Souvenir of Fairport, New York: Being a Historical Review of Interesting Events Compiled from Early Records of the Town and Village and Other Sources, Down to the Present Time, Together with Illustrations from Early and Recent Photos and Quaint Old Print…

63, [1] pp. Fairport, New York, Old Home Week, August 2-8, 1908. Includes black-and-white photographs and local ads. Fairport is a village located in the Town of Perinton, which is part of Monroe County, New York, United States. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles (14 km) east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal". The town of Perinton was first settled in the two flat areas of Perinton Center (Turk Hill and Ayrault Roads) and Egypt. The first settlers in Perinton were Glover Perrin, his wife Johanna and his brother Jesse. What was developed as the village of Fairport was a swampy area within the Town of Perinton until the 1820s, when it was drained by construction of the new Erie Canal. With the opening of the Canal, what was then known as Perrinsville quickly became a busy canal port with a reputation for being a "fair port." A further boon to the area's reputation as an industry and transportation center came with the construction of railroads in 1853. This now booming section of Perrinsville was incorporated as a village on April 30, 1867 and eventually became the center of activity for the town of Perinton. In the 19th century industry moved into Fairport, including Deland Chemical (baking soda), Cobb Preserving (the predecessor to American Can), and the Trescott Company (fruit grading and packing systems). Deland Chemical later became Fairport Vinegar Works, makers of Certo brand pectin used to gel and preserve foodstuffs. In the early 20th century, the Erie Canal was expanded and renamed the Barge Canal. (It reverted to its original name in 1992). Barge transportation rapidly declined as automobiles and trucks became popular. The town began to expand away from the canal. The Erie Canal is now used mainly for recreation.