BLUFF POINT- STANLEY(picture at bottom)

By martha J Gamby

Published December 26, 1929

Bluff Point Once known as Fox's Corners. Then as Kinney’s Corners, after Tavern Keepers. Stanley Named from Early Settlers, Attained Growth as Railroad Center; Indians And General Sullivan made history.

On the wet lake road, four miles south of Penn Yan there is a compound known as Bluff Point. this was originally called Fox's corner, in honor of Abraham Fox, a hotel landlord. He inaugural public exhibitions which as athletic sports, horse racing and general training by the militia.

In 1825 the name was changed to Kinney’s corners, for Giles Kinney a local tavern keeper and tradesman. the first society of methodists Episcopal church of jerusalem was organized in 1828. Measures were taken to erect a meeting house. Alanson Anderson donated a lot, a quarter of a mile north of where the present edifice now stands, on which a church costing $850.00 as built. Later it was moved to the present site and enlarged. Bluff Point post office was established in 1850, and a rural route was started afterwards. John H. Bishop was postmaster while the office was located in the hotel. This building which was situated where alfred Morehouse’s residence stands, was burned 48 years ago, while allen Spooner was proprietor. South of the hotel, W M Barrow had a wagon shop and machinery for grinding and mixing paints. He was appointed the postmaster and the office moved into his shop. Seth bishop was a resident. The upper floor of the building was used by the Good Templars as a hall.

Across the road were the hotel barns which were remodeled into a food mill. south of the mill was the residence and cooper shop of John Vaughn. There was a distillery at one time along the creek, east of the corners. G O Moore had a shoe shop near the northwest corner an d after his appointment as postmaster had the office there and handled a small stock of groceries. Matthew Bell ahd a blacksmith shop on that corner and james White was the last blacksmith to do business in the shop across the road. In 1890 W M Barrow’s building burned, and the he purchased the feed mill of Eugene Kinyoun and constructed a store with dwellings attached. The only surviving business is in this building where J A Barrow is postmaster and conducting a department store. A picture of this store as it appeared many years ago is on display at the Chronicle Express office.
 

Yes, even the town pump is gone. the nature of Bluff Point is not only applied to the immediate community but to the promontory which extends between the branches of Keuka Lake and a wide territory west and north. And the railroad to Geneva in 1891 and much of the business that territory value to Stanley was hauled direct at the various stations located on the line. The principal expectations for the inhabitants of the village of STanley was in the employ of the railroads in the various departments and perhaps as village of this size in the United States has turned out more railroad men in all branches, such as engineers, trainsmen, section hands, Clerks, operators and agents as this village. It is estimated that several hundred from that village have found employment with the various railroads throughout the United States in these occupations and many of the native sons have paid the supreme sacrifice by death in performance in their duties. the village of Stanley is situated in the heart of fine farming sections with an abundance of fruit as well as other farm produces. The town o fSeneca in which Stanly is located was the house of a tribe of Indians known as the Senecas and is rich in Indian history. General Sullivan on his campaign in this section camped on the banks of the Flint Creek, about one and one half miles north of this village, as his march from Geneva to Cannaduaiga. Several Indian relics have been located by various residents in this vicinity, and the town of Seneca ranks high in the early history of this section of Ontario county. the early church history of the village show that Catholics and protestants both used the village school house for services before the erection of the local church house. St. Theresa Roman Catholic church was organized in 1875 and the church edifice was built in 1876. the parish was organized out of portions of Geneva, Canandaigua and Penn Yan in which places the Catholics had formerly been accumiated to go to worship. Rev. James A Connolly was the first pastor of this parish. The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1882. the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Gorham has acted as the pastor of this church. the first board of trustees elected were Isiah Tillenbeck, A J Kinney and Thomas D. Whitney. A church building was erected and dedication services were held July in 1891. Rev. O D Davis was the fist pastor.

BLUFF POINT TAKEN AT DUSK