The City of Rochester in the Town of Greece: A legacy of the Erie Canal

Most everyone who lives in this area is familiar with the unusual shape of the City of Rochester. The shape is the result of years of annexations. The long neck to the north is the result of annexing Charlotte. A very narrow strip of Culver Road was created so the City would be connected to Durand Eastman Park. The small area to the southwest is the airport and Genesee Valley Park, and then there is a small strip on the east connecting the City to Tyron Park and Irondequoit Bay.

 In addition, there is an approximately 2 mile long by 130’ wide strip of land that seems to run parallel to Ridgeway Avenue in the Town of Greece.

Silhouette map of City Of Rochester
Silhouette map of City Of Rochester

Two hundred years ago the Erie Canal was completed. It ran from the Hudson River through upstate New York and bisected what is now the City of Rochester and on through the Town of Greece and west to Lake Erie. When the newly enlarged and relocated Barge Canal opened in 1918, the old Erie Canal bed through Rochester and parts of Greece was abandoned. The City ultimately purchased the abandoned Erie Canal right of way. In 1922 the City began constructing the now infamous Rochester Subway within the City limits using the old Erie Canal right of way.

In the early 1920s industrial expansion was moving westward and it can be assumed that city officials thought that the subway rail line might someday continue west to support that anticipated industrial growth. In 1926, the City annexed that portion of the old canal right of way outside of the city limits that they already owned. With little records available to know their reasoning, we can conjecture that this was done to ensure the City’s right to build a rail line to the west without political interference from the Town of Greece. The subway never succeeded the way the planners had hoped and ultimately shut down in 1956.

To this day, if you drive down Latona Road or 390 in the Town of Greece just north of Ridgeway Ave., you may notice a row of thick trees; that’s the area where you quickly enter and exit the City of Rochester in the Town of Greece and the original 1825 route of the Erie Canal.

Olde Erie Trail street sign
Olde Erie Trail street sign

Olde Erie Trail, a subdivision street just north of that area is named after the old Erie Canal and Erie Canal Commons Plaza, also derives its name from its location adjacent to the original Erie Canal.

I am sure the residents on the south side of Olde Erie Trail and the north side of Ridgeway Ave realize their backyards are adjacent to that original Erie Canal, but do they realize the area is IN the City of Rochester?

1938 Plat Map (rpm00633) showing City’s 1926 annexation (notice Latona Rd had not yet been extended to Lee Rd)
Current map showing the area
Area Photo showing current property lines
Monroe County GIS
Area Photo showing current property lines. Monroe County GIS. (Geographic Information System)
Erie Canal Commons. Tree line is location of original Erie Canal Courtesy of Companies
Erie Canal Commons. Tree line is location of original Erie Canal.
Courtesy of Camegi Companies
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Truck Farming on Stone Road – The Thomas Farm

Seventeen-year-old WIi­liam J. Thomas immi­grated to Greece from Cheddar, Somerset County, England, in 1882. The following year, he purchased 11 acres of farmland on Stone Road, not far west of the intersection of Eddy Road (now Mt. Read. Boulevard).

At that time, the average size of a Greece farm was less than 100 acres, only rarely exceeding 200 or more acres.

By the late 19th century, Greece farmers were principally raising root vegetables, such as car­rots, beets, turnips, parsnips, etc. Some farms with larger acreage had apple and peach orchards as well

The Thomas farm had a large greenhouse, kept warm by hot water piping, the heat coming from a coal-fired boiler. Here, early spring crops such as radishes were raised.

A large root cellar (an insulated building, partly underground) stored the root vegetables through the winter. Gradually, these vegetables were, taken to market all through the non-growing season.

Several times a week, the horse-drawn wagon (shown in the circa 1912 photo with William at the reins) would be loaded with produce and taken to the public market or sev­eral wholesalers in Rochester. The wagon left at 4 am for the market, and the wagon and driver often did not return until early afternoon.

By the late 1930s, tractors were replacing horses for farm work, and by the 1950s, horse-drawn equip­ment and wagons were completely gone.

Through the years, more farmland was added to Thomas’ original 11 acres, and his three sons con­tinued to operate the farm after their father’s death in 1938.

By the 1960s, however, it was apparent that a moder­ately large-sized farm could no longer be profit­able in Greece. After more than 65 years, farming finally ended on the Thomas property in 1960.

By 1963, the land had been sold to developers.

Similar to the majority of former farms in Greece, only the sturdy 2½-story farmhouse remains, shielded from the road by tall shrubs. These farm­ houses remain as ghosts of an important era in local history.

Photos of the Thomas farm from Mr. Frank Thomas, the grandson of Willam Thomas.

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