IRONDEQUOIT STORY • by MAUDE I. WEST, Town H istorian 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, ToU?n Historian Published by The Town of Irondequoit Library of Congress Card Catalogue No. 57~12431 DEDICATION No more fitting dedication for this book could be found or written than that which is inscribed on the Centennial Plaque in our present Town Hall, which reads as follows: "To THE CITIZENS OF IRONDEQUOIT IN HONOR OF THE PIONEERS WHO LEFT THEIR PEACEFUL HOMES AND LOCATED BEFORE 1809 IN THIS FEVER-BREEDING, DESOLATE, AND FORBIDDING LAND AND WITH THEIR SUCCESSORS CLEARED THE FORESTS AND EXCITED THE EARTH TO PRODUCTION, THEREBY CHANGING IT TO A GARDEN SPOT AND ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO LIVE." FOREWORD At the request of the students and teachers of Local History in Irondequoit schools, your Town Historian has attempted to present in the following pages and as accurately as possible, a picture of life as it was lived in this area more than a century ago, and to bring up to the date of this writing a story of our inheritance and a reminder of the privileges we have of living in this community. Irondequoit, New York Maude I. West April 1957 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In collecting material for this book, grateful acknowledgment is made to the following: Mr. Louis Dubelbeiss, a former Supervisor of Irondequoit, and one long interested in collecting Irondequoit history, who has per~ mitted me to read his material and use it as I saw fit. Mr. Charles Peiffer who prepared the Irondequoit Album, pub~ lished in 1939, furnished information on the Unique Social Club and gave me other material that has been helpful. Mrs. George Hunt who has furnished much valuable informa~ tion on the very early days, through anecdotes and papers of her father, Mr. Hosea Rogers. Mrs. Lillian Wright for the Union and Advertiser paper of 1858~59 concerning the Union Race Track and her grandfather Mr. George Wimble. Mr. Arch Merrill for permission to use material and a picture from his book The Ridge. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Claver for help with the story of the AI~ gonquin and Newport Yacht Clubs. Mr. Douglas Stoffel's help with information about Birds and Worms and the Club of the same name. Mr. H. Robert Johnson for his facts concerning the Rochester Canoe Club. Mr. Robert Evershed for the story of his father's boat the Lookout. Miss Emma Swift, of Runde! Library Local History Division, for help in research. Misses Grace and Nellie Schneeberger for the history of No.2 School District and the picture of the Irondequoit Central Chapel. Mr. Julius Goers and Mr. Frank Grant for their assistance in locating the sites of the old watertowers on the boulevard. Mrs. Harry E. Sherman for her many contributions of old papers and booklets in which I have found interesting bits of in~ formation. Dean and Wesley Bell for the air views of the Heffer green~ houses and the West gardens. Mr. Woodworth of Webster for the picture of his father's boat, the Woodworth. Mr. Edmund DeMaecker for the picture of his boat, Poirit Pleasant I. iii Mr. Harold Hebing for his story of the Philosopher of Glen Haven. Rochester Transit Corporation for some of the Railroad and Resort pictures. County Board of Supervisors for the list of Supervisors and Town Clerks. Church and School Officials who have so graciously furnish~ ed requested information. Eastman Kodak Company for courtesy of copying several pic~ tures. Miss Helen Rice for suggesting the name for the book. "The Irondequoit Story." Mrs. Ralph Evans for information on the Library Association. Various organizations of the town whose members have fur,. nished the history of their group with date of charter. ( Histor~ ies on file) Mrs. Albert Krischke and her brother Mr. George Kalmbach for information about their father's carryall. The many other unnamed people with whom I have visited from time to time and who have clarified obscure data and fur~ nished photographs which illustrate this book. The following Town Officials and appointees of town affairs Buiiding and Planning Department-Mr. Earl Pugsley. Draftsmen who made the map shqwing annexations of Roche~ter. Civil Defense-Mr. Donald Sawyer and Mr. Leonard Pawley Health Department-Dr. Willis Bradstreet, Health Offi~ cer; Mrs. Laura Reynolds, Town Nurse; Mrs. Ralph K. McCumber, Chairman of Health Committee. Police Department-Chief Harold McFarlin and Lieuten~ ant Stewart LeBarron. Public Works Department-Mr. Joseph Bevacqua; Secre~ tary, Mrs. Peter Skerrett. Recreation Department-Mr. Gordon Perry. Tax Department-Mr. Clifford. Drullard for material on functions of the Supervisor, Town Council. Town At~ torney, Peace Justices and Assessor as well as his own department. The Town Board who have encouraged the· writing of this book and financed its publication. Special thanks go to my niece, Miss Wilma L. West, who has given so generously of her time in helping to arrange the material for the book and proof read the manuscript. iv ILLUSTRATIONS Bay Once Part of Ancient River _____________ _____ __ ____ ___ ___ __ __ 3 Map of Denonville Campaign --- --- -- ------- ---·- --·---- ---·- ·-- --- _____ __ 5 Indian Landing Plaque -- ------------------------------ ------------------ _______ 7 Site of Tryon City and Indian Landing_ ___ _______ _______ ____ __ ___ 7 Plaque Inscription ------ ----- --- ----------- ---------- --- _________ __ ____ ______ __ 12 Dedication of Plaque at Carthage------------ --------- ---- --_____ __ ___ __ 12 The Fleet off Charlotte _____ __ _ ___ _________________ __ _____ _ 14 Location of Phelps and Gorham Purchase ......... Plate I__ 16 Division into Ranges and Townships-Plate 2 ____ ______ ______ 17 Development of Seven Townships _ _ __ ___ _____ __ __ __ __ __ 18 Topography of Early Irondequoit __ _____ __ ___ ___ ____ __ __ _____ __ _ 19 Early Boulder __ ____ _ _ ____ ___ ___ _ ____ _______ __ ___ ___ ____ _______ 20 Irondequoit Bay From the Inlet __ ____ _________ _____ ___ ________ ____ ___ 27 Float Bridge ____ ________ ________ ____ __ ----------- -- -- ------- -- ---------- ---- - __ ___ 27 Dubelbeiss Winery ____________ _ -- --------------------- ---- ------- ------ - ___ ___ 35 Typici:ll Gardens of Irondequoit __ _ ----- ---- --- -------- --- ------- --- ----- 38 Ready For Market ------ ----- ---------- ---- ------ -- ----- -- ------------- ---- ------- 40 Liberty Pole Market Site __ -- --- -- --- ---- --- ---- --- __ _____ __ _____ ____ 40 Heffer's Ridge Road Greenhouses _____ ________ _____ __ __ __ ______ __ 41 Toll House on Boulevard ____ ______ _____ --- ---- ---- -- ---- -- ----- -- ------- -- 45 Bicycle Age _ ___ ___ _____ __ ______ ____ __ ___ __ ___ ______ _ ______ __ ____ __ 45 Dummy Line __ __ ----- --- -- ------------· ---- ------ ______ __ __ _ 47 Steam Train on Glen Haven Line --- ---- --- --- ------ ------- ---- -- -------- 47 Round House at Summerville ___ _____ _________ ___ _________ _______ ____ _53 Little Massaug Cove on the Bay -------------- --- ------------ ----- ------ 54 Held Cove . _________ ___ ____ __ ___ ____ ______ __ ___ _____ ___ ________ __ ___ ____ 55 Held Island _ ___ _ ----------------------- 55 Steamer "Lookout" _ ___ --- ------ ---- -- -- --- ---- --- --- --- -- --- ------ -·--- --- -- -- 58 Steamer "Woodworth" ___ __ __. __ _ ____ ________ ____ _______ __ 58 Gasoline Launch-Point Pleasant 1 ___ __ .. ____ ____ __- -- ------ - _ 60 Natatorium at Sea Breeze _____ __ --- --- ------- --- --- --- ---- --- -- -- ____ __ 65 Lake Bluff Hotel at Sea Breeze ----- ------ ------------- ---- ---------------- 65 Dock at Newport _ __ _____ ____ _ _------------------------------------ 67 Steamboat "Galusha" __ ____ ____ _______ __ ____ __ ___ ___ --- -- --------------- 68 Newport House ---- ---- ---- --- -- --- -- -- --- ____ __ ___ ___ ___ _ -- ---- -- --- --- _______ 69 Glen Haven Hotel ______ _____________ _________ ____ ------ -- -------- -- ------------ 71 Glen H,aven Hotel and Grounds _ ____ __ ______.. ____ _ 71 Glen Haven Crowd at Open Air Theater ___ _________ _______ ___ ___ 73 Balloon Ascension 1904 _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ ---- __ ___ 73 Bay View Hotel -- ------- ---- -------- --- --- -- ---------- ----- --- --- -- ---------------- 74 Rochester Canoe Club ___ _____ __ _______ ______ _______---- ---------- - ____ _ 78 Unique Social Club _____________ __ _ ----------- ---- ------ --- ---------------------- 78 Cobblestone Blacksmith Shop ---- -- -------- -- -------------- --------- -- ---- 87 Inside Schuetzen Park _____________ ____ ___ --- -------- ------------------------- 87 Windsor Beach Hotel ------------------- -- --------------------- ------- ----- -- - 96 v Mr. Grabb's "Sulky" used for Mail Delivery _____________ _______ 100 First Rural Mail Delivery by Norris Walzer ___________ _________ 100 Annexations by Rochester ---- ---- ---- -------- -- ------ -_____ ____ ___ ____ _____102 District No. 5 School -----------------------------------------------------------_1 04 Bell School __ ______ ___ _____ __________ __________ ___ _____ ________ ______ _________ ___ __ __ __ __ 104 First Brick School in Irondequoit-District No. 3 ____________ 107 Cobblestone School ---- -- ---- ----- ------ --- --------------- ---- ---- ------ ----------- 107 Irondequoit Central Chapel ---- -- -- --- - --- ----- --- -- ---- -- ------ ---- -·- ----- 115 New Town Hall -- -----· -· ··-···--··---- ·-- ·-- ------- -- ---------- --- ---- ---- ·--- ····122 First War Memorial -----·- ···· ··- -·------ -- ----