Irondequoit portrays the rich past of a Lake Ontario town with a name that comes from the Iroquois word meaning where land and waters meet." Originally part of the Phelps Gorham purchase of 1788, Irondequoit was established in 1839. The area, once marred by swamps and marshes, eventually became "the Garden Spot of Western New York," known far and wide for its peaches, melons, and vegetables. Later the town developed as a resort area, with attractions like Sea Breeze Amusement Park, Glen Haven Park, the Newport House, and White City, a 300-family tent colony. Irondequoit's tree-lined streets, excellent schools, and access to prime recreational areas, including Sea Breeze, Durand-Eastman Park, and Irondequoit Bay Park, continue to draw people who make it the thriving community it is today."
Henrietta depicts the simpler times of a sleepy farming town in western New York State, known for its wonderful produce and staples. People knew each other by their first name and, in true neighborly spirit, pitched in to help with the plowing, harvesting, and barn raising. Henrietta stayed much the same until after World War II, when veterans returned looking for new housing, transportation improved, services expanded, business and commercial establishments opened, and suddenly it was a boomtown. The dust has not settled yet, but the community, although changed, still retains its small-town flavor.