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Ebenezer “Indian” Allen was the first settler in what is now
Rochester. Allen was given the Mill Tract by Oliver Phelps in 1788 for the
purpose of erecting a sawmill and a gristmill on the banks of the Genesee River.
Originally the gristmill was seen as a way for the Native Americans to sell
grain so that they could begin to be assimilated into white society. However,
this was not to be, and Allen’s mills proved to be disappointing from a
financial point of view. In 1792 Allen sold his mill site to Benjamin Barton.
A series of owners followed, including Samuel Ogden and Charles Williamson (for
the Pultneyville Estate). For much of this time, the mill site was occupied by
Christopher Dugan.
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Nathaniel Rochester |
Eventually the mill site was purchased by a group of
Marylanders in 1803. This group consisted of Colonel Nathaniel Rochester,
Major Charles Carroll and Colonel William Fitzhugh. Although purchased in
1803, it was not surveyed and plotted by Rochester until 1811. |
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In 1817 the Village Rochesterville was officially so named, and the City of
Rochester was incorporated in 1834. Other tracts, including the Johnson tract on
the east bank of the Genesee River began to be developed. With the opening of
the Erie Canal, the growth of Rochester was virtually assured. |
Johnson Tract in 1820 |
Soon Rochester grew in size to include the areas of
Frankfort and Carthage. Through a series of annexations the City’s acreage
included parts of Brighton, Gates and Greece by the early twentieth century. By
1916 the city had expanded to the shores of Lake Ontario with the annexation of
Charlotte.
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For more on Ebenezer Allen, see
Rochester
History, vol.1. No. 4., October, 1939, “Indian Allen’s Mills” by Blake McKelvey
[pdf]. |
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For more on specific areas, see
Rochester
History articles on Carthage, Frankfort, Castletown, Johnson Tract, and the
One Hundred Acre Tract. |
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