Dignitaries pose next to the newly unveiled Lafayette Trail Marker in the Hamlet of Mendon. Pictured left to right: Patrice Birner (NYDAR), Patrick Meredith (Director, Monroe County Parks), Julian Icher (President, The Lafayette Trail, Inc.), Fran Celona (President, Mendon Foundation, Inc.), Steve Bodnar (William G. Pomeroy Foundation), Diane Ham (Mendon Town Historian), John Moffitt (Supervisor, Town of Mendon). Photo by Chris Birner
The skies were clear and the sun brilliant as the crowd gathered on the old Lehigh Valley mainline where it intersected with Route 65. Nearly three dozen people, many from the Daughters of the American Revolution, came there to celebrate the unveiling and dedication of the new Lafayette Trail historical marker.
The marker, provided through a grant from The Lafayette Trail, Inc. represents one of twenty-two in New York State and more than 100 across the country. These markers trace the footsteps of General Lafayette during his tour of America in 1824 and 1825. While Mendon may have played a small role in Lafayette’s journey (for the full local story, read The Carosa Commentary on page 3), those at the event couldn’t help but be moved by the history of the location.
Julien Pierre Icher, a French national, is Founder, and President of The Lafayette Trail, Inc. He says, “To me, as a Frenchman, I don’t have many ties to Mendon, NY, but I saw the testament of Lafayette’s enduring legacy in the faces of those who attended the unveiling of the marker in the hamlet of Mendon. You could see their enthusiasm for the great man, an enthusiasm many share. Lafayette is able to unite us, no matter where in the country, he has left these memories. I felt these especially in Mendon.”
Icher was just one of the dignitaries to speak at the unveiling. Fran Celona, president of the Mendon Foundation, led the festivities by reminding everyone “before the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Mendon train station that was here, the Hamlet of Mendon was a stagecoach stop.” He then introduced several speakers who spoke about perhaps the most famous person to transfer from one stagecoach to another in the Hamlet.
One of those speaker, Mendon Town Supervisor John Moffitt, said, “The new sign in the hamlet of Mendon recognizes that Lafayette stopped in Mendon in 1825. The new sign is significant for the history of our community. The work done by Monroe County Parks, Mendon Foundation and the Town Historian Diane Ham took this project to fruition. This new marker will be seen by future generations and passers by, to memorialize the event.”
The marker reads:
LAFAYETTE’S TOUR
On June 7, 1825, General
Lafayette was escorted to
Mendon where he was met
by envoys who accompanied
him to Canandaigua.
“It was an important event for the community with perfect weather and good, short speeches,” said Celona. “After the ceremony, we took Julian Icher, Patrice Birner and her husband on a walking tour of old buildings in the hamlet and then we had lunch at the Cottage.”
There will be a national tour of all the markers, including Mendon’s, in 2025 as a bicentennial celebration of Lafayette’s tour.
