UPDATE: In case you missed the program, you can view the full presentation from Mary Jo Lanphear on YouTube!
Asa Dunbar was the first African-American resident of Rochester, and he made his home near the Irondequoit Bay. Learn about his life and his important role in the community in an upcoming program with Mary Jo Lanphear, the Town Historian of Brighton.
Meet Asa Dunbar, African-American Pioneer on Irondequoit Bay will be presented online using Zoom on Monday, February 8, at 6:00 PM. To receive the login information for the Zoom meeting, please register with an email address through our Online Calendar.
You can learn more about Asa Dunbar’s contribution to Irondequoit history right here…
DID YOU KNOW?
- Asa Dunbar was born on March 16, 1754 to Sampson Dunbar and Patience Crouch in Braintree, MA .
- He married Elizabeth Odell on June 9, 1784 in Sutton, MA. Elizabeth’s sister Lydia married Asa’s brother Joshua.
- The couple went on to have four sons and three daughters.
- The family moved to Thomas Creek, along the western shore of Irondequoit Bay, in what is now Tryon Park, between 1792 and 1795.
- To support his family, Mr. Dunbar hunted, fished, sold fruit, and made salt (which was used to preserve food).
- A settler named John Tryon owned a store at Irondequoit Landing and employed Mr. Dunbar.
- In 1801, Asa was named city attorney for the city of Tryon. He also served as highway overseer for the town of Northfield.
- Rochester was incorporated as a city in 1817.
- By 1818, he owned 100 acres on land that is today part of Irondequoit Bay. Irondequoit was made a town in 1839.
- Mr. Dunbar moved to Ontario, Canada (where he was buried), although several family members stayed in the Irondequoit area.
SOURCES
- Democrat and Chronicle – Rochester’s African-American History
- Dick’s Genealogy & History Corner – Asa Dunbar – Pioneer; Part 1
- Dick’s Genealogy & History Corner – Asa Dunbar – Pioneer; Part 2
- Town of Brighton – Town History
Published on February 2, 2021.
Back to News