August 5

August 5, 1863: With insufficient troops having been raised for the Civil War, Rochester participates in the statewide conscription. Many residents were bitter that Rochester was being unfairly burdened by its quota, given the large amount of locals which had already enlisted. Further, many felt that $300 commutation fee policy meant the draft unfairly targeted the poor.

Sources and Further Reading:  

1. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 78
2. Rochester History (1991), vol 53, no 2, pg 9-11

August 5, 1879: Sea Breeze park opens to the public.

 Sources and Further Reading:

1. http://seabreeze.com/about/history.php