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Dr. James Salisbury, a germ theory pioneer, invented Salisbury Steak to combat illness among Civil War troops.

Noted author Washington Irving is said to have based his Ichabod Crane character on a schoolteacher named Jesse Merwin.

Known as the heroine of Fort Niagara, Betsy Doyle carried hot shot to fend off British Forces during the War of 1812.

Abolitionist Sojourner Truth escaped slavery in 1826 on what would become known as her “Walk to Freedom.”

During the War of 1812, the British waded ashore from Horse Island to face American troops at Sackets Harbor, N.Y.

In 1808, James Coolidge planted the first hop yard in Madison County, N.Y. Hops became a major industry in the state.

Over one thousand people witnessed the 1913 clash over the “Spirit of 1776” wagon, a symbol of the suffrage movement.

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, married Emma Hale during the winter of 1827 in Afton, N.Y.

H.G. Hotchkiss established a successful peppermint oil company in Lyons, N.Y. His product won international awards.

The Genesee Valley Canal served as an important link between the Allegheny River and Erie Canal in Rochester, N.Y.