From Linda Call:
2020 is an important milestone for Stafford -- it is its Bicentennial!
On March 24, 1820, the people of Stafford came together to incorporate their community as a town, giving the residents the ability to make decisions about what will happen in their community. The celebration of the Stafford Bicentennial will include a variety of events open to the public and are scheduled to take place throughout the year.
Settlers of European descent began to arrive in this area not long after the Revolutionary War, chopping down trees and clearing fields in land inhabited for centuries by Seneca Tribe of Native Americans. Those traveling through Genesee County used the old Indian trail that is now Route 5.
People often drive through Stafford on Route 5 without noticing the rich architectural heritage to be found here. Many of the original homesteads are still inhabited 200 years later.
Stafford, which includes land from the Holland Land Purchase, the Connecticut Purchase, and the Craigie Tract, was the hub of settlement activity in the early 1800s.
The culture and architecture of Stafford was heavily influenced by an influx of immigrants from Devonshire, England. Residents of Devonshire were mainly employed in agriculture and relied on this knowledge of farming to build a new life in the growing settlement of Stafford. Farming is still the major business in the area.
Whether you are looking for a good game of golf at the Stafford Country Club, fishing or hiking at Godfrey’s Pond, or a chance to explore the history and architecture of the area, Stafford has something to offer everyone who visits.
