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| 1. Parkside Dairy 2. Tuttle printshop/ upstairs Sleeman apt 3. Dairy garage 4. Kieser/Fraiser bldg car dealership 5. Beer joint 6. Hosleton Chevrolet |
Charles Sleeman was in trouble in Canada for bootlegging and was kicked out and told not to come back.
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| Eyer Building |
Fryatt was the first merchant in the new village of Despatch (the name was later changed to East Rochester, but that is another story). He opened a small merchandising business on West Commercial Street about midway up the 100 block on the south side. He advertised selling everything from the cradle to the grave, or from baby bottles, furniture, and groceries to caskets.
When the three major additions were finally completed in 1910, it was the largest general store and the first indoor mall between Rochester and Syracuse. Covering an entire block, it attracted customers from surrounding villages for miles around.
Initially, Fryatt occupied the entire building, with different departments spread out over three floors. Many of the village’s first professional people had offices in the building. On the second and third floors, dentist Howard Frank, lawyer Bill Clay, insurance man W.D. Hewes and the founder of the village, Walter Parce, had their names on the doors.
Later the building was occupied by other merchants. Among them: Hillmans Market, Pierce Hazzard Drug Store, Grattons Furniture, MacGowan and Bachman’s lunch room, Enterprise 5 &10, and many more. In the basement was a bakery, a billiard parlor and a three-lane bowling hall.
The third floor contained a large meeting and party room. One of the unusual places on this floor was a basketball court. The local high school team played its home games there in the village’s early days before the Lois Bird School on East Avenue was built in 1924. Playing on this court presented a certain challenge as the ceiling was only 10 feet high. Very few set shots were taken, layups ruled.
Still later, when the big shopping malls were springing up in the area, the building fell on hard times. For many years it was the location of Xerox’s Research Labs, or “Skunk Works,” as it was called. After Xerox left, the building was empty and sat neglected. The owner finally donated the building back to the village from whence it came.
In the spring of 2013, construction began and after some setbacks, the building is now nearing completion. This summer, the existing office building and library/senior citizens building were torn down, and at the request of the busy restaurants and other merchants on West Commercial Street, a large parking lot is being constructed.
This construction project is the culmination of the village’s master plan to assure the village’s commitment to providing first-class service for its residents for years to come.
Burlingame is the East Rochester historian.
At Dairy, start in the cooler,
At Dairy, start in the cooler,
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| Nine mile hotel, Doug delivered milk here |
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| Alan Eugene Sleeman |
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| Barbara Sleeman (Spencer) |
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| Nancy Sleeman (Barnett) |
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| Richard Harold Sleeman 8/13/1939 |
Born May 14th 1933 in Rochester, Monroe, New York at Genesee Hospital (Homeopathic Hospital) to Charles Douglas Sleeman and Mary Alice Turpin (Name on birth certificate is Douglas Junior Sleeman).
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| Homeopathic (Genesee) Hospital |
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| This is the patient wing added in 1927 |
1174 Monroe Ave East Rochester New York
~1930 Census lists an address of 137 West Elm St East Rochester, NY (Sleman family name)
C Douglas listed Occupation: Truck Drive- Industry: Steam RR car shops 1940 Census lists an address of 137 West Elm St East Rochester, NY
C Douglas Sleeman 1928 immigration
Doug's father Charles only completed elementary school up to the 8th grade. His mother finished her 2nd year of high school. In 1940 Charles occupation was listed as a chauffeur, his mother a housewife.
Doug attended school in East Rochester, leaving school in 11th grade (he thought he was smarter than the teacher.)
When he was 12 he delivered milk to homes for Parkside Dairy and George Bluhm. When he turned 17 he was given a full time job driving a truck. He enjoyed working for George and with his two sons. (Names?) Bluhm bought out the Bell Dairy in 1931 and moved all operations to 137 E. Commercial St., building a modern dairy and naming it Parkside Dairy after the original location of the early business. In the early years, some of the local routes were covered by horse-drawn wagons, which were soon replaced by yellow and red motorized trucks. His staff, to whom he gave credit for the success of the business, had high regard for their boss. Among them were: Dutch DeVogler, Skip Burlingame, Sam Perrone, Don Mowrey, Harold Rice, George Lapore, Ray McPhee, Rod Crumb, Lyle Stickle, Pat Piscini, Bob Crellen, Lyle Sleeman, Bob Henry, Tom Frank, Frank Bills, Gordon Magoon, Dick Baroody and Ralph Morabito. Ann Bluhm ran the office operations. The raw milk supplier was Benny Eckler.
Many of the people who worked for Bluhm were high school kids who operated the front end or retail part of the business under Isabelle Clark, serving ice cream and dairy products to the walk-in trade. Popular dishes were frozen custard or soft ice cream and ice cream cakes. Cottage cheese was another favorite, winning many awards for quality. East Rochester stores closed for a half-hour on June 27, 1955, when the funeral of George Bluhm was held. That was their tribute and way of showing deep respect to the gentle giant of a man.
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| "Muckel Box" |
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| Swiss Maid |
When Doug was young he remembers taking the ferry on Lake Ontario from Rochester, NY to Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. It was 90 miles across, took 3 hours each. Doug remembers playing games on the boat and drinking Coca-Cola for $.05. He enjoyed going to Canada because that is where his family was from and he loved to spend time on his Grandma and Grandpa's farm.
- A round-trip ticket on the Cobourg ferry cost $2.30 in 1948, which is equivalent to roughly $18 today.
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| Waiting to board the Ontario I 1912 |
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| Ontario II 1933 |
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| Ontario I 1912 |
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| Ontario II 19627 |
• Between 1915 and 1950, the Ontario I and II carried cars and passengers to Cobourg, Ontario, directly across Lake Ontario from Rochester, rather than making the longer trip northwest to Toronto.
The city:
First there was Checko’s Restaurant and Bar. After crossing Washington Street and walking east, I pass the Century Club, Palma grocery, Alfieri grocery (best Italian Sausage), Gabes TV Repair, Babe Gilbert Gas Station, Al’s Garage and the post office.
I then cross Garfield Street and pass Mancuso Real Estate, Parrotta Studio (took Grandpa's uniform picture), Temperato’s Sport Shop, Sam’s Superette Grocery (Sam Filiachi, That's where the family bought all their groceries), Town Cleaners, The Masonic Hall, Speca’s Bowling Hall (Grandpa set pins here, name was Niles, Hatch Music Store, DiMassimo Cleaners, HR Fish Agency (insurance) , Sam’s Barber Shop, Mauro’s Hotel (and beer joint, Charles Sleeman spent a lot of his time.), (Sonny Reid)Reid Motors, Dan’s Pool Hall, Knotty Pine Restaurant, R.G.&E (gas and electric). Office, Crash Goodman Shoe Repair (only good repair man in town), Tando Chop House(butcher), Carl’s Barber Shop, Berretone’s Smoke Shop, Ginegaw Hardware, Terminal Liquor, ER Sweetland Restaurant, Village Inn, Paul’s Barber Shop, Tom Furfare’s Smoke Shop, Community Clothes, Wilson’s Beauty Salon, ER Insurance Agency, Town Dry Cleaners, Rochester Telephone Exchange, Kay’s Children’s Clothes, (Lona's parents) Simmonds Florist, Capital Finance and Clinton Bargain Store.
As I cross Main Street I come to Gueli Barber Shop, ER Candy Kitchen, Tito Martini Shoe repair, Patterson’s Hardware, Andrew’s Sport Shop, Franklin Drug store, Pavoni Dry Goods, Kings Shoes, Finn Auto Supply, Gene’s Clothing, ER Bowling Center , Saxton’s Department Store, Parkside Dairy, Harts Foods, ER Bakery, Wood’s Pharmacy, Tuttle Printers, Despatch Motors, Seneca Laundry, Paul’s Food Market, Angela’s Apparel, Carmen’s All American Lounge, Ormsbee Auto repair, Paul’s Bootery, Al’s Gas Station and Hoselton Chevrolet.
I then decide to go down to the end of Main Street at the tracks and stroll south on Main Street. I pass Sandy’s A&L Lounge, Duffey’s Bar, Alfieri Grocery, Potato Sacks Bar, Steve’s Bar, Garascue Barber Shop, Aggie’s Grill, Rose’s Restaurant, Scarpino Appliance, Palma’s Billiards, Chestnut Inn, Star Super Market, ER Laundromat, Finchley Jewelers, Lena’s Beauty Bar, Genesee Valley Bank, Luigie’s Restaurant, Carpenter’s Hardware, Carl’s Texaco Station, and the Village Appliance store.
Crossing Commercial Street, I come to Western Auto, Pulver’s Jewelers, Pierce Hazzard Pharmacy, Mance’s Market, Gratten Furniture, Welche’s Mens Shop, Ben Franklin 5&10, Bachman’s, the fire department and village offices, Lafay’s Cleaners, ER Savings and Loan, Questa Candy Store, Rialto Theater, ER Appliance Store, Calabra Barber Shop, Kline Heating, DiDomenico Liquor, Schnepp Motors, Beatrice’s Beauty Salon, Dairy Queen and finally Bud Bliek’s Mobil Station.
This fictitious walk took place over 50 years ago. History is full of memories of this and that. Some are shared with others and some are not. Take some time to remember days of yesteryear, but also take some time to look around today, for what is here now may be gone tomorrow. Don’t be caught thinking, “If I had only…”
Remember?
1942 Fireworks explosion on the corner of Baird Rd and Whitney Rd — 11 people died November 6th.
Any parades?
Do you remember the water tower?
Piano Works
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| Anthony Rosati |
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| Nick Rosati |
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| Gene Hoyt |
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| Robert Tougher |
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| Lona Simmons |
http://www.erhistory.com/yearbooks.php?year=1951
http://www.erhistory.com/image_library.php?cat=96
Image 147
https://books.google.com/books?id=1xviAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=SLEEMAN+FARM+IN+CANADA&source=bl&ots=5mhlBNJihW&sig=d-KeBt72nCTi_h8RrpNG05j7Msg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwj6buztDOAhXJ0iYKHUL4BEgQ6AEIUzAJ#v=onepage&q=SLEEMAN%20FARM%20IN%20CANADA&f=false
