The Greece Historical Society has just published a new book, Pioneers of the Town of Greece, Volume 2, that celebrates the pioneer families who settled in the Town of Greece before 1872. Volume 1 was published in 2021 in anticipation of the Greece Bicentennial and left many early pioneers still to explore.
Written by GHS volunteers Marie Poinan and Jo Ann Ward Snyder, the book includes input from many pioneer descendants and features stories and photos from these families. Many photos have never been seen before. The authors have spent four years interviewing and conducting additional research to produce a volume of local history and genealogy.
The following vignette is an example of the information you will find in this new book. It introduces the reader to the family of William Andrews, captain of the ferry Windsor, which took passengers across the Genesee River from Charlotte to Irondequoit.
William Andrews (1802-1889) was born in Scotland and emigrated to Canada, where he married Margaret Traviss, granddaughter of Loyalists who moved to Canada from Westchester County, NY, at the time of the American Revolution. William was a shipbuilder, and the family was living in Lewiston when son William Francis (1855-1941) was born. The family moved to Greece about 1856, and William built the house at 493 Latta Road. Son William became a Great Lakes sailor at the age of 15. He married Mary Lovina Hannahs in 1881, and the couple raised their four daughters at 200 River Street. He operated the ferry Windsor for 30 years without an accident. The ferry operated from May until October, and Andrews spent the off-season building houses. Andrews worked until 1928, when both he and the ferry were retired from service. William died in 1941.
One photo seen here shows Captain Andrews standing on the stern of the ferry in drydock, while the second shows the Andrews and Hannahs families. Andrews’s father-in-law, Charles Hannahs, would later become President of the Village of Charlotte until it was annexed by the City of Rochester on January 1, 1916. The Hannahs lived on the street that would later bear their name –Hannahs Terrace. Photos were saved in Andrews family photo albums, which have been passed down through the generations and have been preserved by descendant Brian Spindler.
Fifty pioneer families are covered in this volume: Allen, Andrews, Beattie, Beck, Benedict, Blackwell, Bonesteel, Buckman, Budd, Burger, Burns, Michael, Button, Cason, Clarke, Coffey, Combs, Cottrell/Pike, Davis/T. Mitchell, Defendorf, English, Estes, Faker, Fall, Frisbee, Glass, Hadlock, Hannahs, Hickox, Hincher, Hopper, Justice, Keene, Marchant, McShea, Meech, Phelps, Rowley, Ruggles, Sage, Sharpe/George Quinn, Vick, Weitz, Whelehan/John Quinn, Wietz, Williams, and Worboys.
The fact-filled book contains 288 pages and has over 1,150 photos and maps. Sure to be a research tool for generations to come, it is now available on Amazon. The GHS gift shop will be receiving its first shipment of books on December 18. Although the museum is closed in January and February, the book can be purchased in person during business hours, every Monday from 10 a.m. until noon at 595 Long Pond Road. Email greecehistoricalsociety@yahoo.com for information. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to support the Greece Historical Society.
Holiday Open House: The Greece Historical Society and Museum is closing the year with a Holiday Open House on December 14, 1:30 to 4 p.m., at 595 Long Pond Road. Stop by, meet some of the GHS volunteers, have a few refreshments, view the museum’s Erie Canal exhibit, and pick up a holiday gift of local history in the museum shop. A copy of the new book, Pioneers of the Town of Greece, Volume 2, will be available to peruse and pre-order. After the open house, the Greece Museum will be closed on Sundays through February. Members will still be available by appointment to answer questions or help with research. Email greecehistoricalsociety@yahoo.com to schedule a time.
