Timeline

1600s Prior to settlement bt the white man in the East Rochester area, Seneca Indians roamed these lands. Arrowheads were found on the Worthing Farmland and also near Fariport and Marsh Roads.

1835 School taxes were paid in stove wood, one cord.

 

1853 New York Central Railroad tracks were laid through this area.

 

1875 Spring Lake was formed near linden avenue by building a dam.

 

1896 In the late 1800's the area soon to be despatch was made up of several large farms some of which were owned by john and charles westerman, byron worthing, andrew and charles lincoln, charles ransom, and the tunis brizee farm. Thirty-five acres of farm land was donated by walter parce to the merchants despatch transportation company. Despatch land office opened in reading room.

1897 A planned community was built around the Merchants Despatch Transportation company and was called Despatch. First post office opened; its volume was 8 letters a day. Fryatt's Despatch grocery store opened. Car Shop cornerstone was laid and B.B.Q. picnic held. Great land partition and sale of lots — one lot was sold. "Despatch Special" was the first newspaper in Despatch. First religious service was held in Methodist Church of Despatch. Dr. John Allen was first doctor in Despatch. Despatch fire dept-hose company #1 was organized.

1899 Despatch 'red brick school house' opened on East Avenue. Brainerd Brass Company moved to Despatch.

 

1900 Ontario Grain Drill company was founded.

 

1901 Baptist Church held its first service.

 

1902 Wages at Merchants Despatch Transportation rose from 13 cents per hour to 15 cents.

 

1904 First electric lights in the village. Piano Works factory construction started. 1905 St. Jerome's Catholic church founded. Piano Works factory opened for business in November.

 

1906 village name was changed from Despatch to East Rochester. The first village elections were held.

 

1907 Joseph Mitchell elected first East Rochester board president. Mervin Thompson was the first policeman in Despatch.

 

1908 A law was passed banning hitching horses to trees. A law requiring fowl and rabbits be confined was also passed.

 

1909 East Rochester village population was 1,951. East Rochester school budget was $10,750.00. 350 pupils were registered in red brick school. A law passed stating no animal shall be driven over 10 mph in the village. The school colors were changed from red & white to brown & white. First service held at Presbyterian church.

 

1910 The cost of the East Rochester Realities newspaper was .25 cents for 3 months. W. D. Hewes insurance agency opened. Village curfew for children under sixteen was set for 8:30 pm. Fire wood cost 5 cents a load at the ice dealer store.

 

1911 Saxton's department store opened for business.

 

1912 First National Bank of East Rochester opened. New York Central train wreck on E. Maple Ave - three men killed. Byron Worthing original farm owner died.

 

1913 First high school basketball game. It was played on the third floor of the Eyer building. First East Rochester H.S. baccalaureate service was held East Rochester. Student G. Hoagland wrote the ERHS alma mater.

 

1914 Great fire in the Eyer building on Main St. Car speed limit in village was 15 MPH. Bricks were laid on Commercial Street, which until then was dirt.

 

1915 First service at St. Matthias Episcopal church.

 

1916 Rev. Mackenzie appointed pator of Baptist church. Dedication of Edmond Lyon park. Village went dry.

 

1917 Genendewah golf course built by Kate Gleason just west of the village line.

 

1918 Jules Verne Fish was the first East Rochester soldier killed in WWI. Kate Gleason became the 1st U.S. woman bank president. World War I ended, november 11th.

 

1919 Druggist J. Murray Franklin shot dead in his store. Only unsolved murder in East Rochester. East Rochester pioneer society founded.

 

1920 East Rochester was the first county school to serve milk / crackers mid morning.

 

1921 ERHS basketball team won its first county title. Kate Gleason Concrest housing began.

 

1922 St. Anthony Society was started. East Rochester Public Library opened in Rialto Theatre.

 

1923 

 

1924 Trinity Lutheran church held first service. Parkside Methodist church school was added in the rear of the church. First issue of brown and white school newspaper. East Rochester Elementry School was built in 1924, named for Lois Bird in 1979.

 

1925 

 

1926 East Rochester Community Hospital opened on Main Street. It was mainly used as a birthing hospital. East Rochester Rotary was started St. Nicholas Society was founded. KKK had state convention at Washington Street and Hickory, September 25th.

 

1927 East Rochester Girl Scouts were organized. Hoselton Chevrolet opened on E. Commercial St. East Rochester HS track team organized. Parkside Dairy opened on E. Commercial Street.

 

1928 

 

1929 First high school footballl game october 9th.

 

1930 Memorial Day — WWI monument was dedicated in Edmund Lyon Park. Walter Parce — founder of Despatch/E.R. died on Tuesday, June 3rd.

 

1931 H. Worden was elected the village board president. Served from 1914 to 1931. 25 years of East Rochester trolley car service ended. The first E.R. Gagashoan year book was published.

 

1932 Ham Conners was appointed police chief, he served in this position from 1932 - 1965.

 

1933 Kate Gleason died, January 9, 1933, Thursday. First traffic signal was installed on Main St and West Avenue. East Rochester Boy Scout troop #136 was organized.

 

1934 Library housed in municipal building had 7,525 books. Eyer Park dedicated — July 8th

 

1935 

 

1936 Harry Eyer — early village investor — died on March 3rd.

 

1937 187-foot high village water tower was erected on Maple Avenue and Garfield St. It replaced the tower on the corner of Filbert Place and Lincoln Road. US Post Office building opened on W. Commercial Street. Reed's Drug Store opened on East Main — cigarettes 11 cents

 

1938 Joseph J. O'Brien was first elected to US Congress.

 

1939 First Little Brown Jug High School football game. Yearly football rivalry game between Fairport and East Rochester where winner kept Little Brown Jug for year. Last game played in 1987. School moving up day was organized by Dorothy O'Donnell.

 

1940 The first East Rochester ambulance call.

 

1941 

 

1942 Fireworks explosion on the corner of Baird Rd and Whitney Rd — 11 people died November 6th.

 

1943 WWII servicemen's honor roll plaque was erected in Edmund Lyon Park.

 

1944 

 

1945 The public building closed for four days because of coal shortage.

 

1946 East Rochester Board of Health offered free TB patch test. A fire in the St. Mattias Espiscopal church burned part of the roof off. East Rochester Sweetland opened.

 

1947 Saturday, May 31st East Rochester celebrated the 50th anniversary of the village.

 

1948 J. Eugene Goddard elected to NYS Assembly. Northside Inn opened.

 

1949 Cabby Providence christened the ERHS sport teams "the East Rochester bombers". The Kate Gleason Swimming Pool was opened by the East Avenue Grade School. WWII monument was erected in Edmund Lyon park.

 

1950 Tuesday, September 9th was the last day for Lincoln Road. Railroad gate operator Father Gefell died - served St. Jeromes church for 45 years. ER railroad station was demolished on Main and Maple Streets. Little League Baseball was started. Burgess Meredith played "Harvey" in East Avenue High School. Sam Urzetta won the National Amateur Golf Title.

 

1951 Parking meters were installed on village streets.

 

1952 The NY State Firemens Convention was held in East Rochester. St. Jeromes school opened with fifty pupils.

 

1953 Paul Bower was elected mayor — held office until 1971.

 

1954 E.R. Civil Defense was organized in junior high gym. E. Retta Fryatt donated her home on the corner of Main and Ivy street to the village. Tie vote for trustee — Walter Nohe won the draw. A committee was appointed to study becoming a city.

 

1955 E.R. branch of First Church of Christian Scientist was started. Washington Street underpass was completed.

 

1956 Kenneth Courtney elected Perinton Town Supervisor. Dedication of new Trinity Lutheran church.

 

1957 Dr. J. Haber appointed village health officer. The Council of Churches was organized.

 

1958 

 

1959 The high school on Woodbine Avenue opened. The current village logo was designed. Swan Street was changed to Lincoln Mills Road.

 

1960 Villlage born Barry Tuttle opened the Town and Country Musicals.

 

1961 The village passed a dog leash law.

 

1962 

 

1963 The NY State Unemployment Office opened in the Village Hall.

 

1964 The first of 64 diseased Elm trees were removed. A new sewage plant opened.

 

1965 The Lawless Brothers Paper Mill plant was destroyed by fire. The Urban Renewal Agency was created. There was a great power blackout of the whole North East.

 

1966 72 inches of snow fell in four days. Local history office was started by Lucille Saunders. The ER Senior Little League won the world chapionship.

 

1967 Susan Johnstone was appointed the first police woman.

 

1968 The First Class 5 cent postage stamp was raised to 6 cents. The new fire hall on the corner of West Avenue and Main Street was dedicated.

 

1969 The Penn Central had a train wreck on W. Maple Avenue.

 

1970 A law was passed banning parking on front lawns in the village. The Merchants Despatch Carshops closed.

 

1971 The building of the Linden East Condominiums was started.

 

1972 The parking meters were removed from the village downtown.

 

1973 The Candy Kitchen on Main Street closed because of urban renewal. The ground breaking for the village mall-techniplex took place.

 

1974 Dorothy Dianetti was elected first woman village board member. Parkside Manor was opened.

 

1975 

 

1976 James Nagle was elected to the NYS Assembly.

 

1977 

 

1978 The East Rochester Municipal Center was dedicated. Gloria Swanson appeared at Village Cinema.

 

1979 

 

1980 Korean - Vietnam Memorial was dedicated on May 24th. The middle school that was built in 1936 was named for T.L.R. Morgan.

 

1981 The village formed a co-terminous government. The Lincoln Road underpass was completed.

 

1982 

 

1983 

 

1984 

 

1985 The Piano Works Ffactory closed for good on April 2nd.

 

1986 

 

1987 

 

1988 The new band stand at Edmund Lyon Park was dedicated.

 

1989 Harold Dygert died on august 15th, he was the builder of Forest Hills. The football field named for Don Quinn.

 

1990 The new Linden Avenue bridge was completed.

 

1991 Great Ice Storm.

 

1992 The last of the 33 fire alarm boxes were removed.

 

1993 Eyer Park rededicated. ERCN T.V. Channel 12 first aired.

 

1994 

 

1995 Classes began in the new educational campus, at the end of Garfield Street at Fairport Road.

 

1996 James Alesi elected to NY State Senate. Country Club Plaza completed. A building explodes on Despatch Drive.

 

1997 

 

1998 

 

1999 

 

2000 

 

2001 

 

2002 

 

2003 

 

2004 

 

2005 

 

2006 

 

2007 

 

2008 

 

2009 

 

2010 

 

2011 

 

2012 

 

2013