VINE VALLEY By Mars. F A McCombs
GORHAM By Mrs. Elizabeth Hershey
Published November 21, 1929
Vineyards Gave Name to Yates county Port on Canandaigua Lake-
Gorham was first Known as Bethel; once was Trading Center of Valley on Stage Route; Has Tow Thriving Industries.
Nestled in a beautiful valley on the east shore of Canandaigua Lake is Vine Valley at one time Known as Boat Brook. Its original name probably resulted from the fact that the stream which runs down trhrough the valleyemptied into the lake near the old pier at which the steamboats used to land,Its present name was obviously erected when the frest vineyards were planted on the hillside and grapes growing became the big business in the community. The settlement is located in Yates county four miles north of Woodville at the head of the lake and ten miles from Canandaigua city, at the foot of the lake. On the north side of the valley rises historic Genundawah, or Bare Hill; on the opposite side is South Hill. We are told that at one time Indians had headquarters here, and we known that on a billock in the midst of th evalley is where they buried their dead. Many graaves have been found with skeletons and relics of various makes, that are now in the Albany State Museum at Rochester. This is a great summer resort. Many from different parts of our state, and quite a number from other states have their summer homes along the lake shore, for three miles on the south and a geater distance on the north, with a few cottages inland. The lake road going north along the west side of Bare hill, gives wonderful views of the lake and surroundings. In the central part of hte valley, a little church is located, whose pastor is Rev. G F Crawford, of Middlexes ME church; a school house a little way beyound, district number 4; and a model country store, down near the lake, owned and controlled by our general merchant, Charles A Robeson, whose residence is near by.
If any who read this wish to take a real pleasure ride next summer, let them drive through this section of country and I am sure they will enjoy the trip.
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Gorham took Name from Purchase.
The village of Gorham, which is a part of hte Phelps and Gorham purchase and from which it derives its name, is located in the eastern part of the twon, known as Bethel long ago. The village is situated on Fling Creek, the largest stresm of water in the town. Lot no. 5 upon which the village is situated was taken up by Levi Benton in the year 1800. HE built a tavern and the fist man to utilize the water power of the creek, by erecting a grist mill at a very early date. Here also was erected the fist say mill of the town, which was built by Mr. Craft. The first merchant in Gorham village was John Palmer, adn was also the first minister to locate in this village, in the year 1808?. He was suceeded as merchant in 1815 by Perry Hollett, who in turn was followed by George and Samuel Stewart who erected the first business block in 1822. Armstrong T---? was the first blacksmith, ----- the village in 1814. The first frame school house was erected in 1815, which ws also the date of organization of the first cemetery association.
Methodist church Founded
The early records of the fist Methodist church are now lost, but from the annual minutes of the church and the recollection of th eaged members, now deceased, we gleam the following historical facts. as early as 1796 Arming Owen and Jefferson Hamilton, menbers of the Philadelphia conference, visited the sparce settlement of this region and Gorham received her share of their ministration. the primal services were held at the log meeting house two and a half miles west of Gorham in the town of Seneca. In 1817 a revival under the labors of Thomas Ewing as local preacher added to the young church and so many of their men members resided in the hamlet and the meetings so abounded in spirit and excellence, that Rev. Perry Hollett, the settled preacher from the Methodist itineracy, proposed the name of Bethel [House of God] to the rising village. Meetings were held east of the village in a log house. From this time regular preaching was established in Gorham in one of the two school housed, but generally on the outside. The first church was built in 1828. Gorham village at present has a population of about 225. there are 118 families, 45 homes contain but two in family, 31 homes three in family. the largest number residing in any size is nine constituting three generaations. There are 27 widows and ten spinsters residing in the vilalge of Gorham. this village was one of the first villages in this section to form a company to develop natural gas, and for a number of years the village was lighted by natural gas. The village is also wired and few are the homes that are not equiped with electricty.
Gorham village was visited in 1836 by a big fire which
practically wiped out the business section. The I O O F Block was erected
soon after the conflagration and is one of the imposing structures in the
village. The Gorham agricultural association, whose annual expositon was
known as the
“World’s Fair”, was organized in 1832. the grounds
were donated to the society by Mason Reed, upon the condition that they
be used continuously for this purpose, but the organization disbanded a
few years ago and the Worlds Fair, known to many in this section is now
but a memory. The oldest merchant who retired from business this summer
is A M Phillips. He has conducted a department store here for 55 years.
IN the early days Gorham was a trading center of the Middlesex valley and
boasted of several hotels and taverns. The taxpayers in the twon of Gorahm
in 1842 probably kicked about high taxes,but they would have no complaints
as compared wiht the assessments and taxes of today. An old assessment
roll, dated 1842 and still in a fine state of preservation, written in
ink and bound in leather, is in the possesin of Mrs. Charles Johnson. The
tax roll was the property of Mrs. Johnson’s father, the late James M Pulver,
collectore for the town of Gorham. the amount of real estate included an
extra ten per cent of the year 1842 was given as $82,192.82; the amount
of real and personal property for the town for that years was $335.99;
the amount of real and personal property for the twon for tha tyear was
$86, 920.18; the number of acres appraised was 25,695; the highest tax
paid was $53.00 pm 500 acres. The same tax today for the twon of Gorham
would be about $500. the assessors for hte year of 1842 were David Picket,
Hiram Harkness and Mason Reed, according to the old assessment roll. There
were nine supervisors in the county as compared with 16 today. the supervisors
given for the year 1842 were Abraham Post, Aaron hicks, Hiram Colgrove,
B C Taft, Philo Hamlin, T Emboy, david A Robinson, J S harris and S Collins.
Gorham village has made strides in the past few years in securing new industries
to locate in this village. The two latest additions being the Empire State
Pickling company’s plant and the Gorham Dairies, also the Gorham Motors
and three other service stateion. the village is located in the heart of
rich farming country.