Living in Greece Stories

Stories and recollections from the people, places, and publications that document life in the Town of Greece.

These articles offer perspectives on what it was like to live in the Town of Greece in the past. Many are from the archives or newsletters of the Greece Historical Society. If you would be interested in learning more about the Town of Greece’s history, please feel free to contact us at (585) 225-7221.

(These stories are the property of the Greece Historical Society, which retains all right thereto. The contributors to these stories provide them for non-commercial, personal, educational, and/or research use only. Prior written permission from the Greece Historical Society and the individual authors must be obtained for any other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly publications, or any reproductions or redistribution of any kind.)

Share Your Stories and Memories

We love to read stories and memories by you or your organization. Submit a local history story or memory of growing up in the Town of Greece by emailing a zip file with your story and photos to greecehistoricalsociety@yahoo.com. Use the subject line: Share My Story of Local History or Memories Of Greece N.Y. plus your story title. Include a brief bio and one photo for publication.

Your story should be no more than 500 words. We can edit for continuity, grammar, and punctuation. Stories may cover one span or multiple spans: 1800-1850, 1900-1950, 1950-2000, and 2000-Present.

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A Vineyard in Greece

December 7, 2023 |
The Fetzner family, German immigrants to Greece, originally established their reputation through making and repairing transport vehicles. Later, J.P. Fetzner ventured into the liquor business, founding several successful companies including the Rochester Liquor & Distilling Company and the Lake Ontario Wine Company. However, following J.P.'s death in 1909, his businesses...
Categories: 1850-1900 1900-1950 Guest Stories Living in Greece Stories Pioneer Families Uncategorized
Tags: Arthur Fetzner Baden Blacksmithing and Painting Bruschal Cider Mill Germany J & F Fetzner Carriage Makers Jacob Fisher Jo Ann Ward Snyder Joseph Peter “J.P”. Fetzner Josephine Neidert Lake Ontario Wine Company Long Pond Road Mary Hutte Mill Road New York Pioneer Families Podunk Road pulmonary tuberculosis Rochester Liquor & Distilling Company Untergrombach Wayne County Wendell Fetzner William Aeberli William Hutte William Kipp
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A Farewell to Frear’s Garden Center

August 21, 2022 |  and 
Frear's Garden Center Frear's Garden Center 1892 to 2022 130 Years of Local Gardening Expertise Gallery of photos at the end of the story The Frear family has been part of the Greece landscape for 130 years, 93 of them over four generations as proprietors of one of the town’s...
Categories: 1850-1900 1900-1950 Corinthian Living in Greece Stories
Tags: 1892 Arthur Frear Barnard Crossing Clarence Frear E. Frear & Sons. Ernst Frear German immigrant Greece Maureen Whalen New York Stone Road Vick’s nurseries Warren Frear
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“Keeping Greece roads clear in the 20th century”

January 1, 2015 |
Winter snows prior to the early 1900s weren't a problem for the Greece highway dept. There was no highway department, as such, and they had no snow-moving equipment. There might have been a few farmers who contracted with their team of horses to pull fairly large rollers to pack down...
Categories: 1900-1950 1950-2000 Living in Greece Stories
Tags: 1903 1919 1935 Canada Emmett Cooper Greece Department of Public Works Greece Highway Department HoJack Jenkins Corner New York North Greece Rd. Rochester
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