Macyville Woods is named for the section of Sodus Point called Macyville after Sylvanus J. Macy 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 in 2019 with a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 18th, 2020, officially opening it to the public.
