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HISTORIAN’S CORNER
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From "200 Years of the Town of Phelps"
Looking in Two Directions (Chapter 22)
By John M. Parmelee
(Click on Image to view Map)
Phelps, in the past, has always been a farming community. The Ontario loam soil, one of the finest soils in the United States, has raised the best crops in New York State. We have had some of the best farms in the state. The water supply from Flint Creek, the Canandaigua Outlet, several smaller streams and springs has always been adequate. The business and industrial activity in the village has been farm oriented with the manufacture of farm implements, factories for processing farm products and services for the farmer.
When a farmer was successful, he looked forward to retiring to the village. Some of the finest homes in the village were built by retired farmers. The retiring farmer turned his farm over to a son or daughter and son-in-law and came to town where the action was. He became involved in civic activities, politics, church activities, and sometimes became a businessman. Transportation was good, with trains leaving several times a day for Geneva and Rochester; he could been take trips to New York City or Washington. But mostly he stayed in Phelps and enjoyed the activities here.
Before the coming of the supermarkets and shopping centers or malls. Local people bought all their food, clothes, furniture, hardware and other supplies in local stores. We had a couple of department stores, a couple of hardware stores, several butcher shops and food stores, a jewelry store, a drug store, several doctor and lawyers, and about any type of service required. We were a real close community with a lot of civic pride where neighbors were always willing to help each other when trouble came. Even our entertainment was often provided by local people who shared their talents with the rest of the community.
The coming of the automobile and improved roads changed things. Local people began to go to nearby cities to shop and for entertainment. So toady we have become a "bedroom community". Many people living in Phelps today work and usually shop out of town. Most local businesses have fewer than six employees. Most of the business is now service-oriented. At the end of this chapter we are listing the businesses and industries in operation in the Town of Phelps in 1985. Also included in this directory are professional people, churches and other public buildings.
As we approach our 200th year of existence, it is difficult to predict the future of the Town of Phelps. Farming is necessarily becoming big business because of the cost of equipment and the large amount of workload necessary to support the investment in machinery. It is becoming not unusual for a farmer to work 1,000 acres of land. The support of these farms requires larger companies than a town of this size can attract.
It is interesting to note that the City of Rochester is spreading eastward into Ontario County. Victor has become one of Rochester's bedroom communities. Many people in Canandaigua and even father south commute to jobs in Rochester. Canandaigua has increased in size and is attracting more and more business. In recent years, Eastman Kodak has bought property on which to establish factories in Newark, East Bloomfield and Farmington. These factories may attract other businesses to move closer and closer to Phelps. If the State of New York would get its tax situation under control and make the state more competitive with other locations, we could again become the Empire State we once were. We have so much to offer - excellent water supply, good transportation, good employee expertise - that many businesses might well return here rather than leave the State as so many seem to be doing. The corridor between Rochester and Syracuse could really become an excellent place for industry to locate. It would not be necessary for Phelps to become an industrial center, but it would be nice to be a real good bedroom community, if that is what we continue to be. We could develop much more civic pride and community awareness than we currently seem to have. We could have more community activities and make Phelps an even better place to live.
The annual Sauerkraut Festival is an example of such an activity. It was started in 1966 and is one of the oldest community festivals in this area. One of its features, the 20 kilometer race from Phelps to Clifton Springs and back, is the oldest race of its kind in upstate New York. Other events now included in the 4-day festival are a Kiddie Parade; a Firemen's Parade; the Sauerkraut Parade - complete with floats, bands, local officials and visiting performers, and a full schedule of carnival events, booths, and fireworks at the Firemen's Field on Ontario Street. This festival takes many people to plan, coordinate and operate if it is to be successful. Many representatives from various local organizations must work with the planning committee each year, donating time, money and effort, to accomplish the desired results, but the satisfaction of the successful function is great. The Sauerkraut Festival puts Phelps on the map for many residents of western New York State. It is something to be proud of.
We are now looking forward to the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the Town of Phelps, to be celebrated in 1989. Plans for an appropriate celebration of the event have been initiated by the Phelps Historical Society. Representatives of other organizations are cooperating in the planning. We hope that many residents will join in to help commemorate the Bicentennial event and start our third century with pride. The past 200 years have been productive and interesting We have been a middle class community with an exceptional national or regional celebrity from time to time to highlight our town. We can be proud of our heritage and our accomplishments and particularly of the sons and daughters we have raised, educated and sent out into the world.
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