Signed Copies

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.

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.

Frederick Douglass--famed author, orator and former slave--spent twenty-five years with his family in Rochester, New York, beginning in 1848. Despite living through one of our nation's most bitter and terrifying times, Frederick and his wife, Anna, raised five children in a loving home with flower, fruit and vegetable gardens. While Frederick traveled widely, fighting for the freedom and rights of his brethren, Anna cared for their home and their family and extended circle. Their house was open to fugitives on the Underground Railroad, visiting abolitionists and house guests who stayed for weeks, months and years at a time. Local author Rose O'Keefe weaves together the story of the Douglasses' experience in Rochester and the indelible mark they left on the Flower City.

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.