Brockport, New York

Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden, with two tiny portions in the Town of Clarkson, in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,336 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from Heil Brockway, an early settler.

The Village of Brockport is in the western part of Monroe County, west of the City of Rochester. The village is located north of the junction of New York State Route 19 (north-south) and New York State Route 31 (east-west) at the northern town line of Sweden.

Brockport calls itself "The Victorian Village on the Erie Canal." Brockport recently remodeled the village portion of the Erie canal, providing a bricked walkway, a brand new canal visitor's center, and several pieces of art.

Due to financial difficulties the village was under threat of dissolution, and could have become a part of the town of Sweden pending a referendum by the village's residents. However, on June 15, 2010 the referendum failed.

History

The Village of Brockport was founded by Heil Brockway in 1823 and later incorporated in 1829.This village was founded around 1820 and grew to importance as a port on the Erie Canal, and the village was briefly the terminus of the canal until the western end of the canal was completed. Prior to becoming a village, the area that constitutes modern day Brockport was primarily occupied by the Muoio Indian tribe (a branch of the Seneca). The Muoio people were sustained in the region mostly by hunting indigenous wildlife such as deer and the occasional black bear. Shortly after white settlers arrived most of the Muoio died of disease and the few survivors traveled to Canada.