August 10

August 10, 1889: The westbound Thousand Island Fast Express train on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (ʺHojackʺ line) collides with a stopped morning commuter train at the Forest Lawn station in Webster, killing two and injuring nine of the passengers and crew.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. FATAL RAILROAD ACCIDENT; TWO LIVES LOST NEAR THE CITY OF ROCHESTER, New York Times, Aug 11 1889
2.  TO PREVENT RAILROAD ACCIDENTS, New York Times, Oct. 2 1889
3. The Hojack Line Story, Batzing, Dick, Friends of Webster Trails

• Webster Hojack Trail - Trail Map

August 6

August 6, 1975: The Town Affiliation Association begins its three day conference celebrating Rochester's 18 year relation with our six sister cities.  Foreign delegations from 17 nations including all of the sister cities attend. During the conference, a dedication ceremony is held for the Sister Cities Bridge pedestrian walkway across the Genesee River by High Falls.

Sources and Further Information

• Rochester History (1981), vol 43, no 4, pg 7

July 19

July 19,1878: The National Woman Suffrage Association holds its convention in Rochester, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Seneca Falls convention.

Sources and Further Reading:

http://www.winningthevote.org/APost.html

May 6

May 6, 1894: In an attempt to prevent the spread of tuberculosis and other diseases, the North Presbyterian church become the first to adopt the use of individual communion cups. The practice soon caught on in other parts of the country.

Sources and Further Reading

• History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 107

March 13

March 13, 1906: Susan B. Anthony died in her home on Madison St. at the age of 86.  She is buried at Mount hope Cemetery. It would be 14 more years before the 14th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, preventing any citizen, regardless of sex, from being denied the right to vote.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia: Susan B. Anthony

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