(1778-1850)

A Look At The History Of
The SouthWest Community

Our community was called home to a settlement of Indians long before the American Pioneer settled here. Little is known of this first settlement of Indians because by 1654, the fierce Sencas drove them from their homelands. The Seneca’s, members of the league of the Iroquois. dominated most of America east of the Mississippi River.

Their hostility to the French permitted the English to gain control of North America. During the Revolutionary war, the Seneca's aided the British against the colonists. In 1779, General Sullivan who commanded 5,000 colonists defeated the Seneca’s and the British at Elmira and ConesusLake. The Seneca's stayed in this area, but the British fled to FortNiagara. This left the land open for settlement. Within a few years, Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham began bargaining with the Seneca’s for land in the GeneseeValley. The Indians at first did not want to sell any land west of the river because they considered that stream the boundary line between land and that of the American Pioneer. Mr. Phelps explained the importance of a mill and in 1778...

1778 - Mr. Phelps received title from the Indians to 2,600,000 acres of land for $5,000 and an annuity of $500.00 forever. Mr. Phelps gave Ebenezer Allan a 100 acre tract of land west of the GeneseeRiver to build a mill. It was built on now what is known as Aqueduct Street near Main Street.

1802 - Colonel Nathaniel Rochester of MD. And his friends Colonel Williams Fitzhugh and Major Charles Carroll bought the one-hundred acre Mill tract for $17.50 an acre. With this, the city may be said to have begun.

1802 - Hamlet Scrantom lived in the first log cabin built west of the river. Colonel Rochester took up residence onSouth Fitzhugh Street not far from a spring of clear water which gave the name to Spring Street. This was the last camping place of the Seneca Indians in this section. Gradually Pioneers from the New England settlements came and built their homes. West Main Street was formally called Buffalo Street.

1816 - A country tavern stood at the intersection of Buffalo Street and Genesee Street on the ground now occupied by Saint Mary’s hospital. It was called “Bull’s Head Tavern”. A big sign hung from its post displaying a bulls head and bearing the legend “Bull’s Head Tavern”. It was a resting place for drivers and their cattle as they passed through the city.

St. Mary’s Hospital started in two small stone stables by the Sisters of Charity of Vincent DePaul in 1857.

The site of St. Mary’s Orphanage was occupied by a cattle market built by Joseph Field and Derrick Sibley. Derrick Sibley became Rochester’s first auctioneer.

Calvin Granger built an inn on Buffalo Street and called it Lambis Tavern.

Alfred Wright lived on the corner of West Main Street and Willowbank Place.

1828 - Reynolds Arcade - near the Four Corners was built by Abbland Reynolds, our first postmaster and tavern keeper. It was known as the “largest and most expensive commercial building west of New York City. Many events of historical interest took place within its walls. Some include the following:
A) The Western Union Telegraph was founded.
B) Thomas Edison performed experiments which resulted in the quadruplex process of telegraph transmission.
C) George Selden designed the gas line engine for use in automobile.
D) George Eastman experimented with early wet piate photography.

Before the civil war the Arcade was a headquarters for abolitionists and Frederick Douglas often spoke there.

Genesee Street - at the intersection of Genesee Street and Brooks Avenue, a small hamlet, called CastleTown, was established. Colonel Wadsworth owned land from Bulls Head to Geneseo. Some of his land was used as a depot for flat boats coming from the upper reaches of the GeneseeRiver. It declined and the place became known as the Genesee Rapids, because of the rapids in the river. The hamlet gave Genesee Street its name. This busy thoroughfare once had a small log cabin, farmhouse and a farm owned by Samuel Ballantyne. Mister I.J. Bennett purchases the Ballantyne property and built a home on the site now occupied by WilsonMagnet School.

On the corner of Genesee Street and Elmdorf Avenue, was the residence of the Hobey.

1850 - The United States hotel was located on Elizabeth Street. For eleven years it was occupied by the University of Rochester. Fifty-nine students, taught by five professors, entered the first class in 1850.