Bicentennial Snapshots


The Greece Historical Society shared brief videos. These videos help commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Greece. This series started on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, and concluded on March 21st, 2023. This series has shared many details about the people and events that influenced the town’s evolution. The topics in the Snapshots were researched, written, and narrated by Maureen Whalen. All the snapshots are edited and produced by Pat Worboys. We hope that you will find these videos both interesting and informative.

We would like to thank the following people, town officials, fire departments, school districts, newspapers, and news stations. They provided all the images and information. We used these to compile these snapshots for you to learn more about the history of the Town of Greece.

We would like to thank Gina DiBella, Bill Sauers, and Marie Poinan. We also thank Douglas Worboys, Gene Preston, Jane Grant, Robert Bilsky, and Ralph DeSptephano Sr. for their contributions to the snapshots. Alan Mueller, Joseph Vitello, Pat Worboys, Carolyn Kerheart, and many more contributed significantly. Some of the notes and research are from people who are no longer with us. We would like to give credit to Helen Slocum. Virginia Tomkiewicz, Shirley Cox Husted, and William Aeberli also deserve credit. We especially want to acknowledge Lorraine Kress Beane.

We would like to thank the following organizations for the use of their images. They include North Greece Fire Department, Greece Ridge/Ridge Road Fire District, and Barnard Fire Department. We also thank The Office of the Greece Historian. Other organizations include Rochester Public Library, The University of Rochester, and Rochester Institute of Technology. We also thank Democrat and Chronicle, 13 Wham TV, WHEC, WROC, and Spectrum News. Thanks also to Mother of Sorrows, Greece Baptist Church, Greece United Methodist Church, and Greece Central School District. Finally, The Landmark Society of Western New York, Rochester Museum and Science Center, and others contributed.

Each snapshot will contain a description of the video. Some of the posts will contain information that is written to explain content that was not included in the video. This content is related to the video so you can understand its connection to the snapshot. They also include related articles that were written in the society’s newsletter. They have links to buy some of the books that the society has published over the years. These are to enhance the subjects that are covered in the Snapshots that are put together each week.

If you have ideas or topics that you would like to see covered in this or a different future series, please let us know. You can reach us via our Facebook page. You can also let us know by submitting a request for a snapshot topic or subject.


The Bicentennial Snapshots

Bicentennial Snapshot # 54: Gone but not Forgotten

Bicentennial Snapshot No. 54: Gone, but Not Forgotten

Today, as we acknowledge all those who helped us produce these Bicentennial Snapshots, please enjoy photos of places and businesses no longer part of the Greece landscape. We would like to thank the following individuals with their contributions to the snapshots: First of all, we are tremendously thankful for all the photos provided by Society…
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Buckman’s Dairy, 1950s, from GHS, courtesy of Ralph DeStefano

Bicentennial Snapshot No. 53: Buckman’s Dairy

Today we turn our attention to one of the most iconic businesses in Greece. We want to thank Jo Ann Ward Snyder and Bonnie Stemen Fiser for their collaboration on this Snapshot. Jo Ann is preparing a profile of the Buckman family for Volume II of Pioneer Families of the Town of Greece. This is…
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Bicentennial Snapshot # 52 – Greece Performing Arts Society

This week we look at the Greece Performing Arts Society. Before GPAS formed in 1969 Between 1930 and 1950, people in the town of Greece had many opportunities to join in performing arts centered activities. Amateur theatrics were popular; not only was there the Paddy Hill Players troupe, but a number of churches, including St…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 51: Some Notable Women of Greece

This week as the country marks the beginning of National Women’s History Month, we will introduce you to some notable Greece women. Throughout the year we’ve told you stories about places, events, and people of the town of Greece. Some of the most elusive to pursue are the stories of Greece women who lived and…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 50: Barnard and Lakeshore Fire Districts

Bicentennial Snapshot No. 50: Barnard and Lakeshore Fire Districts

This week we explore the history of Barnard and Lake Shore Fire Districts. Barnard Fire Department “Early in 1927, a group of civic-minded citizens of the Barnard District seeing the rapid growth of the section, decided that some form of fire protection was needed. This group set about to organize a fire department, and on…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 49: Dewey-Stone / Barnard

Today we are talking about the Dewey-Stone neighborhood, first called Barnard’s Crossing or simply Barnard. After the annex of Charlotte by the city of Rochester in 1916, Dewey-Stone became the first and is now the oldest neighborhood in the town of Greece. It’s bounded on the south by the railroad tracks at Barnard’s Crossing, on the north by English Road, on the east by Stonewood Avenue, and on the west by Mount Read Boulevard…
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Snapshot # 48 - Gordon A. Howe

Bicentennial Snapshot No. 48: Gordon A. Howe

Today our topic is Gordon A. Howe, longtime Monroe County and Greece political leader whose career spanned 43 years. When he died in 1989, Gordon A. Howe was eulogized by US Representative Frank Horton: “He was a great leader and an unusual person in that everyone respected him. He made tremendous contributions to county government…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 47: Childhood diseases

Today we will look back at some of the illnesses and diseases that affected the lives of many children. When we conduct walking tours of local cemeteries, we get asked about all the small tombstones. Yes, they usually indicate the grave of a child. Here in Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery are the graves of…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 46: Epidemics and Pandemics

Today we will talk about how past epidemics and pandemics affected the town of Greece…
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Bicentennial Snapshot No. 45: Speakeasies

Today we continue our Prohibition in Greece story with a look at the speakeasies that dotted the town. Clinton N. Howard Clinton N. Howard was a powerful, passionate, and persuasive advocate against alcohol. He was called the “Little Giant” (he was only five feet tall) and the “Apostle of Prohibition.” Widely known as a brilliant…
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