Victor in Ontario County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Pabos

Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, October 26, 2018

1. Pabos Marker

Inscription. A Basque explorer seeking the Northwest Passage buried 300 ft. east. June 10, 1618

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Colonial Era • Exploration. A significant historical date for this entry is June 10, 1618.

Location. 43° 0.47′ N, 77° 28.208′ W. Marker is in Victor, New York, in Ontario County. Marker is at the intersection of Wangum Road (County Route 42) and Fowler Street on Wangum Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 632 Wangum Road, Victor NY 14564, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Camp Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Fisher Homestead (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Auburn Trail Location Map (approx. 0.2 miles away); New York Central Station at Main Street Fishers (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cobblestone Pumphouse at Fishers Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fishers (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pumphouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fishers (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Victor.

Regarding Pabos. [from C. Hood, comment wall, Genealogywise.com] Pabos visited what is now Fishers in 1618, apparently the earliest known European visitor to Victor.

An historical researcher

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named George B. Selden determined that Pabos had been a Basque explorer from Europe who had boated up the St. Lawrence River in quest of the Northwest Passage. Irondequoit Creek had evidently been a candidate of routes to explore. Unfortunately for Pabos, he passed away during this expedition, with the consequent grave marker.

This information was found in response to a small stone tablet having been excavated in Fishers in 1907 by village of Victor resident Lou Crowley, who was then working for the Locke Insulator Company in Victor.

Fred Locke had been working as a railroad telegrapher in Fishers when he invented the porcelain insulator. He manufactured the early insulator prototypes in Fishers, which had copious clay deposits suitable for baking into insulators.

The particular load of clay from Fishers was being delivered to the insulator plant in the village of Victor when Locke spotted this small stone.

The small tablet, approximately 4” x 5” x 3/4” in dimensions, or about the size of a hand, was engraved as:
P A B O S
I Y I M
JUNE 10, 1618

The phrase on the stone “ I Y I M “ has been translated to mean “At Home with Jesus in Death”, denoting its being a grave marker.

In the summer of 1959 historian J. Sheldon Fisher consulted with Lou Crowley in order to record his recollection of the

Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, October 26, 2018

2. Pabos Marker

1907 marker discovery. Fisher then personally constructed the stone pyramidal monument to mark this history.

This stone pyramid is located in Fishers alongside Irondequoit Creek, about 300’ west of the clay field site where Crowley had identified that the stone had been found.

Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, October 26, 2018

3. Pabos Marker

Northward

Credits. This page was last revised on January 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2018, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 468 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 28, 2018, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.