South Bristol’s beginnings
Prior to the Revolutionary War, the areas around the Finger Lakes and the Bristol Hills were home to member Native American tribes of the Iroquois Nation, in particular the Seneca tribe. The British convinced many tribes of the Iroquois Nation to fight with them against the colonial army. It was these local Iroquois farms and orchards of the Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley that provided much of the food supply for the British army in America. It was also believed the British planned a new offensive drive from Iroquois lands that, if successful, would split the colonies in two. For these reasons, this region of New York was of strategic importance to the fledgling nation.
In late 1778, after the massacre at Cherry Valley in the eastern Finger Lakes, General George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, with the approval of Congress, planned the Campaign of 1779. Major General John Sullivan commanded one third of the Continental Army and was instructed to lead a “scorched earth” campaign against the Iroquois, then move westward to capture the British Fort Niagara. With combined troops of approximately 5,100 men, Generals Sullivan and Clinton proceeded to the Genesee Valley region. It was during this campaign, on September 11, 1779, that General Sullivan and his troops travelled through Bristol to reach Honeoye. Their route took them near what is now Vincent Hill Road, on the “corduroy road” of saplings laid on the ground that the troops built. With skirmishes into South Bristol, they destroyed several large Seneca Indian villages and orchards. The only trace remaining of the Senecas’ prosperity was the undiscovered great orchard on Seneca Point.
With the Phelps and Gorham Purchase in 1788 of Iroquois Nation lands, Gamaliel Wilder was able to secure what was to become the township of South Bristol. The following year he moved with family and friends from Connecticut to the site of the old Indian orchard on Seneca Point where it was said that these new settlers enjoyed the health benefits of the apple and peach trees. Vestiges of the orchard were still evident until 1915, when the last remaining tree was removed 127 years after whites first settled in the territory.
During 1790, a road was cut over Stid Hill from Seneca Point, and a settlement called Brown’s Stand was established near what is now the intersection of New York State Route 64 and County Road 34. Just west of this intersection (on County Road 34) Wilder established his first sawmill. The next year the road was extended beyond Boswell’s Corners (the intersection of County Roads 33 and 34), over Frost Hill to Briggs Gully (near Cumming Nature Center), where Wilder built a second sawmill.
In March 1838, the Town of South Bristol was formally named and partitioned from the Town of Bristol because of the distance required to travel for meetings. At this time, South Bristol established its own local government. The recorded site of the first town meeting, Allen Brown’s Tavern at Brown’s Stand, continued to serve as the town’s meeting place for many years.
As the community prospered and the population increased, large tracts of land were cleared for farms and orchards. The need for lumber brought about the clear-cutting of vast areas of the Bristol Hills. As a result, many sawmills were built to meet the growing demand. The B.T. Hawkins Sawmill at Bristol Springs was still in operation well after the turn of the 20th century. Although more conservatively harvested today, timber remains one of the town’s most important natural resources. In the late 1800s, livestock, such as sheep, and key agricultural crops of hops and raspberries were raised in abundance. Raspberries, originally used to dye fabrics made in New York City, were later sold to the Jell-O Company of Leroy, N.Y., as flavoring for the first commercialized gelatin dessert. Some of the berry dry-houses still exist today throughout town. Hops, used for beer, were shipped to the McKechnie Brewery in Canandaigua, which is now making a comeback as part of the recent craft beer brewing trend.
In the late 19th century, the lands in the eastern part of the town were turned into vineyards. Mineral deposits from the glacier-formed Finger Lakes made the soil well suited for native American varieties, including Concord, Catawba, and Niagara. These table grape varieties were shipped by lake boat to Canandaigua, where they were loaded onto trains bound for New York City.
Later, European vinifera grapes, including Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, were introduced to the Finger Lakes. The lakeshore lands throughout the north and south expanse of the town were transformed into an almost continuous series of vineyards, interspersed with numerous cottages nestled in groves of trees. Due to the terrain, soil, and climate along the lake, the picturesque vineyards of South Bristol still produce one of the area’s principal agricultural crops.
As forests slowly returned, restoring the natural beauty of the once denuded hills, Canandaigua Lake became a summer retreat and resort destination for “city folk.” Between Seneca Point and the hamlet of Woodville were many lake steamboat landings, or “stops” as they were known, providing transportation for passengers and shipping of agricultural products and cargo to Canandaigua and the train station. Hotels and cottages sprang up along the shoreline to accommodate the area’s guests; one of the most famous was the Seneca Point Hotel, built in 1886. This large, distinguished building was constructed by a group of Canandaigua entrepreneurs. With 65 rooms for 200 guests, an orchestra, ballroom, billiard rooms, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond, it was undeniably the most popular resort on the lake until it was destroyed by fire in 1899. The Seneca Point area has had many famous visitors, but a favorite story tells of a young Humphrey Bogart staying at the Bopple Hill Boarding House and visiting his aunt’s cottage on the lake. (For more on Seneca Point’s history, click here for the history of the area compiled by the owners of one of the Point’s historic cottages, now called Glen Hollow.)
With the exception of lakeshore development, South Bristol has retained much of its rural charm and was actively billed as the “Little Switzerland of America” for its three alpine ski areas built in the 1950s and ‘60s. We continue to attract sports enthusiasts, from novice to expert, who enjoy hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and skiing among other year-round outdoor activities.