Day 43 - Saturday, June 23rd - Hamburg to Canandaigua, NY
Distance: 94.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 4053 ft. or 42.9 ft./mile
95 miles and over 4,000 feet of climbing were the order of the day and upon completion we are left with 406 miles to the Atlantic. We spent the first thirty miles stair stepping our way to the northeast and then basically took US-20 into Canandaigua. The forecast for today called for a 90% chance of rain no matter where we were, with the strong possibility of thunderstorms. We got mostly overcast skies and the occasional light shower, but the T-storms fortunately never arrived. In their place we had an epidemic of flats throughout the group including yours truly with three. The roadway in spots was just littered with this grit of finely ground sharp rock which sticks to wet tires and then slowly works its way though your tire to the tube.
We were staying to the north of Hamburg, so our exit took us closer to the central part of town as we headed southeast out of the hotel. We crossed US-62 and then headed northeast on Clark St. to the hamlet of Armor where we then headed to Orchard Park, an affluent suburb of Buffalo with a population of 29,000. In 1803, Didymus C. Kinney purchased land and built a cabin in the southwest corner of the township, which has since been turned into a museum. The following year, a migration of Quaker settlers began. The town was separated from the town of Hamburg in 1850 and was first named "Ellicott", after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the town of "East Hamburgh". Around 1934, the town was renamed "Orchard Park" after its principal settlement.
At mile 8 we turned east and headed to the village of East Aurora, a village of 6000 founded in 1804. Millard Fillmore lived here from 1826 to 1830 practicing law before the beginning of his political career. Elbert Hubbard, who founded the Roycroft Movement, lived here in the early 20th century before he and his wife died on board the Lusitania in 1915. Roycroft was a reformist community of craft workers and artists which formed part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. The work and philosophy of the group, often referred to as the Roycroft movement, had a strong influence on the development of American architecture and design in the early 20th century.
We were staying to the north of Hamburg, so our exit took us closer to the central part of town as we headed southeast out of the hotel. We crossed US-62 and then headed northeast on Clark St. to the hamlet of Armor where we then headed to Orchard Park, an affluent suburb of Buffalo with a population of 29,000. In 1803, Didymus C. Kinney purchased land and built a cabin in the southwest corner of the township, which has since been turned into a museum. The following year, a migration of Quaker settlers began. The town was separated from the town of Hamburg in 1850 and was first named "Ellicott", after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the town of "East Hamburgh". Around 1934, the town was renamed "Orchard Park" after its principal settlement.
At mile 8 we turned east and headed to the village of East Aurora, a village of 6000 founded in 1804. Millard Fillmore lived here from 1826 to 1830 practicing law before the beginning of his political career. Elbert Hubbard, who founded the Roycroft Movement, lived here in the early 20th century before he and his wife died on board the Lusitania in 1915. Roycroft was a reformist community of craft workers and artists which formed part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. The work and philosophy of the group, often referred to as the Roycroft movement, had a strong influence on the development of American architecture and design in the early 20th century.
At mile 18 the route turned north and we went through Marilla, a town of about 5000, at mile 23. Marilla is located on land that was once part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation and its is derived from Marilla Rogers, the name of an early schoolteacher.
At about mile 30 we reached Alden, a town of just over 10,000 residents that takes its name from the family name of early settlers. It was formed in 1823 from part of the town of Clarence. Part of Alden was later given up to form Marilla.
At this point the route turned east and we reached Darien at mile 37. Originally a settlement of the Seneca people its' original name meant "place where turkeys are found". No turkeys today.
Alexander came at mile 42. The town of 2500 is named after Alexander Rea, an early settler who purchased 28 acres for $56 in 1802 and founded the village.
Continuing east on US 20 we came next to Bethany at mile 48, a town of 1700 first settled in 1803 and formed in 1812 by a partition of the town of Batavia.
US 20 turned to the southeast at mile 67 as we reached Avon a mile later. With a population of about 7100 the town was first settled in 1789 when Gilbert and Maria Berry built a log tavern and later operated a rope ferry across the Genesee River. The town itself was formed in 1797 and originally named Hartford and then changed to Avon in 1808 to prevent confusion with another community in the state of the same name. Beginning in the 1820's, people became interested mineral waters in particular for their reputed health benefits and even cures. Avon soon became popular with the afflicted and the wealthy looking for relaxation and leisure. Numerous hotels and spas sprang up to take advantage of this fad, and bottling companies packaged the mineral water for sale. By the late 1890's to early 1900's, most of the hotels that had not closed due to the decline of the spa era had succumbed to fire or were torn down.
At mile 75 we reached Lima, a town of about 4300 formed in 1789 as the "Town of Charleston," but was renamed in 1808 to avoid confusion with Charleston, New York. The name Lima was chosen to reflect that many residents had come from Old Lyme, CT.
We reach the outskirts of Canadaigua at mile 92 but before we got there we passed through West Bloomfield, East Bloomfield and Bloomfield and it was in this stretch that I saw a road sign that made me think I had made a serious navigation error and a rather odd roadside ornament.
At about mile 30 we reached Alden, a town of just over 10,000 residents that takes its name from the family name of early settlers. It was formed in 1823 from part of the town of Clarence. Part of Alden was later given up to form Marilla.
At this point the route turned east and we reached Darien at mile 37. Originally a settlement of the Seneca people its' original name meant "place where turkeys are found". No turkeys today.
Alexander came at mile 42. The town of 2500 is named after Alexander Rea, an early settler who purchased 28 acres for $56 in 1802 and founded the village.
Continuing east on US 20 we came next to Bethany at mile 48, a town of 1700 first settled in 1803 and formed in 1812 by a partition of the town of Batavia.
US 20 turned to the southeast at mile 67 as we reached Avon a mile later. With a population of about 7100 the town was first settled in 1789 when Gilbert and Maria Berry built a log tavern and later operated a rope ferry across the Genesee River. The town itself was formed in 1797 and originally named Hartford and then changed to Avon in 1808 to prevent confusion with another community in the state of the same name. Beginning in the 1820's, people became interested mineral waters in particular for their reputed health benefits and even cures. Avon soon became popular with the afflicted and the wealthy looking for relaxation and leisure. Numerous hotels and spas sprang up to take advantage of this fad, and bottling companies packaged the mineral water for sale. By the late 1890's to early 1900's, most of the hotels that had not closed due to the decline of the spa era had succumbed to fire or were torn down.
At mile 75 we reached Lima, a town of about 4300 formed in 1789 as the "Town of Charleston," but was renamed in 1808 to avoid confusion with Charleston, New York. The name Lima was chosen to reflect that many residents had come from Old Lyme, CT.
We reach the outskirts of Canadaigua at mile 92 but before we got there we passed through West Bloomfield, East Bloomfield and Bloomfield and it was in this stretch that I saw a road sign that made me think I had made a serious navigation error and a rather odd roadside ornament.
Sneak Peek at Tomorrow
70 miles to Syracuse, NY along the northern tips of the Finger Lakes. This has the potential to be a pretty scenic ride.
Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County and with a city population of over 145,000 is the fifth largest city in the state. With a metropolitan area that includes over 660,000 people it is the economic and educational hub of Central New York. Jesuit missionaries visiting the area in the mid 1600's noticed salty brine springs around the southern end of Onondaga Lake. In the late 1700's the state of New York designated the area as the Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation and this kicked off commercial salt production. The rapid development of this industry in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the nicknaming of Syracuse as "The Salt City" and in 1847, the city was officially named after Syracuse, Sicily, which at the time was also famous for its salt mining industry.
The salt industry declined after the civil war but other industries moved in and World War II kicked off another period of industrial expansion. After the war GM & Chrysler had major operations along with GE which had it main TV manufacturing plant in the area. and Syracuse was also headquarters for Carrier Corporation and the area has suffered through the well documented decline in American manufacturing in the 1970's. Although population of the city has declined since 1950, the population of the metropolitan area population has remained fairly stable, even growing by 2.5 percent since 1970.
Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County and with a city population of over 145,000 is the fifth largest city in the state. With a metropolitan area that includes over 660,000 people it is the economic and educational hub of Central New York. Jesuit missionaries visiting the area in the mid 1600's noticed salty brine springs around the southern end of Onondaga Lake. In the late 1700's the state of New York designated the area as the Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation and this kicked off commercial salt production. The rapid development of this industry in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the nicknaming of Syracuse as "The Salt City" and in 1847, the city was officially named after Syracuse, Sicily, which at the time was also famous for its salt mining industry.
The salt industry declined after the civil war but other industries moved in and World War II kicked off another period of industrial expansion. After the war GM & Chrysler had major operations along with GE which had it main TV manufacturing plant in the area. and Syracuse was also headquarters for Carrier Corporation and the area has suffered through the well documented decline in American manufacturing in the 1970's. Although population of the city has declined since 1950, the population of the metropolitan area population has remained fairly stable, even growing by 2.5 percent since 1970.
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