~ ROCHESTER'S HISTORY ~
AN ILLUSTRATED TIMELINE
- Indians coming north from the Mississippi and Susquehanna Rivers would travel down the Genesee to the rapids at Red Creek in Genesee Valley Park. To avoid the rapids and the three falls of the Genesee they would portage along the south side of the Pinnacle range. Once past Cobb's Hill the trail would turn more to the north, ending at Indian Landing on Irondequoit Creek. From here they could go out through Irondequoit Bay to Lake Ontario. This was a major trade route for the Indians.
- The hill is extensively mined as a sand and gravel pit. Pits are later buried by earth removed to create the reservoir on the hilltop. Trees are compleatly stripped from the hill to build homes in the rapidly growing community.
- Gideon Cobb clears forest for North and Monroe Streets. This takes him four years.
- Construction of the Erie Canal. Original canal is 363 miles long, 28' wide at the bottom, 40' wide at the surface of the water, 4' deep. The locks were 90' long by 12 feet wide. Traveling night and day the boats could travel 80 miles in 24 hours. Fare with all expenses passage was 4 cents per mile.
- The route for the Erie Canal is surveyed through Rochester by Thomas Hutchinson.
- Canal reaches Rochester
- Eastern Wide Waters of Erie Canal provides area for boatmen to dock out of the flow of traffic. Winter brought a full time population of canalers and their families, as they waited for the new canal season.
- Due to the success of the canal it was enlarged. 52 1/2' at the bottom, 70' at the surface, and 7' deep. Locks were now 110' long and 18 feet wide, allowing passage of boats carrying 250 tons of freight. Locks were built in pairs. The canal was also straightened. The original route, following the southern contour of the Eastern Widewaters, was replaced by a more direct east-west route. Two locks were relocated, one eliminated, and another replaced by the newer, larger locks. The north wall of Lock 65, built in 1852, can still be seen today, from the west bound lane of Interstate 490, which was built in the canal bed.
- Barret and Son, Boat Builders operate boatyard at Lock 66 (just west of the Monroe Avenue Bridge) until 1890.
- C. C. Meyer and Son move their boat building yard to the eastern widewaters, at the site of the Armory. They continue building canal boats until 1892. They are one of the last boatyards to close, ending Rochester's tradition of building fine canal boats.
- City buys hilltop for it's second reservoir, at 640' above sea level.
- Plan developed to re-route canal around Rochester. After five years of planning, a southern route that would pass through Genesee Valley Park is chosen.
- Reservoir completed - 140,000,000 gallons. Gatehouse at top designed by J. F. Warner.
- Land surrounding reservoir is landscaped by Olmstead Brothers.
- Local citizens donate $30,000 for trees to forest east side of reservoir.
- George Eastman offers to donate 15 acres of costly north side of hill, if city will acquire Eastern Wide Waters for recreational park. Park contains 62 acres.
- Cobbs Hill Park given additional acreage by George Eastman.
- First successful flight in Rochester made by John J. Frisbie on July 7. He flies from a field located between Highland and Elmwood Avenues. After crossing Cobb's Hill he attempted a turn above the intersection of Main and Culver when the engine stalled. He was able to restart the engine, and continue west to the New York Central Depot. He then turned again, and landed at the field where he had started.
- City buys abandoned canal lands from state for $1.5 million.
- Plans submitted to rebuild canal bed as subway.
- Rochester and Syracuse cars were diverted onto the subway on April 16th. Operating from Winton Road to the Oak Street Loop. In July the route was extended westward to Driving Park. (Service on this line was discontinued April 30, 1931)
- Rochester Eastern cars running between Rowlands Loop and the Oak Street Loop were diverted onto the subway on Dec. 1, 1927 (Service on this line was discontinued July 31, 1930)
- Refectory (cafeteria) built by Federal Public Works Administration at the top of the hill. Building is now used as the city Department of Public Works Offices and Radio Center.
- Cobbs Hill used as POW encampment for POW's.
- June 26, 1944 to Nov. 1, One hundred German prisoners replace the Italians in newly strengthened camp. The Army fears that fiercely patriotic German POW's may cause problems, as has already happened at other similar camps across the country. Hundreds of citizens go to the park every night to listen to the prisoners choir sing in their barracks. Assuming the same situation as with Italian POW's, they bring food and gifts. The Army wants to blockade the area to end all civilian contact with the POW's, while the city favors 'No Loitering' signs. Tension mounts between the local German residents, the Army, and city police, until fist fights start on the evening of Aug. 14, 1944. The Army finally agrees to relocate the Germans, but they stall the transfer until November, when local farmers started requesting prisoner laborers for the next year.
- Feb. 1945 was hit with seven successive storms that paralyzed the city, forcing the city to ask that POW's be brought from the main POW camp in Hamlin to the city. Cobbs Hill housed 100 Germans again, with 175 more at Edgerton Park. An eight week contract was arranged. The city was given the right to terminate the arrangement with one day's notice. Snow removal by prisoners was done at unannounced locations, with city police keeping locals away. A planned addition to the work force was canceled when a Feb. 24th thaw aided the problem, and by March 10 all of the prisoners had been returned to Fort Niagara. Positive reaction to methods used in snow removal ends opposition to use of prisoners as laborers in the area. The American Legion was the only group to oppose the use of the POW's the entire time that they were in the area. V-E Day, May 8, 1945 ends the need for the prisoners to be in the area.
- June 30, Last subway train.
- TIMELINE
1300-1800's
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1800's
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1817-1825
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1823
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1824
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1852
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1874
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1887
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1904
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1905
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1908
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1909
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1911
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1919
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1928
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1933
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1943-1945
Sept. 18, 1943 first arrivals. Sixty Italian prisoners working on area farms, and food processing plants. (10 hour/6 day @ $.80 per day wages)
200 military police housed at Culver Road and Main Street Armories.
12 buildings in the fenced compound.
Reservoir heavily guarded, but basketball courts and Lake Riley were still accessible to the public.
When Italy declared war on Germany in Oct., workers were allowed to work unguarded, out of the camp, and local citizens brought food and organized weekend dances.
After the war the abandoned barracks were converted to apartments to house returning servicemen.
.
1956
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COBB'S HILL PHOTOS
Cobb's
Hill, looking east from Klinck Knoll, 1895
Cobb's
Hill west end, looking east, 1894
Cobb's
Hill west end, looking east
Close-up
of right half of previous photo
Gate
House, Cobb's Hill Reservoir
Gate
House, Cobb's Hill Reservoir
View
from Cobb's Hill, Looking West, Rochester, NY
Gravel
pit, north side of Cobb's Hill
North
embankment, Cobb's Hill Reservoir, from the southeast, 1904
Rochester
& Lake Ontario Water Company's Reservoir
POW
barracks at Cobb's Hill
View
at Eastern Wide Waters, Rochester, N.Y.
Erie
canal scene near Cobb's Reservoir
Cobb's
Hill trolley loop
Trolley
loop, Monroe Avenue at Highland, From Cobb's Hill
Drive
around Cobb's Hill
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