May 28

May 28, 1838: A trial is held for Octavious Barron for Rochester's first murder. The trial lasted 10 days, Barron was found guilty and was executed on July 25.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Rochester History (July 1942) v. 4, n. 1, pg 14-16

May 28, 1903: Dr. Francis Tumblety dies and is returned to Rochester to be interred in Rochester's Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Tumblety, raised in Rochester was considered a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders. He was also briefly arrested but released for suspicion in aiding in the assassination of President Lincoln.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Wikipedia: Francis_Tumblety 
2. Vogt, Robert E.; Rochester History (Spring 2005); v. LXVII, n. 2, pg 27
3. Tumblety, Francis; Narrrative of Dr. Tumblety (1872); Russells' American steam printing house

  

May 25

May 25, 1948: The New York Black Yankees defeat the Newark Eagles in their opening home game double header after moving to Redwings Stadium. This was the team's first and only season based in Rochester as the Negro National League folded after the 1948 season.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Negro League Baseball Players Association: Gem of local baseball history found, Feb 26, 2006
2. Wikipedia: New York Black Yankees

May 22

May 22, 1820: The first Carthage bridge collapses due to a structural flaw. The bridge was constructed over the Genesee River gorge from the settlement of Carthage, located just north of Rochester, along the east bank near the lower falls. Completed just 15 months prior, the bridge was hailed as an great engineering accomplishment, rivaling any bridge in the United States or Europe.

Sources and Further Reading:

1.  The History of Rochester and Monroe County (1908); Peck, William; pg 39

Request for proposals for building the Carthage bridge, published in The Rochester Gazzette, October 14, 1817



May 17

May 17, 1831: Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, Rochester's founder, dies after several years of illness at the age of 79. His monument at Mount Hope Cemetery reads: Si Monumentum Requiris Circumspice (If you would behold this monument, look about you).

 

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Rochester History (1962) v. 24, n. 1, pg 23

 

May 14

May 14, 1814: The British Fleet of Sir James Yeo is sighted off the mouth of the Genesee River. Alarm is raised and all 33 men of the village of Rochester able to bear arms (save two to guard the women and children) are dispatched to join other local militia at Charlotte to prevent a landing. The prior summer, the British had landed and confiscated some supplies, without resistance. This time, having received the refugees after of the burning of Lewiston and aware of recent the raid on Oswego, the local militia refused landing. After a brief exchange of cannon fire between the militia and a British gunboat, the British fleet departed without further incident.

See Also:

September 11, 1813

Sources and Further Reading

1. Rochester History (January 1942), vol IV, no. 1, pg8
2. Marsh, Ruth (October 1942) "War on Lake Ontario: 1812-1815", Rochester History, vol. IV, no. 4, pages 15-17

May 12

May 12, 1853: The Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad makes its first run in 30 minutes from Charlotte to Rochester.  The railroad enabled goods and passengers arriving from Canada to reach New York City within 12 hours.  Properties along the route, including that of George Latta, doubled in value.

Sources and Further Reading:

1.  Rochester History (1983) v. 45, n. 3, pg 21

May 11

May 11, 1837: Rochester celebrates the commencement of regular passenger service to Batavia on the Tonowanda railroad, the first steam railroad in the area.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 73

May 10

May 10, 1918: The Barge Canal (present day Erie Canal) is completed and fully opened when merged with the Genesee River in the Genesee Valley Park.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. New York Times (May 11, 1918), "Barge Canal Open From End to End"

May 3

May 3, 1861: A parade is held in the streets of Rochester as local volunteers responding to President Lincoln's call to arms head off by train to Elmira to join the 13th New York Infantry regiment. The regiment would not return to Rochester for nearly 2 years.



Sources and Further Reading:

1. Levy, George; Tynan, Paul; Rochester History (2004) v66, no 3, pg 4