Exports, coastwise, from the District of Oswego-Continued. Port of entry, Rochester; latitude 43° 08', longitude 77° 51'; population in 1830, 9,207; in 1840, 20,191; in 1850, 36,403. The Genesee district has a very limited commerce except with Canada; with eighty miles of coast it has but one shipping place, which is situated at the mouth of the Genesee river, at a distance of about three miles from Rochester city. The passage of the Erie canal, and a parallel line of railroad through the entire length of the district, but a few miles distant from the coast, offering better facilities for the transportation of passengers and merchandise, whether eastward or westward, than the lake can afford, confines the commerce of the port entirely to Canadian trade. Rochester is well situated on the falls of the Genesee, which are three in number, with an aggregate descent of 268 feet within the city limits, affording almost unbounded resources in the shape of water-power, applicable to most manufacturing purposes, and applied largely to the flouring business; the greater part of the wheat shipped by canal from Buffalo being floured and reshipped by canal to its ulterior destination. It occupies both sides of the river, and had a population, in 1820, of 1,502 individuals. In 1830 it had increased to 9,269; in 1840 to 20,191, and in 1850 to 36,403. In 1812 it was laid out as a village, and incorporated in 1817. It was chartered as a city in 1834, and the city limits now occupy an area of 4,324 acres, well laid out with a good regard to regularity. Rochester has three bridges across the Genesee river, besides a fine aqueduct over which the canal passes, traversing the heart of the city, and adding much to its prosperity, as well as to the rapidity of its growth. The Canadian commerce of this district was, for The amount of tonnage entered and cleared from this port was: There are enrolled in this district 429 tons of steam and 57 of sail shipping. Exported to Canada. In British vessels, foreign goods. In British vessels, domestic goods entitled to drawback $335,708 445,967 131,979 913,654 Port of entry, Lewiston; latitude 43° 09', longitude 79° 07'; population in 1830, 1,528; in 1840, 2,533; in 1850, 2,924. This district embraces all the lake coast of Ontario, from the Oak Orchard creek to the mouth of the Niagara, and thence up that river to the falls on the American side, and includes the ports of Oak Orchard Creek, Olcott, and Wilson, on the lake shore, Lewiston and Youngstown on the river, and an office of customs at the suspension bridge which crosses the Niagara, at three miles' distance below the falls. There is a very considerable trade from Buffalo passing through this district to Canada, across the suspension bridge; especially in the winter season, at which time it is by far the better route, on account of the railroad communication from the falls, which were, in former years, generally considered as the head of navigation. At that time the trade of the Niagara district was of the greatest importance; but since art and science have opened new channels of communication on either side of that great natural obstacle, the field of its commercial operations has been narrowed down to the supply of the local wants of the circumjacent country. Lewiston, the port of entry and principal place of business, as well as the largest town of the district, is situated on the east side of the Niagara river, seven miles above its mouth, opposite to Queenstown, Canada, with which it is connected by a ferry. It has a population of about 3,000 persons, and communicates with Buffalo and Lockport by railways, and with Hamilton, Toronto, Oswego, and Ogdensburg, during the summer season, by daily steamers. It carries on some valuable traffic with Canada. The district is, as yet, rather barren of internal improvements, having for their object the connecting the circumjacent regions with the lake and river; for there is but one railway passing through it, which has Buffalo and Lockport for its respective termini. One or two other roads, however, are in process of construction, designed to connect Rochester and Canandaigua with the great western railway through Canada, as it is intended, by means of a second suspension bridge across the Niagara, near Lewiston. It is, however, a question with many minds whether it will be possible to construct a bridge upon this principle sufficiently steady and firm to admit of the passage of a locomotive with a heavy train. But, be this as it may, there will be no difficulty, it is probable, in making the transit in single cars, by horse-power. It seems somewhat remarkable that, while the success of railroad communication by means of sus pension is so entirely problematical, no attempt should have been made, or even proposed, to throw a permanent arched bridge across the river near the mouth of the Chippewa creek, which could be effected, one would imagine, by means of stone piers and iron spans, without great risk or difficulty. Should the suspension plan, however, prove unfeasible, it is probable that the iron tubular bridge system, so triumphantly established in Great Britain on the Conway and the Menai straits, will be adopted. So that it may be almost confidently predicted that the Niagara district will very shortly be brought into the line of a great direct eastern and western thoroughfare, which will add greatly to its Canadian commerce overland, and materially increase the size and progress of Buffalo. In former days, all freight coming up Lake Ontario, destined for consumption, was transported by land from Lewiston across the portage around the falls of the Niagara. The noble river itself affords an excellent harbor at Lewiston, being far below the rapids and broken water, which extend to some distance downward from the whirlpool. Youngstown, a few miles lower down the stream, is also a good landing place for steamers. A line of fine mail-steamers plies regularly between these places and Ogdensburg and Montreal daily. The other ports above mentioned are mere local places for shipment of domestic country produce, and the receipt of merchandise. No definite returns have been made of their business, so that it is not possible to enter upon this branch of the subject in detail. The returns of the commerce of this district prove it to be as follows: Imports from Canada during the year 1851, 66 66 66 $103,985 236,684 |