November 9

November 9, 1848: The Fox Sisters conducted a public seance at Rochester's Corinthian Hall, using their "rapping" technique. The sisters began their careers as mediums in their Wayne County home, convincing their neighbors that the house was haunted. Moving to Rochester, the girls refined their technique using a 'cracking' of their toe joints to make on-demand noises from the spirits. They began giving performances to larger public audiences and attracting a following of believers in a new religion that became known as "Spiritualism".

Sources and Further Reading

1.  Rochester History (April 1956) pg 18
2. Wikipedia:Fox sisters

September 10

September 10, 1871: A dedication ceremony for the new Holy Sepulchre Cemetery draws a crowd of 10,000, despite limited transportation options from the city north to its site along the Charlotte Boulevard toll road (now Lake Avenue) on the west bank of the Genesee River.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Rochester History (2005), vol 67, no 2, pg 4-5

September 10, 1840: The Auburn and Rochester Railroad opens providing passenger train service between Rochester and Canandaigua. It's first steam engine was known as "The Young Lion of the West" or later just "The Lion". The railroad was eventually extended through Seneca Falls, then Geneva, Cayuga, and finally Auburn, a total distance of 77 miles in a scheduled time of three hours and forty minutes.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia: Auburn and Rochester Railroad
2. Rochester, A Story Historical (1884); Parker Jenny Marsh, page 134
3. A History of Monroe County, New York (1887); Morrison, W.E., page 43 
4. The Locomotive The Young Lion of the West (2004), Palmer Richard
5. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 73

   See Also:

• Trail Map: Auburn Trail Pittsford
• Trail Map: Aubrun Trail Victor

July 15

July 15, 1863: Hundreds of Catholics and Protestants mourn together at the funeral of Col. Patrick O'Rorke, a popular local war hero who died at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Rochester History (1991), vol 53, no 2, pg 4
2. Wikipedia - Patrick O'Rorke
3. Annual report of the State Historian, Volume 1 By New York (State). State Historian (1897) (Source of Photo)

March 26

March 26, 1830: Joseph Smith, at the age of 24, publishes the Book of Mormon in Palmyra NY, said to be a translation of the Golden Plates that he discovered near his home on Cumorah Hill in Manchester, NY., given to him by the Angel Moroni.

Information Sources and Further Reading
1. Wikipedia: Joseph Smith

October 24

October 24, 1884: Thousands of Millerites gather at Pinnacle Hill (near present day Cobbs Hill park) for a night of prayer and celebration in preparation for the second coming and the end of the world. In the the morning the group disbanded, disappointed.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. New York: A Guide to the Empire State (1940) New York State Historical Association, Oxford University Press, pg 289
2. "Editorial Notebook; 'Cults,' Deconstructed",Mayer, Karl E., New York Times, March 7, 1993
3. VintageViews.org: Parks/cobbs hill