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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
JANUARY 7, 2021

FORMED IN 1821 IN THE GENESEE VALLEY OF WESTERN NEW YORK

2 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

Livingston County readies for bicentennial

By BEN BEAGLE
ben@livingstonnews.com
Livingston County will cel-
ebrate a milestone in 2021.
The county is celebrating
its bicentennial with special
events planned each month.
“It’s a celebration, a com-
memoration, and an op-
portunity to educate people
about the county’s history,”
County Historian Amie Al-
den said in a 2019 interview
with The Livingston County
News upon the unveiling of a
special bicentennial logo.
The county’s story begins
Feb. 23, 1821, when Living-
ston County was formed
from parts of Ontario and
Genesee counties. The coun-
ty was named in honor of
Chancellor Robert R. Liv-
ingston, who helped draft
the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and negotiated the
Louisiana Purchase.
On Feb. 23, 2021, the Liv-
ingston County Board of Su-
pervisors will issue a proc-
lamation to commemorate
the date and unveil a bicen-
tennial float for the county.
The proceedings will be live
streamed.
But that is only part of
what is planned during the
year. There will be historical
markers dedicated, exhibi-
tions, heritage trail launch-
es, and a bicentennial tree
planting.
Upcoming events include
the January launch of a new
heritage tour featuring his-
torical markers, virtual tours
of local museums and inter-
views with area seniors and
historians in March, and the
dedication in April of a his-
torical market for the county
courthouse.
Many programs will be
streamed or presented vir-
tually due to the ongoing
Livingston County’s bicentennial
logo, which was created by Scott
Gillette of Geneseo.
COVID-19 pandemic.
A monthly schedule of
events can be found on the
back of this special section.
And look for updates online
at www.livingstoncounty.us.
Inside this section, you
can learn about the early
history of Livingston Coun-
ty, including how the indus-
trial revolution and age of
enlightenment affected the
county. You’ll also discover
the origins of place names
with the county – from Lit-
tleville near Avon to Poag’s
Hole or Pokey Moonshine.
The bicentennial logo, un-
veiled in 2019, also tells the
story of Livingston County.
The logo, created by Scott
Gillette of American Custom
Engraving in Geneseo, was
chosen following a coun-
ty-wide contest.
Gillette’s logo features the
colors – yellow, white, blue
and green - of the Livingston
County flag and an architec-
tural rendering of the county
courthouse. The colors are
representative of the Liv-
ingston County landscape
– yellow for grain, represent-
ing the county’s agricultural
heritage; white for limestone
and salt that has been mined
in the county; blue for water
and green for forests.
Gillette than included a
Donna Kelsey drawing of
the county courthouse as
the contest requirements
include an architectural ele-
ment.
“I insert the drawing in-
to the outline of the county
(seal) and it all came togeth-
er,” Gillette said of the logo.
“The county has been very
kind to me and receptive to
my business,” Gillette said.
“I really wanted to do some-
thing back for the county …
and I was just elated that it
was chosen.”
Alden called Gillette’s cre-
ation “distinguished.”
“This pops,” she said.
“With the color you are
drawn to it immediately.”
Alden said the logo was
one of the first things that
was developed for the bicen-
tennial.
“We needed,” she said, “to
have a symbol of what our
bicentennial was going to be
about.”

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Livingston County Bicentennial January 2021 • 3
4 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

LIVINGSTON COUNTY PROUD.

…continuing the proud tradition of salt mining in the Genesee Valley. …Dating back to 1885
Miners drilled holes in the 1930’s Photo Credit: Larry Tetamore • Tetamore Photographic
to prepare the area for explosives.
Although technology has dramatically
increased the efficiency of salt mining
(especially in the areas of loading
and transportation), the five major
steps remain the same: undercutting,
drilling, blasting, loading and
transportation.

…Keeping a skilled labor force employed…

The committee relaxed in 1956 after hours

of hard work preparing for the annual Retsof
Employee Association steak roast. From left
Retsof Mine: to right George Barber, James Yasso; George
1. Undercutting Face of Chamber “Punch” Silfies, Assocation Vice-President;
2. Drilling Holes for Explosives Floyd Nenci, Association President; Arhur
Sattora; Herbert Toal.
3. Loading Holes with Explosives

….To now having the largest producing salt mine in the United States.
 Livingston County Bicentennial January 2021 • 5

Livingston County is established

On Feb. 23, 1821, Living-
ston County, New York, was
formed from Ontario and
Genesee counties.
Livingston County was
named in honor of Chancel-
lor Robert R. Livingston, who
helped draft the Declaration
of Independence and negoti-
ated the Louisiana Purchase.
The 12 original Living-
ston County towns were:
Avon, Caledonia, Conesus,
Geneseo, which was desig-
nated the county seat, Grov-
eland, Leicester, Lima, Livo-
nia, Mount Morris, Sparta,
Springwater, and York.
Part of North Dansville
was annexed from Steuben
County in 1822 and became
a separate town when Spar-
ta was divided in 1846. At
the same time, the town of
West Sparta was also formed
The official Livingston
County seal.
from Sparta. The towns of
Nunda and Portage were an-
nexed from Allegany County
in 1846, as well as Ossian in
1857, for a total of 17 towns.
Avon, Williamsburgh,
and the hamlet of Lakeville
competed for the honor of
becoming the county seat,
but the distinction was be-
stowed upon Geneseo, the
principal village and center
of commerce. The Wad-
sworths donated a suitable
lot, beautifully situated at
the north end of the village.
The brick court house faced
Main Street, the jail of wood
construction was built di-
rectly west, and a one-story
cobblestone building for the
County Clerk’s office was
built east of the court house.
Until construction was
completed in 1823, court
was held in the upper story
of the district school on Cen-
ter Street,east of the pres-
ent-day Livingston County
Museum, and prisoners were
housed in Canandaigua.
In 1829, the county
opened a poor house farm
just outside the village of
Geneseo.

BICENTENNIAL MOMENT: The first published history of Livingston County was written by Lock-
wood L. Doty and was published in 1876, three years after his death. Doty was born in Grove- LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
land and spent a lifetime in public service. He played a prominent role in the establishment of An 1829 map of Livingston County is the earliest known to show the
the State Normal School (now SUNY Geneseo). Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y9tvu7a4. county’s 12 original towns.
6 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

A historical overview
of Livingston County
Livingston County is locat-
ed in the Genesee Valley of
western New York.
The county was formed
in 1821 and named in honor
of Chancellor Robert R. Liv-
ingston, who helped draft the
Declaration of Independence
and negotiated the Louisiana
Purchase.
Some historical highlights
include:
n The terrestrial home of the
Seneca Nation, known as the
“Keepers of Western Door.”
n Home of Indian captive
Mary Jemison, known as “The
White Woman of the Gene-
see.”
n The westernmost des-
tination of the Sullivan Cam-
paign of the Revolutionary
War in 1779.
n The site of the Treaty of
Big Tree in 1797, opening mil-
lions of acres west of the Gene-
see River for development.
n The location of the only
Shaker colony in western New
York.
n Where Clara Barton es-
tablished the first chapter of
the American Red Cross in
1881.
n The location of the Gene-
see Valley Hunt, one of the old-
est organized fox hunts in the
United States.
n The location of the for-
mer Craig Colony for Epilep-
tics at Sonyea and a tuberculo-
sis hospital on Murray Hill.
n The location of Letch-
worth State Park, the “Grand
Canyon of the East.”
Livingston County named for a U.S. Founding Father
Livingston County was
named in honor of Chan-
cellor Robert R. Livingston
(1746-1813), a man who
never resided Livingston
County, but who was among
the Founding Fathers of the
United States of America.
Livingston was the eldest
son of Judge Robert Living-
ston (1718–1775) and Mar-
garet (née Beekman) Living-
ston, uniting two wealthy
Hudson River Valley fami-
lies.
Among his many contri-
butions, Livingston was a
member of the Second Con-
tinental Congress, co-au-
thor of the Declaration of
Independence, and in 1789
he administered the oath of
office to President George
Washington. As a member of
the Committee of Five that
drafted the Declaration of
Independence, Livingston
worked alongside Thomas
Robert R. Livingston, for whom Livingston County is named, is Jefferson, Benjamin Frank-
shown in this portrait by Gilbert Stuart. lin, John Adams, and Roger
Sherman.
A regional and national lu-
minary, Livingston served as
Chancellor of the Supreme
Court of New York (1777 to
1801). As the United States
Minister to France from 1801
to 1804, he was one of the
key figures in negotiating the
Louisiana Purchase with Na-
poleon Bonaparte, a sale that
marked a turning point in the
relationship between the two
nations.
During his time as U.S.
Minister to France, Living-
ston met Robert Fulton, with
whom he developed the first
viable steamboat, the North
River Steamboat, whose
home port was at the Living-
ston family home of Clermont
Manor in Clermont, Colum-
bia County.
In addition to the naming
of Livingston County in his
honor, Robert R. Livingston’s
legacy lives on in numerous
See FATHER T11

JAMES EDWARD PURDY PHOTOGRAPH/

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COLLECTION
Clara Barton (1821-1912), Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace Established 1972 • www.gvcp.org
founder of the American Red
Cross, in a 1904 photograph.

Where is Poag’s Hole,
Squawkie Hill, and Beantown?
Years ago they were their
own little communities. To-
day, you’ll find them in Os-
sian, Leicester and Geneseo.
The place names found
across Livingston County con-
tribute their own rich history
to the area. The names help
tell tales of Native Americans,
immigrants and unique fea-
tures that make up the county.
Read on to find out more
about the origins of some of
Livingston County’s place
names ...
Avon
Avon was formed as Hart-
ford, Ontario County, in 1789.
The name was changed to
Avon in 1808. The Village of
Avon was incorporated in
1853.
n Littleville: An area in the
vicinity of the 5-Arch Bridge,
east of Route 39. Named for
Norman Little who settled
there in 1830. Timothy Hos-
mer built Avon’s first sawmill
there in 1796 and other mills
followed.
Littleville was considered
for the County seat around
Est. 2016
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LIVINGSTON COUNTY PLACES: Have stories to tell
1820 as a compromise be-
tween Avon and Geneseo.
n Papermill Road: In
South Avon, connecting Route
39 and Pole Bridge Road.
Named for a paper mill built
in 1864 that manufactured
strawboard. The mill was con-
structed on the site of an early
flour mill built by the Wad-
sworths which burned.
Caledonia
Caledonia was formed as
Northampton, Genesee Coun-
ty, in 1797, changing to South-
ampton in 1802, and to Cale-
donia in 1806. The Village of
Caledonia was incorporated
in 1891.
n Inverness: A region near
Quarry Road on the border
of Caledonia and York. The
name was bestowed in honor
of Inverness, Scotland, which
the early Scottish pioneers
left behind when they came to
Caledonia.
n Big Springs: Name of the
original 1795 white settlement
at what is now the village of
Caledonia.
An Iroquois path leading
through the site was flanked
by many springs gushing
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January 2021 • 7
in 1820. The name changed
briefly to Bowersville and then
to Conesus.
n Marrowback: The Mar-
rowback Hills rise to about
1,200 feet between Marrow-
back Road and Hemlock Lake.
The name is said to have come
from a long-ago wrestling
match between a man from
Lima and one from the Cone-
sus hills, who emerged victori-
ous; an audience member said
with glee to the loser, “That
man has too much marrow-
in-his-back for you.”
n Foote’s Corners: At
Route 15 and Cole Road, two
miles north of Conesus Cen-
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
tre. Named in 1834 for Frank-
A photograph from a boulder dedication for Inverness, which
lin Foote, co-owner of a store.
was a region near Quarry Road on the border of Caledonia and
In 1779, Gen. Sullivan’s ar-
York. The name was bestowed in honor of Inverness, Scotland,
my in the campaign against
which the early Scottish pioneers left behind when they came to
the British and Seneca began
Caledonia.
its march from this spot.
forth and forming a lake. The Conesus Geneseo
lake once covered the site of Conesus was formed from
Geneseo, which would be-
Tennent Park and was mostly Livonia and Groveland as
drained by 1902. Freeport, Ontario County, See NAME T8
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8 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

Name
From T7
come the Livingston County
seat, was originally formed in
Ontario County in 1789. The
Village of Geneseo was incor-
porated in 1832.
n Beantown: upper end of
Court Street on the hill, later
razed for college dormitories.
Named for the Italian popula-
tion who lived there, because
many residents worked at the
canning factory.
n Dewey Hill: Sloping ap-
proach and intersection of
state Routes 39 and 20A, just
south of Geneseo. Probably
named after a C. Dewey who
lived on the road to Cuyler-
ville, according to 1850s-1870s
maps.
Groveland
Groveland was formed from
Sparta, Ontario County, in
1812. Within its borders is the
site of Williamsburg, estab-
lished in 1792, the earliest set-
tlement in the county.
n Sonyea: The southwest
corner of Groveland. The
name could mean “Burning
Sun” or “Hot Valley,” but more
likely comes from “Son-He,” a
Seneca name meaning Thou
Art Living There or from Sen-
eca Captain Snow (Soyeawa).
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Squawkie Hill was an area in Leicester located near the Mount
Morris entrance of Letchworth State Park, on the north side of the
Park Road.
once located there, had vari-
ous names over its history, but
there is no evidence of Sonyea
being an acronym for the insti-
tution.
n Williamsburg: Located
near Abele Road and Route
63, just across from American
Rock Salt. It was the earliest
planned white settlement in
Livingston County, named for
Col. Charles Williamson, who
established a road and laid out
the village by 1792. It never
thrived, but nearby Geneseo
became a hub.
Leicester
Leicester was originally
Martha Burns
LIC RE SALESPERSON
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
named Lester, Genesee Coun-
ty, in 1802, changing to the
current spelling in 1805. The
village formed in 1814.
n Squawkie Hill: An area
located near the Mount Morris
entrance of Letchworth State
Park, on the north side of the
Park Road. The name is said to
be derived from the Muskwa-
ki, a Michigan tribe conquered
by the Seneca. Captives were
re-named Squawkiha, taken
to Elmira, and around 1779
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The Lima-South Lima Depot, which was once known as Goose
Island. The name was changed to South Lima because of the post
office there.
escaped to this area. The land
where they lived was designat-
ed as Squawkie Hill Reserva-
tion in 1798.
n Moscow: The village of
Leicester was formed in 1814
as Moscow; the name was
changed to Leicester in 1917.
It is thought that international
relations with Russia and the
rise of the Bolsheviks during
World War I prompted the re-
naming.
Lima
Lima was formed as
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
Charleston, Ontario County,
in 1789 and renamed Lima in
1808. The Village of Lima was
incorporated in 1867.
n Goose Island: The for-
mer name for the hamlet of
South Lima. When the Cone-
sus junction of the Erie Rail-
road and Buffalo, Corning &
New York Railroad lines was at
the northwest corner of South
Lima, the railroad call letters
were G.I., and Goose Island,
in the South Lima marsh, was
known as a breeding spot for
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 Livingston County Bicentennial January 2021 • 9

Name
From T8
geese. The name was even-
tually changed to South Li-
ma because of the post office
there.
n Commins Corners: The
southwest corner of Corby
Road and York Street. Named
for Jedediah Commins, an
early white settler and Revolu-
tionary War veteran.
Livonia
Livonia was formed as Pitt-
stown, Ontario County, in
1796. A portion was removed
in 1808 and called Livonia. The
Village of Livonia was incorpo-
rated in 1882.
n Slab City: Mills abound-
ed north of Hemlock, so Hem-
lock was known as Slab City
for a time because of the piles
of lumber slabs.
n Pennemite Road:
Named because so many set-
tlers came from Pennsylvania
around the 1820s to 1830s.
“Pennamite” was an early
term for Pennsylvania colo-
nists.
Mount Morris
Mount Morris was formed
from Leicester, Genesee
County, in 1818. The Village of
Mount Morris was incorporat-
ed in 1835.
WE ARE FAMILY
Rene Tilly-Lyness
Paul F. Tilly
Julie A. Harcleroad
MaryRuth Rowe
Mandy LaVair
In Ossian, an image of the Rattlesnake Hill sign in 1951. The
location is the site of the State Wildlife Management Area in
western Ossian. Rattlesnakes once were prevalent here, but are
now rarely seen in Livingston County.
n Shaker Crossing: The
Rochester Branch of the Erie
Railroad crossed Route 408 on
the flats, There was a Shaker
“out family” who kept a farm
here. They were a group of
Shakers, not really a family,
who lived apart from the Son-
yea group and raised crops.
n Brooksgrove: Located
on Route 408 about halfway
between the village of Mount
Morris and Nunda. Micah
Brooks bought land here in
1823 from Mary Jemison, who
owned acreage in the most
fertile plain of the Genesee on
the Gardeau Reservation. He
established the community of
Brook’s Grove.
WWW.TILLYAGENCY.COM
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
North Dansville
North Dansville was an-
nexed to Sparta from Steuben
County in 1822. The Village of
Dansville was incorporated in
1845. North Dansville formed
as a separate town in 1846.
n Battle Street: As origi-
nally built, the Genesee Valley
Canal came alongside the vil-
lage of Dansville, but in 1842
some merchants were unhap-
py, wanting it to come right
downtown. New York State
would not build an extension,
Margaret Graf Linsner
Attorney and Counselor at Law
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
Pictured is the signature for Nicholas Kysor, who arrived in West
Sparta in 1820 and became an influential resident. In 1839, due
to his position as postmaster, the name of the post office in his
section was changed from West Sparta to Kysorville.
so the merchants began their tution.
own. In 1844, when they al-
Nunda
most reached the state-dug
portion, they fought a group of
Nunda was formed from
men sent there to stop them. Angelica, Allegany County, in
The merchants won, and in 1808 and annexed to Living-
victory, made the final cuts ston County in 1846. The Vil-
through the bank, allowing lage of Nunda was incorporat-
water to fill their waterway. In ed in 1839.
memory of the fight, the street n Dalton: a hamlet in the
along the new branch of the southwestern part of town,
canal was called Battle Street. it was first known as Nun-
n Health Street: So-called da Station due to the Erie
because it was the approach to Railroad stop and was a pro-
the Jackson Health Resort, al- duce and shipping center.
so known as the Castle on the Some say when the name was
Hill and the Physical Culture changed from Nunda Station
Hotel. Pure water treatments, in the 1880s, Ayro (for lead-
simple and wholesome diets,
ing produce merchant Lyman
comfortable dress, and exer-
Ayrault) Parkertown (for San-
cise were some of the healthy
habits promoted by the insti- See NAME T10

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10 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

Name
From T9
ford Parker) and Omaha were
choices. Apparently, Mr. or
Mrs W. G. Haines suggested
Dalton because the people of
Dalton, Ga., had befriended
soldiers in the Civil War; the
name was selected.
n Barkertown: Located
on East Hill in south-central
Nunda, this area was named
for Seth S. Barker, a settler in
1821. It was a lumbering cen-
ter, and several sawmills op-
erated there, including one
where an early circular saw
was used. The farms around
Barkertown were once noted
for their crops of hops and gin-
seng.

Ossian
Ossian was formed from
Angelica, Allegany County, in
1808 and annexed to Living-
ston in 1857, thus making it
the last town to join Livingston
County.
n Poag’s Hole: Assigned to
the valley where the Canaser-
aga Creek passes through the
southeast corner of Ossian,
South Dansville, and up to
North Dansville. The name
comes from the “desperate
character” Benjamin Kenyon,
who came to Dansville village
in 1807, and afterward re-
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JIM GELSER
An image of the Mudville tunnel in the town of Portage. Mudville LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
is in the extreme southwest corner of the town and where Charles William Scott, for whom Scottsburg is named, came to northern
Burnham built a sawmill about 1817. Sparta and built a hotel in 1819.
treated about 2 miles south of bor…and a lawsuit ensued. stuck. sian. Wooded hills like this
Dansville village in this narrow Due to the prominence of the n Rattlesnake Hill: The
preserve are habitat for rat-
valley (Steuben County). Ken- event his potato hole, or “Po- site of the State Wildlife Man-
yon was nicknamed “Captain ag’s hole,” was a name that agement Area in western Os- See NAME T11
Pogue, signifying the devil.”
Another tale describes him
burying “a lot of potatoes in
a pit, which later on was loot-
ed by an unprincipled neigh-

HAPPY 200th
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126 Main Street, Dansville, NY 14437 | 585.335.6920 | 1.800.949.0174

Name
From T10
tlesnakes and once they were
prevalent here. Rattlesnakes
are now rarely seen in Living-
ston County. They were killed
in great numbers in the 19th
and early 20th centuries and
are much shyer than people
think.
Portage
Portage was formed from
Nunda, Allegany County, in
1827 and annexed to Living-
ston County in 1846.
n Mudville: The extreme
southwest corner of the town
of Portage; here Charles Burn-
ham built a sawmill about
1817, and because the “hill-
side streams mixing with the
alluvium of the bottom land
made a very muddy mill yard
and the place was named
Mudville.”
n Hunt’s Hollow: At Route
70 and Sand Hill Road. Named
Father
From T6
ways including a statue com-
missioned by the State of New
York and placed in the Na-
tional Statuary Hall at the U.S.
Capitol building, his inclusion
on the Jefferson Memorial
pediment sculpture which
honors the Committee of Five,
and in the famous painting by
BICENTENNIAL MOMENT: In 1888, harsh restrictions (quarantine) were
placed on residents in Springwater when the sudden death of a woman
ignited fear that she had small pox, a highly infectious disease at the
time. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y9tvu7a4
LIVONIA
Wine & Spirits
3 Main Street, Livonia, NY 14487
Shurfine Plaza
585-346-9042
Livingston County Bicentennial
for Sanford Hunt, who kept
the first store there. When the
railroad was built just to the
southwest, the area around
the depot grew in population
and commerce, and Hunt’s
Hollow diminished.
Sparta
Sparta was formed in On-
tario County, in 1789. A por-
tion of Steuben County was
annexed to Sparta in 1822. The
town was divided in 1846 to
form Sparta, West Sparta, and
North Dansville.
n Haven’s Corners: Locat-
ed at junction of Route 63 and
Caldwell Road near the Grov-
eland town line. Daniel Hav-
en kept the first tavern in the
town in 1800.
n Scottsburg: A hamlet in
northern Sparta, once called
Collartown, after the Collar
family who arrived early.
When William Scott came
and built a hotel in 1819, it was
called Scottsburg. The hamlet
was originally spelled Scotts-
burgh.
John Trumbull of the signing
of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence.
Chancellor Livingston died
on February 25, 1813, and is
buried in Tivoli, Dutchess
County.
Livingston County was
formed almost exactly eight
years after his death, a fitting
tribute to a man who played a
central role in American histo-
ry.
Springwater
Springwater was formed
from Sparta and Naples, On-
tario County, in 1816.
n Liberty Pole: The area
of Liberty Pole Road, Carney
Road, and Town Line Road.
Liberty poles were tall flag-
poles that have a long history
with protest and celebration of
patriotism, beginning around
the time of the Revolutionary
War.
One was placed as early as
around 1812 on a small piece
of land in Springwater, per-
haps as a victorious sign, a
place for people to gather for
patriotic celebrations, or a site
to publicize political senti-
ments.
n Pokey Moonshine or
Pokamoonshine: Located
around Pokamoonshine Road
and Becker Road. Possibly the
name came from “so dark you
poked your way through the
moonshine,” or the fact that
moonshine was made there,
or perhaps it was named after
a Seneca chief from the area
named Po Ko Moonshine.
West Sparta
West Sparta was formed in
1846 when the town of Sparta
was divided.
n Canaseraga Creek: Runs
from Ossian through Dans-
ville and creates much of the
border between Sparta and
West Sparta. From the Sene-
ca “Ga-nus-ga-goh” meaning
“among the milkweeds.”
n Kysorville: On Kysor-
ville-Byersville Road in north-
ern West Sparta. Named for
Nicholas Kysor, who arrived
in West Sparta in 1820 with his
wife, Esther Fisk, and became
an influential resident.
In 1839, due to his position
as postmaster, the name of the
post office in his section was
changed from West Sparta to
Kysorville.
York
York was formed from Cale-
donia and Leicester, Genesee
January 2021 • 11
County, in 1819.
n Retsof: North of Route
63 on Retsof Road. Established
by Mr. Foster for the main pur-
pose of housing workers for
the salt mine. “Retsof” is “Fos-
ter” spelled backwards.
Also was called Little Italy
from the 1880s to 1900s be-
cause of all the Italian immi-
grants who located there to
work in the salt mine and on
the railroad.
n York Landing: A stop
on the Genesee Valley Canal
about halfway between Craig
Road and York Road East.
There was a large warehouse
here, as well as a tavern, busi-
nesses, and turning basins for
canal boats to maneuver.
The Genesee Valley Canal
was active until 1878, when it
could no longer compete with
the burgeoning railroad sys-
tem. The railroad, which suc-
ceeded the canal, in turn was
eventually dismantled and
became the Genesee Valley
Greenway.
12 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

Early industrial revolution brought prosperity to county

Was accompanied by America’s first age of reform
The opening of the Erie Ca-
nal in 1825 brought prosperity
across New York state and reali-
zation of the benefits of internal
navigation.
The Genesee Valley lacked
access to broader markets oth-
er than via the Genesee River,
which often was too danger-
ous to navigate. Planners en-
visioned a lateral canal cutting
through the core of Livingston
County as the means of uniting
the Erie Canal with the Allegany
River, thereby connecting the
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers,
and allowing freight and pas-
sengers transportation all the
way to New Orleans.
Construction of the Gen-
esee Valley Canal started in
Rochester in 1837, reaching
Mount Morris by 1840. A junc-
tion to Sonyea opened in 1841
and then a branch was built to
LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
Dansville, completing 52 miles.
The Portage Wooden Bridge, built in 1852 across the Genesee
Extending the canal through to
River at the Upper Falls in what is now Letchworth State Park was
Nunda and Portage was most
234 feet high and 800 feet long. It was called the “crystal palace of
bridges.” See PROSPER T13

LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION

A canal broadside from 1844 with daily boat schedules.

Prosper
From T12
challenging as workers battled
the area’s most rugged terrain
along the Genesee River gorge.
After years of delays, 17 locks
between Nunda and Porta-
geville in Wyoming County
were completed in 1851.
When the last segment con-
necting to the Allegany River
was finally finished in 1862, rail-
road transportation outpaced
canals, forcing the Genesee Val-
ley Canal to close by 1878.
Although the Genesee Valley
Canal was short-lived, the last-
ing effect expanded job oppor-
tunities for thousands of new
immigrants, opened markets
for the area’s abundant goods,
and overall enriched the quality
of life for residents.
Railroads rapidly became
the primary mode of transpor-
tation as they criss-crossed the
entire county.
The Portage Wooden Bridge,
built in 1852 across the Genesee
River at the Upper Falls in what
is now Letchworth State Park
was 234 feet high and 800 feet
long. The bridge provided a crit-
ical link for rail traffic between
Buffalo and New York City.
Called the “crystal palace of all
bridges,” it was said to be the
highest and longest bridge in
the world. The wooden bridge
was destroyed by fire in 1875,
Livingston County Bicentennial January 2021 • 13
and a replacement iron bridge
was built in just three months.
‘The Burned-Over District’
The rapid development in
western New York during this
time period coincided with so-
cial reform and religious reviv-
alism.
The charismatic preacher,
Charles Finney, gave the re-
gion its name, referring to it
as a “burnt district” because
so many revivals and diverse
“enthusiasms” were ignited
here during what is referred to
as American’s “Second Great
Awakening.”
The events surrounding
these movements had tremen-
dous impact on the future of
the social and political devel-
opment of American culture.
Livingston County was fertile LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION
ground for progressive new The Jackson Sanitarium is shown around 1890.
ideas, particularly related to
site in the 1840s, eventually re- well-known as the sprawling The resort stayed in the Jack-
promoting health, education
located and became Syracuse resort in Dansville operated by son family until the early 1900s.
and religious experimentation.
University. Dr. James C. Jackson, a leading In 1929, famous body-builder
Also, many individuals
holistic health advocate and Bernarr Macfadden brought
played integral roles both local-
The Jackson Sanitarium abolitionist. Dr. Jackson is cred- the facility and named it the
ly and nationally in such rad-
ited with inventing Granula, Physical Culture Hotel. His larg-
ical movements as abolition, Mineral springs in Avon,
America’s first cold breakfast er than life personality and na-
anti-slavery, temperance and Dansville and Nunda attract-
cereal, and along with Dr. Har- tional magazine with the same
women’s rights. ed travelers from around the
riet Austen, endorsed exercise name boosted the popularity of
Genesee Wesleyan Semi- world to enjoy the medicinal
and less constraining clothing
nary in Lima was one of the first See PROSPER T14
effects of water therapy. Most for women.
coeducational schools in the
country, incorporated 1834 and
founded by the Genesee Con-
ference of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church. The seminary
operated until 1941. Genesee
College, founded on the same
Proud to be Part of
The Livingston County
Community for 108 Years
• A Great County to Live In
• A Great County to Grow
Our Business
27 North Main Street, Mount Morris • (585) 658-2234
14 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

LIVINGSTON COUNTY HISTORIAN’S COLLECTION

A historic photograph is shown in this image from video of Civil War veterans who have returned
home after the war. The image is one of many featured in “Local History Out Loud – Part Two: Civil
War to the Industrial Revolution.”
‘History Out Loud’ videos explore local history
The Livingston County His-
torian’s Office has released a
second installment of its “Lo-
cal History Out Loud” video
series.
The series is chronicling the
history of Livingston County.
The most recent video, re-
leased in September, is “Local
History Out Loud – Part Two:
Civil War to the Industrial Rev-
olution.”
The new video explores Liv-
ingston County’s response to
preserve the Union, massive
changes in the post-Civil War
era, the rise of industrializa-
tion, social reform, and the
women’s rights movement
in the mid-to late 19th centu-
ry. Included in the video are
hundreds of historical images
along with several biograph-
ical segments on notable
individuals who influenced
local and national history.
Thirty narrators volunteered
to participate in this project,
including county employees,
community leaders, and local
residents.
“Local History Out Loud –
Part One: From the Iroquois
to pre-Civil War” introduced
the series. The video offers a
history of Livingston County
from the Iroquois Confederacy
to the pre-Civil War era. Top-
ics include Mary Jemison, the
Sullivan Campaign, the for-
mation of Livingston County,
the Shakers, Williamsburgh,
the Genesee Valley Canal, the
Jackson Sanitarium, Avon wa-
ter spas, and the Wadsworths
of the Genesee Valley.
Each video runs about 50
minutes in length.
Both videos are available
for viewing on the Living-
ston County YouTube chan-
nel, called “Official Living-
ston County, NY,” or via this
link, https://tinyurl.com/
y8zph776.
For more information, con-
tact the Livingston County
Historian’s Office at (585) 243-
7955.
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, Lima. One of the first coeducational
schools in the country, incorporated 1834, founded by the
Genesee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and
operated until 1941. Genesee College, founded on the same site in
the 1840s, eventually relocated and became Syracuse University.
in Groveland in 1837. The Shak-
Prosper ers practiced celibacy, agrarian
communal living, and self-suf-
From T13
ficiency. The fertile flat lands
and the Genesee Valley canal
the place into the 1950s.
benefited the Shakers’ cottage
The Shakers industries, but by 1892 the di-
The only colony in western minished membership merged
New York for the Society of with the Shaker community at
Christian Believers, also known Watervliet, Albany County. The
as Shakers, moved from Sodus, land in Sonyea was sold to the
Wayne County, to the Living- State of New York for the Craig
ston County hamlet of Sonyea Colony of Epileptics.

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Doing research?
Livingston County
Historian’s Office
is place to start
MOUNT MORRIS – The Liv-
ingston County Historian’s Of-
fice maintains a research cen-
ter on the county’s Murray Hill
Campus. The center is part of the
historian’s office at 5 Murray Hill
Drive, Mount Morris.
Amie Alden is the county his-
torian. Holly Watson is the depu-
ty county historian.
The center can help with ge-
nealogy and local history ques-
tions.
The Livingston County His-
torian’s Office Research Center
offers the most comprehensive
repository of local history in the
area. Its archives contain re-
sources too numerous to list with
a vast amount indexed online.
Here is a sampling of what is
available:
n Atlases and maps
n Business ledgers
n Cemetery surveys
n Census and church records
n Deaths, diaries, and direc-
tories
n Family correspondence
n Local history books
n Naturalization records
n Newspapers
n Organization ledgers
n Photographs and post-
cards
n Poorhouse records
n School records
n Scrapbooks
n Special Collections
n Subject files
n Supervisors’ proceedings
n Veterans’ records
n Vital records (some)
The center closed to the pub-
lic on Nov. 16, 2020, and remains
closed until further notice, but
staff is still assisting the pub-
lic. Submit requests online or
call the office for prompt, con-
tact-free research assistance.
To contact the historian’s of-
fice, call (585) 243-7955, or email
historian@co.livingston.ny.us.
Information, including galler-
ies of historic photographs and
other resources, is also available
on the county website. Go to
www.livingstoncounty.us
When the center is open to the
public, office hours are 1 to 4:30
p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and
mornings by appointment only.
The office is closed on legal hol-
idays.
Livingston County Bicentennial January 2021 • 15
App takes you on trail of local heritage
Livingston County
launched a women’s history
trail in 2020, the 100th an-
niversary of the passage of
the 19th Amendment which
guarantees and protects
women’s constitutional right
to vote.
The trail is one of five
self-guided historical tours
available in Livingston
County, with a sixth planned
for debut in January.
The Women’s History Trail
allows those interested to
explore and learn about con-
tributions of women to the
history of Livingston County.
The trail winds through
Livingston County, high-
lighting interesting plac- BEN BEAGLE/LIVINGSTON COUNTY NEWS FILE PHOTO
es where women left their Livingston County Historian Amie Alden talks about the Shaw Sisters during a marker dedication
mark, changed the status in August 2018 outside the Main Street home in Geneseo where the sisters lived. Nicolas Shaw
quo, or enriched the lives of Fraser and Eleanor Shaw Smith were two sisters who lived at 22 Main St., Geneseo, in the first half
others behind the scenes. of the 20th century. The sisters, featured on the county’s Women’s History Trail tour, were active in
Visitors will find sites related the suffrage and temperance movements at state, national and international levels.
to Native American history,
art, education, health, poli- that works with any device Revolutionary War Trail, Civ- cell.com/.
tics, recreation, and suffrage with a web browser, includ- il War Monuments and Me- The website also includes
– just to name a few. ing a cell phone. The appli- morial Halls Trail, Museums supplemental information
The trail will be continual- cation’s mapping function Trail and Livingston Land- about each trail’s stops.
ly expanded with the goal of integrates with Google Maps mark Trails. For more information on
achieving as much diversity to make finding locations a There are also plans to the history of the project
as possible. breeze. launch a Place Names Heri- and resources available to
The Women’s History A new Historical Markers tage Trail and a Bicentennial researchers, check out the
Trail is the latest in a series of Trail tour is slated to launch Geocaching Trail in 2021. Livingston County Histori-
self-guided tours around Liv- in January. To access these heritage an’s website at https://www.
ingston County utilizing the Existing tours include the tours in Livingston County, livingstoncounty.us/162/
OnCell mobile application Sullivan Campaign of the go to: https://livingston.on- County-Historian.
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16 • January 2021 Livingston County Bicentennial

Official 200th Anniversary Date