Our Village. Batavia, from its geographical position, being in the centre of a rich agricultural country, and directly on the great overland "Highway of Nations," has always been regarded as a beautiful Village, and one of more historical eminence than any other in the interior of the State. Here, the Holland Land Company which so long held sway over all this region, established its seat of Empire, and here was kindled "the Anti Masonic excitement," which overran the nation, and for a time influenced its political destinies. In the early settlement of the country, Batavia took the lead among the prominent places of the West, until Buffalo and Rochester sprang up, with the Great Lakes and Genesee River to back their pretensions, and soon left it in the background. Our Village has nevertheless continued unostentatiously to advance, and still claims to be one of the gems in the coronet of the Empire State. Last season several important improvements were made here, and this spring a fresh spirit is manifested in the way of modernizing and embellishing Stores, Shops, and other places of business. In other words they are being dressed up preparatory to receiving calls from the world at large, which is soon expected to pass through this great point of centralization, on three railroads. Without noticing in detail the various improvements already made, and about to be commenced, we will say that Batavia can now boast of as splendid stores, internally, if not externally, as can be found in any place of its size in the country, and three others are about to be erected still more elegant. There is one serious drawback, however, upon the beauty of Main street, and that is, the BOARD SHEDS, in fashionable parlance called awnings, an almost continuous string of which, extends along the north side of its central portion. To be sure they are considered very comfortable and convenient, especially in sunshine and storms, also for storage of all sorts of Goods, Wares, and Merchandise, and an excellent place for loungers. Moreover, Pedestrians occasionally derive some protection under their shade, if perchance they can thread their way through the narrow defile on what was originally intended as a sidewalk. So far, therefore, as Front sheds are concerned, we defy the world to compare with Batavia, but in order to render that style of architure[sic] more complete in all its parts, we suggest the addition of Hay Racks, and Feeding Troughs. Those appendages would not only tend to perfect that species of improvement, but would be found exceedingly convenient for people with teams from the country, especially, as there are no other open sheds in the village to which they can drive and feed. There is one other fashion prevailing here to some extent, of a similar character in the line of beauty, to the above, and that is, the erection of Signs across the side-walks, to aid bewildered customers in finding the right place. In this custom we bid fair soon to equal Schenectady, which we believe has borne the palm in that particular. But not withstanding these unsightly excrescences, Batavia is decidedly looking up, and this will more fully appear when the embellishments around the Park, now in progress, together with the various other improvements to be made this season in different parts of the village, are completed. ~ Spirit of the Times, August 18-1852 contributed by Linda, Web-Page Editor for Bethany Town Page: BETHANY: Its Past and Present http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml ~and~ Contributor for the BUFFALO and Western NYS Website: www.buffalonian.com ~ History Through Newspapers