Genesee RiverWatch

[This article is the fourth in a series titled “Winter on the River”]. Lead image from Livingston County Library.

Imagine winter in the Genesee Valley in the 1920’s. While we are experiencing similar long stretches of snow-covered streets and fields, and a frozen Lake Ontario and Genesee River, the modern infrastructure we take for granted to light and heat our homes and to stay instantly in touch with each other and world events, was largely a matter of daily, physical labor or non-existent.

What did it take to work, play and survive during Genesee winters one hundred years ago? What were the choices the residents made and how did that influence the environment of the valley?

City Life in Winter

In the City of Rochester, residents stayed warm by burning coal, mined in Pennsylvania and transported north by rail to the Port of Charlotte where it was further distributed to the city residents and to the growing industrial giants – Kodak, Bausch and Lomb and Gleason Works. The use of coal for home heating and industry ensured survival and economic growth, but created poor outdoor and indoor air quality for residents.While this coal ensured survival, it came at a cost. The falling snow turned grey within the hour, a visible marker of the respiratory toll taken on the residents below.

And while the growing industrial base in Rochester provided employment for tens of thousands of Rochester residents, it also contributed to poor air quality and massive pollution of the Genesee River, as it was the dumping ground for industrial and organic waste.  100 yrs later, clean-up continues… both in the lower Genesee in Rochester and upriver in areas like the Sinclair oil refinery superfund site in Wellsville, NY. This massive refinery was built directly on the banks of the Genesee River. In the 1920s, the river was used both as a source for cooling water and, more tragically, as a convenient drainage system for refinery waste.

Electricity was just becoming normal for cities around the country in the 1920’s and the “energy” of the Genesee River put Rochester ahead of many due to Rochester Gas and Electric’s hydroelectric dam on the lower falls. RG&E also operated a massive steam plant that burned coal for the city’s industrial heart. Shown below is the RG&E hydroelectic station under the Driving Park Bridge at the Lower Falls and a view of the Genesee docks and a vessel being loaded with coal.

Rural Life

In rural areas south of the City, electricity was scarce and communication with the outside world was difficult. Social life revolved around church and Grange Hall activities. Managed woodlots – and manual labor – primarily provided the fuel for the family stoves to heat homes and cook food.  Rural electrification wouldn’t be widespread until the 1930’s.  During this time, farming was transitioning from large wheat fields to dairy, crop and livestock farms to serve the growing Rochester market.

Ice Harvesting

Before the electric refrigerator, the valley was cooled by ‘ice harvesting.’ Thousands of tons of river and lake ice were cut, insulated with massive amounts of sawdust, and stored in windowless icehouses. In the early 1920’s, the Silver Lake Ice Company in Perry, NY operated one of the largest icehouses in the United States, serving local farmers and city residents; To serve its city residents, the company owned the Silver Lake Railroad, which rushed trainloads of ice directly into the Rochester and Buffalo markets. Photos from Perry Public Library – Silver Lake Ice Company.

Flooding Concerns

Genesee River flooding and ice jams were a real concern for farmers in the Livingston County flats and residents of Rochester.  Talk of a dam at Mount Morris was happening in the 1920’s, pitting those who wanted to “conquer” nature against those who wanted to preserve Letchworth gorge. Ultimately the dam wouldn’t be completed until the 1950’s. Rather than a massive hydroelectric dam envisioned by some, it would be a “dry dam” that prevents downstream flooding without the massive environmental impacts of a traditional dam.

Photos below from the Albert R. Stone Negative Collection – Ice jams and flooding on the Genesee River in Rochester.

Winter Recreation

It wasn’t all about survival…valley residents engaged in fun winter sports too…skating on the Genesee/Erie Canal “widewaters” area was a popular pastime.  Skiing, ice fishing and even ice racing was engaged in by the most adventurous.

Photos below from the Albert R. Stone Negative Collection

Absent Wildlife

While the 1920s residents would recognize our winter snows, they would be astonished by the return of certain wildlife to our streams, skies and woods. In the 1920’s, absent or very rare were the American Eagle, Wild Turkey, River Otters, Beaver, Bobcat, Coyotes, Lake Sturgeon, and Black Bears.  Even White-tailed Deer were unusual.  Today’s richer landscape is the result of the ‘unintended forest’—the woods that reclaimed the valley as marginal farms were retired, providing the corridors these animals needed to return – as well as dedicated re-introduction efforts for River Otters and Lake Sturgeon.

Restoring the River

Many of the residents of the 1920s Genesee Valley looked at the frozen river and saw a force to be harnessed, channeled, and utilized. A century later, we look at that same river and realize that our greatest ‘progress’ isn’t in how much of the valley we can control, but in how much of its health we can restore.

At Genesee RiverWatch, we work year-round to protect and improve water quality and shoreline habitats, and provide information and programs to connect people to the river. You can help us keep the basin a sanctuary for wildlife and a great place to experience by donating, joining in on summer paddles, or volunteering for our next river cleanup.