1828 census Geneva NY

From Geneva Gazette 27 November 1891

Geneva in 1828

Mr. E. Kingsland has a well-preserved copy of the census of Geneva taken in November, 1828. The statistics are compiled and printed on a sheet 16 x 20 inches, and comprise the names of all men engaged in the various trades, professions and other callings, classified by streets, the number and style (brick or frame) of all buildings, number of residents on each street, classified as to age and sex -- how many under 21 years, and how many over that age. At that time, as now, Main street had the greater number of residents, given at 715. The then enumeration will prove interesting at this day and we copy the figures.

	Males	Females
Main street	388	327
Seneca street	145	102
Water street (Exchange)	266	229
Castle street	170	178
Washington street	32	32
Pulteney street	96	99
Genesee street	61	63
Hamilton street	47	41
William street	41	27
Lewis street	15	15
Tillman street	11	16
Bank alley	12	15
North Castle street	41	41
Milton and other streets	209	103
Total	1533	1288

Total population of the village 2822. "Geneva College" was then without a President. The faculty consisted of Dr. McDonald, Profs. Horace Webster, F. D. Holstein, and Tutor J. Gregory. D. Yeckley was principal of the Academy and W. Kirkland of a "domestic school". We had then only four church edifices -- Episcopal (Trinity), Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist.

Main street then outnumbered either Seneca or Water in the number of stores, law offices, etc. The names of the active business men of that day are given -- we do not find even one that is still among the living ! Yet there are very many names familiar in memory -- Dwight & Cook as bankers; DeZeng, Schermerhorn, Ayrault, Dox, Skaats, Hastings, Seelye, dry goods merchants; A. B. Hall, John Hall and J. Sweeney, gold and silversmiths; Bogert, Grosvenor, Whiting, Butler, Stoddard, Park, Hudson, Kidder, Mizner, Woods, Mott, lawyers; James Bogert, F. Cowdery, C. S. McConnell, newspaper publishers; and in other lines of business, Hogarth, Field, Beach, Huntington, W. W. Watson, Tillman, Walbridge, Haskell, Rumney, Noble, Wight and Clark, Brizee, Daskam, Rodney, Hemiup (Anthony and George), etc. The statistics close with a reference to "several lines of post coaches which arrive and depart daily from the principal hotels--8 for Utica, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo; 4 for Utica, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo daily except Sunday; 1 for Ithaca and Newburgh; 1 for Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington; 1 for Penn Yan; 1 for Vienna and Newark; 1 for Lyons and Sodus; and 1 three times a week for Bath (to be daily after Jan. 1st, 1829)". Then the steamboat "Seneca Chief" left daily during the summer season for Catlin, and every other day during the remainder of the season. It is added that "the Cayuga and Seneca Canal will be completed by the coming spring, when a line of Packet boats will be established between Geneva and Montezuma." The final item of information is that "the trade of the village is estimated at one million dollars per annum."

On the border of this census is pasted a ballot for village officers, presumably for the same year. The names thereon are as follows, and it is believed to have been a Democratic ticket:

Trustees -- Richard M. Bayley, Nicholas Ayrault, John S. Hogarth, Hiram Walbridge, John Sweeney.

Treasurer -- William W. Watson.

Clerk -- Samuel Mott.

Assessors -- David Cook, Henry Walbridge, Stephen Brizee.

Collector -- Erastus Goodrich.

Constable -- Erastus Goodrich.

Fire Wardens -- Samuel Jacock, Isreal Huntington, Jacob Larzalere.

Path Master -- Nathan Daskam.

Pound Master -- (Blank).