Volume 3; Number 1
Spring 1982
Volume 3; Number 1
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EDITOR'S MESSAGE
Laying unused in the Hear Ye file are several items contributed by our members. Why haven't they been published after the authors expended time and energy to produce them? Let me explain that it could be for one of a number of reasons. Foremost, perhaps, articles are reviewed for general appeal and is the material a re-hash of well known, easily accessed information or is it somewhat unique and not generally well known. Does it help the genealogist by providing an index, a method for organizing or a tool to improve the research task? Is the information N.Y. State oriented, preferrably rooted in the Genesee region? Some items will appear in future issues whereas others will be combined to provide a large comprehensive article at a future date. These are the major considerations and I write this not to discourage but as an explanation as to why your material was not printed and please realize the decision to use or not to use is one of the editor's perogatives and a responsibility to our membership. All material is appreciated, whether used or not, because it shows your interest and enthusiasm in wanting to maintain a healthy Hear Ye. Thank you one and all and keep the material coming. Thanks to Ron Forsythe the book raffle has become an institution. The raffle was not intended to be a money making scheme but rather a feature of our meeting and happily over the years, under Ron's guidance, has broken even or better. (The raffle at our January meeting was unique in that over $100.00 in genealogical materials were distributed to many happy winners.) I know our members appreciate the excellent job Ron is doing in this regard. |
SPRING PROGRAM
R.G.S. meetings are held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on East Ave. at Vick Park B on the third Thursday of the month, Doors are open at 7:00 p.m., meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and refreshments are provided. Meetings are open to the public without charge. Spread the word and do bring a friend.
| Thursday Feb. 18 |
Thomas Hill, a professor at RIT, will discuss the
Things a Genealogist Should Know About Copying Photographs of your Favorite Ancestors and the Know-How of Protecting your Photos for Many Generations. Problems with Tintypes and Daguerreotypes will also be discussed. Note: Feb. 18 Meeting will be held in the Vestry instead of our usual room. (Use same door on Vick Park B, turn right, go past kitchen and restrooms to last door on left.) |
| Thursday March 18 |
Katherine Thompson will tell about Town Historians As a Genealogical Resource. The function of town historians in NYS will be covered and also what information can and cannot be supplied for the genealogist. |
| Thursday April 15 |
A Genealogical Garage Sale. Bring any books or other related genealogical material that is no longer of value to you and you would like to sell or perhaps trade.
Also, Paul Valentine will present a brief description of The Use of Computers in Genealogy. |
| Thursday May 20 |
Early Unpublished Records of This Area presented by Mr. J. Sheldon Fisher, a well known historian, genealogist, archaeologist and proprietor of the Valentown Museum and one of the founders of our Society. Relative to this latter distinction, Mr. Fisher will relate a story of our Society's beginning. |
RESOURCES
As you know R.G.S. does not maintain a library but many members have graciously offered the use of their personal libraries for research by other members. A compilation is being organized listing the various books, pamphlets and resource materials available in our members' libraries. To make this as complete as possible, anyone wishing to have books listed from their holdings and have not filled out a resource sheet please do so immediately and forward to Barbara Grzymkowski, 108 Selbourne Chase, Fairport, NY 14450. If your books "are too numerous to mention" try to group them into categories such as localities, regions within a state or country or perhaps in religious groups.
ROCHESTER CONFUSION
Contributed by Evelyn Dexter Arthur
The City of Rochester and the Town of Rochester are not one and the same. Many miles to the east in Ulster Co. lies the town or township of Rochester and does not appear on the general road maps but may be found in a NY State Gazetteer, county map or commerical atlas.
Another term, Genesee Falls, as an early name for Rochesterville and subsequently Rochester has been cause for some confusion. The first church was organized in 1817 under the corporate title of "St. Luke's Church, Genesee Falls." This perhaps indicated a geographical location rather than a political sub-division for the township of that time was never officially named Genesee Falls. The town of Genesee Falls was formed 1 April l846 from the towns of Pike and Portage in Wyoming Co.
BIBLE RECORD
Contributed by Evelyn Dexter Arthur
The following information was hand written on two blank pages in a copy of "The Anderson, Perrine, Barbour-Smith, Howell-Clark, Porter and Savery Families," by Henrietta E. Savery Smith, 1902.
"The following Record was copied Oct. 31, 1879 from an old Bible in the possession of M. P. Parker, Spencerport, NY (later Lewiston, NY)"
If any interested person would like a machine copy of the original pages, I shall be happy to furnish it for an SASE. )
OFFER OF HELP FROM ENGLAND
Mrs. Elizabeth Evans in England who is interested in local history, genealogy and tracing movement of Shropshire people to the United States has indications that some of those families settled in Western NY during the early 1800's. If your ancestors originated in Shropshire or adjoining areas, Mrs. Evans has offered to forward any additional information she is able to obtain. Please provide any details available and send to Elizabeth Evans, 28 Albert Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, England.
WOLCOTT CEMETERY
There are not any records existing for this cemetery. To remedy the situation, volunteers are needed to record tombstone inscriptions some weekend when the weather turns warm. This is a plea from Bill Armstrong, Town Historian of Wo1cott. If interested in this worthwhile undertaking please contact Stanley Brown at 586-4537.
CHURCH INDEXES
Doris Andrus, 156 Nob Hill, Rochester, New York 14617.
We expect to have an Episcopal Church Index ready for sale about May 1, 1982. It will cover the years from the beginning of each church through 1851. Births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, confirmations and some church census are included for St. Luke's, St. Paul's and Trinity Churches. The price will be $10 for the complete index.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who in any way helped with this project. Many hours were put in by the indexers, typists and proofreaders. Special thanks go to David Miles for months of work organizing and overseeing the actual indexing. For her hard work and moral support in the last phase of the project I want to express my appreciation to Jean Burr. Without her help for the last year this index would never have been ready for publishing.Thanks loads to everyone.
Don't forget -- for $1 per surname and a S.A.S.E. we will search the index and send copies to anyone interested.
LIVINGSTON COUNTY RESEARCH
From time to time we would like to spotlight a local or regional research source and if you, our readers, have knowledge of such a facility, please send the particulars to the editor for inclusion in a future issue.
This issue focuses on Geneseo, county seat of Livingston Co. NY. Geneseo boasts of a quaint cobblestone schoolhouse (1838) owned and operated by the Livingston Co. Historical Society. Housed therein is an excellent local history museum (replete with a genuine Concord Stage Coach) open Tuesday and Thursday after noons 2:00 to 5:00, Sharing this historic building is the Livingston Co. Historian's Research Office with hours 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. County Historian, Miss M. Patricia Schaap and her deputy, Mrs. Gladis Smith preside over this well organized facility at 30 Center St., Geneseo, NY 14454.
Research material: more than 1000 books and pamphlets about Livingston Co. and Western New York. On microfilm are newspapers, county wide, from 1824 to the present with some indexed; Federal census 1790 thru 1900 for Livingston Co. only and New York State census for 1855. Indicies to Federal census 1790-1900, maps and atlases for Livingston Co. and townships including 1852, 1858, 1872 and 1902 plus various related items. A card file listing marked graves prior to 1885, from the approximately 100 cemeteries within the county. fami1y genealogical information -- indexed as accumulated, Some births, deaths and marriages are indexed from old records given the office. Information on Livingston Co. veterans of all wars, the American Revolution through Vietnam. A history card file of information gathered from various sources covering important landmarks, industries, events, homes, etc.
Microfilm readers and work tables are provided as are hand outs to aid you in your research and there are publications for sale relating to various facets of Livingston Co. history.
Note that Livingston Co. was erected from Ontario Co. in 1821 and early records, such as deeds and wills prior to that date, should be Canandaigua, Ontario Co., NY 14424.
INDEXED CHURCH RECORDS OF ROCHESTER
Contributed by Richard Halsey
Church records are important in New York State as a substitute for vital records before 1880. Unfortunately not many of the church records in Rochester have been indexed. Oft times when indexes do exist they are difficult to locate. This compilation will hopefully help you locate records associated with your ancestors. (If other church record indexes are known, please for ward pertinent information to the editor.)
LIBRARY ACQUISITION
The local History Division of the Rochester Public Library has recently been given a set of microfilms of the records of Zion Lutheran and Concordia Lutheran Churches in Rochester. These cover the years 1833 to 1960. See the librarian for a list of the contents of each film.
NORTHFIELD ON THE GENESEE
by Margart Schmitt MacNab, Katherine Wilcox Thompson and Shirley Cox Husted.
All of the authors are seasoned historians and genealogists and bring to the reader the benefits of their expertise in a detailed and readable form.
Northfield was established in 1796 as part of Ontario County and as noted by the authors identified the area north west of Canandaigua, NY for a short period of time and as such encompassed the lands of Monroe Co. east of the Genesee River. Reprinted in their entirety are the original town minutes and highway records for the years 1796 to 1814. Many photographs, maps, and drawings support the narrative that profiles upward of 500 pioneer families. Included is a good deal of background information on roads, travel, religion, the trades, politics, cemeteries and many other items of historical or genealogical significance.
It contains nearly 40,000 names, is fully indexed and is a must for students of Monroe County history. The book is soft bound, 6" x 9" in size and contains 386 pages. Cost is $20.00 including shipping charge and may be obtained from Shirley Husted, Monroe County Historian, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604.
FORTY-ONE LIVES LOST
Contributed by Ruth Draxl
The awful conflagration, known as the Rochester Steam Gauge and Lantern Works Fire, has been well documented in the Democrat and Chronicle newspapers for the week of November 13, 1888. From the accounts of the fire the names of the dead, injured and missing have been herein compiled. There must be some genealogists whose family members were victims of this fire, and for them this list is a reference point for the location of the names of family who might have been affected. The list was drawn up and revised throughout the week. Undoubtedly, further revisions were made after that and could be consulted, at the source. The Works was located on Centre Street (now Commercial St.) near the Genesee River.
Here, then, is the list as revised to the end of the first week 14 November 1888.
| DEAD |
John Gall, 107 Wilder Street, foreman of the works Joseph Danzer, 206 Orange Street Jacob Maurer, 140 German Street Joseph Webber, Orange Street Henry Snyder, Saxton Street G. A. Qakes, 29 Orchard Street Frank Paulley, 14 years old, 9 Helena Street John Martin, Maple Street John Greenauer, Jay Street corner Orchard J. H. Forbes, foreman street lamp department, corner Stone and E. Main Streets John Echtermaier, apprentice, Weigel Alley Robert Bauchle, 21 First Avenue John Boll, 8 Coster Street twelve not identified |
| INJURED |
Richard Pars, Rauber Street John Greenauer F. Smith, Fitzhugh August Burkhart, 178 Wilder Street Joseph Burkhart John Goodwin Joseph Grimm, 25 Alphonse Street Jacob Diehl, night watchman, Child Street Thomas Conolly, aged 20 years, 69 Childs St., left arm & leg broken William Devlin, age 20, 186 Reynolds, hurt internally, right arm and left leg broken Alfred Johnson, aged 39 yrs., 390 State St., burns about face & neck, compound fracture of the leg George Nippert, aged 24, Plymouth Ave., right foot slightly inj. Daniel Watkins, aged 15 yrs. 45 Locust St., left foot crushed & left ankle fractured; also hurt in the back Oscar Knitz, aged 54, 821 North Clinton St., left ankle fractured Thomas Hallett, Penn St., fell from fire escape, right ankle crushed Frank Siddons, 78 Glenwood Avenue Wallace Rawlings, 199 Front Street |
| FIREMEN INJURED |
Thomas W. Rice, foreman Truck 3, stunned John McCormick, Alerts, hand badly hurt |
MISSING | Rich. Cannon, tinsmith, Saratoga Av. John Kleinhammer, appre. 23 Second Av. Chas. Heiden, appren, 27 Rhine St. John Miller, tinsmith Will. Cannon, appren., 53 Orange St. Peter Fass, 123 Thomas Street Alonzo A. Stone, casemaker Geo. C. Muth, appre., Catarack St. Andrew Gall, solderer Frank Koepke, solderer, Kelly St. Walter Slocum, 7 Pleasant St. William Cooles William Peart Samuel Gersley William J, Smith, 23 Olean St. Will. Birdsley, 99 S. Fitzhugh Frank Reimes, 20 Gilmore St. Geo. Kishner, 108 Kelly St. |
|
Revisions Friday 16 Nov. 1888 DEAD |
Geo. Watters, 17, 37 Bronson Ave. Will. Pett, 20, 43 Holzer St. Frank Koepke, 21, 98 Kelly St. Cornelius Holleran, 30, 133 Jay Frank Reimes, 20 Gilmore St. W. S. Connell, appren. 53 Orange Chas. Heiden, 17, 37 Rhine St. Geo. Kishner, 20, Kelly Street (eight not identified) |
| ANDREWS ANDRUS DAVIS |
Need proof of parentage and place of birth and death for Charles ANDREWS/ANDRUS. He married Lucinda DAVIS and lived at Prattsburg, Steuben Co., NY by 1820. Charles' parents were probably Samuel (d 1835) and Annice (d 1823) who are buried in Prattsburg; they probably came from Saratoga County, NY. |
| AVERY FARNHAM FARNUM SAWYER |
Need information on a Seaborn FARNUM/FARNHAM and Mary SAWYER who published intention to wed in March 1828 at New Chester, NH. Also need information on a Seaborn FARNUM/FARNHAM who lived in Topsham, VT from 1809 to about 1832. Had wife Martha (AVERY) children: Ransom, Smith Richard, Sally, George. He sold all his property in VT. in 1832 and probably moved out of state. A Seaborn FARNHAM appeared in both VT & NY census in 1830. Could they be the same person? |
| Doris Andrus, 156 Nob Hill, Rochester, NY 14617 | |
| DOLD HOLLISTER SMITH |
Exchange information on DOLD brothers. John Jacob, John George and George Fred of Erie Co. Also Philander HOLLISTER, b 1795 NY and Ira SMITH, b 1813 NY. |
| Michael Hamersky, Box 5925, Buena Park, CA 90622 | |
| FOWLER STEWART |
Rev. Josiah FOWLER m Louisa STEWART, dau. of Andrew STEWART of Williamson, NY, She died 1833 and Josiah m 2nd Rosella? Josiah and Rosella had Josiah Jr. b 12 March 1832 in Ontario Co, NY. In 1845 the three of them moved to Mich. Josiah Jr. was probably a Methodist clergyman and farmer. Where did he preach? Conesus, Ontario Co. or elsewhere? Would appreciate information on this family. |
| Richard F. Smith, 1278 Maleko St., Kailua, HI, 96734 | |
| MacFALL MacGREGOR PORTER WHITNEY WOOD |
Lt. Phillip P. PORTER (my great grandfather) born 1805 (newspaper obit.) or 1800 (US 1860 Census) at Troy, NY. Lived Albany area 1840-1850?; Knowlesville and Albion area 1838 and died Portageville, NY, 15 Oct. 1856, age 51. A Shoemaker, former Capt. of Rifle Co.. NY Militia, Lt. 179 Regt Inf. SNY Militia Albion 1840. Married Lurania (Lorena) WHITNEY (dau. Luther WHITNEY & Lydia WOOD) 30 June 1834 at Watervliet, NY. She d Filmore, NY and bd. Filmore Cem. Unable to find grave of husband despite diligent search of all area cemeteries. Was he returned to Albion, Knowlesville, Rochester, where? Or, does this veteran lie in unmarked grave? Who were his parents? What connection (if any?) with many other PORTER'S in Rochester, Buffalo, Albion? Would also welcome dataon wife, Lurania, Although have much back to Rev. War and glad to exchange.Young Canadian, George B. McFALL of Scotch ancestry emigrated to western NY State before Civil War When? Any data on parents? He was b Nov. 7, 1833 Montreal, P.Q., Canada, m Nov. 4 1854 at Hunts Hollow, Portage, NY Lydia Ann PORTER (dau. Lt. Phillip P. PORTER & Lydia WOOD). Served 3 yrs. Civil War and d Geneseo, NY Apr. 22, 1891, bd. Temple Hill Cem., Geneseo. Why has Montreal no record of birth? Too early? Some suburb? Unrecorded? His parents were John McFALL & Rosalie MacGREGOR of Glencoe, Scotland. When did they come to Canada? Ever come to USA? What connection with other McFALLS of Western NY State? There are McFALL 1800's graves in Pioneer Cem,, Rte. 63, Dansville, NY. Descendants changed McFALL to MacFALL about 1910 to advertise they were SCOTCH and not IRISH! Proving that spelling of names means little. |
| Maj. Lyman P. Barry, Rte #l, Box 313, Nunda, NY 14517 | |
| COOLEY HOWARD LEE |
Orin COOLEY 1795-1853 m Nancy HOWARD 1797-1841, dau. of Rev. Timothy HOWARD and Rhoday. Harmon COOLEY 1794-1884, brother of Orin m 1st Rhoda HOWARD 1799-1825 sister of Nancy, 2nd Phebe HOWARD 1799-1836, m 3rd Almira HOWARD 1801-1849. Elon LEE m 2nd Eunice HOWARD l793-l85l. All are buried in E. Sweden Cem., Monroe Co., NY, I believe Phebe, Almira and Eunice were daughters of Noah, Jr., and Eunice HOWARD of Whitehall, Washington Co., NY, What are the maiden names of Noah's and Timothy's wives? Need information on families of all. |
| Mrs. Lois Holtan, 700 Baltimore, El Paso, Texas, 79902 | |
| BASQUIN BROWN HUFF McCLENAHAN |
Seek information on parents of James Robinson, HUFF, b 2 Jan. 1802 Lyons, NY, d 26 Jan. 1876 Pierpont Ohio. Need parents of Hanson BASQUIN, b 8 Dec. 1819 in Mead Twp., Crawford Co., PA., d 13 July 1902 Montville Twp., Geauga Co., OH. He had 14 brothers and 3 sisters. Mother's maiden name reported to be McCLENAHAN. Seeking information on "Uncle Billy" BROWN, an eccentric Methodist minister in Montville Twp., Geauga Co., OH in the early 1820's. He died 12 Nov. 1849. Who was his wife? |
| A. Allyn, P.O. Box 67, Chardon OH, 44024 | |
| BOWEN LEE PECK WILLSON |
Need information on Nathan H. LEE, son of Leonard LEE and ?; m Amelia PECK 1854, probably in Richmond, Ontario Co., NY. Her mother was Harriet WILLSON, who was her father?
Who were the children of Amos LEE and Hannah BOWEN? Does anyone have information about the LEE cemetery located at the corner of Wheeler and Grimble roads in East Bloomfield, NY? I believe some of my ancestors are buried there. |
| Cyndi Murphy Parrott, Rt 1, Box 55, Murfreeshoro TN 37130 | |
Editor: Jack Wilson
86 Crestfield Drive
Rochester, New York 14617
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