Mitchell Charles R. - Finger Lakes

A line of 11 lakes runs across western New York, covering an area the size of Connecticut. Ever-running inflow from tiny streams now keeps them full. In 1816, an excursion boat launched onto the waves of Skaneateles, originating a flood of tourism that still continues. On the shores of Crooked Lake, Rev. William Bostwick cultivated the regions first vineyard; by the time production went commercial, the lake was called Keuka.

Summer cottages, camps, and year-round homes ring most of the Finger Lakes. The cottages are becoming scarce as they are being replaced by larger homes with people coming back to the lakes where they grew up to retire and live.

Conesus may be one of the smaller lakes, but there are those who love itand rightly so. Like the larger Finger Lakes, it has a year-round population and plenty of seasonal visitation. To the Native Americans, Conesus means always beautiful.

In the postcard showing all the Finger Lakes on page 2, the name for the westernmost lake, Conesus, was omitted. Many of the old cottages remain, but as on the other lakes, they are being replaced by larger year-round homes.

Many businesses throughout the lakes country sell to road traffic out one side and waterfront traffic out the other.

One small lake bears a special honor. When New York Department of Environmental Conservation scientists wanted to reintroduce bald eagles to the area, they decided that Hemlock was the perfect choice and the eagles agreed. Hemlock is the only Finger Lake that does not carry a Native American name, although its Iroquois name means hemlock.

Fish stories from the Finger Lakes are legend, but this one may be a bit tall. See page 20 for a true fishing tale. This generic postcard was used on all of the Finger Lakes and who knows where else.

Tiny Canadice Lake, in addition to Hemlock, supplies drinking water for the city of Rochester. A New Jersey family settling in 1795 had the town to themselves for nine years; in the second half of the 1800s, Canadice was a popular tourist destination.

Honeoye Lake is now ringed with private homes and laced by private boaters. To Native Americans Honeoye means finger lying. The landscape, especially to the southeast of the lake, is heavily wooded.

Vineyards still line most of the Finger Lakes, especially on the west shores, where climates favor production. Canandaigua Lake is no exception. The New York Wine and Culinary Center, located in the city of Canandaigua, is helping to build the reputation of Finger Lakes wines.

Canandaigua, the chosen place in Seneca, is a thriving city and county seat, but the lake still dominates the town. The broad main street shown here was the major route west before the New York Thruway was built.

Squaw Island is so named from the belief that Seneca women and children from Kanadaque took refuge there during Sullivans Revolutionary War invasion. Gen. George Washington sent Generals James Clinton and John Sullivan on an expedition to punish the Iroquois for helping the British.

Woodville, at the very head of the lake, was one of some 60 landings. Apples were a prime product here. The steamer, with its name partially obscured, is the 1889 Ogarita, supposedly called OGarrity by her Irish crew.

As these old-time automobiles show, LeTourneau Christian Conference Center (on the east shore) has been around for a long time. It housed child refugees in World War II and still performs its ministry today.

Bare Hill, on the east side of Canandaigua Lake, lives in Native American legend as the birthplace of the Seneca people. The hill people, Nundawao, originated here and gave the area and the lake its name, Kanandague, meaning chosen place.