The Daily Messenger from Canandaigua, New York • Page 29

175th Anniversary Edition Section III CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1972 Ellis Is Authority On Native City Section Salutes Slower By KAT1IIE MEREDITH Herbert J. Ellis was talking about his favorite subject -Canandaigua history and he was smiling. "I wish we could have those old days back again," he said, his eyes twinkling from behind his wire-frame glasses. "The atmosphere was lovely.

Rochester was far away. There was no way to go there. Canandaigua was on the map in those days." There was, according to the city historian, an educated and c'ulturcd aristocracy which existed in the past. Yet he concedes that today such a situation is practically impossible because of economics. Still, he talks with fondness of the old days when exclusive mansions dotted Main Street, when Canandaigua was the cultural center of western New York.

Herbert Ellis is proud of Canandaigua. He is proud that he was born here on Jan. 13, 1879. He is proud to still be living in the city. Herbert Ellis--son of gunsmith James and Martha Robertson Ellis, the fourth of five children.

His parents didn't directly teach him about history, thereby developing and whetting his interest and appetite. Ellis simply grew up, absorbing it all. "I could hear my people talking about history," he recalled, sitting in his Academy Place living room and getting some competition from a parakeet in a nearby cage. When the father died in 1923, young Herbert was working for a a i Publishing Co. in Rochester.

Bijt he returned to Canandaigua with brother. George, the Main Street hardware founded by the' father. When the Canandaigua native retired in 1956, the store closed. Throughout the years Ellis has been an all-round community volunteer and he is proud of it. "I've been busy," he said.

"I've never done any of these things for pay. I've never run for political office. I always figured there were other people to do that. I wanted to do something for the sick, the lame, the poor, the lonely. His activities past and present have included president of the Salvation Army Board of Directors, 10-year president of Clark Manor House, president of the Businessmen's Association (the forerunner to the Chamber of Commerce), vice-president of the Ontario County Historical Society, the New York State Historical Society and the City Historian JT This section of Daily Messenger's 175th anniversary issue JLJ.J.

JLJLV-FJL rWntorl tn thp wntinps of Herbert J. Ellis. Canandaieua's This section of The Daily Messenger's 175th anniversary issue is devoted to the writings of Herbert J. Ellis, Canandaigua's respected city historian. For many years, we have heard the sound suggestion that Mr.

Ellis' informative and enjoyable article should be compiled in book form. We agree. And while this is not meant to be the answer to that suggestion, it is one way to bring many of his articles together. Much of this historian's work is based on memory. But all of it is scrupulously autheniticated before he puts a word on paper.

It represents countless hours of research about the people and the community which Mr. Ellis loves so well. The Daily Messenger has been very pleased over the years to run many of these articles and our readers have told us--and we hope, Mr. Ellis--how much they have enjoyed them. We believe that even though many of the articles have been published previously, you will enjoy them whether or not you have read them before.

We know we have enjoyed preparing them for this issue. Many of the pictures in this section, as well as the other sections of the anniversary issue have been provided by G. Henry Boyce, a man who has combined his skills in photography and his love for the history of the area to copy treasured paintings, photos and drawings. Some of the photos throughout this issue have been printed from negatives by early photographers, preserved by Mr. Boyce.

City's 1st Census Was 464; 2 Slaves Buggy Days MR. CANANDAIGUA was what many people called Herbert J. Ellis even before the Chamber of Commerce bestowed that title on him officially in 1969. He is shown here with Mrs. Ellis after receiving the silver bowl that goes with the honor to the city's outstanding citizen each year.

Association Municipal Historians. Work at the First Congregational Church has always taken up some of his time. "He sometimes says he's done' everything but play the organ," laughed his wife of almost 32 years. As city historian, he has recorded events of the city, spending hours and hours researching material and frequently turning out articles for The Daily Messenger. He receives letters from people all over, seeking information about their ancestors.

He can easily rattle off facts and figures about Canandaigua. Yet Ellis is disturbed that people in Canandaigua -especially new residents -don't know about their city and its past glories. "I want them to know the background and history of Canandaigua," he said. "They don't know about it and it seems they have no desire.to..learn. Canandaigua today.

"Bull try keep in touch," he added. "I don't read much. They drink walk downtown and talk with whiskey and smoke cigarettes. If they'd devote themselves to reading Ellis' voice trailed off and he just shook his head. To people on Main Street, Ellis is a familiar figure.

He can frequently be seen strolling up and down the avenue. "I enjoy walking," explained Ellis. "It's exhilcrating. And I can think while I walk." During certain times of the year the walking turns into hiking. "I love nature," reflected Ellis.

"We go hiking out in the woods." Remembering a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, Mrs. Ellis noted that the hiking paths ranged from easy to strenuous. "We took them all," she said firmly. What about Canandaigua present? Ellis claims he doesn't really know much 'about the boys at the bank." During those trips Ellis is frequently hailed by people who know him. Yet there are times when he doesn't know the people.

Instead of saying he doesn't know their name would be very impolite," he Ellis will work out the conversation so that he quickly learns their names and activities. He's a sly fox, that Herbert Ellis. He is also, as one long-time Canandaigua resident puts it, "one of the last true gentlemen." But a word of warning: don't ever refer to Herbert Ellis as old or elderly or gray-haired or white-haired. He doesn't like it. And he'll tell you so.

"I'm a young man," chuckled Ellis. By golly, he's right. Lake Was Focus Of Winter Activities In The 1880s-90s In Canandaigua EDITOR'S NOTE -According to the 1970 federal census, there are 78,849 residents in Ontario County and 10,725 in Canandaigua City. Mr. Ellis has written the following short article about previous population counts in the county.

The first census of Ontario County was taken in the year 1790, one year after the county was born. Ontario County that time comprised all of Western New York, extending as far west as Lake Erie. The total population of Ontario County at that time was 1,075, including 11 slaves. The- population of the settlement of Canandaigua was 464, including two slaves. In its first years, Canandaigua grew quite fast.

By 1815, when the settlement became an incorporated village, with the election of Judge Nathaniel Howell as its first president (mayor), it had become quite an important county seat. There had already been erected many stately homes and buildings such as the Congregational Meeting House, the Red Jacket Building, Dr. Coon's home, the Old Academy, Elm Manor, General Israel Chapin's home (now the Grange Hall on Coy Street), the first Courthouse, and many others. Our next door neighbor to the the hamlet of Rochesterville, had, in 1812, a total population of 15 people. Rochesterville grew quickly, due partly to the milling interests at the falls, and later to the Erie Canal passing through, while Canandaigua stood still.

However many people still prefer to reside in the old town that stood still where there is peace and quietness. In Canandaigua not so long ago, in the 1880's and 1890's, before there were horse-drawn streetcars, or buses, or automobiles, only the horse and buggy and hacks furnished transportation. Instead of garages and gas stations there were blacksmith shops and livery stables and feed barns. One of these was the livery stable of William Spencer. It stood on Chapin Street where now stands the Playhouse Theater built by William MacFarlane.

Spencer was born in Madison County, in 1842, the son of a farmer. He had three children; Edith married a Mr. Reed; Cora married William F. Lewis, vice-president of the Lisk Manufacturing and Melvin married Lula Masseth whose children are Elizabeth, now Mrs. Keith Pierce with the Social Services and Barbara Spencer connected with the Canandaigua Daily Messenger.

Chapin Street was opened up by Walter Hubbell II, in 1850, through the Chapin estate which at one time consisted of 600 acres comprising much of the southwest part of the village. There were many livery stables in town at that period, a few of which I will mention. The A.E. Fletcher stables were on Ontario Street across the street from the present Finn Auto Parts Center. The VanBrooker Livery stable conducted by John VanBrooker, father of Jack VanBrooker, owner of the Red and White Store, was on the south side of Coach Street.

Another livery was run by George Benham, father of Mrs. "The Grand, Glorious 4th Of July' EDITOR'S NOTE In July, 1968 Mr. Ellis described early Fourth of July celebrations in the following article. The Fourth of July in the late nineteenth century was not a dull day. Up to 1879, when the old Arsenal on Arsenal Hill burned Inez Benham Hall.

There were down, a cannon was fired off at others EDITOR'S NOTE The following article is a combination of several shorter articles Mr. Ellis wrote in February 1971 in which he reminisced about winters when he was a youth. These winter days are reminiscent of the awful winters of the 1880s and 1890s. I can distinctly remember the back country roads being blocked with snow until spring. The farmers would drive their bob- sleighs over the fields to get into town.

Freight trains and passenger trains would be stuck in snow drifts for days, and after being dug out, would come limping into town. Back in those winter days, Canandaigua Lake would be entirely frozen over for weeks. People in the upper lake and Bristol country would use the middle of the lake for a roadway. People in the Deep Run Country would use the road on the lake ice loo. Skating on the lake by the elderly and the youth was the chief pastime.

Children took their skates to school, so they could go directly, to the lake after school. The taxpayers were not called on to give us much. We played ball in a vacant lot. We skated on the lake instead of rinks. We used the Island to swim off, instead of swimming schools.

We walked to and from the lake. There were no autos. When it snowed too hard, we took a broom and swept off the snow on the ice on the lake. Some boys used the Sucker Brook, skating right onto the lake. My father as a young man, many times skated to the head of the lake in a day.

On a fair day, hundreds of people would be skating, not always on the same spot, sometimes behind the Island, sometimes in the middle of lake, sometimes near the outlet, depending on how smooth the ice was. There were a lovely women skaters in those days: to mention two, Miss Flossie Thomas (Mrs. Ray Slokoe), and Miss Martha Maggs (Mrs. Baggerly). Alex Gilfoil was one of the best men skaters.

When it came to games on the ice he was a genius. The two Dixon brothers, Thomas and Robert, were probably the oldest skaters. They had old-fashioned skates, where the blade curled up in front. When a boy fell in a hole, and got wet, he went over to one of the big steamboats, and dried off, as the steamboats kept their fires burning all winter. I remember one cold afternoon, a young boy fell in a hole, and for a time it looked bad, as the ice was too tender to approach.

We all were about to take oif our' coats to make a rope to throw to him, but before we had the rope made, the boy managed to wiggle out. One can estimate that a boy walking to the lake and back and skating all of a Saturday afternoon, had covered many miles. There were two more sports besides skating that were very popular ice-boating and tobogganing. There was a large toboggan slide belween the Island and the boathouses, which furnished a very fast ride. The one problem was that you had to draw your toboggan back up to the top.

Ice-boating made a picturesque sight on the lake. They looked like white birds flying on a cold windy day. The lake furnished one of the chief business enterprises in winter when the ice was harvested. Before electric refrigeration, all refrigeration was done by ice taken from the lake. There were two major ice companies on our lake: McCormack's on South Main Street (later the Riley Ice House, and Brady's Ice House (later Robert Spencer's).

There were other firms which cut and drew ice -the Gartland Perego Meat Market, P. Meath Meat Market, the Louis Mutschler Meat Market, the Blanchard Meat Market, Brigham Hall, the Brewery Company, and others. It was the time of year when thn farmers were not doing much, so they came into town to draw ice for the Brewery, probably using 15 to 20 teams of horses. There were some disputes as to where each company should cut. The ice had to be 18 inches thick, and had to be cut about two feet long.

McCormack's Ice House and Brady's Ice House furnished ice for the homes in Canandaigua in the summertime. On a pleasant winter afternoon many people who owned cutters and sleighs would drive them around the streets. It was very pleasant to hear the jingle of the sleigh bells on the horses. Howell Street was used at times for driving fast horses with sleighs. Such men as W.

H. Tuttle, Mr. Lindsay, and others would drive their horses there from Main Street to East Street. It must have been approved by the authorities, because the street would be lined on both sides by onlookers. Children used many streets for sliding on their sleds, such as Arsenal Hill, which was much steeper than it is now, Prospect Street, and Buffalo Street (Brewery Street).

My brother George was one day sliding on Brewery Street, when a team of horses with bob-sled came out of the Brewery gate, about where the new Messenger building is now. Not having time to negotiate a turn, he went under the bob-sled and appeared on the other side all right. These were a few seconds of anxiety for George and the rest of us. Sleigh ride parties were very popular in these early days. 4 a.m.

by the local gunsmith to begin the day's festivities. That was the signal for the youth of the village to fire off their firecrackers. In the afternoon there would be held on Main Street a greased pole contest and a greased pig contest, together with other sports. In the evening, as darkness was approaching, a huge bonfire would be lighted on Main Street at the intersection of Main and West Avenue. Wooden boxes would be gathered for days and piled mountain-high for the bonfire.

This was before there were overhead wires, pavements, trolley tracks and cars. The bonfire was followed by a band concert in the bandstand on the Square, and a big display of fireworks. In the earlier days, there was a salute of 24 guns at sunrise and the ringing of bells in the village. The people attended church and listened to patriotic orations by the local orators. It was the custom in those early days on a warm summer evening, for a young man to rent a horse and buggy and take his best girl for a ride in the country.

The fee was $1. The blacksmith shop was one of the chief industrial institutions in those days. Horses had to be shod, and carriages repaired. There were many blacksmith shops in town. Here are a few that come to mind.

The Parrish and VanNorman shop was at the corner of Saltonstall and Main Streets. "Dick" Parrish, one of the proprietors, was' a direct descendant of Jasper Parrish, the famous Indian interpreter at the Pickering Treaty. Jasper Parrish could speak several Indian tongues. Another blacksmith shop was owned by William Lohnes. It was first located where the Merrill Hose is now, and was later on Miller Street.

"Bill" Lohnes was a well-known man on the street; he was the grandfather of Assemblyman Fred Warder of Geneva. Mr. Wardwell had a shop on North Main Street next to Tom Kelly's Saloon, later Sloke's Chocolate Shoppe. Mr. Eaton, father of Mrs.

Lewis a had a blacksmith shop between Chapin Street and Thompson lumber yard, in a building set back from the street. Mr. Eaton was known for his skill at the forge. Charles Kear had a blacksmith shop on South Main Street where Hanley's garage was later located. John Decker and Tom Noonan had a shop on South Main Street.

There were Simpson's shop on Bristol Street, Winter's and Figenscher's on Coach Street, Swazey's shop on Ontario Street, and others. In those peaceful, far-off days, about the only sound that could be heard on the street was the ringing of the blacksmith's anvil, and one of the excitements would be an occasional runaway horse. South Main Street was lined on both sides with hitching posts and hitching rails. The sidewalks were narrow. On the edge of the sidewalk was a cobblestone gutter, and a cobblestone pavement extending to the dirt road.

Upon this pavement the horses stood while hitched to the posts. This pavement was kept clean by the store owner. In due time, around the turn of the century, the hitching posts and rails vre removed for two reasons: one reason was improvement of sidewalks and road, and the other reason was humanitarian. Some horses were left standing on bitter cold nights without blankets or oats. This change necessitated the.

introduction of feed barns, which was a happy solution to the problem. Many feed barns sprang up to take care of the situation. A few proprietors of feed barns were: one run by a Mrs. Persons and Pat Linehan on Phoenix Street; others by a Mr. Carey, another by Mr.

Klingerman, one on Saltonstall Street by Mr. Tilton, and some others that do not readily come to mind. The two prominent harness makers were Frank Hayes at the corner of Phoenix Street an? Main Street, and Alex Guilfoil on Bristol Street. Reznar and Martin conducted a big carriage store and carriage repair shop on Ontario Street next to the Canandaigua Hotel opposite Fletcher's livery stable. There were many accessories used in the horse and buggy trade sold by merchants, such as horse whips, blankets, buffalo robes, fly nets, sleigh bells, pitch forks and hay forks (Cont.

on Page 7 Sec. Ill) IN THE DAYS before the horseless carriage and paved streets. Main Street was either muddy or dusty, depending on the weather. This photo shows the west side of Main Street from the railroad tracks (In the foreground) looking south. The livery near the center was owned by William Spencer.

The tall building toward the left is the Bemis Block, which still stands. It named after one of the owners of an early predeceisor of The Dally Messenger, James Bemis..