HISTORY

Franklin Hanford and Fort Bender

One of the resources for the history of the Genesee Valley was a resident of Scottsville, Franklin Hanford. One of his works is Notes on the visits of American and British Naval Vessels to the Genesee River, 1809 - 1814, by Franklin Hanford, published by the Genesee Press, Rochester, NY, November 1911. In other words, he's probably the most extensive historian of Rochester and the War of 1812.

Born in 1844 in Chili, NY to William and Abbey, he attended Union School in Scottsville. He later graduated from Rochester High School and was accepted at the US Naval Academy. He was at the Academy for a total of two weeks before he was sent home. No, it's not what you are thinking, he was apparently a good student. However, they discovered he was already eighteen… an age considered to be too old for entrance into the Naval Academy in 1862. We might never have heard of Franklin Hanford again except that he was able to meet with President Lincoln, who ordered the academy to readmit him.

Franklin spent the next 40 years serving in the US Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. Retiring to Scottsville, he published papers for the Scottsville Literary Society and gave lectures. He's buried in the Oatka Cemetery at Scottsville.

It's from Franklin Hanford's work we get the most detailed account of the action on the western end of Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. There is every indication that he spoke directly with participants in the war and he includes several first-hand accounts in his narrative. His papers also contain photographs. These include the only picture I've been able to locate showing the remains of Fort Bender (2-guns.) It's a black and white image taken in 1924.

Rochester's only War of 1812 fort was located beside the Lower Falls. And looking at Franklin's picture it must have had at least a stone foundation. No trace of Fort Bender remains today, its location has been removed from all available maps. Rochester's building developers eventually built up the area in the early 1960s. A large vacant lot can still be seen behind the Dunkin Donuts parking lot on Lake Avenue where Rochester's sole fort once stood.

Franklin's papers and other photographs are still housed in the Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester.