Our Chapter's History
The Canandaigua Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in October 1977 by twenty-four of women residing in communities surrounding Canandaigua Lake. The organizing regent was Velma Morgan Lupton Mason. By Christmas that year, there were already thirty-three members! Interest in forming the chapter was a reflection of the patriotic spirit following our country’s celebration of the 200th anniversary in 1976.
The chapter name, “Canandaigua” was selected in honor of the city and surrounding communities which are home to many members. The city sits at the north end of the Finger Lake of the same name, and was one of the nearby Seneca Indian villages destroyed by John Sullivan and General James Clinton’s expeditions in 1799.
Canandaigua is a derivative of the old “Kanandarque,” which translates to “the chosen spot” or “place to set up a home” in the Seneca language. The name reflects the region’s natural beauty and the suitability for settlement. It was also the site of the signing of the November 11,1794 Treaty of Canandaigua (also known as the Pickering Treaty). This treaty was an agreement between 59 Haudenosaunee sachems and war chiefs from the Iroquois tribes and the US Government.
After negotiations with the native tribes concluded, two hundred fifty thousand acres were purchased by Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham (the Phelps-Gorham purchase). Canandaigua was selected as the site on which to build a city. A two-mile long main street was laid out, with a public square in the center, moving downhill to the lakefront. As the county seat of Ontario County, Canandaigua remained influential, and its courthouse was the location of notable trials of political and social significance. An early stop on the Underground Railway and a center of abolitionist activity, Canandaigua was the scene of a much-publicized trial of two local anti-slavers. On June 17, 1873, Rochester’s suffragette Susan B. Anthony was tried at the Ontario County Courthouse, found guilty of illegal voting in a federal election in defiance of the law, and fined $100 – which she never paid.
Today, Canandaigua is known as a city of architecturally distinctive homes, many reflecting its early prominence. In addition to the attraction of our beautiful lake, the city is the home of Finger Lakes Community College, the CMAC Performing Arts Center, Kershaw Park, Sonnenberg Gardens, Granger Homestead, and the New York Kitchen.