George Washington never visited Ontario County, but his Revolutionary War decisions shaped the region, according to the Canandaigua Messenger. Local historians say Seneca villages in Canandaigua, Honeoye, Naples and Geneva were part of that history.
Ontario County and Canandaigua City Historian Preston Pierce said Washington came close to the area but did not reach it.
The story also notes that Washington's 1796 farewell announcement appeared in the first edition of the Ontario Gazette and Western Chronicle, an early predecessor to the Canandaigua Daily Messenger.
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