The Town Of Clarendon

(Click on map for larger view)

The first white people to settle in what is today Clarendon, NY, were the family of Eldredge Farwell.  Mr. Farwell, in 1810, tracked his brother’s lost horse along the banks of Sandy Creek, south from the “ridge” (now Ridge Road), until he came upon a waterfalls which is today in the town park.  Farwell realized the value of the falls for its potential source of power and returned the following year, 1811, with his family and built a log cabin within sight of the falls to settle on 200 acres, which he purchased.  He built a sawmill at the falls that year and two years later he built a grist mill at the same site.  The town was originally called Farwell’s Mills but later changed to Clarendon when Orleans County was formed from Genesee County in the 1820’s.  The name Clarendon was taken from Clarendon, Vermont where the Farwells had family ties. 

Clarendon lies in the southeastern corner of Orleans County and consists of 21, 656 acres on mostly rolling rural countryside.  Present population is about 2800 citizens.  The waterfalls where the Farwells settled lies in the hamlet of Clarendon, another town falls in near Pumping Station Road in the northern part of town and also on Sandy Creek.  The most important geological feature of Clarendon is the Clarendon-Linden earthquake fault that cannot actually be seen.  The fault runs mainly north and south, consisting of a main fault and two subsidiary parallel faults.  The earthquake fault was discovered about 1906 and known at that time to stretch between Clarendon and Linden in Genesee County.  Today, the fault is known to actually stretch between southern NYS and Canada.  

Years ago there were other pockets of civilization within town that were known by other names.  East Clarendon, Honest Hill and Manning (also known as West Clarendon or Mudville) also had their own one-room schools and small businesses.  Today there is little evidence of these settlements. 

Agriculture has always been the main business conducted in town and that is probably still true today.  When the Tonawanda Swamp, which included the south western part of town, was grained and cleared in the early part of the twentieth century, a vest area of rich muckland was available for the production of crops and today onions and lettuce are grown in this area.  In the northern part of town today are found many acres of fruit trees—mainly apple.  A century ago, apples provided the juice to manufacture vinegar in a factory located in today’s present town park at the falls. 

A cheese factory flourished on Hulberton Road, which produced a very good-quality product called Clarendon Brand Cheese. The business operated between about 1915 and 1943 when there was a shortage of milk during WW II. 

Most famous citizen born in town was Carl Akeley (1864-1926) who gained fame in several areas.  His most prominent occupation was as a taxidermist.  Having made significant contributions to museums in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.  Akeley specialized in African species, particularly the gorilla and elephant.  Akeley was also a sculptor and his artwork featured the African animals he studied most of his life.  His sculptures are today found in the most prestigious collections.  Akeley also invented a movie camera that was adopted by nature photographers throughout the world and also saw use by the military during WW I and up to WW II.  Akeley also authored numerous stories and books about his African adventures.  Recently, a biography was written about him.  Akeley was born on Hinds Road in Clarendon and died and was buried in Central Africa.  Numerous books by and about his fascinating man are available at the Swan Library in Albion, NY. 

There are five pioneer cemeteries in Clarendon—Maplewood (just south of the main hamlet) on NY Rt. 237; Robinson Burial Ground (about 2 miles south of the hamlet) also on NY Rt. 237; Glidden Cemetery on Glidden Road; Christian Graveyard (on Hibbard Road—the first official cemetery in town), and Cook Cemetery on Munger Road.  Today, the area’s main cemeteries are also located in Clarendon—Hillside Cemetery and St. Mary’s Cemetery—adjacent to each other at the northern boundary with the town of Murray. 

During years past there were two churches active in Clarendon—the Universalists, who built the beautiful stone church next to the present Clarendon Fire Company headquarters, and the Methodist Episcopal Church that was located at the corner of Church Street and NY Rt. 237 in the hamlet.  The original Methodist church burned along with several other buildings in a disastrous fire in 1892.  Today the only active church in town is Disciples United Methodist Church located north of the hamlet.  This congregation was formed from the Holley and Clarendon Methodist congregations during the 1960’s. 

A century ago, numerous quarries provided work for many individuals in the northern part of Clarendon.  Many of the workers were from Europe, mainly England and Italy.  

Orleans County is well known for its cobblestone architecture.  Clarendon has only one cobblestone structure left—a lovely home on Bennets Corners Road. 

One of the least visited Clarendon historical sites is the remains of a limestone kiln where, a century ago, limestone was burned so it could later be processed into cement.  This business provided employment for an unknown number of people who quarried and hauled the stone to and from the kiln, operated the kiln, cut and hauled the firewood to continue the burning process, etc.  The kiln is situated in a hill behind (west) DeFillips store in the hamlet.  Most of the original kiln is till there in very good condition. 

In addition to Clarendon’s five pioneer cemeteries, the following are regarded as the official historic sites in town: the area immediately around the waterfalls in the hamlet where Eldredge Farwell first settled with his family when he arrived in town; the home built by Farwell above the falls on Mill Road; the stone church built by the Universalists in 1836 next to the Clarendon Fire Company; a home on NY Rt. 237 (Holley Byron Road) which was built by Shubael Lewis about 1818—he was a member of the NYS militia and the father of James Lewis who later became a governor of California; the home on which Carl Akeley was born on Hinds Road; and finally the stone general store in the hamlet which was the focal point of commerce in our hamlet for many years and built by David Sturges in 1837 form locally quarried limestone. 

Clarendon was probably typical of most Orleans County towns in that: bear and wolves were in evidence 150 years ago; Spiritualism was a popular “religion” in days past; the Clarendon Hotel was used as a polling place (something still remembered by many of today’s people); corderoy roads were once found in town; feminists tried to vote a century ago but failed; blacks were not given the right to vote in local elections a century ago; sleighs were the main source to transportation 100 years ago and even manufactured in town; many Clarendon lives were lost during the Civil War; some remember the great muck fires during the 1930’s and even lately; that German POWs worked at the apple dry house on Church Street during WW II; that a Mr. Lawton of Clarendon had a patent medicine and a friendly association with area Indians. 

The most detailed account of Clarendon’s history was a book written in 1888 by David Sturges Copeland and entitled History of Clarendon, (it is also known as Copeland’s Clarendon).  Copeland traveled every road in town gaining information for his publication by talking with nearly all his Clarendon neighbors.  Today, the book is a valuable collectible not often found.  Images of Clarendon Past, published in 1985 at the time of the town’s 175 anniversary, also chronicles additional local Clarendon history.  Several other books, published earlier, depict Clarendon history and are available for reading at either the Community Free Library in Holley or the Swan Library in Albion.  The Holley Standard newspaper, which was published from the 1870’s to the 1960’s, can be found on microfilm at Brockport State College Library and is available for anyone to research for free.  And of course, every township has an officially appointed town historian who should be available to help you.