Senate Resolution No. 4654

BY: Senator GALLIVAN

COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Town of
Henrietta, New York

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Henrietta, in Monroe
County, New York; and

WHEREAS, The first settlers of record, Major Ezekiel (sometimes
listed as Isaac) and Catherine Scott purchased 900 acres of land near
the Genesee River in Township XII, Range VII from the Phelps and Gorham
Purchase in 1790 and moved to this area the following year; the land was
then sold to Sir William Johnstone Pulteney and his partners, who in
turn sold it to Dutch investors; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the township was known
as the West Woods of Pittsford; permanent settlement began in 1806 when
the settlers contracted to purchase land from William Six of Holland
through his agent James Wadsworth; these early pioneers faced several
challenges, and many were forced to sell their property and move west;
and

WHEREAS, In 1817, a town meeting was held in the school house near
the southwest corner of what is now East Henrietta and Lehigh Station
Roads; at this time, the name of Henrietta was chosen for Township XII,
Range VII, in honor of Henrietta Laura Pulteney, Countess of Bath,
England, the only child of Sir William Johnstone Pulteney who at one
time owned the land that included the township; and

WHEREAS, The New York State legislature was petitioned, and on March
27, 1818, Henrietta became a separate town; the first official town
meeting was held on April 20, 1818; Henrietta remained in Ontario County
until Monroe County, named for President James Monroe, was formed in
1821; and

WHEREAS, Like the other towns surrounding the City of Rochester,
Henrietta remained a predominately agricultural community until after
World War II; in the early 1940s, the Genesee Airport and the Hylan
School of Aeronautics provided training for individuals interested in
becoming pilots; and

WHEREAS, Established in 1945, the Gannett Experimental Farm
showcased new agricultural methods and farm equipment, and was visited
by local Future Farmers of America clubs, state, national and
international agricultural dignitaries; two years later, the Monroe
County Fairgrounds were opened; and

WHEREAS, In 1951, the Rush Henrietta Central School opened its doors
to students for the first time; it was the first school building in New

York State to house all students from Kindergarten through grade 12 on
one floor, including the cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium and library;
and

WHEREAS, Through the next few decades, the Town continued to grow
and prosper; in 1954, construction for the Suburban Heights housing
subdivision began across from Suburban Plaza, now named Town Centre, and
"the miracle mile" along Jefferson Road was developed; and

WHEREAS, Suburban neighborhoods continued to be added in the town
and the population growth was reflected by the school district; the Town
grew from 3,400 to 11,600 between 1950 and 1960, and consequently, eight
elementary and two junior high schools were added to the school
district, with a new high school opening in 1966; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, The Rochester Institute of Technology purchased
over 1,000 acres of land and moved to Henrietta; the campus included The
National Technological Institute for the Deaf; in 2018, the well-known
college celebrated its 50th Anniversary in Henrietta; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Don Cook, the first town park, now
Veterans Memorial Park, was opened on Calkins Road in 1962; the
Wedgewood Bowl Bandstand was added to the park four years later and was
the site for the summer theater program and a variety of band concerts;
and

WHEREAS, Elected in 1985, Jim Breese was the longest serving
supervisor in the town's history; throughout his 11-term tenure, he was
instrumental in expanding the parks system, opening the Don Cook Senior
Center in 1991, and developing the Tinker Nature Park; and

WHEREAS, Through the vision of Supervisor Jack Moore, a new town
recreation center opened in January of 2016; under the current
administration of Supervisor Steve Schultz, the ground breaking for a
new library occurred in March of 2018, with the building scheduled to
open in the spring of 2019; and

WHEREAS, Supervisor Shultz also oversaw the opening of both the
Rochester Regional Health Care Facility and OFD Foods, and an expansion
to the SPS Medical Supply Corporation; the Veteran's Administration
Outpatient Clinic will be opening soon, and Paychex and IDEX Health and
Science and U of R Clinical Labs will be expanding its facilities; and

WHEREAS, In addition, a new Wiregrass Office Park is being developed
on Johns Street, the former Kodak Marketing Facility is being converted
to the Riverwood Tech Campus, and a New York State Thruway entrance on
West Henrietta Road was opened in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Supervisor Schultz and other town leaders are also
interested in preserving and protecting the more rural areas of the
community; the Farmland Protection Plan should be completed within the
year, a Multi-Family Zoning Plan will ensure multi-family projects are
built where there is infrastructure in place to support the projects,
and the number of bike paths, walking trails and sidewalks will be
increased to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety for the residents and
to provide easier access to the parks and recreational facilities within
the town; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of 200 years, the Town of Henrietta has
changed from a rural agricultural community to a suburban community that
is home to almost 43,000 residents; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Henrietta's forefathers came to the area
because they recognized the potential of the undeveloped land to become
a place to build their farms and raise their families; today, the
citizens of Henrietta acknowledge their foresight and hard work and
strive to continue to develop the Town to be a place where future
generations will want to live, work and play together; and

WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of
growth and change, the Town of Henrietta continues its commitment to
enhancing the quality of life of its citizens, ensuring a positive
business, institutional and educational climate, and providing all
essential services; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Henrietta, New York,
recognizing the significance of the role it continues to play in the
life of the community of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Stephen L. Schultz, Supervisor, Town of Henrietta.