FUN FACTS
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There are a total of eleven lakes in the Finger Lakes Region. The Finger Lakes is the largest United States wine producing region outside of California. The Finger Lakes were formed by glacial activity over 100 million years ago during the Ice Age. Glacial activity also formed the Bristol Hills and its surrounding valleys. These geological features are clearly visible from Jump Off at the Ontario County Park. Ontario County farmers are credited as one of the largest producers of cabbage worldwide. The cabbage harvester was invented here. Seneca Lake is the deepest of the Finger Lakes at 618 feet. Honeoye Lake has a maximum depth of approximately 30 feet. Geneva is known as the "Lake Trout Capital of the World." It is also the host site for the Seneca Lake Whale Watch – even though there are no whales in Seneca Lake. The Ring of Fire is an annual tradition for lakefront residents who light flares around the western lakes signifying the end of the harvest and summer seasons. This is reputed to have started with a Native American tradition, but continues today on Canandaigua Lake, Honeoye Lake, and Keuka Lake. Humphrey Bogart used to spend his summer vacations on Canandaigua Lake. Susan B. Anthony was tried for treason in the Ontario County Courthouse in Canandaigua. The women's rights leader was fined $100 for voting in the 1872 Presidential Election. She refused to pay the fine. There are ten public golf courses in Lake Country. Bristol Harbour is a Robert Trent Jones course, and Ravenwood in Victor was selected as the fifth best new public golf course in America in 2004. Nearly 70,000 grape pies, a Finger Lakes specialty, are sold annually in Naples. The Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua is known as the summer home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. During its active time, the Sampson Naval Training Station on Seneca Lake was the country's second largest naval training station – processing 411,429 recruits between October 1942 and August 1945. Myron Clark of Naples became the first Republican governor of New York State. He was the father of Mary Clark Thompson, founder of Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua. Milk is the official New York State beverage. New York is the third largest dairy producing state in the United States. Over 1200 horses are stabled at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racing during the thoroughbred racing season. Gideon Granger of Canandaigua was the first U.S. Postmaster General of the United States. He served under Presidents Jefferson and Madison. His home is open today as Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum. Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens is one of only five New York State Historic Parks sites, receiving this designation from New York State in October 2004.
● Finger Lakes Visitors Connection ● 25 Gorham Street ● Canandaigua, NY 14224 ● 1-877-FUN-IN-NY ● www.visitfingerlakes.com
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Ganondagan of Victor is the only State Historic Site in New York dedicated to Native Americans. Hobart College in Geneva has a storied tradition in the sport of Lacrosse. Its men's Lacrosse team won a record 13 NCAA Division III championships before moving up to the Division I-A level in 1994. The Phelps Sauerkraut festival is one of the oldest ongoing festivals in New York State. The Lady Bug is the official New York State insect, the Bluebird is the official state bird, and the Rose is the official flower. The NYS Bluebird trail runs along Routes 5 and 20 and the Mary Frances Bluebird Haven is on County Road 9 in Victor. Despite its Native American translation meaning "Long Lake," Canadice Lake is the smallest of the Finger Lakes - measuring under 4 miles long. Wizard of Clay’s Bristoleaf line pottery designed with impressions from real indigenous leaves is made and sold in one place in the world, on Route 20A in Bristol. The potters at Wizard of Clay are unique among only 200 potters in the world to produce a line of crystalline glazed porcelain. The average annual snowfall in Ontario County is 99 inches. The last surviving combat veteran of the Civil War was James A. Hard of Victor. Mr. Hard died in 1953 at the age of 111. Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua has a 1,200 foot vertical ski drop, the largest of any winter resort between the Adirondacks and the Rocky Mountain Ranges. Scientists at Cornel Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva “birthed” five of the east’s most popular apple varieties: Cortland, Empire, Macoun, Jonagold, and Northern Spy – which was reputedly discovered in Bloomfield and then perfected at the NYS Experiment Station. Combining fertile soils, lake-moderated climate, and innovative transportation (steamships and canals), this region became the primary “food basket” to New York City’s growing population. Ontario County, once called the "Mother of Counties," was the first and largest settlement in Western New York dating back to 1789. It included the area from Geneva west to Buffalo between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania state line. Seneca Lake is Ontario County's waterway connection to the world due to its accessibility from the Erie Canal, St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Atlantic Ocean. The entire Sampson Naval Training Station (Seneca Lake) was built in 270 days. It included 498 training and administration buildings, roads, rail lines, infrastructure for sewage and water, a fire station, 300 dwelling units, and dormitories for 250 civilian workers. Hill Cumorah (Ontario County) and nearby Palmyra are celebrated as the birthplace of the Mormon Religion. The Smith Opera House, a turn of the century theatre, has been the site for many famous performances and is noted by Itzhak Perlman as one of the finest acoustical theatres in the United States. In order to meet the shortage of farm hands during World War II, over four thousand German and Italian prisoners of war were allocated to the New York State Agriculture Department – many of these prisoners were sent to farm the fields of Geneva and surrounding areas. They manned local processing plants and harvested grapes, carrots and cabbage. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation annually “shocks” the fish in Naples Creek just a few weeks before the opening of trout season on April 1. The shocking involves bringing fish to the top of the water so they can be analyzed, tagged, and counted. Port Gibson is the only area in Lake Country that is accessible from the original Erie Canal. The Cayuga Seneca Canal connects the Erie Canal to Seneca Lake.
● Finger Lakes Visitors Connection ● 25 Gorham Street ● Canandaigua, NY 14224 ● 1-877-FUN-IN-NY ● www.visitfingerlakes.com
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Lake Country is home to a unique phenomenon of nature – a burning spring. The spontaneous water-turned-fireball eruptions are actually a result of pent-up natural gases that escape into the air. Routes 5 and 20 converge in certain parts of New York State, including Ontario County. The roads were originally Indian trail paths and then stagecoach paths across New York State. Route 20 is one of the first transcontinental highways, running from Boston through New York State to the west coast (Oregon). Over 150 artists live in Naples and the Bristol Hills. Everyone from entrepreneurial food artists to traditional painters, glass blowers, sculptors, wine makers, and more collect inspiration from this region. In the 1800s, Clifton Springs became a magnet for men and women seeking a healthier life. Visitors were drawn by the natural sulphur springs – which were thought to have curative powers through drinking and bathing. The baths closed in 1956, but are being reopened today for integrated health and wellness treatments. Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech from the platform of his railroad car at the Victor station in 1898. Robert Kennedy was in Naples and enjoyed the festival when he was Attorney General of the United States. Frost Hill in Naples is the highest point in Ontario County. It has an elevation of 2,280 feet. ###
● Finger Lakes Visitors Connection ● 25 Gorham Street ● Canandaigua, NY 14224 ● 1-877-FUN-IN-NY ● www.visitfingerlakes.com