November 12

November 12, 1867: Edward Payson Weston, the famous pedestrian, passes through Rochester on his 26 day, 1200 mile walk from Portland, Maine to Chicago, Illinois. Along the way, Weston was known to give lectures on the health benefits of walking to spectators. He was awarded a $10,000 prize for his achievement. He repeated the feat again in 1907, at age 68, finishing ahead of his original time.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 108
2. Wikipedia: Edward Payson Weston

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