LOOKING BACK: Macedon celebrates its bicentennial this yr | Way of life

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACEDON!

On January 29 of this yr, you’ll be 200 years previous! What an accomplishment. Right here’s a glance again at the place we began.

It appears to me that the 1780s had been an unbelievable time of change for our city, with the primary settlement of the Phelps and Gorham Buy happening in July 1789. The land was surveyed into six-mile sq. townships that had been specified by a grid of ranges and tracts. The ranges ran from east to west and tracts had been from south to north. The township was divided into 72 numerous 320 acres. Macedon would finally be designated Tract 12, Vary 3.

Considered one of my favourite books on Macedon is the “Pioneers of Macedon and different Papers of the Macedon Middle Historic Society,” compiled by Mary Louise Eldredge in 1912.

Turner’s Historical past additionally says, “The primary settler of Macedon was Webb Harwood, from Adams, Mass., who got here along with his spouse and constructed a cabin on the rise of floor close to the primary canal lock west of Palmyra, and about one-half mile east of the village of Macedon and overlooking it. He was accompanied by Bennett Bates, Johnathan Warner, and Noah Porter, who had been single. They made the journey with an ox crew and wagon in forty-six days, within the spring of 1789.” (“Pioneers of Macedon,” M. Eldredge, p. 13)

It wasn’t till 1823 that laws was handed creating the City of Macedon from what was then Palmyra, Ontario County. It was on April 11 the identical yr that Wayne County was formally acknowledged by the New York State Legislature, fashioned from each Ontario and Seneca counties. This is essential info if you’re doing analysis! In case you want to take a look at paperwork for occasions occurring earlier than 1823 then you could go to Ontario County for data.

Macedon started rising rapidly. We now have native households that may hint their roots again to the city’s founding. Agriculture was an important a part of our neighborhood. The Packard household was certainly one of Macedon’s authentic settlers and they are going to be wanting ahead to their very own bicentennial at Packard Valley Farms in 2025. There are such a lot of households that also exist in our space, some even have streets named after them. You would possibly acknowledge: Ethereal, Aldrich, Allen, Allyn, Baker, Bastian, Beal, Payments, Billing, Durfee, Hance, Herendeen, Hoag, Jennings, Lapham, Mann, Norton, Osband, Packard, Porter, Ramsdell, Reed, Smith, Taber and Willits to call a bunch.

Early companies included many mills, in addition to the Bickford Huffman Grain Drills enterprise. Well-known worldwide for his or her double seeding grain drills, this firm supplied employment to tons of of individuals in our neighborhood whereas perfecting the artwork of farming and planting seeds. You’ll discover certainly one of their grain drills on the Wayne County Historic Society — or on the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., if you wish to plan a visit. Macedon continues to develop and make historical past whereas encouraging new companies to settle right here.

Training and faith had been necessary to individuals in our neighborhood. Previous to the institution of Macedon Excessive Faculty, college students might attend the Macedon Academy, inbuilt 1853. Lots of of scholars, each female and male, went to this faculty till it closed in 1903.

The First Baptist Church of Macedon will probably be celebrating its 223rd birthday this yr. It was fashioned in 1800 with the assistance of Webb Harwood. The Methodists have a church in Macedon Middle. The precise date of its group shouldn’t be identified (it’s believed to be previous to 1812). The present church constructing was erected in 1847 on land donated by Durfee Osband. The Quakers additionally had a big presence in our space, with not one however two meetinghouses in Macedon Middle. Constructed round 1868, one nonetheless stands in the present day on the southeast nook of Canandaigua and Macedon Middle roads. It’s now owned by the Macedon Historic Society and has been repurposed because the Macedon Middle Assembly Home — a spot the place neighborhood members can meet and have a good time.

The Macedon Bicentennial Committee has been very busy over the previous two years making ready for our bicentennial. Plans are below means for our second Macedon Heritage Pageant this fall. It is going to be a day of celebration with music, meals, drinks, native organizations, craft distributors and kids’s actions. We sit up for this occasion together with the World Fife and Drum Pageant sponsored by the Towpath Volunteer Fife and Drum Corps. It should happen Sept. 2 at Canal Park, Lock 30, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Our plans are nicely below means with the night ending with a torchlight parade, and hopefully fireworks! We’re on the lookout for sponsors and members; please tell us if you’re .

Macedon may also be becoming a member of Wayne County in lots of occasions deliberate all year long, together with our April 11 Founding Day Celebration at Carey Lake in Walworth and on the Wayne County Truthful Aug. 14-19, together with a torch relay via every city in Wayne County.

Braun, a particular training trainer with Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, is the Macedon city historian and secretary of the Macedon Historic Society.