Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories
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Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories •''.'-•• *• Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories 3 9077 05031 2548 Stack Rochester Public Library Reference Book Not For Circulation JAN 2 2 2004 Local History & Genealogy Dimioa Rochetter Public Library '" 115 South Avenue KocbMter, New York M604 Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories NEW GAZETTEER BUSINESS DIRECTORY FOR LIVINGSTON COUNTY, N. Y., FOR 1868. COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY G: EMMET STETSON. GENEVA, N. Y. : B. L. ADAMS A SON, PKINTEBS. 1868. Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories INTRODUCTION. In presenting the "New Gazetteer and Directory of Living ston County" tojthe public, the publisher desires to return his sinscere thanks to 'all who have aided in procuring information^ for its progress. And to the pregs of the county, for calling public attention to his efforts; and to the public generally, for the hospitality shown to his agents while engaged in the canvass. Last, but not last, his thanks are due to those who have become patrons for the work, and to those who have aided by way of advertising. We cordially commend the advertisers in this work, to all, representing, as they do, manyi of the leading firms in the county. That errors have not occurred in so great a number of names and dates, would be preposterous to assume, and more than a community could expect. But it has been his desire, added to the bare and labor which has been spent, to make as few as possible, beleiving any seemingly short comings will be forgiven by a discriminating public. G. E. STETSON. Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories LIVINGSTON COUNTY. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Livingston was originally embraced in Albany County, which was formed in 1883, and included the whole, State west of the Hudson. Montgomery was taken from Albany in 1772; Ontario from Montgomery in 1789; Genesee from Ontario in 1802; and Livingston from Genesee and Ontario, Feb. 23, 1821. A part of Allegany' was annexed in*l845, and another part in 1856. The entire area is 655 square rriiles. The northern part of the county is rolling, and extremely fertile. The southern part is hilly. Some of the hills rise 1200 feet above the adjacent valleys, and 2,200 feet above the sea. The beds of the streams, in the southern portion of tbte county, are generally deep gorges worn through the rocks. Especially is this the case with Genesee river. Below Mt. Morris it flows through flats with low shores, but above, it has cut a channel through the slate and sandstone for over fifteen miles, and from one hundred to four hundred feet in height. Here and at Portage is the" wildest scenery .in the county. The High Banks are exceedingly picturesque, sometimes perpendicular, and sometimes covered with forest trees, full of cascades and glens, and always as crooked as the streets of Boston. • Occasionally an acre or two of flat appears, or a level island in the' bottom of the ravine, and leverywhere are seen the most charming bits of landscape. The Great Bend below the lower falls, and the tjhree falls themselves, are very beautiful, and strange to say, seem to be the hatfnt of his Satanic Majesty, for we hear of the "Devil's Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories 6 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. l Roosting Place," "Devil's Breakfast Table," &c. At Portage, nature and art combine to produce the most delightful effects. The great railroad bridge is as much a wonder as the scenery around it. All the southern portion of the county is full of . beauty, and Portage f^lls are visite'd by thousands of people every season. "She park-like meadows ai^pund Geneseo are unequalled in America. The finest of the' old forest teees still remain, and • some of them have.attained immense size. It was always a region of famous trees. There was the "Big Tree Road," and a celebrated treaty was held under the "Big Tree" itself. Some of the old oaks are over 30 feet in circumference. The Sulphur Springs at Avon have long been celebrated. They were well-known to the Indians who understood their medical properties. The Seneca name for them was " Can-a- wau-gus," (stinking water). When, the country was first settled, these springs were surrounded by a dense cedar marsh, and their' waters flowed into a large pond, with a margin of pure white sand. The "Big Springs," in Caledonia, are the delight of the ' speckled trout, and those who love that finest of all fishes. The Indian name was " Gan-e-o-di-ya," (small, clear lake). The spring and streams are now well-known to sportsmen as the scene of Seth Green's successful efforts in the artificial propagation of bVook trout. There are, doubtless, many other spots in the county deserv- ing general mention, but they must be reserved for the Gazetteer of the several towns. There is little to say of the geology and minerology of this county. The water lime of the Onondaga Salt group, the- Onondaga and Coniferous limestone, Marcellus and Hamilton shales; Genesee slate and Portage shales and sandstones, consti- tute the principal underlying rocks; Gypsum abounds in Caledonia. Limestone and sandstone are quarried. The soil in the northern part is remarkably fertile. The Genesee flats are a rich deep alluvium of almost inexfi?tustable Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories LIVINGSTON COTJNTY. fertility, and the entire valley below Mt. Moms is better than that of the Nile, for it requires no irrigation. The uplands are excellent Jand, and even the southern hills are the natural home of cattle and sheep. It may well be doubted whether, all things considered, there is now unsettled on this continent, so fine a^region as the Genesee "country, and of that country, Livingston is the garden. Wheat was formerly the staple crop, and perhaps is yet. Much attention has always been paid to fine cattle. Good sheep sire found on every farm, and some of the best American Merinos belong in this county. In fact, good stock of all kinds have always been a speciality. Indian corn and broom corn are largely grown. Of late years hops and grapes attract much attention, and fruit of all kinds is produced in great abundance. In the southern part the products of the dairy have obtained a high reputation. Genesee river is the principal stream, flowing through the western part of the eounty,, in a northeastern direction. Conesus Creek, Fall Brook, and Canaseraga Creek empty into it from the east; Beard's Creek, White Creek, and several others from the west. Coshaqua empties into the Canaseraga. The outlets of Hemlock and Canadice lakes flow through part of the county, and that of Honeoye along a portion of the eastern border. Conesus lake is in the central part of the county, and Hemlock on the east side. Geneseo is the county seat. The Court House is in the northern part of the village, on a beautiful lot, which also contains the jail and the clerk's of^ce. About a mile east of the. village is the county poor house^ on a good farm of 118 acres. The average number of inmates is something over 100. The farm Jbrings a good revenue. A good school is taught » here for nine or ten months in the year. The other principal villages will\be described in their, proper places. The internal improvements are the old Genesee Valley Canal, which follows "the Genesee from the northern limits of the county to Mr. Moms, thence southeasterly to Coshaqua Creek Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories IJVltfGSJBN COUNTY. and up that stream to Nunda, from there to Portage, and so on to'Olean. A branch" runs to Dansville. The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad runs through Caledonia. The Buffalo and New York Railroad passes through Portage and Nunda; the Bufijilo, New York and Erie through Caledonia, Ayon, Livonia and Springwater, and the Genesee Valley through Avon, Geneseo and Groveland" to Mt. Morris. There are several newspapers published in the county. The Livingston Republican was established at Geneseo, 1822, by Chauncey Morse, under the name of the Livingston Journal. It was afterward called the Livingston Democrat, and assumed its present name in 1837< Hon. Wm. H. Kelsey and S. P. Allen were*amongv its editors. 'The Livingston Union was established as the Mt. Moms Spectator, in 1834, by Hugh Harding. The name was changed in 1848. The following papers are now published, viz: Named. Places. Proprietors. Western N. Y. Advocate, Dansville, Bunnell & Jones. Dansville Express, " Robbins & Poore, Livingston Republican, Geneseo, A. T. Nortoo, Genesee Valley Herald, " J. "W. Clement, Nunda News, Nunda, C. K. Sanders, Livingston Democrat, " • H. M. Drake, Avon Springs Journal, Avon, C. F. Peck, Laws of Life, (monthly) Dansville, Austin, Jackson & Co. A sketch of this county would be incomplete without some mention of the "V^adsworths and other pioneers, who not only opened the wilderness to civilization, but made for themselves a good name in/ the traditions of this region. The Genesee1 country was especially fortunate in its early settlers. They were very largely men of intelligence and culture. All that part of the State, lying west of the "old preemption line," which run north of the "82d milestone," on the Pennsyl- vania line, to Lake Ontario, was sold by the State of Massachusetts to Phelps and Gorham, in 1787. This comprised • about 6,000,000 acres, for which the purchasers agreed to pay Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Miscellaneous Directories LIVINGSTON COUNTY.