was discontinued in 1866, but reestablished in 1886, with Daniel Forman as Postmaster until 1898 when it was moved to Heffer's Grocery Store at the corner of Ridge Road and Portland Avenue. Fred Heffer was Postmaster until his death in 1903 when his wife was appointed Postmistress. She held the office until 1915 when it was discontinued and all Irondequoit mail was picked up, by the carriers, at Beachwood Station, East Main Street in Rochester and distributed to residents. This service did not entirely cover closely-centered places like Sea Breeze, Point Pleasant and Summerville, where people lived within walking distance of the Post Office. The first rural carrier in Irondequoit was Norris Walzer, who started deliveries in 1898. He covered all of Irondequoit for a rhort time until George Grabb was appointed to cover the west s1'de of town. It is said that Mr. Walzer sometimes rode horseback with a leather knapsack hung over his shoulder. This was when he found the roads impassable for his horse and wagon. When the snow was deep, he used a sleigh. Mr. Grabb's daughter, Mrs. Henry Mull of Seneca Park Ave. says that in the winter time, when the roads were drifted, her father frequently crossed the fields in his sleigh in order to deliver mail to some home, otherwise inaccessible. There were no mail boxes in those days and almost any receptacle was placed to receive the mail. The government experimented with different kinds of boxes until the ones in general use today were adopted. Different types of vehicles were used by the early carriers. The accompanying pictures show the early mail wagons used. The two-wheeled sulky was a convenient mode of travel also. The Post Office at Sea Breeze was opened about 1916 and that at Point Pleasant in 1922. Mr. Arthur Burns recalls meeting two trains a day on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad to take mail from Sea Breeze to the Point Pleasant grocery store where it was picked up. Population of Irondequoit 1840-1956 The following figures show population changes for the town from the earliest record to the date of writing. Also included are notations about each of the six annexations made by Rochester which have successively decreased both the area and the census of Irondequoit. (See map.) Year Census 1840 1252 1850 2397 1860 3547 1870 3990 In 1874, Rochester annexed a large section of the southern part of Irondequoit, resulting in a sizable decrease in the town's population. 1875 1872 1880 1980 1890 2415 In 1891, Rochester again annexed a portion of the town lying along the Genesee River from the Ridge north to Catalpa Road. 1892 2363 1900 2863 1905 3160 In 1906, another annexation by Rochester extended the city line along the river to Summerville. In 1907, the following became part of Rochester: Durand Eastman Park, with the right of way down Culver Road; a narrow strip on the south side of Norton Street at the east end; and a narrow strip extending from Culver Road to Point Lookout on Irondequoit Bay. 1910 3526 In 1914, Rochester took further sections of the town, including one from Norton Street on the south to Longacre Road on the north, another from their already-annexed property on the west to east of Seneca Road on the east, and three other small sections in various parts of the town. 1915 4603 1920 5123 In 1923, another section north of Norton Street from the 1914 annexation on the west to Carter Street, and some extending to Portland Avenue on the east was added to the city. 1925 10,469 Note the increase of approximately 104% for the 1920-25 period. After this year, the consent of 51% of the property owners was required before any more annexations could be made. There have been none since 1923. 1930 17,935 1940 23,376 1947 32,000 (est.) 1950 34,417 1955 40,000 (est.) 1956 51,000 (est.) 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.org/ny/monroe/history/1957/irondequ/miscella11ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/nyfiles/ File size: 28.2 Kb