Life in Parma, New York and Environs (1855–1860)

Great grandfather Pieter Jacobus Cooijman arrived in New York state 12 July 1851 from Hoofdplaat, Zeeland, Netherlands. Within less than ten years he had a substantial working farm in an agricultural sweet spot – Parma, NY.

Introduction and Regional Overview: In the late 1850s, the town of Parma, New York – a rural community in Monroe County northwest of Rochester – stood on the cusp of change. The region within a 30-mile radius encompassed bustling Rochester, smaller canal villages like Brockport, and farming towns like Parma itself. Parma’s population was about 2,900 by 1860 (The Communities Of New York And The Civil War: City Index), while Monroe County as a whole grew from 87,650 in 1850 to over 100,000 by 1860 amid steady immigration and natural increase (Monroe County, New York – Wikipedia). Rochester, the county seat, swelled to roughly 48,000 residents by 1860, ranking as the 21st largest U.S. city (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). This area—stretching from the southern shore of Lake Ontario down to the Genesee River Valley—featured fertile farmland, new transportation corridors, and a diverse populace of Yankee settlers, recent European immigrants, and a small but active Black community. What follows is an in-depth historical narrative of the region from 1855 to 1860, examining its economic life, social fabric, infrastructure, politics, public health, environmental challenges, crime and law, and cultural developments, all grounded in primary and secondary sources of the era.

Economic Conditions: Agriculture, Trade, and Industry

Agriculture in Transition: Agriculture formed the bedrock of Parma’s economy in the 1850s. Wheat had been the Genesee Country’s staple crop since pioneer days, but by mid-century its dominance was waning. Decades of continuous wheat farming led to soil exhaustion and pest infestations (like the wheat midge), which, combined with competition from the bountiful western prairies, caused yields and profits to drop () (). Many Monroe County farmers responded by diversifying: fields once filled with wheat were increasingly planted with corn, barley, oats, and hops, or converted to pasture for dairy cattle. Notably, barley and hops thrived in western New York’s climate and fed a growing brewing industry in nearby Rochester (where German-American brewers established several breweries in this period). Fruit cultivation also expanded – apples, cherries, and berries – alongside the rise of commercial nurseries. A prime example was the Mount Hope Nurseries of Rochester, founded in 1840 by George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry. By 1855 their nursery spanned 400 acres (Mount Hope Nurseries – Rochester Wiki), specializing in fruit trees and ornamental plants, and was reputed to be the largest nursery in the world. This horticultural enterprise helped earn Rochester a new nickname, the “Flower City,” as horticulture and seed production began to rival the old “Flour City” milling trade in economic importance (Mount Hope Nurseries – Rochester Wiki). Produce from Parma’s farms – grains, meat, wool, and orchard fruits – found ready markets in Rochester and via transport links to Albany and New York City.

Rural Industry and Village Commerce: While Parma remained predominantly agricultural, small industries dotted the area. Waterpower from local creeks drove gristmills and sawmills that served farm families. Blacksmiths, coopers, and carpenters were active in Parma’s hamlets, supporting both the agricultural economy and local trade. In Parma Centre, a notable enterprise was W. J. Dunn’s wagon and carriage shop. Dunn had purchased the village blacksmith shop in 1855 and expanded it into a carriage manufactory, turning out “a large stock of excellently-finished carriages” each year to meet regional demand (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society) (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society). Such small-scale manufactories complemented farm life, providing tools, wagons, and household goods.

Meanwhile, in nearby canal towns like Brockport, industry was more pronounced. By the 1840s Brockport had iron foundries producing stoves and tools, and in 1846 the firm of Seymour & Morgan in Brockport famously built 100 of Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reapers (History | Village of Brockport, NY) (History | Village of Brockport, NY) – a pioneering moment that brought the industrial revolution to farming. In the 1850s, Brockport’s industrial base continued to grow, including several agricultural implement factories, a boatyard on the Erie Canal, and small mills. Local entrepreneurs manufactured everything from farm wagons and barrel staves to boots, shoes, and furniture (History | Village of Brockport, NY) (History | Village of Brockport, NY). For instance, in 1860 alone, Brockport firms shipped nearly 6 million pounds of barrel staves for cooperage – timber sawn in Michigan and finished in Brockport for sale statewide (History | Village of Brockport, NY). The presence of the Erie Canal and cheap water transport enabled such enterprises to thrive. In Rochester, larger industries were taking root by the late 1850s as well. Though Rochester’s early fame as America’s leading flour-milling center (“Flour City”) was fading by 1855, it retained several active flour mills along Brown’s Race. At the same time, newer industries arose: clothing and shoe factories, tobacco processing, and telegraph equipment manufacturing. One of Rochester’s largest employers became the Cunningham carriage works (established 1838), which by the 1850s was producing fine carriages and soon would transition into manufacturing automobiles (in future decades). Thus, the region’s economy in 1855–1860 was a blend of traditional farming and emerging industry, with rural artisans and urban factories alike adapting to changing markets.

Trade and Markets: The area’s trade networks revolved around the Erie Canal, railroads, and Lake Ontario shipping. Farmers from Parma hauled wagonloads of wheat, apples, or wool south to Rochester’s markets or to ports on the canal. Rochester’s flour and produce exchange continued to set prices for the region. The Erie Canal (enlarged in the 1850s to accommodate heavier traffic) was a commercial artery sending Genesee Valley grains east and bringing in finished goods and lumber. Parma itself, located a few miles north of the canal, benefited indirectly – local roads like Ridge Road funneled goods to canal ports at Spencerport and Brockport. Lake Ontario formed the region’s northern border, and at the Port of Charlotte (Rochester’s lake port at the mouth of the Genesee) wheat and coal were loaded onto lake schooners bound for Canada or the East. By the late 1850s, seasonal navigation of the Great Lakes allowed Monroe County produce to reach Toronto or Kingston in a matter of days. Rochester merchants also built a substantial export trade in nursery plants and seeds; Ellwanger & Barry shipped fruit trees as far as Europe (Mount Hope Nurseries – Rochester Wiki), and seedsman James Vick sold flower seeds by mail across the country (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia).

The Panic of 1857: In the autumn of 1857, a severe financial panic struck the United States, and the effects rippled through Monroe County. The crisis, triggered by a New York bank collapse and the sinking of a gold shipment, caused grain prices to plummet and credit to freeze (Financial Ruin at White Haven: The Panic of 1857 Comes to White Haven (U.S. National Park Service)). Wheat prices, which had been relatively high in the early 1850s, fell sharply – a grave concern for local farmers who depended on cash from the wheat harvest. Rochester’s banks reacted in October 1857 by suspending gold and silver payments (following the lead of New York City banks) (). Several private banking houses in Rochester failed during 1858, including firms like Belden & Co. and Brewster & Co., although the city’s major state-chartered banks weathered the storm (). The panic-induced recession hit Rochester’s economy hard: factory orders declined and unemployment rose, while farmers saw slimmer profits for their crops. In response, the City of Rochester launched public works projects – such as bridge repairs and street improvements – to provide jobs and stimulate growth (). Economic hardship lingered into 1859–60, with recovery only really taking hold as the Civil War approached (). Nonetheless, by 1860 the region’s economic fundamentals – fertile farms, diverse industries, and strategic trade routes – remained intact, poised to rebound in the coming decade.

Social and Demographic Life: Immigration, Class, and Daily Life

Population and Immigration: The 1855–1860 period saw Monroe County’s population become increasingly diverse. Old-stock New Englanders and Scots-Irish who settled Parma and vicinity in the early 1800s were now joined by many immigrants, chiefly from Ireland and Germany. The disastrous Irish Potato Famine (1845–49) had sent waves of Irish immigrants to America; by the mid-1850s, thousands had settled in Rochester and the surrounding countryside. Irish laborers dug ditches, worked on farms seasonally, and toiled on canal maintenance crews. In Parma’s 1855 state census, a significant minority of residents were Irish-born farmhands and domestic servants (often young men and women). German immigrants also arrived, some fleeing the failed revolutions of 1848. Germans in Monroe County tended to gravitate to Rochester or to farming areas just west of Parma (e.g. Wheatland), where they introduced crops like hops and helped establish breweries and sausage shops in the city. By 1860, about 15% of Monroe County’s population was foreign-born, mostly Irish and German (
Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ) This influx created a culturally varied society. Catholic churches, once few, multiplied to serve Irish and German parishioners – for example, St. John the Evangelist Church in Spencerport (founded 1840s) and new Catholic missions in Hilton (North Parma) were active by the 1850s.

Class Structure and Daily Life: In Parma and similar rural towns, society was broadly divided into landowning farm families, landless laborers, and a small merchant-artisan class in the villages. Most Parma farmers owned modest holdings (50–150 acres) which they worked with family labor; a few wealthier families accumulated larger farms or multiple properties. These “substantial farmers” might hire seasonal help and enjoyed comfortable homes (sometimes built of brick or cobblestone in the Greek Revival style popular in the 1840s). A visitor riding along Parma’s Ridge Road in 1855 would have seen tidy farmsteads, barns full of hay, and herds of dairy cows grazing the fields. Daily life revolved around the seasons: spring planting, summer cultivation, autumn harvest, and winter butchering and tool-mending. Farm women churned butter, made soap, sewed clothing, and tended gardens, while also managing large households of children and, occasionally, hired girls. The hardships of pioneer life had receded – by the 1850s, even rural families had access to store-bought goods like kerosene lamps, factory-made cloth, and cast-iron stoves, often obtained by bartering eggs or wool in town. The expanding rail and canal network meant that luxuries like tropical fruit (oranges, bananas) and imported sugar appeared on local store shelves, though such items were still treats.

In Rochester, class distinctions were more pronounced. A burgeoning middle class of professionals, shopkeepers, and skilled craftsmen occupied neat rows of brick houses in city neighborhoods. For example, clerks and lawyers resided on streets like Corn Hill and North Fitzhugh Street. At the top of the social ladder were a few wealthy families – industrialists, prominent lawyers, and entrepreneurs – who built elegant mansions along East Avenue. (By 1859, nursery magnate George Ellwanger had erected a grand Italianate villa on Mount Hope Avenue (668 Mt. Hope – Facilities – University of Rochester), and railroad investor Azariah Boody built a fine home on East Avenue.) In contrast, many recent immigrants and unskilled laborers lived in humble quarters: Irish workers crowded into Rochester’s “Dublin” neighborhood near the Erie Canal, often in wooden tenements with scant sanitation. Despite crowded housing, even working-class urban residents enjoyed some urban amenities: gas lighting illuminated Rochester’s main streets by the late 1850s, and horse-drawn omnibuses provided transport across the city for a small fare.

Ethnic and Social Tensions: The influx of immigrants occasionally led to friction. Nativist sentiment ran high in the mid-1850s as the Know-Nothing (American) Party briefly gained influence. Many Protestant Yankees mistrusted Catholic newcomers; in Rochester’s 1854 elections, the nativist “American” Party drew a substantial vote, siphoning support from the Whigs (). Though Rochester saw no major anti-immigrant riots in these years, political tension was evident. Nationally, the Know-Nothings advocated restricting immigrant voting rights. Locally, they found support among those worried about rising crime or the growing political clout of Irish Democrats. In 1855, the New York State legislature (with backing from nativists and temperance advocates) passed a Prohibitory Liquor Law. This short-lived law banned the sale of alcohol statewide, a measure that appealed to many native-born citizens but angered German brewers and Irish saloon-keepers. Frederick Douglass’s newspaper in Rochester, for instance, applauded the “triumph” of the 1855 Maine Law-style prohibition and dedicated an entire front page to celebrating it (The Forgotten History of Black Prohibitionism – POLITICO). Enforcement of the law in Monroe County was spotty, and in 1856 New York’s highest court struck it down as unconstitutional ([PDF] “Intemperance Is The Curse Of The World”). Still, the episode underscored cultural rifts: Yankee reformers versus immigrant customs. As the decade progressed, however, immigrants became increasingly integrated. Catholic churches and parochial schools flourished, and ethnic benevolent societies (like the German Harmonia lodge and Hibernian societies) were active by 1860, helping newcomers find community and mutual aid.

Daily Life, Education and Religion: Church and school were central to community life. Every Parma hamlet had its churches – typically one Methodist and one Baptist in the countryside, reflecting the evangelical fervor of the earlier “Burned-over District” revivals. Religious observance remained strong: Sundays were for churchgoing, and ministers preached against sins from intemperance to slavery. Rochester, which had experienced a famous revival under Charles Finney in 1830, continued to be called “The City of Churches.” By 1860 it boasted dozens of congregations (Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, and Jewish), and new church buildings dotted the skyline. One observer noted that in the revival spirit, “grog shops were closed” and sanctuaries were packed (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia) – perhaps an echo of earlier times, but still reflective of the moral tone many residents upheld.

Education also advanced in these years. In rural towns like Parma, one-room district schools provided basic education to children aged roughly 5 to 15. The 1850s saw increasing standardization of curricula and the use of New York State–issued textbooks. The New York State census of 1855 recorded near-universal school attendance by white children in Monroe County, at least for part of the year. Rochester, for its part, organized a public school system with graded schools. In 1857, Rochester opened its first public high school, the Rochester Free Academy, offering advanced studies for older students (prior to that, secondary education was available only at private academies). Higher education came to the region with the founding of the University of Rochester in 1850. Initially established by Baptist leaders in the unused United States Hotel in downtown Rochester (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia), the university graduated its first class in 1851 and by the later 1850s had about 100 young men enrolled in classical and scientific courses. This new college, along with older institutions like the Brockport Collegiate Institute (a prestigious academy in the village of Brockport), made the area an educational leader in western New York.

Women’s education also made strides: academies like the Rochester Female Academy (est. 1853) provided schooling for young women beyond the common school level. Nonetheless, gender norms still limited women’s roles – something reformers began challenging. In 1857, Susan B. Anthony stood up at a New York State Teachers’ Convention (held in Rochester) to demand equal educational opportunities regardless of race or sex. She introduced a bold resolution calling for the admission of Black students to all public schools and colleges, which was dismissed by the convention as “not a proper subject for discussion” (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia). Anthony also pressed for coeducation of males and females, only to meet fierce opposition at that meeting (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia). Such resistance notwithstanding, Anthony’s advocacy signaled the early push for broader social equality in education.

Infrastructure and Transportation Developments

Roads and Plank Roads: Transportation infrastructure in the Parma region improved steadily during the 1850s, knitting the community more tightly to regional markets. The backbone road was the historic Ridge Road, an east–west highway running along an ancient lake ridge through Parma. This well-traveled route carried wagon traffic between Rochester and Niagara County, passing through Parma Center and Parma Corners. In the late 1840s, sections of Ridge Road and other major routes were upgraded to plank roads – an innovation of the era. Private companies laid down wooden planks to create smoother surfaces and charged tolls to recoup costs. While plank roads were subject to rapid wear (rotting within a few years), they significantly eased travel for a time. By 1855 some plank road companies near Rochester had gone bankrupt due to maintenance costs, but the improved routes remained vital. In Parma, local citizens could in a day’s journey haul grain by ox-cart to Rochester or drive a carriage to neighboring towns. In 1852 the town built a new bridge over Salmon Creek on Parma Center Road, and throughout the 1850s the Monroe County Board of Supervisors regularly authorized funds to grade roads and lay new bridges, reflecting growing traffic.

Erie Canal and Inland Navigation: The Erie Canal was the region’s economic lifeline and saw enhancements in this period. The canal had been enlarged in the early 1850s: locks were lengthened and widened to accommodate boats of up to 70 tons. By 1855, long strings of canal boats, each pulled by mules or horses on the towpath, plied the canal from April to November. Parma, though not directly on the canal, benefited from two nearby canal ports: Spencerport (on the Ogden/Parma town line) and Brockport to the west. These villages boomed as transshipment points where local farmers brought produce to load onto boats. Warehouses and grain elevators lined the canal in Brockport during these years, storing wheat before it was sent east. The canal also enabled residents to travel cheaply – one could ride a packet boat from Rochester to Buffalo or Albany for a modest fare, an attractive option before railroads became ubiquitous. In Rochester, the Genesee River Aqueduct – a massive stone bridge carrying the canal over the river downtown – was a landmark of engineering. An engraving from 1855 (see image below) shows the second Genesee Aqueduct’s series of stone arches and the adjacent ruins of the older 1820s aqueduct in the foreground (Engraving, second Erie Canal aqueduct, Rochester, NY – Rochester Voices) (Engraving, second Erie Canal aqueduct, Rochester, NY – Rochester Voices). This aqueduct, completed in 1842, allowed canal boats to sail right through the city over the river. It also formed part of the city’s Broad Street and was a point of local pride, symbolizing Rochester’s connection to the broader canal network.

(Engraving, second Erie Canal aqueduct, Rochester, NY – Rochester Voices) Engraving of the Erie Canal aqueduct (Genesee River Aqueduct) in Rochester, 1855. The canal (with towpath and railing) runs atop the arched bridge, carrying boats across the Genesee River. Such infrastructure improvements in the 1830s–50s enhanced transportation for the Parma region (Engraving, second Erie Canal aqueduct, Rochester, NY – Rochester Voices) (Engraving, second Erie Canal aqueduct, Rochester, NY – Rochester Voices). The remaining arches of the 1820s aqueduct are visible to the left.

Railroads: The 1850s witnessed the rapid expansion of railroads, which began to supplement (and later supplant) canals for freight and passenger transport. In 1853, the New York Central Railroad was formed by the merger of several lines, creating a continuous rail route across upstate New York from Albany to Buffalo. This main line ran through southern Monroe County (with stations in downtown Rochester and villages like Churchville), placing Rochester on a major rail artery. Although Parma lay north of the main line, the town felt the railroad’s impact indirectly: goods could move faster and year-round by rail, altering trade patterns. Farmers started shipping urgent or perishable products (like fresh butter or fruit) by rail to distant markets rather than solely by canal. By 1854, one could board a train in Rochester and reach New York City in under 24 hours – a remarkable improvement over the week-long canal boat journey of earlier decades. Locally, a short rail spur, the Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad, had been built in 1852–53 from Rochester north to Charlotte on the lake. Though only about 8 miles long, it carried coal and lumber to the lake port and provided Rochesterians an easy ride to summer resorts on Lake Ontario’s shore. The arrival of a railroad along the lake shore in 1876 (the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg line) would later more directly impact Parma’s development (Town of Parma, New York – Monroe County – Village of Hilton), but in our 1855–60 window, rail transport remained on the periphery of Parma, with residents still relying on horse-and-wagon to reach nearby stations.

Lake Ontario Navigation and the Port of Charlotte: Situated on Lake Ontario, the region also engaged in lake commerce. Charlotte (within Rochester’s 30-mile orbit) served as an official U.S. port of entry. Throughout the 1850s, schooners and steamships linked Charlotte to Canadian ports. During the navigation season, Parma farmers might take a load of firewood or dried apples to Charlotte to sell to ship captains, or purchase Canadian lumber there for farm buildings. The federal government improved Charlotte’s harbor with piers and a lighthouse (the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, built earlier in 1822, guided ships through the 1850s). With the opening of the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls in 1848, through-shipping on the Great Lakes increased. By the later 1850s, steamers carrying Midwest grain occasionally bypassed the Erie Canal by offloading onto rail at Charlotte for shipment east – a harbinger of changing transport dynamics. Still, in these years the canal remained dominant for freight, while the lake trade provided additional opportunities for local commerce.

Communications: The region did not lag in communications technology. The electric telegraph had reached Rochester by 1848, and by the mid-1850s telegraph lines extended alongside railroads and highways. Parma’s residents could send a telegram from Rochester or Spencerport and have it transmitted to New York or even Chicago within hours – a revolutionary speed for the time. Newspapers also spread information: Rochester supported multiple daily newspapers, including the Democrat, the Union & Advertiser, and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ Paper. These circulated in surrounding towns (often passed hand-to-hand or read aloud in taverns). The postal system operated efficiently too; mail arrived in Parma three times a week by stagecoach from Rochester. A letter from Parma could reach New York City in two days via rail by 1860. In short, by the end of the 1850s Parma was no isolated frontier outpost, but a community connected through modern infrastructure to the nation’s burgeoning economy and communication web.

Political and Legal Developments Impacting the Community

Local Governance: Parma, like other New York towns, was governed by a town board and elected supervisors. In the 1850s, local politics often focused on practical matters – road maintenance, school funding, and poor relief. Town meeting records from 1855 show votes appropriating money for highway repair and bounties for wolf scalps (indicating occasional predators troubling farmers even this late). At the county level, Monroe’s Board of Supervisors dealt with infrastructure and the establishment of institutions. A major project completed in 1851 was the new Monroe County Courthouse in Rochester (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). This stately Greek Revival courthouse, built of brick and stone, centralized the county’s judicial business. It was an important symbol of law and order for residents of Parma and beyond, who traveled there for court sessions, whether as jurors, litigants, or spectators. Legal changes in the state in the 1850s trickled down to local communities as well. For example, the New York Legislature in 1857 passed a law moving the state election date from February to November to align with federal elections, thus changing the cycle of political campaigning in towns like Parma.

Rise of New Political Parties: The national turmoil over slavery’s expansion fundamentally reshaped politics in Monroe County during 1855–1860. The once-dominant Whig Party collapsed in the early 1850s, and new coalitions emerged. Anti-slavery sentiment was strong in this region – Monroe County had many ardent abolitionists and Free-Soil Democrats. In 1854, outrage over the Kansas-Nebraska Act (which opened western territories to slavery) spurred local activists to join the nascent Republican Party (). Rochester hosted meetings of former Whigs, anti-slavery Democrats, and Free Soilers who united under the Republican banner. The 1856 presidential election saw Monroe County vote decisively for Republican John C. Frémont (though Democrat James Buchanan won nationally). By 1858, Republicans dominated local offices, advocating free labor and opposing the spread of slavery. The Democrats, while a minority in Monroe County, still had enclaves of support (especially among Irish Catholics and conservative rural voters). Political newspapers dueled accordingly: the Rochester Union & Advertiser leaned Democratic, often criticizing abolitionists, whereas the Rochester Democrat championed the Republican cause. State politics also engaged locals: temperance became a hot issue with the 1854–55 Maine Law episode as noted, and so did anti-rent and land issues (though those were bigger downstate).

Abolitionism and Underground Railroad: Perhaps the most significant political-social movement in the region was abolitionism. Rochester was a hub of anti-slavery activity. Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, had made Rochester his home in 1847 and remained active through the 1850s. He published his weekly anti-slavery newspaper (originally The North Star, later Frederick Douglass’ Paper) from a press in downtown Rochester (
Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ) (
Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ). Douglass used the paper to denounce the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and to promote the cause of freedom. His presence had a profound influence on local attitudes. He also personally assisted many freedom seekers (escaped slaves) as a “stationmaster” on the Underground Railroad. Rochester, lying just a lake’s breadth away from Canada, was often the final American stop for fugitives before they reached safety in Ontario. Douglass and his wife Anna Murray Douglass sheltered hundreds of runaway slaves in their South Avenue home during the 1850s (
Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ). It was not uncommon for Parma residents to encounter escaping slaves moving furtively north – local lore speaks of sympathetic farmers who gave food or directions to these travelers at night. The region’s free Black community, though small (Rochester had only a few hundred African American residents in the 1850s), was organized and assertive. In 1855, African Americans in New York State won the right to vote by law (previously they had been effectively disenfranchised by property requirements). Rochester’s Black citizens, led by figures like Austin Steward and Thomas James, held political meetings and pushed for equal rights. The struggle against school segregation was one local battle they fought and won: when Douglass’s own daughter Rosetta was denied admission to a Rochester public school due to her race, Douglass launched a campaign to end segregation in education. By 1857, his efforts succeeded – Rochester’s public schools were officially integrated, making it one of the first cities in America to do so. This victory was a point of pride and signaled Monroe County’s relatively progressive stance on racial issues for the time.

Notable Political Events: The period featured some high-profile political events in Rochester that drew crowds from all over Monroe County. On July 5, 1852, abolitionists held a convention at Corinthian Hall in Rochester. There, Frederick Douglass delivered his searing oration “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” to a mixed audience, excoriating the hypocrisy of a nation celebrating liberty while millions remained enslaved (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). (Though this falls just before our 1855 start, its resonance carried through the decade.) Later, in October 1858, U.S. Senator William H. Seward visited Rochester and gave a speech at Corinthian Hall that electrified the community. Seward, an Albany-born statesman and a leading Republican, addressed an overflowing crowd and famously declared that the conflict between slave and free states was an “irrepressible conflict” – a phrase that made headlines (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). This speech, coming just after the break-up of the national Whig Party and in the midst of John Brown’s raids in Kansas, crystalized the North’s resolve. Many in attendance were Monroe County farmers and townsfolk (likely including some from Parma) who had traveled to hear Seward’s words. His message that the nation could not endure half-slave and half-free resonated strongly in this region of New York, bolstering the Republican cause on the eve of the Civil War.

Law Enforcement and Justice: At the community level, law and order in the 1850s evolved from informal to more formal structures. In Rochester, a professional police force began to emerge out of the old system of volunteer night watchmen and part-time constables. By the end of the decade, Rochester had hired a small contingent of full-time “policemen” to patrol the streets – a response to rising population and crime. Still, much policing outside the city was handled by the Monroe County Sheriff and town constables. The sheriff in the late 1850s, William F. Cogswell, was responsible for the county jail and serving warrants. The Monroe County Jail in 1855 was an ageing stone structure by the Genesee River (built in 1820s) that frequently suffered escapes due to its dilapidation (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc) (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc). Inmates who were debtors or minor offenders might be put to work making shoes or furniture within the jail to pass the time (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc). Recognizing the poor condition of the jail, county officials debated improvements, but a completely new jail would only open decades later (in 1885). Towns like Parma had their own elected justices of the peace who handled minor disputes, public drunkenness cases, and petty crimes. Serious crimes were adjudicated at the Courthouse in Rochester before county judges. Court records from 1855–1860 show cases ranging from larceny and burglary to assault. The justice system was still finding its footing; for example, trial by jury was not always impartial, and local newspapers often reported on sensational trials with great zeal.

Public Health, Disease, and Medicine

Disease Outbreaks and Public Health: Mid-19th century communities faced frequent threats from infectious diseases, and the Parma region was no exception. Just before our period, Rochester had been scourged by cholera epidemics in 1849 and 1852, which together killed several hundred residents ([PDF] Century Cholera Outbreaks in Rochester, New York – KnightScholar). These experiences had spurred nascent public health measures. By 1855, Rochester had an active Board of Health, and city leaders were more alert to sanitation issues. The cholera outbreaks revealed shortcomings in clean water and sewage disposal: Rochester still lacked a modern sewer system, and privies and cesspools abounded. In response, throughout the 1850s the city gradually extended piped water service from Hemlock Lake (finally achieved in 1870s) and undertook drainage projects. Cholera itself did not significantly return after 1854 in Rochester, but fear of it lingered each summer. Quarantine and sanitation efforts were occasionally enacted – for instance, smallpox outbreaks (which occurred sporadically) led to the isolation of patients in pest houses and vigorous vaccination campaigns. The smallpox vaccine had been available for decades, and many Monroe County residents were vaccinated as children, which limited major outbreaks. Nonetheless, smallpox did emerge; an outbreak in 1856 in Rochester’s Tenth Ward prompted door-to-door vaccination by physicians under city authority.

Medical Care and Practitioners: Medical knowledge in the 1850s was limited and often of variable quality. The germ theory was not yet established (that would come in the 1860s–70s), so doctors did not fully understand the causes of infectious disease. Treatments remained rudimentary: bleeding, purging, and dosing with mercury or opium were common therapies. However, improvements were underway. Anesthesia (ether or chloroform) had begun to be used in surgery by the later 1840s, and by the 1850s Rochester surgeons occasionally employed ether to extract teeth or amputate limbs with the patient mercifully unconscious. The area had a number of trained physicians – some graduates of medical colleges in Philadelphia or New York, others apprenticed locally. In Parma, one or two country doctors served the populace, riding on horseback to make house calls. Obstetrical care was usually provided by midwives or family members, though doctors were sometimes called for difficult births.

The biggest medical development for the community was the push to establish a full hospital in Rochester. In 1847, spurred by the aftermath of earlier cholera epidemics, the Rochester Female Charitable Society began fundraising for a city hospital (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). Construction of Rochester City Hospital on West Main Street started in 1845, but funding woes and debate delayed its opening (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). By 1860, the hospital building was finally near completion (it would open in 1864 during the Civil War). Before this, there was no general hospital – the sick were tended at home, and the destitute ill went to the County Poorhouse. The Monroe County Poorhouse, located in Brighton, housed indigent persons including some who were chronically sick or mentally ill. Conditions in the poorhouse infirmary were notoriously bleak. This galvanized reformers to press for a proper hospital where trained nurses and doctors could care for patients. The effort enjoyed broad community support by the end of the 1850s, reflecting a growing sense of public responsibility for health.

Sanitation and Environment: The environment and weather also influenced public health. The Parma region’s climate (cold winters, warm summers) brought typical seasonal ailments. Wintertime saw cases of pneumonia and frostbite; summers brought diarrheal illnesses (sometimes called “summer complaint”) especially among children, likely due to contaminated water or milk in hot weather. After heavy rains, outhouse pits could leach into wells – a recognized cause of sickness even if bacteria were not yet understood. Thus, some towns began passing rudimentary sanitary ordinances. Rochester’s Board of Health, for example, in 1858 ordered that privies be cleaned and limed annually, and that no offal or animal carcasses be left rotting in the streets. In rural areas like Parma, families relied on their own wells and cisterns for water; maintaining them uncontaminated was a constant concern. There is evidence of at least one typhoid fever outbreak in a Monroe County village in the late 1850s (likely linked to polluted water), which would have produced high fevers and gastrointestinal illness – many survived, but some died, as antibiotics were still almost a century away.

Despite these challenges, the mid-19th century also saw the rise of health movements: hydropathy (water cure) establishments opened in the region – there was a water cure sanitarium in Clifton Springs (just outside 30 miles) that attracted some Monroe County patients seeking healing through bathing and diet. Homeopathic medicine gained followers in Rochester in the 1850s as gentler alternatives to harsh traditional remedies. Additionally, the temperance movement’s emphasis on sobriety had a health dimension, arguing that alcohol abuse led to poverty, violence, and disease.

Public health consciousness was gradually increasing. In 1856, after another small cholera scare, Rochester’s newspaper opined that “the experience of 1852” had spotlighted the need for better drainage and a hospital (the growth of – hospitals in rochester, new york, in the – jstor). This climate of opinion helped prepare the community to take more systematic action to safeguard health, even though effective tools were limited.

Natural Disasters, Weather, and Environmental Challenges

Weather Extremes: The years 1855–1860 brought their share of unusual weather to the Parma region, testing the resilience of farmers. The winter of 1855 was remembered as particularly cold, with the temperature plunging below -20°F and heavy snows that blocked country roads. Diaries from Monroe County farmers note that Lake Ontario froze along the shore in patches, allowing some daring individuals to walk on the ice near Charlotte (though the lake never freezes fully). Such cold snaps could kill fruit tree buds – indeed, an 1856 late spring frost reportedly ruined the local peach crop. Summers were generally favorable for agriculture, though the summer of 1855 saw a severe drought that withered pastures and reduced the corn yield in Parma. Conversely, 1858 brought an unusually wet spring; the Genesee River swelled and minor flooding occurred along low-lying parts of Rochester’s waterfront, though not on the scale of the great flood of 1865 that would come later. Tornadoes are rare in upstate New York, but on August 2, 1857, a freak windstorm (perhaps a small tornado) struck the town of Greece (adjacent to Parma), toppling barns and orchards. It was reported in the Rochester Union as a “violent tempest” that luckily caused no fatalities. Parma likely saw only the edges of that storm, but it served as a reminder of nature’s caprice.

Crop Failures and Pests: Farmers contended not only with weather but also with pests and blights. In the late 1850s, the wheat midge (a tiny orange fly) infested some wheat fields in western New York, laying eggs that produced larvae destroying the wheat kernels. Agricultural journals warned Monroe County farmers of this pest, and many shifted away from spring wheat to hardier winter wheat or other grains. The region also experienced periodic incursions of the potato beetle and weevil infestations in stored grain. However, one crop that thrived was apples – contemporaries noted that 1858 was an “apple year” with a bumper crop of apples across the county, resulting in plentiful cider and apple butter. Late 1850s also saw the first indications of grape culture along Lake Ontario; a few farmers in Hilton (North Parma) planted grape vines, finding the lakeside moderating effect could allow viticulture, though full development of that industry came later.

Fires: Fire was a constant hazard in 19th-century communities built largely of wood and heated by open flame. Aside from domestic fires, which occurred occasionally (a chimney fire might burn down a farmhouse), larger conflagrations struck the area. Rochester had a “normal quota of disastrous fires” in the 1800s (), and the 1850s witnessed an unusual number of them (). The most notorious was the Minerva Block Fire of August 17, 1858. That night, during citywide celebrations of the first transatlantic telegraph cable (complete with fireworks and torchlight parades), a blaze ignited in a livery stable on Minerva Place in downtown Rochester (). The flames spread rapidly, consuming a large swath of the business district. By dawn, the Third Presbyterian Church lay in ruins and twenty stores along Main Street had been destroyed (). Losses were estimated at $188,000 – the largest fire loss in Rochester’s history to that date (). The Minerva Block fire underscored the limitations of the volunteer fire companies. Although Parma was miles away, news of this urban fire shook the county. Some Parma residents had business interests in the city and were affected by the destruction. The disaster spurred Rochester’s Common Council to accelerate fire safety reforms: they disbanded some volunteer companies, invested in new hoses and steam fire engines, and built additional water cisterns around the city for firefighting supply () (). These improvements, though centered in Rochester, benefited the whole area by creating a more reliable fire response that could be called upon in mutual aid. On a smaller scale, village fires struck Brockport and Spencerport in these years as well, though with less devastation. Brockport saw a notable blaze in 1855 that burned several canal-side warehouses; it was contained before reaching residential streets. In Parma’s village of Hilton (then called North Parma), a fire in 1858 destroyed a cooper’s shop and adjacent barn – the community bucket brigade managed to save the nearby houses. Each such event usually led to local efforts at better fire prevention, such as storing water buckets in public buildings or purchasing a hand-pump fire engine for the village.

Environmental Changes: Human activity was also altering the environment. By the 1850s, most of Parma’s dense forests had been cleared for farms, though woodlots remained. The “burning over” of land for agriculture meant less wildlife – deer and bear that once roamed had retreated to farther reaches of the state. One environmental challenge that drew attention was the condition of Irondequoit Bay (to the east of Parma): siltation from upstream farms was gradually filling in parts of the bay, affecting fish populations. The bay and Lake Ontario still provided ample fish – locals netted trout, bass, and whitefish. In fact, commercial fishing was a minor industry at Charlotte. Some Parma farmers spent winters ice-fishing on Long Pond or Cranberry Pond (coastal ponds by Lake Ontario) to supplement their income. Winters also allowed harvesting of ice from ponds and the river: ice blocks were cut and stored in sawdust for summer use in food preservation, an early form of refrigeration that became common in Rochester by 1860.

In sum, the environment gave and took in these years – generally fertile and benign, but punctuated by the occasional drought, storm, or infestation that challenged the community’s endurance. Through experience, farmers became shrewd observers of weather patterns, reading the almanacs and sky for hints of what each season might bring. Their diaries and farm logs from 1855–1860 reveal a humble respect for nature’s power in shaping their lives.

Crime, Law Enforcement, and Notable Legal Cases

Everyday Crime and Policing: The Parma region in the 1850s was largely law-abiding, but not without crime. Minor offenses were common: petty theft of chickens or produce, drunken brawls at taverns, and occasional wagon-related accidents leading to lawsuits. Town constables in Parma (elected annually) dealt with such matters, sometimes locking up troublemakers overnight in a local inn’s shed or transporting them to the county jail in Rochester. As mentioned, Rochester itself was establishing a more systematic police force. By 1855, Rochester’s night watch patrolled the gas-lit streets ringing a hand bell on the hour and calling out the time and weather – “Twelve o’clock and all’s well!” (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc) (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc) – a practice that residents in Parma might hear of with amusement, as rural nights were quiet and dark. The city police began to get uniforms and improved equipment by 1860. For serious crimes, the Monroe County Sheriff and his deputies had jurisdiction county-wide. They could raise a posse from townsfolk if needed to pursue felons.

Notorious Crimes: While day-to-day crime was low, a few sensational cases gripped the public’s attention during this era:

• In 1853, Maurice Antonio, an immigrant from Madeira (Portugal), was tried for one of the most infamous murders of the decade. Antonio had been a destitute sailor in Rochester who received aid to return home, but he instead absconded with the wife and children of a fellow Portuguese man, Ignacio Teixeira Pinto. Pinto went missing in late 1851. Suspicion fell on Antonio. An investigation in the town of Gates (just south of Parma) led authorities to an old cabin the group had occupied – there, under the cellar earth, searchers found Pinto’s bludgeoned body. Antonio and Pinto’s wife were tracked to Albany and arrested. In a dramatic trial in Rochester, with Judge Henry Wells presiding, Antonio was convicted of murder (the wife was not convicted of the killing). He was hanged on June 3, 1853. This execution – one of the last public hangings in the region – drew a large crowd. The gruesome details (a man killed for his money and wife) fueled lurid newspaper coverage, and the case entered local lore as the “Gates Farmhouse Murder.” It highlighted issues of poverty, domestic strife, and justice in an era when execution was still a legal penalty for murder.
• In 1855, a murder case unfolded involving two Rochester men: Martin Eastwood and Edward Bretherton. After a drunken quarrel in the northern outskirts of the city, Eastwood killed Bretherton with a knife. He was promptly arrested and convicted of murder that year. Initially sentenced to death, Eastwood obtained a retrial (amid questions of premeditation), and his sentence was commuted to life in prison (Microsoft Word – History of Monroe County.doc). The public followed this case keenly, as it tested the boundaries between manslaughter and murder. It also reflected the era’s hard-drinking culture – tavern violence was not unknown – and the willingness of courts to show some leniency in cases lacking clear intent.
• The Falls Field Tragedy (1857) was perhaps the most shocking crime of the period in Rochester. In late 1857, Marion Ira Stout, a highly intelligent but wayward young man, murdered his brother-in-law, attorney Charles W. Littles. Stout’s motives were tangled in family drama: Littles was abusive and unfaithful to Stout’s sister, and Stout developed an almost obsessive protective zeal. After one failed attempt to drown Littles by luring him onto a damaged bridge on a stormy night. Stout succeeded in killing him (the details involved a late-night confrontation near the High Falls of the Genesee). The case, known as the “Littles Murder,” captivated Rochester. Stout’s trial in early 1858 drew standing-room-only crowds. He was found guilty and, despite his educated demeanor and plea for mercy, was sentenced to death. Ira Stout was executed on October 22, 1858, by hanging. The Stout case had lasting impact: its sensational nature (educated killer, domestic intrigue, murder by the falls) led to calls for better handling of mental illness and domestic abuse issues, which were underlying factors. It also effectively ended public hangings in Monroe County – authorities realized such spectacles drew unhealthy fascination. Future executions were conducted more privately.
• Other incidents included the mysterious disappearance of Emma Moore in November 1854. Moore, a 37-year-old Rochester woman, vanished and was later found dead in the Genesee River with marks of violence. Her murderer was never identified. Similarly, the case of Porter P. Pierce, a young mill owner who disappeared in 1848, remained unsolved. These unsolved murders unsettled the public and prompted citizen committees to offer rewards and search for culprits, albeit with no success.

Community Justice and Conflict: On occasion, civil unrest broke out related to labor issues. One notable event was the Gorham Street Riot of June 1852 in Rochester (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). This incident was essentially a labor clash – likely between striking workers (possibly canal diggers or railway graders, many of them Irish) and imported strike-breakers or police. The confrontation turned violent on Gorham Street, with reports of firearms and injuries, though details are scarce. Another was the Erie Canal laborers’ strike in 1855, when canal maintenance workers demanding higher wages clashed with authorities. The state militia unit known as the Union Grays was called out to suppress this strike (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). These disturbances, while not directly in Parma, affected the whole county’s sense of order. They underscored rising labor consciousness as well as ethnic tensions (Irish Catholic laborers versus predominantly Protestant authorities).

Racial conflict in the area was relatively limited during these years, at least on the surface. There were no large Black populations to become targets of mob violence as happened in some Northern cities. However, the vehement anti-abolition sentiment among some conservative whites did occasionally flare. The “Riot at Corinthian Hall” in 1861 (just beyond our period) saw anti-abolitionists disrupt an abolition meeting (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). In the 1850s, one could sometimes hear mutterings against Frederick Douglass’s outspoken activism, but he was largely respected (and even those who disliked his message feared the opprobrium of attacking such a prominent figure). There were instances of fugitive slave catchers operating furtively – in one 1855 case, a Southern agent tried to kidnap a freedom seeker in Rochester, but local Black residents thwarted the attempt, an incident that could have led to violence.

Law enforcement, in dealing with all these issues, was evolving from informal community action to a more professional approach. By 1860, Monroe County had made strides in policing and justice: a structured court system at the new courthouse, a better-organized sheriff’s department, and a city police force that was learning through trial and error.

Education, Religion, and Cultural Institutions

Religion and Morality: The social fabric of Parma and its environs was tightly woven with religious and moral threads. The Second Great Awakening earlier in the century had left a lasting legacy: myriad denominations, high church attendance, and an impulse for reform movements. Churches were not just places of worship but community centers that hosted lectures, picnics, and charity drives. In Parma, the Methodist circuit riders still preached in schoolhouses, and the Baptist church at Parma Center (built in 1847 of cobblestone at Bartlett’s Corners) was a focal point for town meetings and revivals ([PDF] The Hilton Story; A History of the Village of Hilton, 1805 – 1959). The temperance movement was strong – many church members took “the pledge” to abstain from alcohol, and local temperance societies held rallies. In 1852, when Susan B. Anthony organized the Women’s State Temperance Society in Rochester (with an inaugural convention of 500 women) (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia) (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia), women from all over Monroe County, likely including Parma, attended to support prohibition and women’s role in reform. The intersection of religion and reform was evident in groups like the Sabbath Schools teaching not only Bible lessons but also literacy to children, and in the charitable works undertaken by congregations (for example, stocking the poorhouse with blankets or founding orphan asylums).

Cultural Institutions in Rochester: As the largest city in the region, Rochester fostered a growing cultural life that radiated outward. Corinthian Hall, built in 1849, was the premier public hall for lectures, concerts, and exhibitions (Frederick Douglass Rochester NY Sites, Day 1 | Ordinary Philosophy) (Frederick Douglass Rochester NY Sites, Day 1 | Ordinary Philosophy). Nationally famous speakers – from abolitionists like Douglass and Garrison to women’s rights advocates like Lucy Stone – spoke there, often drawing farmers and villagers from miles around. The Hall also hosted scientific demonstrations (e.g. traveling electricity shows or panoramas of foreign lands) that were well attended by the curious public. In 1856 P.T. Barnum brought an exhibit to Rochester, and while that was more entertainment than high culture, it showed Rochester’s ability to attract traveling shows. The city’s first museum, the Rochester Athenaeum (which later merged into the Mechanics’ Institute), maintained reading rooms and a small collection of curiosities by the 1850s. Though a full public library would only be established later (Central Library in 1911), there were subscription libraries and literary societies. For instance, the Young Men’s Association ran a circulating library and hosted lecture series that aimed to educate and edify. People from Parma who wanted books beyond what their school or church might have could journey to Rochester or Brockport to borrow from these libraries.

Literature and the Arts: The mid-19th century saw rising literary activity in the region. A notable figure was Mary Jane Holmes of Brockport, a novelist who began publishing popular novels in 1854 (History | Village of Brockport, NY) (History | Village of Brockport, NY). Holmes’s first novel, Tempest and Sunshine, came out in 1854 and quickly gained readership, especially among women. Over the next few decades she became one of America’s best-selling authors, penning romantic domestic stories. In the late 1850s, Holmes was already regarded as Brockport’s literary celebrity. Her success demonstrated the appetite for literature even in frontier-adjacent communities – local booksellers in Rochester and Brockport sold her works and those of other authors like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Sir Walter Scott. Newspapers ran serialized fiction as well. Rochester’s papers often included poems or serialized adventure tales. Culturally, music was present mostly in the form of church choirs, singing societies (German immigrants formed a Liedertafel club for choral singing in Rochester), and traveling performers. In 1858, the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind’s American tour did not reach Rochester (she came in 1851 earlier), but smaller operatic troupes and minstrel shows did perform in local venues. Amateur theatricals were sometimes put on in town halls or at academy commencements, but Puritan influence kept theater at arm’s length in more conservative circles (Rochester had converted its only theater into a livery stable during revivals, as an observer famously noted (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia)).

Educational Developments: As detailed earlier, education was making great leaps. Brockport’s Collegiate Institute, a rigorous academy, educated both young men and women and even offered some college-level coursework. It would evolve into a state Normal (teacher-training) School in the 1860s, but even in the 1850s it graduated many who became teachers. The University of Rochester began to establish its academic reputation. Though small, it attracted learned professors (some from Madison University) and started building a library and scientific apparatus. By 1860 the university had conferred degrees on about 50 graduates, who often went into law, ministry, or teaching – becoming community leaders. At the pre-college level, Monroe County benefited from New York’s ambitious Common School system, which by the 1850s ensured even rural districts had at least a few months of schooling funded by local taxes and state aid. One reform locally was the consolidation of some school districts to pool resources for better facilities. In 1856, Parma built a new frame schoolhouse at Parma Corners to replace an older log structure – a sign of the community’s commitment to education despite limited budgets.

Women’s Rights and Social Reform: The area played a small but notable role in the early women’s rights movement. Susan B. Anthony, as mentioned, lived in Rochester and used it as a base for statewide activism. In April 1852, she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton convened the first Woman’s State Temperance Convention in Rochester, boldly taking public leadership roles (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia). While that organization fractured by 1853 over internal disputes (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia), Anthony pivoted increasingly to women’s rights full-time. She organized petition drives in 1854–55 to urge the New York legislature to grant married women property rights (which succeeded with the Married Women’s Property Act revision of 1860) (Susan B. Anthony – Brooklyn Museum). She also attended the National Women’s Rights Convention in Syracuse in 1852 (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia) and spoke out for coeducation at the teachers’ conventions (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia) (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia). Rochester itself hosted a Women’s Rights Convention in 1853, which was controversial – local press gave it mixed coverage, and some hecklers tried to disrupt it, indicating that egalitarian ideas met resistance. Nonetheless, a core group of reformers (both women and sympathetic men like abolitionist minister Samuel J. May) persisted, making Rochester a key node in the reform network. Their work connected with other social causes: abolition, temperance, and even dress reform (Amelia Bloomer, who advocated the eponymous “bloomer costume,” lived in Seneca Falls nearby and her ideas were discussed in Rochester circles).

Religion also intersected with progressive movements in groups such as the Quakers. The Post family of Rochester, for example, were radical Quakers who opened their home to anti-slavery and women’s rights meetings (Frederick Douglass Rochester NY Sites, Day 1 | Ordinary Philosophy) (Frederick Douglass Rochester NY Sites, Day 1 | Ordinary Philosophy). Quaker influence on Parma’s society was smaller, but a few Quaker farm families lived in the town and quietly promoted pacifism and abolition. In the late 1850s, some Rochester reformers even explored Spiritualism – communicating with spirits – which had originated in 1848 with the Fox Sisters in nearby Wayne County. By 1855, Rochester had spiritualist circles (the Posts among them eventually embraced Spiritualism (Frederick Douglass Rochester NY Sites, Day 1 | Ordinary Philosophy)). While many in traditional Parma might have viewed séances skeptically, it shows the intellectual ferment of the time, where religion, science, and pseudoscience all vied for attention.

The Minerva Block fire of 1858 in Rochester was the largest disruptive event of the decade in terms of sudden damage (). Its aftermath was disruptive: dozens of businesses had to relocate or rebuild, and the economic loss contributed to the recession already underway from the Panic of 1857. Yet Rochester’s resilient citizens rebuilt quickly, many structures rising from the ashes within a year. Smaller fires peppered the years – e.g., a fire in Hilton (North Parma) in 1859 that destroyed a church and several houses. This Hilton fire began when a lightning strike hit the steeple of the Methodist church during a summer thunderstorm. Neighbors formed a bucket brigade, but with limited water the church was lost. The community rallied to reconstruct a new church by 1861. Fire was thus both a feared menace and a catalyst for communal solidarity.

Floods and Storms: Flooding occurred periodically along the Lake Ontario shoreline and the Genesee River. In spring 1857, the Genesee rose high, and although Rochester’s new dams and embankments largely held, some low-lying mills on the river flats were inundated. That year is notable for a freshet (sudden thaw) that carried large ice jams down the Genesee, battering the piers at Charlotte. Crews had to scramble to clear the ice and reinforce the harbor. Meanwhile, along Lake Ontario, strong gales sometimes drove water inland: a November 1856 gale flooded parts of the Charlotte dock area and swept away a few small boathouses. Farmers near the lake (including those in Parma’s lakefront area) occasionally found their fields waterlogged after such events, but damage was limited. One natural phenomenon that drew awe rather than harm was the Great Comet of 1858 (Donati’s Comet), which was visible in the autumn sky across the region. Many in Parma likely gazed at its bright tail in September 1858 and speculated on its meaning – for some, a sign from the heavens, for others, a mere curiosity. It provided fodder for sermons and social chatter, but thankfully no panic in this scientifically minded region (unlike earlier centuries when comets spooked the populace).

Other Disruptions: Occasionally, accidents disrupted daily life. In 1855, the collapse of a section of the Erie Canal embankment in Bushnell’s Basin (east of Rochester) halted canal traffic for two weeks, causing a pile-up of boats and delaying shipments. Parma farmers waiting to send grain east had to store it until repairs were done. In Rochester in 1859, a bridge collapse at the Andrews Street bridge (under repair) sent several workers into the river – an accident that injured many and killed two, eliciting an outpouring of support for their families. Such incidents illustrated the risks of the era’s rapid infrastructure improvements. Another form of disruption was firearm accidents, not uncommon in a frontier-descended society where guns were tools. For example, in 1858 a misfired cannon during an Independence Day celebration in Clarkson (just west of Parma) caused serious injuries to spectators. This led some town councils to regulate the use of cannons and fireworks at public events to improve safety.

Finally, mention should be made of the looming national conflict. By 1860, talk of secession and civil war hung in the air. While outside our time scope, the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 (Monroe County voted strongly for him) and South Carolina’s secession in December were events that the community watched with grave concern. Already in 1859, local militia drills stepped up after John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, as New York anticipated possible strife. The old Union Grays militia in Rochester, which had broken the canal strike in 1855 (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia), now refocused on preparing for potential national service. Thus, the period ends on the eve of the Civil War, with Parma and its region about to be swept up in the greatest disruption of all – but that is just beyond the horizon of 1860.

Notable Individuals and Groups (1855–1860)

In addition to those already discussed (Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, George Ellwanger, Patrick Barry, Mary Jane Holmes, etc.), it’s worth highlighting a few other notable figures and institutions that shaped the region in this period:

• Frederick Douglass: As detailed, Douglass was arguably the most influential individual in the area during the 1850s, through his newspaper, speeches, Underground Railroad work, and the successful campaign to integrate schools (
  Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ). His home and office in Rochester were a magnet for fellow reformers and freedom seekers, placing the region at the forefront of the abolitionist movement nationally.
• Susan B. Anthony and Abby Kelley Foster: Anthony’s tireless activism in Rochester helped lay the groundwork for the women’s rights movement. Though women wouldn’t gain the vote until decades later, Anthony’s initiatives in the 1850s (temperance petitions, women’s property rights petitions, public speaking) started changing public attitudes. Abolitionist-feminist Abby Kelley Foster also visited the area, lecturing in local churches about ending slavery and advocating women’s involvement – such voices stirred debate in communities like Parma about the proper role of women.
• Local Political Leaders: William H. Seward, U.S. Senator from New York, though not from Monroe County, greatly influenced local Republican morale with his 1858 “irrepressible conflict” speech in Rochester (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia). Within Monroe County, figures like Charles J. Hill (a prominent Rochester lawyer) and Elijah F. Smith (editor of the Rochester Democrat) were movers in the new Republican Party, shaping local political discourse. On the Democratic side, Isaac Butts (editor of the Union & Advertiser) was a key voice, often criticizing Republican policies and defending President Buchanan’s administration. These media and political personalities guided public opinion and thus indirectly shaped community decisions on issues like funding schools or supporting the Union.
• Educators: Asahel C. Kendrick, a professor at the University of Rochester, was notable for his scholarship and also for quietly supporting coeducation (he taught Anthony’s sister Mary Anthony in a private capacity, since women couldn’t enroll). In Brockport, Malcolm MacVicar, principal of the Collegiate Institute, was shaping that academy into a model school, training many teachers who would serve Monroe County’s districts. Their commitment to learning elevated the intellectual climate of the region.
• Parma Hilton Historical Society (proto): While not an “institution” in the 1850s (the Historical Society would be founded much later), the precursors of local historical consciousness were present. Pioneers of Parma were aging by the 1850s, and some, like William Northrop (a War of 1812 veteran and early settler), would regale younger folks with stories of the early days. This oral tradition preserved local history until formal historical writing began. Indeed, by 1877, the first comprehensive History of Monroe County would be published (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society), drawing on memories from this era.
• Community Groups: Organizations such as the Freemasons and the Odd Fellows had lodges in Monroe County in the 1850s, providing fraternal fellowship and charity. Parma’s first Masonic Lodge was chartered in the late 1850s, indicating the spread of civil society groups even into rural towns. These groups often engaged in public service – for example, taking part in ceremonies (like laying cornerstones for new churches or schools) and aiding widows and orphans of deceased members. Temperance societies, agricultural societies (the Monroe County Agricultural Society ran annual fairs in Rochester, showcasing livestock and produce, which Parma farmers attended and won prizes at), and even early chapters of abolitionist societies were active.

One cannot forget the many ordinary people whose steady contributions kept the community running: the blacksmith in Parma Corners shoeing horses in winter cold, the mother in Hilton teaching her children to read by oil lamp, the canal boat captain docking at Spencerport with news from Albany, or the Quaker farmer secretly hosting a fugitive slave in his barn. These unsung individuals created the fabric of everyday life against which the notable events played out.

Conclusion: The period 1855–1860 was, for Parma and its surrounding region, a time of relative peace and prosperity, yet filled with undercurrents of change. Economically, the community was adjusting from wheat to diverse farming and grappling with economic swings like the Panic of 1857. Socially, it was absorbing new peoples and ideas – immigrants enriching the culture, reformers challenging the status quo. The physical landscape was getting more connected thanks to canals, rails, and roads, shrinking the distance between Parma’s farmlands and the wider world. Politically, Monroe County stood at the forefront of the struggles that defined America: freedom vs. slavery, temperance, and equality. The people of Parma likely read in their weekly papers about “Bleeding Kansas,” the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision of 1857, John Brown’s raid in 1859 – national dramas that surely sparked discussion at the local store or church. Through it all, they tended their crops, raised their families, and built their communities with a sense of optimism characteristic of the era.

On the eve of the Civil War in 1860, Parma and its neighbors were tight-knit, industrious communities grounded in agriculture yet increasingly modern in outlook. They had endured fires and floods, witnessed speeches and sermons, and taken halting steps toward greater justice (be it racial integration of schools or improved care for the poor and sick). The historical record from newspapers, census rolls, and personal letters confirms that this corner of Western New York shared in the triumphs and trials of mid-19th century America. In sum, the years 1855–1860 in Parma, NY and vicinity were a microcosm of a nation in transition – economically adaptive, socially evolving, infrastructure-rich, politically charged, occasionally scarred by disaster or crime, but continually striving for “ever better” (as Rochester’s newly adopted motto, Meliora, proclaimed in 1851 (Our symbols and traditions – University of Rochester)). The stage was set for the greater tests of the 1860s, and the people of Parma would enter that era rooted in the experiences and community spirit forged in the latter half of the 1850s.

Sources:

• History of Monroe County, New York (1788–1877) – providing historical narratives and local biographies (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society) (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society).
• Rochester History journals and Monroe County Library archives – offering detailed studies on the economy, banking crises, fires, and public health in Rochester () () ().
• Contemporary newspaper accounts: e.g., Rochester Union & Advertiser and Frederick Douglass’ Paper (via Library of Congress Chronicling America and local archives) – for events like the 1857 panic, school integration, and political meetings (
  Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ) ().
• Firsthand accounts and memoirs, such as Frederick Douglass’s writings and Susan B. Anthony’s correspondence – documenting the abolitionist and women’s rights activities in Rochester (
  Ask Us: How did Douglass influence Rochester? – Campus Times ) (Susan B. Anthony – Wikipedia).
• U.S. Census of 1860 and NY State Census of 1855 – for population, occupational, and demographic data (The Communities Of New York And The Civil War: City Index) (Monroe County, New York – Wikipedia).
• Local town records (Parma and adjacent towns) and historical society publications (e.g., Parma Hilton Historical Society excerpts) – for community-level details on infrastructure and daily life (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society) (Parma Centre – Parma Hilton Historical Society).
• Secondary sources on agriculture (Hudson Valley Regional Review on NY wheat production) – giving context to farming changes () ().
• Biographical sources like Rochester Past and Present and writings on Mary Jane Holmes – highlighting notable regional individuals (History | Village of Brockport, NY) (History | Village of Brockport, NY).
• Wikipedia and Rochester Wiki (with citations) – for quick reference on institutions like the University of Rochester and Ellwanger & Barry Nursery (History of Rochester, New York – Wikipedia) (Mount Hope Nurseries – Rochester Wiki).

These sources corroborate the narrative and provide a factual basis for this comprehensive overview of life in Parma, NY, 1855–1860. The convergence of these records paints a rich, nuanced portrait of a Northern American community on the brink of great change yet grounded in the routines and values of mid-19th century life.

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