Benjamin Franklin High School - Key Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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 Hie first Main Street bridge over the Genesee River was completed in 1812 it the joint expense ol Ontario anti Genesee counties. It linked the ro.td running between Lewiston and Buffalo and proved to be on influential mean» ol auouflging settler» to the vicinity ol Rochester. Isaac Stone was busily engageJ erecting a tavern and a saw- mill on the east side ol the river when Hamlet Scrantorn and his family arrived on the last day ol Aprd. 1812. In the Spring of 1813 our first postmaster, Abelard Reynolds, arrived with his family, coining from Pittsfield Massachusetts, Fifteen years later the Reynolds Arcade, built on one ol Reynold'» lots was considered the largest and most expensive building in the United States west of Albany anJ the finest in the United States outside ol New York ( ity Elisha Johnson, Colonel C alet» Hop km . Evefard Pcclc, Charles Hartford, Jchiel Barnard, the Elys,” and the 'Browns ' are some of the “early arrivals who hcIpcJ to mold a pleasant village from the Mud Hole which welcomed them on their aruval. Most ol these men of the- ca rly days were enter prising, resolute, staunch—the majorny were ol New England jnccstry Trouble with England lud flared into the War ol 1812 and the dirficulties imposed by war prevented any considerable improvement until about 1816 Citizens of RovhcstemUc were pre pared to take up arms against the foe at the first news from the harbor chat The British arc com mg! No invasion actually occurred, however, the British .squadron under Sir James Yeo caused quite- a disturbance when it anchored at the mouth of the Genesee. The only actual sufferer from this invasion was the poor mute who was captured on the road between Charlotte and Roch- ester He- w.iN suspected of being a British spy, and was tortured cruelly before the real rc-ivon for Ins silence was discovered. If is interesting 10 note- that in the early period of its existence Rocliotervillr hail many formid- able risah contesting for supremacy. One of the most enterprising of Kochcstcfvilie's rival colonics was Carthage a lull a mile below the lower falls centering around the prevent site of Norton and St Paul Streets Caleb Lyon began the settle mint ol Carthage m 1816. In 1818 a flour mill was erected there by Elisha U Strong Stores and dwelling-, were soon built under the ditatum of Mr Strong and all possible methods were pul into effect for booming Carl luge The comple- tion of (he f artiuge Bridge in 181V wjls one of the greatest engineering teats ol the day In Switzerland alone, wav i single span bridge to be found which could even compart with the mas- sive structure with which devout Caithagiiiuns hoped to impress home seekers 1 he bridge gained much notoriety as an ciigincciing wonder Unfortunately, after outliving iu builder guar antec to Iasi a ycat and a day by only a lew weeks, it collapsed into the rivet gorge on Miy 22. 182U. Happily no loss ol life resulted with this catastrophe, but the one tiling which could make Cartlugc had tailed. There were other settlements in the competi- tion Tryontown at the head ol Irondequon Bay. Dublin between Carthage and RochasterviIle- on the cast sliorc of the met; Frankfort with its lively four corners at State and Court (Brown) Street •. motjfu ttttk ment sprang on at Hanford s Landing; ami still another, fav tic Town, up the river at the Rapids.' In 1822. while European Greece wax struggling for independence a new town hi Monroe county took on the njroc ol Greece to show its sympathy for the i4u.se of freedom in rhai country. The first census, tah en m Roi Lest i red It- in 1815, showed a total population ol 351; in 1812 there were only 15 people listed as residents in Rochester. Between 1815 and 1818, Rochester- ville nude a phenomenal growth so that by the census report ol the latter year the populatum wiv listed at 1,0-tV». The growth of the three year period (181VIX18) trebled the population ol Rochc-stcmUc' In 1818, Colonel Rochester and his family moved twin their home at Dansvillc to Re lies ter. Although Colonel Rotnester tame from an aristocratic Virginian family he led a simple lift- portrayed with democratic feeling His intense regard lor the common l.dxuuig class, as shown by numerous .social »nd economic reforms ol the day, together with his paticftce, dttcrmination, and political sagacity made turn the acknowledged leader and guide ol the embryonic village Shortly he built a brick rcsidcOCc at tin north- east comer of Spring and Washington Street where fIk: Bevicr Memorial Building now stands He continued to live here until his death in |Ksl Needle» to say. a man ot the- integrity ot Colonel Rochester, who forgot personal gam in his eager ness to improve existing conditions, wis beloved by Ins fellow villagers and respected by all with whom he contacted. « ►

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 3 n r p ui o r ft Early ihuhrster The settlers to this region laced many difti cutties and hardships. P.vcn after IK17 when ROfbcstcrvtJlc was intotpor cd •» a village the site of the present city was .1 virtual wilderness mlubitccl by wild animals and Indians. The un- cjithl) howls ol pack of wolves pierced the night air; rattlesnakes infested the water holes and die banks of the river were actually alive with tbctn far mote dangerous than the purr of the wild pussy or die hug of the aHcctionate bear were the swamplands and ntoscjuitoo dull caused fever and ague to the hearty ildvCOlUftfV With this setting m inuul, we cannot l e too critical ol dial brutal character, Phcncier Alien, who became known to both Indian and settler as Indian' Allen. Curiously, to vay the least, our fnend Hbcnezvr was neither Indian nor half breed. In 17K J Messrs. Phelps and Gorham ptc scored Allen with j tr.ut ol ont hundred acres upon condition lhat he construe! a saw mill and a grist-mill So we have a cruel, savage. Indian trader as our first settler tirst miller, and first misfortune In the spring oJ 1797, Jomh I oh, win) had been living with Ins family in die Allen shanty during the previous winter, hull» a log house on the one hundred acre ti.ut not far from Indian Allens mill. On February 24. IMQO, Jolin fish was bom to Jom.iIi and Zeruuh Pish, the hrit white . Iidd born within the present limits of the uty ol Rochester More than a wore ot years passed alter the building of Alien's mill In lore settlement in oi around Rexhester w is begun with my measure ol permanence Numerous character , some of rattier iUiuIh!ul worth, passed through this virgin land Many remarked about die Genesee River with its attractive shore-land or of the turbulent falls m all llicir regal splendor Some ol (Ikk travelers may have thought ol die commercial advantages offered by the inland like Ontario with its up river harbor possibilities; few1, it any, could en- vision a uty of some twelve thousand population developing lit this wilderness within two Jccadcs. In the autumn of IfcOO. three men ot remark- able vision left their homes in Hagerstown. Maryland, lor a visit to the Genesee country Colonel Rochester, the aiknowledgcd leader ol the three, was attended by a solitary slave Maior Carroll and Colonel Piiahugh both had estab- lished plantations in Maryland and were cotisid e-red with eminence not only in their own respei- tivc communities bur also throughout the numer ous states where tlicy were associated with publu ah airs Natliamcl Rmhestcr bought large tr.uls ot land in Livingstone ounty and Imped to movt Ins wife and ten ilnldieii to this pioneer region, and away from the pleasant town in Maryland where be believed the uri|ust institution of ski scry would exert too much influence on the lives of his children Undoubtedly lain! spa illation m duccd Colonel Rochester and hi» two colleagues to buy the one hundred acre tract. At all events, tins purchase in IHilJ marks the real beginning ot any interest in the opportunities afforded by this wild, pre-Rochester region In IMIO. the Colnl (a title he received tor distinguished service in the Revolutionary War) and im family left then home in Hagerstown lot Oatmillc. At this tune fcno» Stone and his brother Isaac were owners of the only frame dwellings m Rochester Enos was lommivuoncd as Nathaniel Rochester s local land agent A plat ot the future village was sent by the Colonel to Stone in IHI I with complete uidructions as to law tin- land was to l»c sold. 5 ►

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 Tlicrc were numerous interesting And some- whll pcculiai characters roaming mi and around Rochester during the early days. Daniel Quimby drove in from Hen-retty on horseback every I nday, no matter what the weather, to Attend the Friends meeting Hu dependability earned for Inin the name or ‘our man Friday. Down in Carthage were Foolish Johnnie anti Big Ellen, the incorrigible Johnnie would wander around with hi» cow. Whenever lie saw a vetting hen he would remove it from its egg» and put an- other hen on the nest. If you a kcd Ellen wheth- er she had any friends, die would answer only me ind God Dp in Dublin dwelt Tommy and Ins pretty squaw. Sally They sold Indian head- work to the townsfolk and visitors. They were great favorites with botl? adults and eluldrcn Their visit were al- ways Anticipated. The villagers noticed that Tommy spent quite a bit ol his earnings on the cheap firewater «old in die taverns. Then it was noticed that bally did not ac- company him to the vilhigc anymore The kind women of the village feared for her health and decided to visit het wigwam, e ccctly taking with tlicm little gilts to help seal their friendship with her Sally was found mur- dered with her dead papoose in her arms The tribe heard about this incident and tried Tommy who answered for his crime, with de ath. Jamna Wilkinson, leader of die Universal friends movement, «entering around Penn Van. helicced in l»cr power of performing miracles. Joseph Smith, launder ul the more successful sCCl ol fanaticism, tried to Iwvc the Book of Mormon printed in Rochester Another pel son of ques- tionable mental faculties was Sain Patch, dare- devil of the Genatt He entertained the cm wins of Rochester with ins leaps over the Fall . On November IS. Ib29. bam jumped the Falls. He became somewlut unnerved by his hup hut decided to entertain flic assembled villagers by a mote daring trick Climbing a rocky ledge with Ins tame bear, lit made a more spctfaculai leap than usual. It proved la be his last leap; not until the next Spring wav Sain s body Inund. Rochester was not slow in entering the liter ary spotlight In 1818 a weekly publication was brought out by Dauby and Sheldon 1 HE ROCHESTER GAZETTE takes lioiuir.» as the tint newspaper established in Kochestcmlle Edwin Stroiuom. who later became editor, changed the name to the MONROE REPUBLI- » m I CAN la October, 1820, the Rochester DAILY ADVERTISER wav founded; this paper ion tamed all the town gossip and business, it was published by Luther Tucker and edited by Henry O Reilly. Tins wav the first daily paper between Albany and the Pacific const. It is interesting to nckc the artistic manner used in those early days to convey notice» to the citizens In numerous early newspapers appear poems either announcing debts due or coming events One of tlicse notices, dated August 20, 1N20, follows: To all concerned tins timely note I send Bring in your pay and help a needy Inend; Bring what you have, a little cash will do, He who pays I II discharge who fails, I II sue Jj» t825, the Eric Canal, which ran through m Rodicstcr was com- ml1 j— pitted Hus canal de- termined the position of Rixhesfcr as a town of renown The rich wheat growing region, the illimitable water rawer, and the recent y added facilities lor trade and commerce together with the proTirnity of all stand aril building materials encouraged settlers to the rapidly growing low n. In IKV Rochester became a city jonattian Child became the first mayor Since that year Rochester has diwingimhrd itself as the 'dour city'; recently it has been re ferred to as the dower city’ At all eveni», file- name lus reaihoi the outposts of the wuiid. lie cause of numerous industrial and vucul scfvKvs which tins i ity renders Tile early pioneers arc to be commended lor starting the energetic spirit which hSfc permeated our i ity in every stage ol its growth, from its in- corporation as a v illage in IS 17 through its steady climb to tlie present icntury mark as an iruorpor ated i ity. We now witness the fruits of this en- deavor. The- inheritance which h.iv been be- stowed upon us by our city father» i perceivable m every line of civic endeavor, To fully under stand this heritage as local inhabitants of a pro grevMve community, it is necessary lor us to re virw our local history, cspci tally m the light ol our pioneer element The integrity and sustain mg courage of these early settlers were not only instrumentil in developing the Genesee country hut were largely responsible for predominating the magnanimous interest in all phases ol civic life which was shown in each generaliori of Roches tex's growth. «17R