Palmyra Firsts

Compiled in turn from

• Easton Horace, The Early History of Palmyra, Rochester (Strong), 1858. [= EHP]
• Western Presbyterian Church's Women Society (comp), Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, Rochester (Herald Press) 1907 [= PWCNY].
• O[rasmus] Turner, History of the Pioneer Settlement of the Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, Buffalo, 1851 [= HPS].

Dated Firsts

• 1790: John Swift, the first pioneer, built the first house, of logs and covered in bark. [EHP, 8]
• 1790: The wife of John Swift was the first woman to venture residence in the then wilderness. [EHP, 8]
• June 29th, 1791: The first white child born in town was Mary Wilcox. [EHP, 10] [HPS, 389]
• 1791: The Long Island company planted the first apple orchard west of Geneva. [EHP, 12]
• 1792: Dr. Azel Ensworth opened the first public house in the corporation. [PWCNY, 11]
• before Jan 1796: The first school mistress was Dosha Boughton, wife of Daniel Sawyer, brother-in-law of John Swift. [PWCNY, 9]
• 1793: The first path through the forest, the Canandaigua road, becomes a highway. [PWCNY, 24]
• 1793: The first log school house was built in the village on land of John Swift. [PWCNY, 30]
• 1793: The first log school house was built in East Palmyra, called the Hopkins school. [PWCNY, 30]
• 1793: The first burying ground was established on the farm of Gideon Durfee [PWCNY, 37] through the burial of James Rogers [EHP, 8 Note].
• 1793: The first assembly of citizens. [EHP, 19]
• 1794: The first mills in Farmington were built by Abraham and Jacob Smith on the Ganargwa Creek. [HPS, 381]
• April 1796: The first town meeting and first officer election was held in Gideon Durfee's house [PWCNY, 10], elecing John Swift the first Moderator, Supervisor and Inspector. [EHP, 18],
• 1799: Ganargua creek was declared navigable water.
• before 1800: Robert Town was the first settled physician, [EHP, 14] gives "Reuben" as the first name, as does [HPS, 387]; succeeded by Dr Gain Robinson [PWCNY, 11].
• 1800: The First Baptist Church of was organized at the home of Lemuel Spear with nineteen members. [PWCNY, 48]. 
• 1804: The first lawsuit was held in town. [EHP, 19]
• 1806: Dr. Azel Ensworth was the first postmaster. [PWCNY, 11] [EHP, 8 Note]
• 1807: The first church building was used, finished in 1810. [PWCNY, 36; 40]
• 1808: The first Baptist frame meeting house was erected at the intersection of Walworth and Macedon Road. [PWCNY, 48]
• 1811: The first meeting house was erected by the west end Presbyterians. [PWCNY, 36; 40]
• 1811: The first Methodist class was formed and connected with the Ontario circuit, Geneva Conference. [PWCNY, 51]
• 1811: The first temperance action was set when Stephen Durfee raised his house without providing any whiskey to the workers. [EHP, 25]
• February 13, 1817: The Presbyterians divided the Church of Palmyra into the Presbyterian Church of East Palmyra and the Western Presbyterian Church of Palmyra. [PWCNY, 41] 
• November 26, 1817: The first Palmyra newspaper, the democratic Palmyra Register, is published by Timothy C. Strong. [PWCNY, 27f]
• 1822: The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Palmyra built a church near the corner of Vienna and Johnson street, just north of the cemetery. [PWCNY, 51]
• June 23, 1823: Zion Episcopal Church came into being under the ministry of Rev. Rufus Murray. [PWCNY, 54]
• February 4th, 1828: First village election held at house of Lovell Hurd. [PWCNY, 10]
• April 1828: First fire engine ordered. [PWCNY, 11]
• May 1828: First volunteer fire company organized. [PWCNY, 11]
• 1830: The first local bank was the Wayne County Bank of Palmyra, president Angus Strong, cashier Joseph S. Fenton. [PWCNY, 22]
• 1830: The first edition of the Book of Mormon is published. [PWCNY, 28]
• Summer 1830: First regular Mormon preacher Sidney Rigdon held his first (and only) meeting in the rooms of the Palmyra Young Men's Association, on the east corner of Main and Market. [PWCNY, 30]

Undated

• The first lawyer was John Comstock. [PWCNY, 12] [HPS, 388]
• The first lawyer that opened an office in Palmyra was Major William Cuyler. [EHP, 9]
• The first storekeeper was Zebulon Williams [PWCNY, 12], who was also the first to offer cash for wheat and butter. [EHP, 16] 
• The first emporium was kept by Major Joseph Colt on the west corner of Main and Market [PWCNY, 12].
• James and Orren White erected the first two story brick building. [PWCNY, 12]
• The first tanner was William Wilson. [PWCNY, 12]
• The first saddlery was kept by Salmon Hathaway. [PWCNY, 15]
• The first carding mill was operated by Calvin Perrine [PWCNY, 15] or by John Swift [HPS, 384].
• The first clothiery was operated by Calvin Perrine. [PWCNY, 15]
• The first grist mill and saw mill were operated by Edward Durfee and Jonah Hall [PWCNY, 15] or Jonah Howell's [EHP, 15] [HPS, 389], a mile east of the village, on the Vienna road.
• The first bell tower was part of the Palmyra Academy, a two story brick building. [PWCNY, 31]
• The first male born in Palmyra was Asa R. Swift. [EHP, 8] [HPS, 389]
• The first framed barn was built by Luther Sanford. [EHP, 8 Note] or by Captain Porter [HPS, 381].
• The first two-story frame house was built by Silas Hart. [EHP, 8 Note]
• The first child born in what was then called the village was Pomeroy Tucker. [EHP, 8 Note]
• The first blacksmith was Zechariah Blackman [EHP, 8 Note], also spelled Zackariah Blackman [HPS, 387]. 
• The first hatter was James Smith. [EHP, 8 Note]
• The first marriage in town was the one of Ruth Durfee to Captain William Wilcox. [EHP, 10] [HPS, 389]
• The first marriage in town solemnized by a minister was the wedding of Elias Reeves. [EHP, 16].
• The first death in town was David White. [EHP, 14]
• The first lime kiln was burnt by Ebenezer Spear. [HPS, 381]
• The first corn carried to mill from Palmyra was transported by Noah Porter. [HPS, 381]