Canandaigua in Ontario County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Austin Steward
Man of Integrity 1793 - February 15, 1869
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, November 3, 2019
1. Austin Steward Marker
1793 - Born a slave in Prince William County, Virginia and brought to Sodus and Bath, New York where he self emancipated by flight.
With the assistance from the Quaker community he gained legal freedom to become a great abolitionist, author, teacher and spoke out against inequality of races.
1816 - Assisted the Quaker Community with the construction of the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meeting House.
1817 - Established a meat market and grocery as the first Black business in the city of Rochester.
1818 - Opened the Sabbath School for Children of Color in Canandaigua.
1827 - Orated the Emancipation speech in Rochester marking the end of slavery in New York State.
1828 - Elected as a Trustee of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rochester.
1830 - Served as Leader for Wilberforce Colony in Ontario, Canada (the first settlement for African Americans seeking freedom)
1857 - Publication of his autobiography, "Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman", a significant contribution to Black history, racial understanding and the regional histories of Sodus, Bath, Lyons, Oaks Corners, Palmyra, Geneva, Canandaigua and Rochester. Austin Steward was truly a man of integrity.
Topics and series.
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Location. 42° 53.199′ N, 77° 17.147′ W. Marker is in Canandaigua, New York, in Ontario County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of West Avenue and Garden Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker is behind the hedge bordering the cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Canandaigua NY 14424, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Last General Council of the United States (approx. ¼ mile away); Historic Canandaigua Public Square (approx. ¼ mile away); 200 Years of Peace and Friendship (approx. ¼ mile away); City of Canandaigua (approx. 0.3 miles away); Granger Homestead (approx. ¾ mile away); Canandaigua (approx.
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, November 3, 2019
2. Steward Marker and Monument
Also see . . . Austin Steward. There is a lot of material available on the internet about Austin Steward. This Wikipedia article is a nice start (Submitted on November 5, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 5, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
