Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-25
PREHISTORIC ROCHESTER,.
on the South Shore of Lake
Ontario Ages AGO.

- v,"'N''' ost-Expfess.l
Inc 0S'' Err eSS has been favored with
ADVANCE sH" =, up to page Dos, OF MaSOn'S
iolthcr.ninc History OF Rochester, edited
j., Mr.. William +. Peck. a work Of which
the people OF the Flour City may Justly feel
proud. The broad plan upon which it has
been projected, and the painstaking care
with which every feature has been per-
fCc:cd. make it one Of the most orderly
and satisfactory local histories ever
pcnncd. The story OF the settlement
81 Rochester is peculiarly fascntng
one, aud, il must be confessed, the
further back the reader i, enabled 20
benin. the more absorbed he becomes. Mr..
George II. Harris, who contributes the first
fifteen chapter. OF the work, breaks the ice
Of the narrative in prehistoric times. lie
finds that the character Of recent discoveries
tends to strengthen the belief that the
origin Of man may Dc assigned 10 this the
oldest oi continents. He is confident that
the It. Lawrence and Helr-lyng noun
tam dist: lets OF New York and Canada
will yet furnish material aid 10 sci
ncc in the solution OF the problem.
lie describes many important discOy-
les which tend to confirm the position
be taxes. beginning with the finding @.
an ancient fireplace, together with ashes,
charcoal. and sIcks OF hcmlock and ASH,
on the farm Of David Tomlins0n, on the
Ridge road, half mile West Of the village
Of Gaines, Orleans county. This road ran,
al NJ the lake ridge, which extend, from
SoduS around Lake Ontario intO Canada. AZ
GirCance OF from three TO eight miles from
The present lake beach. some Of tie ticks
OF wood IN he Fireplace were .nooth. and
one piece was dented, as il dull iu.tru-
mcni had been emr Logged TO break it. This
nnd' MT rms claims, proves that man
was ssbitant Of the south shore Of Lake
Ontario before the ridge existed aud at
time so remote that it is net possible
10 fix It's limit. The ridge. in turn,
is shown to antcdate the rock-cut
channel OF the Genesec river. The ele-
walton Of the interior Of the continent
was followed by the subsidencc OF the ses
waters into the depressiODS Of the earth
then existing. Then the GcneScc Valley
lake burst through the hills east OF the pin
nace, and mighty stream, now the Gen
esee, gushed forth eXcayating the bay OF
lrondequoit. In time this channel became
extinct, and the waters cut new outlet
west Of the present channel, near the rapids
in South Rochester, pursuing = djroctnOrth-
crn course TO the present Geuesec Falls.
This passage becoming ObsirIfcted just
north Of the rapids, the river was directed
cast toward Mount Hope. and thence north
w9rd through its modern channel. The
| production Of the GeneSsee river gorge
| through Rochester TO Lake Ontario Is mainly
| the result Of erosion, having been effected
/ by running water aided by frost, and it
( is evident that this work has been ACCOM-
/ plished since Lake Ontario retired from the
i ridge. Next come. a pen-picture OF the
mound-bulderS. who are believed 10 have
/ dwell IN this State in considerable numbers
| before the Indians arrived aud began the
work Of determination. In 1896 part OF
| the bank on high bluff on the lake near
/ lrOndequoit bay caved OF, disentOmbing
arm and leg-bones much larger than those
| Of cur race. The earliest settlers also
| found two burial mounds in break in the
I river.bank half u mile below the lower
/ falls. In 1850 a sand.bank was opened in
/ the side OF the ridge and eight skeletons
! came to view, but were not pre-
served. Later curious pipe peculiar to the
uound-bmders and the skull OF supposed
mOund-builder were exhumed. Illustra-
tons Of these relics (which were presented
10 Professor :. A. baltimore by Ii. ;.
Brewer appear In the history. In 1882 \
human skeleton OF large proportions was
| dug up near the former location Of the
eastern mound. Other remains we're dis
covered on the farm Of Samuel Truesdsle,
in the town OF Greece. one being skelc-
ton over eight feet in length. II was found
under small mound. In 1879, on the
farm OF George II. Lee, half a mile west
| OF Mr.. Truesdale's, a beautiful elingstone
axe was plowed up In q field near an
-. 49, Il l.. T..
1922 twenty skeletons had been recovered
by laborers digging in the Erie canal. All
this proves the pre-ludian occupation OF
this locaIity