Author: Town Clerk's Office

Indian Allan Park is a nearly 60 acre parcel of land owned by the Town of Wheatland, located along the southerly banks of Oatka Creek, to the east of Canawaugus Park in the Village of Scottsville, also to the east of the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park trail near the “George” bridge and directly adjacent to the former location of the Wheatland water treatment plant and now Monroe County pump station. The park stretches more than 1/2 mile east from the edge of the former water treatment plant property and includes the bed of the creek which follows a winding course through deep pools and gravelly ripples toward the nearby Genesee River. Huge willows and cottonwoods shade the stream where trout and other fish species can be found.

The park land is largely undeveloped at the current time with public usage limited to occasional fishermen. The Park’s convenient location and natural setting, which includes the Oatka Creek provides a substantial opportunity for the incremental design and development of a beautiful new recreation area for the community. Envision a picturesque public park which can support a number of diverse activities and interests, such as wooded creek-side trails for walking, sitting and fishing, open space for running and cycling among other activities, and public picnic areas with associated amenities.

The land for the park was provided to the Town of Wheatland as a gift in 1975 by Col. Carey H. Brown for the purpose of creating a municipal park. Col, Brown was a Wheatland resident and farmer who was active in Scottsville Village and Town of Wheatland affairs at the time. The idea of preserving this area along Oatka Creek was originally suggested by a group of local Wheatland residents, including Wheatland Supervisor at the time, James C. Guthrie. Brown’s farm was part of a large tract of land deeded by the Iroquois Indian Nation to Ebenezer ‘Indian” Allan. Allan built a log cabin in 1787 near where Oatka Creek flows into the Genesee River, from there, for years he supplied the British at Fort Niagara with stock and produce. The park was dedicated in April 1990 by the Town of Wheatland as Indian Allan Park, recognizing one of the earliest frontiersmen to settle in this area.

Ebenezer “Indian” Allan was the first, and probably the most famous and fascinating character in Wheatland history. In 1786, when he was about 42 years old, he relocated from Gardeau, near present Mt. Morris, NY, where he had been staying with Mary Jemison, the “White Woman of the Genesee.” He built a log cabin on the flats near the confluence of Oatka Creek and the Genesee River just east of the present village of Scottsville. He had acquired 170 acres of land, horses and cattle, and he began clearing and cultivating property for his homestead here.

In 1789, when Peter Sheffer and his sons, Peter Jr. and Jacob, were making their way north from Pennsylvania and looking for land in the Genesee Country, they came upon Ebenezer Allan’s cabin where he was living with his Indian wife, Sally, their two daughters, Mary and Chloe, and his other wife Lucy Chapman Allan. Since winter was fast approaching, the Sheffers were invited to stay on. In the spring of 1790, a deal was made, and the Sheffers became the owners of the homestead and the first permanent settlers in the town. The Allans moved to the present site of Rochester. 

The Phelps and Gorham Purchase included over two million acres east of the Genesee River and the 100 Acre Tract on the west side of the river that became the location of the City of Rochester. As part of their agreement, Phelps and Gorham had promised the Senecas that mills would be built to satisfy the needs of both the anticipated settlers and the natives. They chose “Indian” Allan for the job. He built a sawmill and a flourmill on the Genesee River, but with the population increasing very slowly, he had very few customers. In 1794 he moved back to Mt. Morris and from there to Upper Canada where he died in 1816.

Allan was not a popular man. Originally from New Jersey, he had been a British soldier and a member of Butler’s Rangers, an army that, along with their Indian allies, attacked and massacred settlers. Local history author Arch Merrill described Allan as “violent, audacious, lawless and sometimes cruel.” Besides his Indian wife Sally and white wife Lucy Chapman, Allan took as wives, at various times, the widow of a man who had died in Allan’s home; Millie Gregory, who bore him six children; and the daughter of an escaping slave who had taken shelter at his home. Rochester historian Donovan Shilling named him a pioneer rogue, Seneca blood brother, guerilla warrior and irascible lover. Peter Sheffer Jr. remembered Allan as tall, erect, energetic and usually courteous and affable. As far as he knew, Allan’s chief offense against society was “his insane passion for matrimony.” E.H.T. Miller, a Scottsville chronicler of history, wrote that, in spite of his distaste for civilization “Ebenezer Allan stands conspicuous on the pedestal of our first white settler in the lower Genesee River country.”

There are accounts of Allan’s life that credit him with improving relations between the native tribes and the colonies. At one time he stole a wampum belt from an Indian chief and presented it to the Indian Commissioner as a pledge of peace. In 1783, he carried a message of peace from the Iroquois chiefs to the Continental congress. For this he was captured by British agents and jailed in Montreal. He was released when the Treaty of Stanwix was signed with the tribes the following year.

Morley B. Turpin was a researcher who spent many years during the 1930s and 40s collecting information about Ebenezer “Indian” Allan. He had a kinder, most respectful opinion of the man than most of the others who had recorded his life. He attributed the outrageous tales about Allan to his own bragging or to fabrications of his enemies. Turpin wrote, “although shrewd, and possibly unscrupulous . . . . he was an outstanding personage in the history of Western New York.”  Turpin uncovered information about the later lives of Mary and Chloe as well as Seneca Allan, son of Ebenezer and Lucy, who was born in Rochester. Seneca became a respected citizen of Perrysville, Ohio, a surveyor and a member of the Masons and the Episcopal Church.

Many of the original documents that Morley B. Turpin discovered and collected were given to his friend, Scottsville attorney George Skivington, and are now housed in the Wheatland Historical Association library. 

On August 29th NYSDOT will have a single lane closure with flaggers for Micro Surfacing/Pavement Marking Removal in preparation for Resurfacing and Paving Operations in the Town of Wheatland from 8:00AM – 4:00 PM. The single lane closure will be in two locations, please see below.

• NY 383 in both directions between NY 253 (Scottsville – West Henrietta Rd) & Bowerman Rd
• NY 386 in both directions between North Rd and NY 383 (Main St)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:
The Planning Board of the Town of Wheatland, pursuant to 130-60.B, will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 7:00 P.M. in the Wheatland Municipal Building, 22 Main Street, Scottsville, NY, to consider the following:

1. The application of Donna Piasecki, 1014 Main Street, Mumford, NY 14511, Tax Parcel #208.16-1-11, for a Special Exception Use to reconvert a dwelling unit over first floor non-residential use in a village business (VB) zoning district.
   All interested parties are asked to attend and be heard or to submit written comment concerning this application.
   

Jay Coates, Chairman
Town of Wheatland Planning Board
Dated: August 14, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF FILING COMPLETED ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR TOWN OF WHEATLAND 

Notice is hereby given that the Final Assessment Roll for the Town of Wheatland in the State of New York, County of Monroe, for the year 2019 has been completed by the undersigned Assessor, and a certified copy will be filed in the office of the Town Clerk on the first day of July, 2019, where the same will remain open to public inspection. 

The Final Assessment Roll is also available for viewing on the Town of Wheatland website. 

Mark L. Schnorr, Assessor 
Town of Wheatland
June 24. 2019

Clearview Farms was initially built in Wheatland in the 1970’s and has subsequently enjoyed residential success for over 40 years.  Occupancy of the original 130 units has been steady thus affording opportunities for people to live and enjoy our Town’s picturesque natural beauty and various local amenities.  Mark IV Enterprises (Clearview Farm owners and owners of the neighboring open space) is now planning to embark on the next phase of development for the Farms.  This phased construction will provide for updated versions of residential apartment and townhome living.  All Townhouse style units will not have steps and will therefore be easily accessible by seniors and those with ambulatory challenges.  Bathrooms will have also be designed with wide doors and step in baths and showers to enhance accessibility for all. At this point the plan is for the apartments and townhouses to be available for rent with the potential for the townhouse sections to convert to a “Homeowners Association” if there is a demand in the future for this type of home ownership.

The new apartment and townhome facilities compare nicely to another successful Mark IV Enterprises community in Henrietta known as Lehigh Park Luxury Rental Residences.  Part of the project design as requested by Town officials is the enhancement of the community with the completion of sidewalks along Robert Quigley Drive and along Scottsville Road up to North Road.  This addition will further enhance our community as a “walking friendly” community and add to connecting the development in the Town to the Village of Scottsville.

The new development project is a “phased” that will be situated on an approximate 30 acre parcel of land that is part of the existing Clearview Farms property located along Browns Road. The new development project is planned to include the following:

• 18 two story apartment buildings, each containing eight apartment units providing a total of 144 new apartment units.
• 80 Townhome units incorporated into 22 buildings, each with its own driveway and garage space for parking and separate utility services.
• Dedicated roadways throughout the new development area with dedicated sidewalks.
• 72 10’ x 20’ sized self-storage units and 76 5’ x 10’ sized self-storage units both for rental to current residents of Clearview Farms and the general public.
• Multiple storm water management areas (i.e., retention ponds)
• Connectivity to Cedar Street in the Rolling Acres Subdivision, accessible only under emergency circumstances through the implementation of a crash gate providing additional access for emergency fire vehicles into the Rolling Acres subdivision.

The project is bounded by Brown’s Road to the West, the Rolling Acres Subdivision and existing Clearview Farms apartments to the East, Robert Quigley Drive to the South and properties along Chili Wheatland Townline Road to the North. The planned new buildings are identified with an off-white background. The initial phase of the project is highlighted in the light gray color, which includes:

• 5 two story apartment buildings
• Self-storage units as described above
• Sidewalks
• One storm water management area (i.e., retention pond)

From an economic development perspective, the addition of new residences to the Wheatland community will likely facilitate some moderate population growth within the Town, helping to reverse a trend of flat to declining population numbers over the past several years. In addition, the local municipality will experience some incremental tax base benefits, while also affording potential additional support for the sustainment of local businesses and moderate augmentation for the Wheatland Chili School System student population. A Public Hearing for this Clearview Farms project will be held in the near future, stay tuned for meeting details.

The Town of Wheatland Community Hall of Fame was established in 2018 by the Wheatland local Town Government, for the purpose of facilitating a community-wide tradition of identifying, recognizing and honoring Wheatland’s most outstanding citizens who have made significant, positive, notable and/or lifetime contributions to the Town of Wheatland in the areas of community, education, recreation, civil and social services. Read more about the 2018 Community Hall of Fame inductees.

This year an additional type of recognition has been incorporated into the Community Hall of Fame associated with volunteerism in the community, referred to as “Volunteers of Distinction”. A volunteer is defined as someone who freely gives time, effort and talent to a community need, cause or organization without compensation (i.e., getting paid). A “Volunteer of Distinction” is defined as a citizen who has made positive contributions through demonstrated excellence as a volunteer in support of the Town of Wheatland community.  Considerations of excellence include: impact of actions, dedication, scope of effort, longevity of volunteering, innovation, collaboration and breadth of actions (i.e., multiple overlapping actions).

2019 nominations are now open for candidates to be considered for induction as members of the Community Hall of Fame and separately for candidates to be considered as “Volunteers of Distinction”. If you know someone deserving of recognition as either a candidate for induction into the Community Hall of Fame or as a “Volunteer of Distinction”, simply fill out a nomination form and drop off at the Wheatland Town Office before the nomination period closes in September.

The Hall of Fame is governed by the Town of Wheatland local Government, supported by a volunteer Committee and funded by a combination of donations and sponsorships. The Town of Wheatland Community Hall of Fame has been made possible through the effort and diligence of the Wheatland Recreation Commission, serving as the “Salute to Excellence Committee” for collecting, evaluating and recommending selections for the Community Hall of Fame, including “Volunteers of Distinction”. 

Howard (Chuck) Hazelton has served the community for 31 years, first as an employee of the Town of Wheatland Highway Department and secondly as Highway Superintendent for over 20 years.  Always available, always responsive, always on call, always putting the residents safety first, and always performing his duties with an even temper. He strove to develop a department with a work ethic and skill set that our residents could depend on and be proud of  no matter what season of the year it might be.  In fact, working with him for over 15 years as Town Supervisor, I have received many compliments and comments from other supervisors and transportation officials across Monroe county about what a pleasure it was to work with our crew.   

 Based on the reputation built by Chuck and the performance of our highway staff, our Town crew has frequently been asked to assist or complete projects as a “cooperative effort’ with other municipalities.  Such work has become a source of revenue for the highway department which in return helps to offset increased cost of materials and labor for our own Town.  Whether working long hours in the summer to do road work and mowing, or long hours in the winter to plow and keep the roads clear, the department’s management, planning, reputation, skill sets and ability to work and plan cooperatively  help to contain tax increases for our residents.

The Town Board and I have been fortunate to have Chuck as department head for so long.  His historical knowledge, common sense, humor, reliability and down right willingness to work, have all served as a cornerstone of our government’s ability to say we are here to “serve the public”.  I consider myself lucky to work with him long enough to consider him not only a partner in what we attempted to do across the years but also as a dear friend.  He has listened to many a long conversation “from me” to the point that I often referred to him as “Father Hazelton”.  I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Chuck and his family for sharing the past years of his life in service to Wheatland.  I also look forward to him changing roles and  joining the town board team as he continues his history of public service.  There is much to look forward to in Wheatland!

The Town of Wheatland’s 51st annual Summer Day Camp Program for kids will begin on Monday June 24th and will be held for six weeks ending on Friday August 2nd. The Summer Day Camp Program is held at Johnson Park in Scottsville, New York and is for children ages 4 through 13. Summer Day Camp begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 1:00 PM (with additional before care and after care programs offered).

The counselor to camper ratio is 1:8 for K – 2nd and 1:10 for 3rd – 8th, which allows for the counselors to interact with all of the campers as well as ensure the safety of each camper. Throughout the six weeks of the program, campers will get to participate in many activities including:

• make numerous crafts,
• play countless games of soccer, kickball, and other sports,
• participate in the annual talent show,
• make tie-dye shirts,
• dress up for camp theme days, and so much more!

Each day campers play games and participate in activities with children in their age group, make crafts that align with the weekly theme as well as play on the playground equipment at the park.

 There are a lot of activities that campers get to participate in through Summer Camp outside of Johnson Park. Each week at camp, we attend at least one field trip. This year some of the field trips include: Jade Pottery, the Seneca Park Zoo, Raider Lanes Bowling, a Red Wings baseball game as well as an end of summer trip to Seabreeze. On one day each week, we will walk to the Scottsville Free Library in order to have a book read aloud to us and be able to rent books. We also walk to the Wheatland Senior Center for some inter-generational activities including bingo and painting – a favorite activity for both the campers and the seniors.

We look forward to another fun summer, for more information and to register visit the Town of Wheatland Website or contact Shanna Fraser, Recreation Coordinator, Town of Wheatland Office: (585) 889-1553 x103.

At four-thirty in the morning of November 11, 1918, Rev. P. J. McArdle of St. Mary’s Church in Scottsville was awakened with the news that the “Great War” was over. The armistice had been signed! The church bell immediately pealed out the news. In the evening, a parade, led by the Scottsville Band, marched through the town, and a ceremony was held to celebrate the victory. Five local dignitaries gave speeches, as the mothers of the soldier boys listened from the back of the platform. It was the second parade and ceremony in a few days. Four days earlier, Father McArdle had received word that the war had ended, and the celebrating had begun. It was found later that the news had been premature, and the armistice was not yet signed. The Wheatland people probably had no problem rejoicing and reveling in good news twice in one week. Since the fighting had not ceased until the moment the armistice was signed, many of the Wheatland soldiers were still overseas. Father McArdle had been appointed the Town of Wheatland representative for the Monroe County Historical Commission during the war. He and the town officials decided to set aside the date of July 12, 1919 to honor the loyal men of Wheatland who had served.

A celebration was held in Scottsville that day to celebrate the homecoming of Wheatland’s World War I soldiers in the park that was on the south side of Main Street where the house numbered 25 now stands. The house was built in 1924 by the Rochester Telephone Company to house its Scottsville office.  It later became Phil’s Barber Shop and more recently the Excellent Air office. Rev. Patrick McArdle is standing with his arms raised giving a short address of welcome. He later presented a medal to each of the returning soldiers.

The returned World War I soldiers each received a medal that day with the inscription, “1917 – 1919. For Democracy, Liberty and Justice. Presented by the people of Wheatland, NY, to their loyal fighting sons.” They are wearing the medals on the pockets of their uniforms in the picture. It was indeed a happy occasion. The “war to end war” was over and all but two of our local men had come home. One hundred years later we know that there has been no end to war, but we can remember the gratitude felt that day when peace had come, and we can appreciate the sacrifices of the men who had bravely represented our community.