For over 100 years the bandstand has had a special spot in Edmund Lyon Park—the first park created in our community.  Originally called Vanderbilt Park, the area was just a large vacant space.  Then, Kate Gleason purchased the property, and donated the land to the village.  With help from the village’s Department of Public Works crew and workers from the Gleason Works Company in Rochester, the area was transformed into a beautiful park.  In 1916, the park was formally dedicated, and at Kate Gleason’s request, it was named in honor of Edmund Lyon, one of the founders of our community.

On May 23, 1898, a group of businessmen from Despatch (as East Rochester was known until 1906) met at Branshaud’s Hall on East Commercial Street to set up the first fire department.  On May 29th, the first official meeting was held, and the Despatch Fire District was formed.  During subsequent meetings committees were formed to find estimates for needed equipment, as well as for property and a fire hall.  It was determined that $1800.00 was the amount needed to outfit this first department.  Equipment included:  one dozen rubber coats, boots, and helmets, a hose cart, an alarm bell, a ladder truck, and three chemical carts.  Needless to say, the first fire trucks were either pulled by horses or pulled by hand.

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The first day of the school year is always a special time.  The first day in a new school is doubly special.  And so, it was for St. Jerome’s School on September 3, 1952.

THE LITTLE VILLAGE THAT COULD 

1952—FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION STATE OF NEW YORK ANNUAL CONVENTION 

By Anita M. Mance, Historian, Research assisted by Seth Wagner, SUNY Geneseo Intern  

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Originally the equipment used in firefighting was a hand drawn hose cart and ladder wagon. In 1925 it was decided that the village needed a real fire truck not a commercial truck converted to one.