July 25, 1837:
Daniel Webster, senator from Massachusetts and former constitutional lawyer, gives a speech about the state of the economy in front of a gathering of the Whig party at the Rochester Courthouse. The speech inspires a group of Penfield farmers to petition the state for separate town status and the town of Webster was formed almost three years later in 1840, named in his honor.
Webster was opposed to Andrew Jackson's economic policies and had unsuccessfully sought the Whig party nomination for President in 1836 and would try again in 1839. He also suffered personal financial losses during the financial crisis of 1837, accumulating debt on farm land speculation.
Source and Further Reading:
- Official Town of Webster website: History
July 25, 1984: Unmarked mass graves containing over 700 bodies are found at the site of the former Monroe County Almshouse for the poor and mental ill, currently at Highland Park. The site is believed to have been in use from 1826 to 1863.
Sources and Further Reading:
- Poorhouse History by County: Monroe
- Rootsweb: Cemeteries of Monroe Co., NY
- Democrat and Chronicle: May 20, 2009
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