Old Post Cards
Many post cards were created of our resort community. Here’s a selection of the Sunbeam and the Yacht Club. Click Here
Macyville Woods Nature Preserve
Macyville Woods i
s named for the section of Sodus Point called Macyville after Sylvanus J. Macy (click for more info)who developed the surrounding area when he became receiver of the new but struggling railroad in 1874. A banker and businessman from NYC, he boosted the local economy by buying the land around the railroad, building a bank, and other structures to make the railroad successful. With the strategizing of a new partner Edward Harriman, the railroad was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1884 for a hefty profit. The woods was bought by the Genesee Land Trust (click for more info) in 2019 with a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 18th, 2020, officially opening it to the public.
Blessing of the Murals
| Blessing of the Murals In Sodus Point, New York from Historic Sodus Point |
This is the blessing of the murals that take place May 28 – June 1 and again July 11 – 16. The shadow of the cross from the nearby Episcopal Church is positioned just right to make this happen!
Amazingly, from the Winter Solistice the shadow of the cross moves toward the south and stops moving farther south on the anniversary of the Battle of Sodus Point (June 19th) on that mural and crosses the figure of Asher Warner who was killed at the battle! Also the transition of the cross on the mural starts at 6:19 PM! Between June 1st and the summer solstice, the shadow of the cross make daily transitions across the mural covering numerous locations on the second mural. At various times during that period, every figure in the mural is touched by some part of the shadow of the cross.
After extensive research on the internet, we believe that there is not a similar occurance anywhere in the world!
For more information and photos about the Blessing of the Murals as well as transition schedules
click this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/blessing-of-the-murals/
WW II POW Camp
Sodus Point WII POW Camp
- Was one of four WW II POW Camps in Wayne County
- The camps were necessary because of the severe labor shortage during the war
- Was located on what is now South Shore RV Park and White Birch Park and RV Campground on Lake Road
- Was occupied by German POWs from September 7, 1944 to early 1946
- At its maximum, it held 135 POWs
- The POWs worked on local farms and in canning factories
- When working outside the Camp, the POWs were not heavily guarded
- The POWs were well fed and treated fairly. After the war, several former POWs moved back into the area
For detailed information and photos about this POW Camp
click on this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/ww-ii-pow-camp-3/
Norse Spear Head
On Sodus Bay at Charles Point a Viking spear point was found in 1929 by Augustus Hoffman while repairing his boat. It was properly identified from a study by the University of Toronto as being of Norse manufacture and dating to about 1000 AD.
The Spear Head now resides at the Wayne County Museum in Lyons, NY.
For more information,
click this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/viking-spear-head/
Battle of Sodus Point Mural
The Battle of Troupesville, now called the Battle of Sodus Point, occurred on the crest of a hill (now the intersection of John and Bay Streets) on the evening of June 19th,1813 during the War of 1812.
A group of approximately 50 patriots (a combination of poorly trained militia and local volunteers with no military training) fired into the lines of advancing British marines as they ascended the hill from the western shoreline.
Although greatly outnumbered and fighting some of the best trained and battle hardened soldiers in the world, these brave Americans had the courage of their convictions to defend our village from the British incursion.
Unaware of either’s fighting strength and numbers, both British and American forces retreated; Britons to their ships and Americans to the heavy underbrush.
The next day after a barrage from the cannons on their ships, the enemy landed once more. The British marines seized some stores in the warehouses (most provisions had been hidden in a nearby ravine the previous night) and burned most buildings in the village.
Only one building, a tavern known as the “Mansion House”, survived the battle. This building was spared conflagration due the repeated efforts of commanding British naval officers who used the tavern to place fatally wounded American, Asher Warner who died later that day.
Another American wounded during the battle was Charles Terry who died from complications of his wounds a few weeks later.
Two British Marines are known to have been killed during the battle. Privates Job Allen and John Whammond of the 1st (Royal Scots) Regiment of Foot -1st Battalion died of wounds suffered during the battle according to the War of 1812 Casualty Database.
The mural is dedicated to the bravery of those early patriots who defended this village and, it is hoped, whose courage may serve to inspire future generations.
For additional information about the Battle of Sodus Point, click the following link:
Underground Railroad in Sodus Point
Sodus Point and the surrounding area were active in the Underground Railroad. From stories passed down, several safe houses were used to harbor “Freedom Seekers” included what is now Maxwell Creek B & B, Silver Waters B & B, the old Cohn Farm and the old Sodus Fruit Farm. Sodus Point ran a Schooner out of the old Ore Dock that would pick up the slaves on its way to Canada.
Here is that story as told by George Arney and Elsie Parsons (the Grandchildren of the Captain of the Schooner) in November 2010:
Captain George Garlock ( 1829 – 1906 ) ran a freight schooner (sail only ) out of Sodus Point, NY named “Free Trader” in the mid-1800’s. It was a two masted, one deck, 46 ton, squared sterned, carved head schooner with a crew of 4. He would take a load of lumber or ore out of the ore dock in Sodus Point to go across to Canada. The schooner would leave anytime day or night depending on the weather. He would be going on Lake Ontario west and then north toward Canada to Brighton, Ontario (a small town pretty much straight across the lake from Rochester). If he saw a small rowboat off shore with people on it, he would stop and pick them up.
These fugitive slaves would come from the Cohn Farm (formerly the Horn Farm) and Old Sodus Fruit Farm ( Old Swales Farm ) and gather at a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario now known as “Freedom Hill”, then called “Nigger Hill”. If daytime they would see the schooner coming and at night time they used a beacon to get its attention. They would then go out in a small boat. These African-American people would then be “stowed away” on board until reaching Canada. Captain Garlock would then return with a load of grain to one of the local gristmills, or whatever he was bringing back from Canada.
This information above is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
This is the block and tackle used on the riggings of the Free Trader. They were donated to the Lighthouse by Elsie Parson who is the grand daughter of Captain Garlock. They are currently on display at the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum and are believed to be the only artifacts of the Free Trader left in existence.
Austin Steward was a former slave who spent a year in Sodus Point (you can read his story on this website). He would go on to become a well known abolitionist and author. He said this about the Underground Railroad: “Is not the necessity of an “under ground railroad,” a disgrace to the laws of any country? Certainly it is; yet I thank God, that it does afford a means of escape to many, and I pray that the blessings of Heaven may ever rest upon those who willingly superintend its interests.”
For more information about the Underground Railroad in our country
Click on this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/underground-railroad/
How do we know so much about the specifications of the Free Trader and what cargo it carried?
There is a rather amazing story that answers this question. In the 1850s, working Schooners had to fill out quite a bit of paperwork. For local schooners, this paperwork was stored in a building at the Port of Rochester, NY. This paperwork laid there for decades gathering dust when it was decided to throw old records out. It just so happens that a friend of the grandchildren’s family was there when the records were being tossed out and looked through the records. This person found the Enrollment , Manifests and Entry of Merchandise records for Free Trader and gave them to the family which subsequently kept them for future generations.
The Free Trader Enrollment record is like a car registration for a schooner. It specifies builder specifications for the schooner, owner’s name, where it was built, etc.
To see the 1854 Free Trader Enrollment record click here: https://historicsoduspoint.com/free-trader-enrollment-1854/
When schooners transported cargo between Canada and the U.S. ports, they needed to fill out a Entry of Merchandise form which showed the cargo, the departure and entry ports and identified the Captain and vessel.
To see the Free Trader Entry of Merchandise dated Sept. 13, 1856 click here: https://historicsoduspoint.com/free-trader-entry-of-merchandise-sept-1856/
There is much more to the story of the Underground Railroad in Sodus Point. For the rest of the story, please click the link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/slaves-in-sodus-point/more-underground-rr-in-sodus-point/
Captain George Garlock’s Obituary
The Record – August 31, 1906
SODUS POINT. – HEART FAILURE CAUSED DEATH.
Captain George Garlock Of Sodus Point Died Suddenly.
The sudden death of Captain George O. Garlock occurred Monday evening at his residence at Sodus Point. Death resulted from an attack of heart disease, to which Mr. Garlock was subject. He spent the day at his store on Sand Point, and returned to his home about 5:30 p.m. After he had been home about an hour he complained of feeling ill. In twenty minutes be was dead. Coroner K S. Carr was summoned.
Captain George Garlock was born in Dutchess County, Pa., and was 76 years of age in May. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and lived, as his son did after him, in Sodus Point. Captain Garlock was a sailor, and made his living on the lakes for many years. He was twice married, his first wife being Miss Elizabeth Coon of Sodus Point,and his second Miss Adeline Nurden of Canada. Ten children besides the widow survive. They are Georgetta and Jennie Garlock and Mrs. John Bayless of Sodus Point, Mrs. Emma Cortright of Michigan, Mrs. Charles Collar of Sodus, Mrs. Elsie Gaskin and Mrs. Thomas Kelly of Weedsport, William Garlock of Pennsylvania, George of Oswego and Jacob of Sodus Point.
The funeral services will be held this afternoon at 2 o’clock, Rev. Miles of Wolcott officiating. Internment will be made at Bushnell’s cemetery.
Railroad Coal Trestle
In 1884 the Northern Central Railroad bought the Sodus Point and Southern Railroad, creating a land-water shipping route from Pennsylvania to Canada.
In 1886 a coal trestle, at the west end of the bay, was erected and a commercial coal shipping business started which served all ports on Lake Ontario.
In 1927 the trestle was greatly expanded in size so that increased tonnage of coal could be loaded.
In 1971, the trestle was being dismantled when it accidentally caught fire and was destroyed.
The coal trestle was located on Route 14 as you go north out of Sodus Point, just north of where Sodus Marina is today. The only thing that remains of the trestle, is a concrete abuttment.
For more information, please click this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/coal-trestle/
Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum
Sodus Bay Light was built in 1825
On May 26, 1824, Congress approved a lighthouse located on Sodus Bay in Sodus Point, NY. Building costs were estimated to be $4500.00 and the government allotted that amount for the building of the lighthouse.
A publicly approved parcel of land was purchased from William Wickham for $68.75 and that is where the original Sodus Bay Light was built in 1825. It was of conical construction and was equipped with all of the necessities that a lighthouse of that time frame would need.
In 1868 an inspection of the lighthouse showed many infirmities and other problems like leaky roofing and poor walls. This spelled the end of the original Sodus Bay Lighthouse.
Congress again appropriated money to build a lighthouse at Sodus Bay, this time to the tune of $14,000. The lighthouse is of the square-integral type made of limestone mined at the Kingston quarries. It is equipped with a fourth order Fresnel lens. After the new tower was completed on June 30, 1871, the old tower from 1825 was demolished.
The stone from it was used to build a jetty to protect the shoreline in front of the new lighthouse. The new lighthouse was very similar to the lighthouse at Stony Point, also on the Great Lakes.
The lighthouse was discontinued and the lens was removed in 1901.
In 1977 the lighthouse was listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. In 1984 the lighthouse was given to the Town of Sodus and during the next year the bank in front of the lighthouse was rebuilt to retard erosion of the land around the lighthouse.
In 1988 the Fresnel lens was returned to the tower. Today the lighthouse serves as a Maritime Museum run and maintained by the Sodus Bay Historical Society. The Lighthouse is located at 7606 North Ontario Street in Sodus Point.
For additional information, please click the link below:
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper (1789 – 1851) was the most celebrated American author of the first half of the 19th century. As a midshipman, he was stationed in Oswego and is said to have visited Sodus Bay and grew to love the rustic beauty of the Bay. Later in life, it is reported that he returned to the area and in a rustic cabin in Charles Point, he wrote part of his acclaimed Leatherstocking Tales (published 1823 – 1841).
For more information, please click the following link:
https://historicsoduspoint.com/people/james-fenimore-cooper/
Steamship Era
Excursion Steamship Arundell
The steamship era was an exciting time as the lake steamers came into Sodus Point with coal for Canada and other lake ports.
There were passenger services on the bay with docks at Charles Point, Lake Bluff, Bonnie Castle Resort and all of the islands. In Sodus Point, the steamers had their docks located on the south side of Sand Point and were scheduled to meet all the trains and trolleys.
The Village’s name was changed to Sodus Point and it became a government Port of Entry.
For more information and a mural of this era
please click: https://historicsoduspoint.com/commerce/schooners-and-steamboats/steamship-era/
Shipwrecks Off Sodus Point
Sodus Point is known for three shipwrecks near its harbor:
- 1850s Canadian schooner Orcadian in Lake Ontario at Sodus Point, NY
- Canadian-built schooner Etta Belle, near Sodus Point, NY (video right)
- 1853 three-masted Canadian schooner Queen of the Lakes, near Sodus Point (bottom video)
Shipwreck Explorers Discover 1850’s Canadian Schooner in Lake Ontario
In 2006, the wreck of the mid 1800s Canadian schooner, Orcadian was discovered in deep water approximately 8 – 10 miles off of Sodus Point. Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Kennard, Dan Scoville, and Chip Stevens located the old schooner utilizing sophisticated side scanning sonar equipment. The Orcadian was carrying a cargo of 8200 bushel of wheat destined for Oswego. In the very early morning hours of May 8, 1858, the Canadian schooner Orcadian travelling east to Oswego, New York collided with the schooner Lucy J. Latham that was headed in the opposite direction for the Welland Canal. The Orcadian took on a great amount of water from the large gap in the side of her hull created by the collision and began to sink immediately. Latham was damaged in the collision but did not sink.
Captain James Corrigal, his wife, their two children and the crew of the Orcadian took to their yawl boat and were taken safely aboard the Latham, which then put about and returned to Oswego.
For more information and photos of this wreck, click the link below:
Discovery of a Pre-Civil War Era Schooner in Lake Ontario
Sodus Point, New York – The 152-year-old Canadian built schooner, Etta Belle, has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario near Sodus Point, New York. Shipwreck enthusiasts, Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville, located the schooner utilizing side scan sonar equipment.
The oak-hulled schooner, Etta Belle, foundered suddenly during calm weather in the early evening of September 3, 1873. The ship was on route from Little Sodus to Toronto, Canada, and was loaded with a full cargo of coal. The crew took to a small yawl and rowed over 8 miles to shore. For additional information and phtos of the Etta Belle shipwreck, please click on the following link:
http://www.shipwreckworld.com/articles/152-year-old-schooner-discovered-in-lake-ontario
Discovery of 1853 Three Masted Canadian Schooner in Lake Ontario
Queen of the Lakes has been used as the name of three vessels that sailed on the Great Lakes, but none was the longest on the lakes at the time. The first was a three-masted Canadian schooner built in 1853 as the Robert Taylor, measuring 133 feet. It was renamed Queen of the Lakes sometime before 1864.[3] She sank nine miles off Sodus Point, New York on November 28, 1906 while en route to Kingston, Ontario with a 480-ton shipment of coal . She sprang a leak in heavy seas while enroute to Kingston and the bilge pumps could not expel the water fast enough and the boat sank, . She rolled over and foundered after her crew launched the yawl. They made it to shore. She sank in 400′ of water and you can see in the video below, her three masts are still standing.
Austin Steward
(1793 – 1860)
” I was born in Prince William County, Virginia. At seven years of age, I found
myself a slave on the plantation of Capt. William Helm. Our family consisted of
my father and mother – whose names were Robert and Susan Steward – a sister,
Mary, and myself. As was the usual custom, we lived in a small cabin, built of
rough boards, with a floor of earth, and small openings in the sides of the cabin were substituted for windows.”
Thus began the story of Austin Steward in his book entitled “Twenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman”. In chapters 4 – 6, this books tells the story of Austin, as a teenager, moving with a group of slaves from their plantation in Virginia to Sodus Bay just before the War of 1812. Later they would move again to Bath, New York.
To read of their adventures on Sodus Bay, please click on this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/slaves-in-sodus-point/
Ice Harvesting on Sodus Bay
1835 – 1939
In past winters, Sodus Bay would freeze to a depth of 10 – 14 inches. From 1835 to electrification about 1939, two icehouses on the bay supplied homes and businesses with ice. A home required about 300 cakes of ice to cool the icebox all summer. A horse dragged an Ice Plow across the ice to scribe checkerboard cuts. Large floats were sawn and then cut into cakes that could be stored with straw and sawdust between them as late as October in the icehouses.
Information courtesy of the Sodus Bay Historical Society
Ice harvesting was big business in Sodus Point, especially in the early 1900s.
The ice harvesting on Sodus Bay was expanded and distributed to other areas outside Wayne County via railroad. During its short but labor intensive season, upwards of 100 men were employed in the ice harvesting business. In the 1908 issue of Refrigerating World, volume 35, page 52 it is reported:
“Ice cutting on Sodus Bay is now under way. The ice is 10 inches thick and of excellent quality. Warren H. Field and Charles DeVille have a contract to furnish 300 carloads of ice to the Northern Central Railroad Company, which will be distributed among their ice houses at Elmira, Williamsport, Sunbury and Baltimore.”
Photo of Charles Deville. Charles Deville came to Sodus Point from Quebec Canada, and he built the ship building business, that was located where the Bait and tackle was, recently owned by Chase family, next to the ball field. Charles Point is said to be named after him. Photo and information courtesy of William Bullard.
This is the only remaining ice house structure on Sodus Bay which is located on Charles Point. Now days it is used as a community center.
For additional photos and information about ice harvesting, please click on this link:
https://historicsoduspoint.com/ice-harvesting/
On at least one occasion, ice harvesting turned into bird rescue as reported in the 1913 American Ornithologist Union, volume 30, page 579
“Feeding Wild Ducks on Sodus Bay, N. Y.— Sodus Bay, one of the largest bays on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, was the scene of an interesting experiment in the feeding of wild ducks during the months of February and March, 1913. The bay, which is a large irregularly shaped body of water, containing several islands, is frequented in the spring and fall by large numbers of ducks. The winter was unusually mild up to the first of February, and many ducks remained on an area of the bay which was open, and where they apparently found plenty of food. About February 1 the weather turned suddenly cold, with heavy snow storms and high winds. This caused the bay to freeze entirely over, preventing the ducks from reaching there feeding grounds. On February 4 the weather was very stormy, and several thousand ducks were noted in places still remaining open. On February 5 Mr. Claude T. DeVille, the state game protector at Sodus Point, noted that the ducks were flying to places kept open by men harvesting ice. The ducks were very fearless and were apparently suffering from lack of food. On the succeeding day, February 6, he obtained a quantity of wheat, and tried feeding the ducks. The grain was readily eaten and he immediately wrote the New York State Conservation Commission, notifying them of the presence of the ducks and the necessity of relief measures. The Commission promptly responded, and on February 10, Mr. DeVille received word to purchase grain and feed the ducks. He first tried feeding by throwing the grain in the water, but the ducks were so weak that they apparently had difficulty in reaching bottom in sixteen feet of water. This fact alone shows the extremes to which the ducks were reduced, as they were mainly Bluebills, Redheads and Canvasbacks, all of which feed at considerable depths. He then tried placing the grain on the ice on a place scraped clear of snow near the edge of the open water. This proved successful, as the ducks immediately came out on the ice, feeding like barnyard fowls. At one place near where men employed by the Northern Central Railway Co. were harvesting ice, there were often six or seven hundred ducks feeding at one time. The ducks were fed in this manner at all the places which remained open, which varied from three or four to six or eight. They were fed at least once and often twice each day, and during the period from February 10 to March 10, when the feeding was discontinued, thirty-eight bushels of wheat were fed. The ducks soon learned to look for the grain and upon seeing Mr. DeVille starting out on the ice, would fly to where the grain was placed. At one time all the holes had frozen over, and the grain was placed on the bare ice, the ducks coming in from the lake and lighting on the ice to feed. This was at a distance of about a quarter of a mile from the open water in the lake. On February 21 being temporarily out of wheat, cracked corn was tried, but the ducks apparently did not relish it, and did not clean it up, as they did the wheat. During a period from February 12 to 16, Mr. DeVille estimated the number of ducks was at least ten thousand. They gradually scattered with the coming of milder weather, but there were several thousand still present on March 18.
Great credit must be given to both Mr. DeVille, who is a game protector of a type we need more of, and the New York State Conservation Commission, for their prompt action in this matter, for there is no doubt that if they had not acted in time, thousands of ducks would have died of starvation.— H. E. Gordon, Rochester, N. Y. “
What’s New?
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December 10 2019
I have added a photo of a trolley in a snowdrift. View it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Trolley in the Snow on the submenu.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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November 15 2019
I have added a story about a ghost sailor of Charles Point. View it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on Ghost Sailor of Charles Point on the submenu.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
September 21 2019
I have added the second Part of Walter Meyer’s diaries as a WW 2 POW in Sodus Point View it by clicking on the War & Battles tab on the top menu, then click on Diaries of a World War 2 Sodus Point POW on the submenu and then click on Diaries of Walter Meyer – Sodus Point POW Part 2.
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September 9 2019
I have added the History of the Hots Point Building. View it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on The History of the Hots Point Building on the submenu.
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August 29 2019
I have added Photos from the 1994 British Invasion of Sodus Point Reenactment. View it by clicking on the Wars & Battles tab on the top menu, then click on British Invasion of Sodus Point Reenactment (1994) on the submenu.
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August 27 2019
I have added the 1829 Map of Wayne County Showing Roads. View it by clicking on the Map tab on the top menu, then click on 1829 Map of Wayne County Showing Roads on the submenu.
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August 16 2019
I have added the story of the other two British “invasions” of Sodus Bay. View it by clicking on the War and Battles tab on the top menu, then click on The Other British “Invasions” of Sodus Bay on the submenu.
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August 7 2019
I have added the story of the Trials and Tribulations of a Sodus Point Sailor in the early 20th Century. View it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on Maritime Occupations and Sailors on the submenu and then click Owen P. Merrill – Trials and Tribulations of being a Sodus Point Sailor tab.
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July 22 2019
I have added the story and photos of the day an airplane crashed into Sodus Bay killing 2 passengers. View it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on The Day an Airplane Crashed into Sodus Bay on the submenu.
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July 8 2019
I have added a 64 page document that tells the story of the Schooner “Lotus”. View it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on The Story of the Sailing Ship Lotus on the submenu.
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June 27 2019
I have added a newspaper clipping showing the day the Village of Sodus Point was incorporated. View it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on The Day our Village was Born on the submenu.
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June 27 2019
I have added a write up showing the Coal Trestle and the loading of the coal ship John J. Rammacher in October 1941. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle on the submenu and then click on Coal Trestle / John J, Rammacher – 1941.
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June 27 2019
I have added a write up showing the reconstruction of the Coal Trestle in 1927. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle on the submenu and then click on Coal Trestle Reconstruction – 1927.
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June 24 2019
I have added a write up of Arlene Ternoois who was a PRR Grease Monkey during WW 2. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle on the submenu and then click on Arlene Ternoois – PRR Grease Monkey.
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June 16 2019
I have added a write up documenting the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad Elmira Branch and Sodus Point. You can view it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on Railroad and Coal Trestle on the submenu and then click on Pennsy RR Elmira Branch.
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May 29 2019
I have added the first part of a diary of a Sodus Point German POW. You can view it by clicking on the War and Battles tab on the top menu, then click on Diary of Walter Meyer – Sodus Point POW on the submenu.
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May 24 2019
I have added a civil war letter from James A. Potter to his wife her were residents of the Black Community that existed near Steger Haus Restaurant. You can view it by clicking on the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click on African Americans in Sodus on the submenu and then click on the Civil War Letter From James A. Potter tab
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May 9 2019
I have added photos and the history of the Sodus Bay Junior Sailing Association. You can view it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on Sodus Bay Junior Sailing Association on the submenu.
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May 1 2019
I have added our latest plaque telling about the Black Community that existed near Steger Haus Restaurant. You can view it by clicking on the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click on Plaques on the submenu and then click on Black Community Plaque/Marker tab
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April 30 2019
I have added an old photo and information about Nature’s Children which was a variety store in Sodus Point 1975-1993. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Nature’s Children 1987.
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April 26 2019
I have added a story about Freedom Hill and its importance. You can view it by clicking on the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click on African Americans in Sodus then click on Freedom Hill.
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April 12 2019
I have added a narrated Sodus Point walking tour of 19th Century Architecture. You can view it by clicking on the Walking Tours on the top menu, then click on Narrated Sodus Point Walking Tour of 19th Century Archictecture.
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March 31 2019
I have added a narrated Sodus Point walking tour of historic plaques and murals. You can view it by clicking on the Walking Tours on the top menu, then click on Narrated Sodus Point Walking Tour of Historic Plaques and Murals.
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March 16 2019
I have added a story of the courageous African American women of Maxwell Settlement. You can view it by clicking on the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click on African Americans in Sodus then click on Courageous Women of Maxwell Settlement.
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February 17 2019
I have added a link to a Chris Trine video showing the beauty of Sodus Point in January. You can view it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on Sodus Point in January 2019 .
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January 18 2019
I have added a video showing folks skating on the new ice rink that has recently opened at Willow Park. You can view it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on Ice Skating on the New Ice Rink (2019) .
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November 08 2018
I have added the story of Frank Monje who waterskied across the lake to Canada and back on a single waterski. You can view it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on The Man who Waterskied across the Lake.
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September 25, 2018
I have added an old photo and write up of the Red and White Grocry Store from the 1930s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on Red and White Grocery – 1930s.
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September 21, 2018
I have added photos and a write up of the Bay Shore House. You can view it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on Houses and then click on Bay Shore House
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September 7, 2018
I have added an old photo and write up of the E A Button General Store from the 1907. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on E A Button General Store – 1907
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August 29, 2018
I have added a write up and aerial video showing the dredging of the Sodus Bay Channel. You can view it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on Dredging (2018)
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August 18, 2018
I have added a list and data of Steamboats that plied Sodus Bay. You can view it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on Schooners and Steamboats and then click on Steamboats of Sodus Bay Info
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August 18, 2018
I have added an old 1857 Chart of Sodus Bay. You can view it by clicking on the Maps tab on the top menu, then click on 1857 Chart of Sodus Bay
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August 17, 2018
I have added an old photo and write up of the Gulf Station from the 1950s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on Gulf Station – 1950s
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August 7, 2018
I have added an old photo and write up of the Helfer’s Boat Livery and Restaurant from the 1930s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on Helfer’s Boat Livery – 1930s
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August 7, 2018
I have added an old photo of folks renting boats from the early 1900s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Recreation and then click on A Day on the Bay – early 1900s
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August 2, 2018
I have added an old photo and write up of the Sodus Point Bait Shop from the late 1970s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on Sodus Point Bait Shop – late 1970s
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July 31, 2018
I have added an old photo and 3 newapaper articles of the McSnack Stand from 1989. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on McSnack
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July 29, 2018
I have added an old 1950s photo looking over the bay from on top of the coal Trestle. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle then click on Looking over the Bay.
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July 24, 2018
I have added an old photo showing the use of the boatswain chair taken from on top of the coal Trestle. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle then click on Boatswain Chair.
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July 19, 2018
I have added an web page showing pictures and information on the Coal Ships that came to the Coal Trestle. You can view it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on Railroad and Coal Trestle then click on Coal Ships.
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July 16, 2018
I have added an old photo taken on top of the coal Trestle. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle then click on On top of the coal trestle.
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July 13, 2018
I have added an old photo of Sailboat Racing from 1958. You can view it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on Sailboat Racing – 1958
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July 12, 2018
I have added an old photo of the DoVille’s Ice Cream Stand from the late 1940s. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on DoVille’s Ice Cream Stand
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July 8, 2018
I have added an old photos of the Steuerwalds Silver Dollar and the Chase Family Coffee Shop from 1960,. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Businesses and then click on Steuerwalds Silver Dollar 1960.
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July 7, 2018
I have added a number of old photos of the Rexall Drug Store from 1965. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Rexall Drug Store – 1965.
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July 6, 2018
I have added an old postcard showing the Sodus Point beach second pier in 1906. You can view it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Second Pier – 1906.
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May 26, 2018
I have added a 3 minute video of the past and present beauty of Sodus Point. You can view it by clicking on the The beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on Sodus Point – Somewhere in Time.
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May 24, 2018
I have added photos and information on Sodus Point’s first ambulance. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Fire Dept then click on First Ambulance – 1940.
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May 22, 2018
I have added photos and an article of the 1972 Bacorn Building Fire. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Bacorn Building Fire – February 1972.
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May 22, 2018
I have added photos and an article of the 1972 Bacorn Building Fire. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Bacorn Building Fire – February 1972.
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May 22, 2018
I have added photos and an article of the 1972 Bacorn Building Fire. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Bacorn Building Fire – February 1972.
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May 22, 2018
I have added photos and an article of the 1972 Bacorn Building Fire. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Bacorn Building Fire – February 1972.
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May 16, 2018
I have added a photo of smelting circa 1950s. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Smelting – 1950s.
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May 8, 2018
I have added a newspaper article about the fire that destroyed the Sodus Point Hotel. You can read about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on Hotels, then click on Sodus Point Hotel Fire.
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May 4, 2018
I have added an newspaper article from 1972 about the Fire Dept. acquiring the “Duck” . Click on the Old Photos tab on the top menu and then click the Sodus Point Fire Dept. “Duck” tab.
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April 28, 2018
I have added an 1974 map of Sodus Bay and the surrounding area with many annotated historic sites. Click on the Maps tab on the top menu and then click the 1974 Annotated Sodus Bay Map tab.
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April 27, 2018
I have added an 1810 map of Troupville. Click on the Maps tab on the top menu and then click the Troupville – 1810 tab.
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April 25, 2018
I have added the writeup for the proposed City of Sodus Bay that was never built. Click on the Artifacts tab on the top menu and then click the The City of Sodus Bay tab.
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April 10, 2018
I have added pictures and the writeup for the new Historic Sodus Point Mural. Click on the Murals tab on the top menu and then click the Historic Sodus Point Mural tab.
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February 13, 2018
I have added a photo showing a locomotive pushing coal cars onto the trestle. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle, then click on Pushing Cars onto the Trestle.
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January 30, 2018
I have added a photo showing a Coal Ship loading at the Coal Trestle. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Ship Loading at the Trestle.
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January 29, 2018
I have added a photo showing the Coal Trestle and the Road underneath it. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle and Road.
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January 28, 2018
I have added information about the the sad yet funny story of the Inner Pier Light. You can read about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on Whatever Happened to the Inner Pier Light?.
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December 30, 2017
I have added information about the 1913 Yacht Wrinkle. You can read about it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on Schooners and Steamboats, then click on Wrinkle Yacht – 1913
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October 15, 2017
I have added a second video of the coal trestle fire taken from a boat in the bay. You can watch it by clicking on the BuildingsSodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on Coal Trestle Fire Videos, then click on Coal Trestle Fire 2 – 11/11/1971
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October 8, 2017
I have added a humorous article about George Helfer and his knitting. You can read it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on George Helfer.
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October 4, 2017
I have added an article about Captain Charles T. DoVille and the first boat livery in Sand Point. You can read it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on Captain Charles T. DoVille.
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September 24, 2017
I have added a link to early moring drone video taken at the lighthouse. You can watch it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on Early Morning Lighthouse Drone Video.
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September 22, 2017
I have added a photo of The White Bakery. You can read all about it by clicking on the Old Photos tab on the top menu, then click on The White Bakery (1940s).
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August 28, 2017
I have added a write up on the Mansion House. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on Houses, then click on Mansion House
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August 24, 2017
I have added a write up on the Maxwell Settlement Cemetery of Sodus Point . You can read all about it by clicking on the Artifacts tab on the top menu, then click on Maxwell Settlement Cemetery – Rediscovering Our Past
submenu
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August 20, 2017
I have added a write up on the Swales Family of Sodus Point . You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on Swales Family submenu
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July 20, 2017
I have added a write up on the Kallusch Boat Builders of Sodus Point . You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on Kallusch Boat Builders submenu
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July 13, 2017
I have added a write up on the death of the last victim wounded in the battle of Sodus Point that took place over 140+ years after the battle! You can read all about it by clicking on the War and Battles tab on the top menu, then click on The Willow Tree, The Cannon Ball and the Battle of Sodus Point submenu
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July 7, 2017
I have added a write up on the 100 mph ice boat called the Doodle-Bug. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on Doodle-Bug submenu
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July 6, 2017
I have added a write up on the Camp Beechwood Cobblestone Building. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on Camp Beechwood Cobblestone Building submenu
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June 25, 2017
I have added a new write-up on the World War 1 Memorial and Plaque. You can read all about it by clicking on the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click on the Plaques tab and then click on World War 1 submenu
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June 25, 2017
I have added a newspaper clipping about rumors of the Coal Trestle to close. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Coal Trestle to Close submenu.
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May 30, 2017
I have added a new section on the Railroad that never was. You can read all about it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Railroad and Coal Trestle tab then click on the Railroad tab and then click on The Railroad That Never Was submenu.
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May 28, 2017
I have added a new section on the Beauty of Sodus Point dealing with the Northern Lights. You can read all about it by clicking on the Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on the Northern Lights submenu.
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May 2, 2017
I have added a new section on the main menu for old photos. Under this new category I have added a photo on flooding from 1953. You can read all about it by clicking on the Old photos tab on the top menu, then click on the Flooding submenu.
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November 10, 2016
I have added the nineth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Jefferson to Fitzhugh (Letter 9) .
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November 10, 2016
I have added the eighth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Jefferson to Fitzhugh (Letter 8) .
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November 09, 2016
I have added the fifth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Jefferson to Fitzhugh (Letter 5) .
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November 08, 2016
I have added the third letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Jefferson to Fitzhugh (Letter 3) .
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October 27, 2016
I have added the seventh letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Fitzhugh to Jefferson (Letter 7) .
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October 25, 2016
I have added the sixth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Fitzhugh to Jefferson (Letter 6) .
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October 21, 2016
I have added the fourth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Fitzhugh to Jefferson (Letter 4) .
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October 14, 2016
I have added a link to a web site that show the Town of Sodus deceased Veterans. The lists contain the Last and First Name, Cemetery where they are buried and the War they fought in pieces of Information. You can view it by clicking on the War & Battles tab on the top menu, then click on the Town of Sodus Deceased Veterans Lists tab.
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September 24, 2016
I have added a 26 minute presentation of the Quirky Stories and Characters of Sodus Point. You can view it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Ling Eaters and Other Strange Fish Presentation tab.
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September 16, 2016
I have added documentation of those men from Sodus Point who fought in the Civil War. You can view it by clicking on the War and Battles tab on the top menu, then click on the Civil War tab.
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September 4, 2016
I have added a short video of our last concert at the lighthouse for the 2016 season. You can view it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on the Lighthouse Concert tab.
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August 25, 2016
I have added a photo and writeup on the Home Comfort Cottage. You can view it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Houses , then click on the Home Comfort Cottage tab.
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July 19, 2016
I have added a video shot from a drone showing the Sodus Point fireworks of July 3 2016. You can view it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on the Drone Fireworks July 3 2016 submenu.
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July 19, 2016
I have added a video showing the sky lanterns launch of July 4, 2015. You can view it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on the Sky Lanterns Lauch – July 4 2015 submenu.
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July 12, 2016
I have added info, music and pictures of the Dolphin. You can view it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Dolphin submenu.
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July 8, 2016
I have added info and a picture of Danny’s Superette. You can view it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on the Dannys Superette submenu.
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May 12, 2016
I have added a 30 minute presentation of the Underground Railroad in Local History. This 30 min. presentation tells how the “Freedom Seekers” got to our area. It also tells three documented stories of them coming to Sodus Point. It tells of the 2 ship captains who transported them to Canada onboard their ships and finally tells about the investigation into the rumored Underground RR tunnel in our village. You can view it by clicking on the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click on the Underground Railroad in Local History submenu.
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April 27, 2016
I have added our newest plaque about the Underground RR safe house at Maxwell Creek B&B Inn. You can view it by clicking on the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click on the Plaques submenu and then click Underground RR .
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January 20, 2016
I have added an article about a horse powered boat that was planned to go between Oswego and Sodus Bay. You can view it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Horse Powered Boat
submenu.
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January 13, 2016
I have added photos and a flyer of the steamboat Arundell. You can view it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steamboats
submenu and then click on Arundell.
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January 4, 2016
I have addded a story about Salt trade going through Sodus Point in 1808.You can view it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Early Salt Trade
submenu.
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December 19, 2015
I have added 2 spreadsheets that show Sodus Point Maritime Occupations from the 1850 U.S. Census and Pultneyville Maritime Occupations from the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Census. You can view the spreadsheets by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Maritime Occupations and Sailors
submenu and then click on Maritime Occupations.
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December 15, 2015
I have added a collage of photos showing Sodus Point’s Happy Days in the 1950s. You can see it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on the Happy Days
submenu.
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December 10, 2015
I have added an article about early transportation to and from our village (before 1850). You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Early Transportation
submenu.
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December 8, 2015
I have added an article about David Roger’s ship building in Sodus Point. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steam Boats
submenu and then click on Rogers Ship Building.
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December 8, 2015
I have added an article about Henry Doville’s ship building in Sodus Point. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steam Boats
submenu and then click on Doville Ship Building.
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December 6, 2015
I have added a video recreation of the Sodus Point fog horn with the pier light in the background. You can read about it and watch it by clicking on the The Beauty of Sodus Point tab on the top menu, then click on the Fog Horn and Pier Light submenu.
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December 5, 2015
I have added an Arch Merrill article about Steamboats on Sodus Bay. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steam Boats
submenu and then click on Steamboats on Sodus Bay.
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December 4, 2015
I have added info about our Vessels built over the years in both Sodus Point and Pultneyville. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steam Boats
submenu and then click on Vessels Built in our Area.
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December 2, 2015
I have added the history of the Johnson House (Bay Street Hotel). You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Houses submenu and then click Johnson House (Bay Street Hotel)
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November 27, 2015
I have added the first letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Jefferson Letters and finally click on Fitzhugh to Jefferson (Letter 1) .
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November 25, 2015
I have added the history of the Lake Crest (MacKensie) House. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Houses submenu and then click Lake Crest
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November 24, 2015
I have added the fourth letter between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and George Washington. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Washington Letters and finally click on Fitzhugh to Washington (Letter 4) .
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November 17, 2015
I have added a Sodus Bay Webcam to my website. You can get a live view of our beautiful bay by clicking on the Sodus Bay Webcam tab on the top menu and following the instructions
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November 13, 2015
I have added the story of how it was planned to use 200 Turkish Angora Goats to clear Garfield (now Eagle) Island. You can read all about it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Turkish Goats of Garfield (Eagle) Island submenu.
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October 30, 2015
I have added the history of our the Salt Works School House. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Schools submenu then click on Salt Works School House.
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October 27, 2015
I have added the history of our area mills. You can read all about it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Area Mills submenu.
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October 26, 2015
I have added the history of our Fire Department that celebrated its 100 years of service in 2010. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Firefighters – Our Hometown Heroes submenu.
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October 23, 2015
I have added the story of a French Fort on Sodus Bay in the early 1700s before our village was founded. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the French Fort on Sodus Bay? submenu.
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October 21, 2015
I have added a story about the 1986 Powerboat Race here in Sodus Point. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the 1986 Powerboat Race off of Sodus Point submenu.
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October 19, 2015
I have added a quirky story about the first meeting in our town. You can read all about it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the First Meeting in our Town submenu.
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October 18, 2015
I have added a story about the migrant workers in our area in the 1940s and 50s. You can read all about it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on the Migrant Workers submenu.
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October 17, 2015
I have added a story about the human side of our German POWS kept here in Sodus Point. You can read all about it by clicking on the Wars & Battles tab on the top menu, then click on the POW – The Human Side submenu.
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October 16, 2015
I have added a story about tobogganing in the 1940s and 50s. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the Tobagganing submenu.
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October 15, 2015
I have added a video showing kitesurfing at our beach. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the Kitesurfing submenu.
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October 14, 2015
I have added the story of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles visiting Sodus Point. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Secretary of State Foster Dulles submenu.
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October 13, 2015
I have added the story of swimming the channel. A Sodus Point “rite of passage” in the 1940s and 50s. You can read all about it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on the Swimming the Channel submenu.
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October 11, 2015
I have added another quirky story. This time about Whiskey Jim. You can read all about it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Whiskey Jim submenu.
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October 10, 2015
I have added the story of the Murder of Jim Hall. You can read all about it by clicking on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the The Murder of Jim Hall submenu.
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October 8, 2015
I have added the history of the Custom House. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Houses submenu and then click Custom House
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October 7, 2015
I have added the history of Katlynn Marine. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the Boat Marinas submenu and then click Katlynn Marine .
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October 4, 2015
I have added information about the Bayshore Amusement Park. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the Bayshore Amusement Park submenu.
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October 3, 2015
I have added information about The lotus flowers in Sodus Bay. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Lotus Flowers in Sodus Bay submenu.
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October 1, 2015
I have added information about DoVille’s Ice Cream Stand and their wonderful home made cones. You can read all about it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu, then click on the Mrs. DoVille’s Ice Cream Cones submenu.
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September 27, 2015
I have added the beginning Introduction to recently discovered letters between Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh and George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. You can read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Colonel Peregrine Fitzhugh submenu then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters submenu and then click on the Peregrine Fitzhugh Letters (Introduction) .
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September 22, 2015
I have added rare video footage of a Coal Ship coming into Sodus Bay. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Coal Ship Coming into the Bay submenu.
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September 20, 2015
I have added info on the Iron Ore Dock. You can read all about it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Iron Ore Dock submenu.
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September 17, 2015
I have added The History of Eagle Island. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the History of Eagle Island submenu.
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September 13, 2015
I have added info about our Railroad Yard. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Railroad And Coal Trestle submenu and then click on Railroad and then Railroad Yard.
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September 11, 2015
I have added a Wayne County Times article about Henry Zerbe. You can read it by clicking on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Railroad And Coal Trestle submenu and then click on Henry Zerbe.
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September 10, 2015
I have added information about the Railroad Roundhouse. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Railroad submenu and then click on Railroad Roundhouse.
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September 7, 2015
I have added information about the Railroad Y restaurant and the railroad bunk house. You can read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Railroad submenu and then click on Railroad Y And Bunk house.
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September 4, 2015
I have added information about the names of the islands in Sodus Bay. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Islands in Sodus Bay submenu.
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September 3, 2015
I have added information about what we think we know about Native Americans in Sodus Bay. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Native Americans in Sodus Bay submenu.
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August 26, 2015
I have added information about Sodus Bay Heights and the King of France. You can read all about it by clicking on the Other tab on the top menu, then click on the Sodus Bay Heights & the King of France submenu.
August 24, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about the curious case of the No Name Cheese. To read about this simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the No Name Cheese submenu.
August 14, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about Ling Eaters. Ling Eaters was a derogatory name for those who lived in Sodus Point. To read about this title simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Ling Eaters submenu.
August 14, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about Old Tom. Old Tom was a beloved character who graced our town from the 1920s through the 1940s. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Old Tom submenu.
August 11, 2015
I have added information about the contributions made by African American in Sodus and the surrounding area. You can read all about it by clicking on the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click on the African Americans in Sodus submenu.
August 10, 2015
I have added information about Taxi Dancing in Sodus Point. You can read all about it by clicking on the Recreation tab on the top menu, then click on the Taxi Dancing submenu.
August 4, 2015
I have added images and the write up of the new Town of Sodus Mural with scenes representing the 5 hamlets and 2 villages (including Sodus Point) within the Township of Sodus. You can see the new mural and read about each scene by clicking on the Murals tab on the top menu, then click on the Town of Sodus Mural submenu. Dedication of this new mural will take place on Sunday, August 09 at 2 PM at the corner of Maple and Main Streets in Sodus.
July 28, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about The Piano in the Back of the Truck . Yes you read that right. You can’t make this stuff up. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the The Piano in the Back of the Truck submenu.
July 14, 2015
I have added a new post about Geraldo Rivera’s sailboat Voyager that is at Katlyn Marina for refurbishing. Scroll to the right in the scroll bar with the small images on it on the home page until you see Voyager’s image and then click on it. Read the story of this beautiful sailboat.
July 10, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about Billy Boomerang. Billy was a local boy who became a world champion boomerang thrower and achieved legendary status on Padre Island. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Billy Boomerang submenu.
July 8, 2015
I have added a new post about Davina McNaney’s amazing 470 mile run from Michigan to Sodus Point to raise money for breast cancer research. Scroll to the right in the scroll bar with the small images on it on the home page until you see Davina’s image and then click on it. Read the story of this amazing and inspirational woman who raised over $20,000 for cancer research. Go Davina
June 9, 2015
I have added Wickham’ s Marine list for the year 1817. In Wickam’s Marine List, Captain William Wickham tracked ships coming into and leaving Troupville (later to be renamed Sodus Point). In his write up, he identified the type of vessel (usually a schooner), its name, its Captain’s name, its cargo and where it was heading. To read all about it, click on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steamboats submenu and then click Wickhams Marine List.
June 8, 2015
We have just recently discovered that the first steamboat in regular service on the Great Lakes stopped in Troupville (later to be renamed Sodus Point) on its maiden voyage on April 25, 1817 commanded by Captain Malaby. To read all about it, click on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the Schooners and Steamboats submenu and then click Steamboat Ontario at Troupville.
May 27, 2015
I have added information about the Hobos camp that was in Sodus Point in the 1940s and 1950s. Click on the People tab on the top menu, then click on the Hobos in Sodus Point submenu.
May 27, 2015
I have added how about 40% of downtown Sodus Point was reclaimed from Lake Ontario. Click on the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click on the The Building of Sodus Point submenu.
May 22, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about the horse that drank beer. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the The Horse That Drank Beer submenu.
May 18, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about how Christian Holler Road got its name. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Christian Holler submenu.
May 18, 2015
I have added another Quirky Story about humor during the Battle of Sodus Point. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Humor during the Battle of Sodus Point submenu.
May 15, 2015
I have added a new section that tells some of the Quirky Stories of Sodus Point. Leading off is the story of the day a Swordfish (what!?!) was caught in Sodus Bay. Simply click on the Quirky Stories tab on the top menu, then click on the Swordfish Caught in Sodus Bay submenu.
May 13, 2015
I have added information about the Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club. The information includes a link to its history and a Sirius Radio broadcast about Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (who was our first golf pro) at our golf club. Simply click on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Clubs submenu and then click on the Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club submenu.
May 12, 2015
I have added information about the Sodus Bay Yacht Club. The information includes a link to its history and a youtube video that contains spectacular footage of the Yacht Club and Sodus Bay that was shot from a remote controlled drone. Simply click on the Buildings tab on the top menu, then click on the Clubs submenu and then click on the Sodus Bay Yacht Club submenu.
April 24, 2015
I have added a picture and information about the Sodus Bay Social Club (circa 1920 – 1930). Simply click on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu and then click on the Sodus Bay Social Club submenu.
April 21, 2015
I have information about the Sodus Point Malt House. Simply click on the Buildings tab on the top menu and then click on the Malt House
submenu.
April 11, 2015
I have updated the upcoming historic events section for 2015. Simply click on Upcoming Historic Events on the top menu.
Feb. 1, 2015
I have added a picture of Go Kart Racing on Sodus Bay (circa 1968 – 1971). Simply click on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu and then click on the Go Kart Racing on Sodus Bay submenu.
Oct. 6, 2014
I have added a timeline main menu option so you can search about major historical stories of Sodus Point in a chronological manner. Simply click on the Timeline tab on the top menu and then click on which ever submenu gets you to the to the timeframe you are interested in.
Sept 19, 2014
I have added a three page article about the dedication ceremony written in 1927 of the Asher Warner and 1812 Peace Garden Plaques by the Daughters of 1812. Read all about it by clicking on the Plaques tab on the top menu and then click either the 1812 Peace Garden Plaque submenu or the Asher Warner Plaque submenu. The links to the article are on the bottom of the page.
Sept 9, 2014
I have added the folklore tale of the British Pay Ship that is said to haunt our Bay. Read all about it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu and then click the Myths and Folklore submenu and then click the British Pay Ship submenu.
July 2, 2014
I have added an aerial photograph (and information) of Greig Street in 1965 showing the Dolphin, roller skate rink, etc. Read all about it by clicking on the Sodus Point Memories tab on the top menu and then click the Sodus Point 1965 submenu.
June 8, 2014
I have added information about the Guild Hall that we now know as the Village Offices. Read all about it by clicking on the Buildings tab on the top menu and then click the Guild Hall submenu.
May 7, 2014
I have added information about the Sands Point Amusement Park that existed in the 1950s where the beach park now is. Read all about it by clicking on the Memories tab on the top menu and then click the Sands Point Amusement Park submenu.
April 23, 2014
I have added to the information on E.H. Harriman an article that Arch Merrill wrote about him for the Sunday, September 19, 1954 edition of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. . Read all about it by clicking on the People tab on the top menu and then click the E.H. Harriman submenu.
April 19, 2014
I have updated the Upcoming Historic Events section. On Sunday, August 3, we will be doing guided Trolley Rides from Sodus Point to Sodus on “Molly the Trolley” a recreation of a vintage trolley car. Read all about it by clicking on the Upcoming Historic Events tab on the top menu..
April 18, 2014
I have added information on the new Seaways Trail Interpretive Panel that will be installed at the Lighthouse this spring. Read all about it by clicking the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click Intrepretive Panels on the sub menu, then click SEAWAY Trails War of 1812 BRITISH RAIDS.
March 17, 2014
I have greatly expanded the information about the coal trestle by adding the 1972 Hoffman paper ” A History of the Coal Trestle at Sodus Point” by Susan Yancey VanAcker. I have also added a sound track of a coal shaker so people who never heard it get an idea what it sounded like and for those that did to bring back old memories. Read all about it by clicking the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Coal Trestle on the sub menu.
January 8, 2014
I have added the story of the tragic train wreck that occurred in 1901. The train had left Sodus Point and a number of Sodus Point residents were killed or injured in the wreck. Read all about this sad story by clicking the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Railroad on the sub menu and then click Tragic Train Wreck.
December 22, 2013
I have updated the Sodus Point Lakers info in the Memories section. I interviewed Ken Johnson and Don Johnson of the Sodus Point Chiefs and added some of their fond memories of playing on Sodus Point’s semi pro baseball team in the early 1950s. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Sodus Point Lakers.
December 14, 2013
I have added a photo (circa 1940) of the carpenters and their cooks that maintained the Coal Trestle. View it by clicking Commerce on the top menu, then click Coal Trestle Workers on the sub menu
December 10, 2013
I have added an additional fishing chart from 1940 – 1950 that was shared by Doris Chase. Also note the cabins and motels (lower left on map) that were around the Bay at that time. View it by clicking Memories on the top menu, then click Fishing Chart (1930 -1950) on the sub menu
December 3, 2013
Seasons Greeting to all. The newly erected trolley pole in Willow Park has been decorated for Christmas! We have added a video Christmas card featuring the Trolley Pole and its new song! View it by clicking the decorated trolley pole on the slider bar. Have a Jolly Trolley Christmas!
November 18, 2013
I have added a fishing chart from 1930 – 1940 that was shared by James Loves. View it by clicking Memories on the top menu, then click Fishing Chart (1930 -1940) on the sub menu
October 27, 2013
I have added a poster that’s has an artistic rendition and tells the story of the Sodus Pt. Fish & Crab House, Inc. It also includes the brief history of Joe’s Place, The Dolphin and Captain Kelley’s restaurants that were formerly at the same location. Read all about it by clicking the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Sodus Pt. Fish & Crab House on the sub menu.
August 22, 2013
I have added a photo of the new Trolley Pole and its plaque with the write up that is on the plaque. Read all about it by clicking the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click Plaques on the sub menu and then click Trolley.
August 20, 2013
What was Prohibition like in our village? Read all about it by clicking the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Prohibition.
August 13, 2013
Did you know that Sodus Bay is only one of twelve places in New York State where mail is delivered by boat? Read all about it by clicking the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Boat Mail Delivery On Sodus Bay.
August 9, 2013
I have added another person (Dr. William Darby Cooke) to those who ran safe houses as part of the Underground Railroad in Sodus Point. What makes this a unique story is that this is the only safe house in Sodus Point that has a written historical reference to harboring fugitive slaves and also has the name of a fugitive slave that was harbored there. Click the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click Dr. William Darby Cooke
August 1, 2013
This summer history was made in a way many in Sodus Point would have preferred not to have happened. Our village was hit by a very severe summer storm packing winds of 70 MPH. Read all about it by clicking the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Summer Storms – 2013.
July 19, 2013
How did the fugitive slaves get to Sodus Point? I have created a fictional account of one family’s long road to freedom from South Carolina to Sodus Point based on historical facts. Click the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click How the Freedom Seekers got to Sodus Point .
July 9, 2013
Stop the presses!!! New information and evidence has come about the Sodus Point Slave Tunnels thanks to Ground Penetrating Radar. Read all about it. Click on the Sodus Point Tunnel Revealed? thumbnail on the slider bar or click the Slavery tab on the top menu, then click Sodus Point Tunnel tab and then click The Sodus Point Tunnel Revealed? .
June 17, 2013
To commemorate the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Battle of Sodus Point, I have created a music video. Click the War & Battles tab on the top menu, then click Battle of Sodus Point (The Music Video) .
June 12, 2013
I have added an article that lists the names of all of the Sailors from Sodus Point from approximately 1854 – 1914. Click the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Sodus Point Sailors 1854 – 1914 .
May 22, 2013
I have added information about the British soldiers killed in the Battle of Sodus Point. This includes name, rank, regiment, previous occupation, etc. Click the War & Battles tab on the top menu, then click Battle of Sodus Point War of 1812 (THE MEN). I have also added additional information about trolleys. This includes pictures of one of the few functioning trolleys from the 1920s that happens to be in Rochester, NY. which you can still ride on. I also answer questions such as how many people did it take to run the trolley and how did it reverse direction. Click the Commerce tab on the top menu, then click Trolley.
May 10, 2013
I have added Sodus Point Lakers to the Memories section. George Arney relates his story of playing on Sodus Point’s semi pro baseball team in the 1940s to the 1950s. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Sodus Point Lakers.
Feb 12th, 2013
I have added Fish Pirates to the Memories section. Deborah Hopkins researched the little known episode in Sodus Point history around 1900. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Fish Pirates.
Feb 3rd, 2013
I have added Santiago de Sodus Point to the Memories section. Deborah Hopkins talks about her ancestor Benjamin Hopkins and the very unique tree house motel he made around 1900. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Santiago de Sodus Point.
Jan 22nd, 2013
I have added Deborah Hopkins to the Memories section. She talks about the Hopkins and DoVille familes in Sodus Point. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Deborah Hopkins. I have also added a biography of Henry DoVille, Sr.. Click the People tab on the top menu, then click Henry Doville, Sr. .
Jan 7th, 2013
I have added a new item to the top menu: Memories In this section I will add people’s recollections of Sodus Point from bygone days. The first one is Doug Stark who visited Sodus Point in the 50s and 60s. Click the Memories tab on the top menu, then click Doug Stark.
Dec 22nd, 2012
I have added three new items to the top menu: Links, Contact Us and Upcoming Historic Events.
Dec 12th, 2012
I have added information about how to view or print our new Self Guided Tour Brochure of Historic Sodus Point or where you can pick one up in town. Click the Walking Tours tab on the top menu, then click Self Guided Tour Brochure of Historic Sodus Point.
Dec 10th, 2012
I have added information about the new Robert Trent Jones, Sr. plaque. Click the Plaques tab on the top menu, then click the plaques sub menu and then click Robert Trent Jones, Sr. I have also updated the walking tour map to reflect this new plaque.
Dec 7th, 2012
I have added information about the trolley in Sodus Point. Click the Commerce tab on the top menu then click Trolley. You can also get to it by clicking the small slider image of the trolley.
November 21, 2012 – I have added pictures and the writeup for the new coal trestle plaque. Click on the Plaques tab on the top menu and then click the Coal Trestle Plaque tab.
October 3, 2012 – Ever wish you could go back in time to see what Sodus Point was like in the early 1900s? I have created a simulated trip back. Join me as I walk around Sodus Point and see this exciting time in our town’s history. Click on the Walking Tours tab on the top menu and then click the Guided Tour of Sodus Point in the Early 1900s tab.
September 11, 2012 – Thanks to a great deal of work by my wife, I have added a section about the 1896 Methodist Church Signature Quilt. It has over 350 names on it; a who’s who of Sodus Point in the 19th century! Click on the Artifacts tab on the top menu and then click the 1896 Signature Quilt tab.
September 2, 2012 – I have added additional information about Sodus Points involvement in the Underground Railroad. Click on the Slaves tab on the top menu and then click the More Underground Railroad in Sodus Point tab.
August 24, 2012 – I have added the new War of 1812 Peace Garden Interpretive Panel. Click on the Plaques tab on the top meu and then click the War of 1812 Peace Garden Interpretive Panel tab. This has also been added to the Walking Tour of Sodus Point.
July 31, 2012 – I have added three poems dealing with the Underground Railroad in Sodus Point. Click the Slavery tab on the top menu and then click the Underground Railroad Poems tab.
July 20, 2012 – We have added information about famous celebrities that lived in Sodus Point. Click the People tab on the top menu then click Celebrities.
July 14, 2012 – We have added the interesting story of the 1175 foot tunnel in Sodus Point which may have been used to hide and transport runaway slaves. Its under the Slavery tab on the top menu.
July 6, 2012 – We have added a Feb. 1st , 2009 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle story about the Newport Family which is believed to be the first free black family in Sodus Point. It is under the Slavery tab on the top menu.
June 21st – The finished Mural! It will be hung on the firehall on Thursday, 6/28/12 and mural dedication will be Saturday July 14 th at 1 PM.
June 12th – Work has begun on the “Underground Railroad in Sodus Point” mural. The dedication ceremony for this mural is scheduled for July 14th at 1 PM
April 11, 2012: With my wife’s help, we are beginning to add information about the many historic buildings in Sodus Point. More information about these buildings can be found on the top menu under “Buildings” .
Travel Back in Time to Sodus Point in the Early 1900s
Come with me in my time machine as I walk arround Sodus Point in the early 1900s and narrate all the sights. Its a hopping place!
Click this link: https://vimeo.com/50679130
Trolley
The Rochester and Sodus Bay Railroad ran trolleys from Rochester to Sodus Point from 1900 – 1929. The trolley was an important part of Sodus Point. Click the link below to learn more.
Is this the Sodus Point Slave Tunnel?
Ground Penetrating Radar has given us new evidence and information about the existence of the Underground Railroad Slave Tunnel in Sodus Point! Click the following link for the latest news:
Update as of 9/22/13: We had Ken Artl (who is a Mason specializing in Cobblestone House Restorations) examine the tunnel and take a number of mortar and pipe samples within the 20 foot tunnel. The mortar was chemically analyzed and found to be of the portland cement variety first used in this area no earlier than the early 1900s. The remnant of the 2.5 inch pipe found was wrapped in sheet type asbestos. Another interesting discovery was that the tunnel was constructed by first digging a ditch and then creating the arched tunnel and covering it up again.The conclusion from this analysis is that the tunnel was not used as part of the Underground Railroad movement. It was used to transport utilities to various sections of the house; probably piped water, and/or steam or later electricity.
Hobos in Sodus Point
For many years, Sodus Point has been a “destination” for visitors. This was also true for Hobos.
Read all about this lost “Culture America”:
https://historicsoduspoint.com/people/hobos-in-sodus-point/
First Steamboat in Sodus Bay
We have just recently discovered that the first steamboat in regular service on the Great Lakes stopped in Troupville (later to be renamed Sodus Point) on its maiden voyage on April 25, 1817 commanded by Captain Malaby.
Read all about it by clicking this link: https://historicsoduspoint.com/commerce/schooners-and-steamboats/steamboat-ontario-at-troupville/
Davina McNaney’s Run (2015 and 2018)
2015
Davina went a ‘running,
470 miles.
From Michigan to New York,
she always gave us smiles.
She gave breast cancer a ‘beating
it never will forget.
And along the way, won the hearts
of everyone she met.
Davina McNaney is an amazing and inspirational woman who grew up and was married in Sodus Point. She is a breast cancer survivor who wanted to help fund breast cancer research and ran 470 miles from Michigan to Sodus Point and raised over $20,000! To read more about her epic endeavor click the link below:
2018
Davina does it again; this time running 380 miles from Boston to Sodus Point!
The Finale!Through 4 states, over the mountains, through the woods and in blistering heat, Davina finished unscathed….
Posted by Steve McNaney on Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Geraldo Rivera’s Sailboat
July 2015
For the next few weeks, Geraldo Rivera’s sailboat “Voyager” is being refurbished at Katlyn Marina. Doug Hazlitt has brought in another historic vessel. This time a beautiful 68 foot sailboat that Geraldo Rivera went around the world in.
Here is a video tour of the ship: tour
Here are pictures of Voyager in Katlyn Marina
Stop in and see this beautiful sailboat……
