Books

What would it be like to have one of the most famous escaped slaves in the world for a father, and the strong woman who held their home life together for a mother? It would mean being used to all kinds of people showing up on the family's doorstep any time of day or night and the worse the weather, the better. It would also mean watching your every word and step when you're away from home. When Frederick and Anna Douglass' eleven-year-old son Lewis hears his father tell the family they are moving from their gracious home on Alexander Street to a homestead on the edge of Rochester, New York, he feels shocked at leaving their lively neighborhood. But when his father tells him he must learn to drive a team of horses to help with the move, Lewis is at a loss for words at the thought of this daunting task and has no choice but to agree.

What would it be like to have one of the most famous escaped slaves in the world for a father, and the strong woman who held their home life together for a mother? It would mean being used to all kinds of people showing up on the family's doorstep any time of day or night and the worse the weather, the better. It would also mean watching your every word and step when you're away from home. When Frederick and Anna Douglass' eleven-year-old son Lewis hears his father tell the family they are moving from their gracious home on Alexander Street to a homestead on the edge of Rochester, New York, he feels shocked at leaving their lively neighborhood. But when his father tells him he must learn to drive a team of horses to help with the move, Lewis is at a loss for words at the thought of this daunting task and has no choice but to agree.

Genesee Country, composed of Allegany, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe and Ontario Counties near the Genesee River in western New York, is rich in local history with national importance. The Seneca and Algonkin nations once called this lush land home, and after the American Revolution, settlers came in hordes to till the soil and raise families. The region later became a hotbed of activity for abolitionists, early supporters of women's rights and religious movements that influenced the entire United States. In this book, author and local historian Rose O'Keefe chronicles the sites where these and other important events took place. Join her on a tour of Genesee Country's legacies.

Southeast Rochester provides an overview of the
neighborhoods that exploded with the development of the
Erie Canal from the 1820s to the 1890s. The early South
Avenue District stretched from the original canal and the
Genesee River to the ancient glacial hills once called the
Pinnacle Range. Noteworthy sites include Mount Hope
Cemetery, the nation's first municipal cemetery and final
resting place for the Frederick Douglass family and the
Susan B. Anthony family; Highland Park, designed by
Frederick Law Olmsted; the University of Rochester; and
Colgate Divinity School.

 
Southeast Rochester provides an overview of the
neighborhoods that exploded with the development of the
Erie Canal from the 1820s to the 1890s. The early South
Avenue District stretched from the original canal and the
Genesee River to the ancient glacial hills once called the
Pinnacle Range. Noteworthy sites include Mount Hope
Cemetery, the nation's first municipal cemetery and final
resting place for the Frederick Douglass family and the
Susan B. Anthony family; Highland Park, designed by
Frederick Law Olmsted; the University of Rochester; and
Colgate Divinity School.
 

Rochester's South Wedge follows the hundreds of ambitious and ordinary people who have formed a distinct community for 185 years. Immediate neighbors include Mount Hope Cemetery, the nation's first municipal cemetery and final resting place for the Frederick Douglass family and Susan B. Anthony; and Highland Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Close by are the University of Rochester and Colgate Divinity School. With its northern boundary on the original Erie Canal, the South Wedge became home to laborers, craftsmen, and shopkeepers who contributed to the boatbuilding industry in the 1800s. The worldfamous Ellwanger and Barry Nurseries covered parts of the South Wedge and surrounding area.

Rochester's South Wedge follows the hundreds of ambitious and ordinary people who have formed a distinct community for 185 years. Immediate neighbors include Mount Hope Cemetery, the nation's first municipal cemetery and final resting place for the Frederick Douglass family and Susan B. Anthony; and Highland Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Close by are the University of Rochester and Colgate Divinity School. With its northern boundary on the original Erie Canal, the South Wedge became home to laborers, craftsmen, and shopkeepers who contributed to the boatbuilding industry in the 1800s. The worldfamous Ellwanger and Barry Nurseries covered parts of the South Wedge and surrounding area.