Michael Lasell Watson dies
2012
Michael Lasell Watson, Emily Sibley Watson's grandson, passed away November 26, 2012 at the age of 94.
More
Family History of Emily Sibley Watson
1829
1830
1832
1833
1833
1835
1841
1843
1844
1844
1845
1848
1849
1849
1850
1851
1851
1854
1854
1855
1855
1855
1856
1856
1857
1857
1858
1859
1860
1860
1860
1861
1861
1863
1864
1864
1864
1864
1864
1864
1865
1865
1865
1866
1866
1866
1867
1868
1868
1868
1869
1869
1870
1871
1873
1874
1874
1875
1875
1875
1875
1876
1876
1877
1877
1878
1878
1879
1879
1879
1880
1881
1881
1881
1881
1881
1882
1882
1883
1883
1884
1885
1885
1886
1887
1888
1888
1888
1889
1889
1890
1891
1891
1891
1892
1892
1893
1894
1894
1895
1895
1896
1897
1899
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1903
1903
1904
1904
1904
1905
1905
1906
1906
1906
1907
1907
1907
1907
1908
1908
1909
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1914
1914
1914
1915
1915
1915
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1917
1918
1918
1919
1919
1920
1920
1920
1921
1921
1921
1921
1922
1922
1923
1923
1924
1924
1925
1925
1925
1925
1925
1926
1926
1926
1926
1927
1928
1928
1928
1928
1929
1930
1930
1930
1932
1932
1932
1933
1933
1935
1936
1937
1938
1941
1942
1942
1945
1945
1945
1946
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1951
1951
1960
1966
1976
1977
1978
1979
1979
1982
1997
1997
2009
2012
Michael Lasell Watson
Family
Nancy Watson Dean Dies
2009
Nancy Watson Dean, James Sibley Watson, Jr.'s second wife, died on May 1, 2009.
MoreMichael Lasell Watson
Dial-Era Gifts from Michael Watson
1997
MIchael Watson donated a limestone version of Gaston Lachaise's Mountain and more drawings by Lachaise and Cummings to MAG.
MoreFamily
Family Portraits
1997
in 2005, Michael Watson donated a collection of family portraits to the Gallery.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr. dies
1982
Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr., son of Gallery founder Emily Sibley Watson, passed away on March 31, 1982.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Gifts of Friends of the Gallery continued
1979 - 1982
Between 1979 and 1982 more than 30 artworks entered the collection as "Gifts of Friends of the Gallery," now denoting Sibley Watson, and his second...
MoreNicoleta Watson
Moran Painting Donated
1979
In 1979, Nicoleta Watson donated Sunset over the Sea in memory of Hildegarde & Sibley Watson.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Gifts in Memory of Hildegarde Lasell Watson
1978 - 1979
Sibley Watson donated more than two dozen artworks to the Gallery in memory of Hildegarde.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Watson's Harpsichord Donated
1977
Sibley Watson donated Hildegarde's harpsichord to the MAG after her death.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Lasell Watson dies
1976
Hildegarde Lasell Watson, daughter-in-law of Emily Sibley Watson, passed away on September 26, 1976.
MoreMichael Lasell Watson
The House that Michael Built
1966
In the early 1960's Michael Watson commissioned artist Wharton Esherick to design his home near Bushnell's Basin.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Lachaise Ogunquit Torso Donated
1960
In 1960, Hildegarde & Sibley Watson donated this Female Torso by Gaston Lachaise to the Gallery.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Gifts of the Estate of Emily & James Sibley Watson
1951
After James Sibley Watson's death, a number of artworks came to the Gallery as part of his and Emily's estate.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
James Sibley Watson dies
1951
James Sibley Watson, husband of Gallery founder Emily Sibley Watson, died on May 4, 1951.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
James Sibley Watson's last gift
1951
Just a couple of months before his death, James Sibley Watson purchased this Chinese bronze vessel for MAG.
MoreE.E. Cummings
E.E. Cummings Lectures at MAG
1950
April 1950 saw the 2nd exhibition of Cummings paintings at MAG, as well as a reading given at MAG to Gallery members and members of the English...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Supporting Local Artists
1949
Beginning in the late 1940's, Sibley & Hildegarde Watson regularly purchased art out of the annual Rochester-Finger Lakes exhibitions and donated the...
MoreMichael Lasell Watson
Michael Watson joins UR Medical Faculty
1948
Michael Lasell Watson joined the medical faculty of the University of Rochester in September 1948.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
X-Ray Motion Pictures
1947 - 1960
Between 1947 and 1960, Sibley Watson collaborated with researchers at the University of Rochester Medical School to create X-Ray motion pictures of...
MoreE.E. Cummings
Cummings' New England Vista Donated
1946
This painting was donated to the Gallery by a "Friend of the Gallery" in 1946.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Watson Donates Check-Up
1946
Douglas Warner Gorsline's painting Check-up was an entrant to the 1941 Great-Lakes Exhibition.
MoreE.E. Cummings
Emily Sibley Watson
Gallery Founder dies
1945
On February 8, 1945, Gallery founder Emily Sibley Watson passed away in her Prince Street home.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Watson Donates Ice Cream Cones to MAG
1945
This Coney Island scene by Reginald Marsh was part of MAG's Lending Library of American Art.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Two Portraits
1942
In April 1942, Marianne Moore published the poem "The Wood Weasel," which features an acrostic identifying the poem with Hildegarde Lasell Watson.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Bragdon's Mathematical Abstractions Shown at MAG
1942
Bragdon’s "Mathematical Abstractions" is a set of images based on mathematical relationships and suggestive of cosmic forms in the solar system.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley Watson joins UR Medical Faculty
1941
Sibley Watson joined the University of Rochester medical faculty on May 1st, 1941.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Highlights & Shadows
1938
James Sibley Watson, Jr.'s film about Kodak, "Highlights and Shadows," premiered on June 22nd in Los Angeles to rave reviews by the cinematographic...
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Medieval Manuscripts for MAG
1937
In 1937, Emily Sibley Watson donated five leaves from medieval manuscripts to the Gallery's collection.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Watson's First Recording
1936
In May 1936, Hildegarde was in New York singing and recording professionally.
MoreE.E. Cummings
Hildegarde Writes to E.E. Cummings
1935
Hildegarde Watson wrote to Estlin Cummings on September 25, 1935.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Rochester at the Century of Progress
1933
A huge photographic mural was part of Bausch & Lomb's display for the Chicago World's Fair and Century of Progress.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
MAG acquires Russian Icon
1933
Many Russian icons in American collections passed through the hands of two New York antique dealers who worked with the post-Revolutionary Soviet...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Family
Hiram W. Sibley Dies
1932
Emily Sibley Watson's brother Hiram Watson Sibley died on June 28, 1932.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Davies Watercolors Purchased for MAG
1932
In 1932 Emily Sibley Watson purchased two watercolors by Arthur B. Davies from Ferargil Galleries and donated them to MAG.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
Gallery's Asian collection begun
1930
The Gallery's Department of Far Eastern Art began in 1930 when James Sibley Watson donated several Chinese objects and this serene Head of a Buddha to...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Watson & Webber make film about Bausch & Lomb
1930
In 1930, Dr. James Sibley Watson Jr. and Melville Webber made a film about Bausch & Lomb entitled "The Eyes of Science."
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Picasso Purchased for MAG
1930
In 1930, Emily Sibley Watson purchased this gouache from Picasso's Blue Period for the Gallery.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Beginnings of Medical X-Ray Films
1929
Collaborating with Kodak researchers, University of Rochester radiologists began experimenting with 16mm x-ray filming as early as 1929.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
The Fall of the House of Usher
1928
In 1928 Dr. James SIbley Watson, Jr. and Melville Webber completed the expressionistic film The Fall of the House of Usher.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Cinema Club formed in Rochester
1928
Around 1928 members of the newly formed Rochester Cinema Club began to meet "on the third floor of the Eastman School of Music Annex in Swan Street."
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
Gift of Additional Tapestries
1928
James Sibley Watson donated three more tapestries between 1928 and 1930.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley & Hildegarde Watson Move to 6 Sibley Place
1928 - 1929
In 1928 or 1929, Sibley & Hildegarde Watson took up residence in 6 Sibley Place.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Filming Nass River Indians
1927
In summer 1927, Sibley Watson travelled to British Columbia to film an expedition to study the music of Native Americans living along the Nass River.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Watson concert at MAG
1926
Hildegarde Lasell Watson performed in the first concert in the Little Theater on November 19, 1926.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Battle of the Animals acquired
1926
In 1926, Mr. & Mrs. Watson purchased the Gallery's first tapestry.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Melville Webber joins Gallery Staff
1926
University of Rochester Assistant Professor of the History of Art Melville Webber was named Associate Director of the Gallery in October 1926.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Medical Film-making
1926
In 1926, Sibley Watson began filming medical operations at Genesee hospital, with Dr. Ward Williams operating.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Bust of Sibley by Lachaise Exhibited at MAG
1925
In September 1925, the Gallery exhibited a bronze portrait bust of Sibley Watson, lent by his mother.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Dr. Watson's first gift to MAG
1925
This watercolor was the first of what would be almost 200 works of art donated to the Gallery by Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr., son of Gallery founder...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
A Budding Film-maker
1925
In 1925 Sibley Watson purchased a used Bell & Howell movie camera and started his career as an amateur filmmaker.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Lachaise Sculpts Hildegarde Lasell Watson
1925
In 1925, Gaston Lachaise created this portrait statuette of Hildegarde Lasell Watson.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Three Trees, Winter Given to Gallery
1925
In January 1925, the Gallery opened an exhibition of Paintings by Harold Weston.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Watsons donate money for new addition to Gallery
1924
Minutes of the Board of Directors for December 11, 1924 thank Mr. and Mrs. Watson "for their [initial] subscription of one hundred thousand dollars...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
Girl with a Tricorne
1924
James Sibley Watson purchased Matisse's Girl with a Tricorne (Vénitienne) from the Fearon Galleries in New York.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Russian Bridge Given to Gallery
1923
In September 1923 the Gallery held an exhibition of Paintings by the Canadian Group of Seven, Louis Ritman and Leon Gaspard.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson Purchases Demuth Narcissus
1923
In 1923, Emily Sibley Watson purchased this watercolor by Charles Demuth.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Eliot's Waste Land Published in The Dial
1922
T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land was first published in the U.S. in the November 1922 issue of The Dial.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
From Emily Sibley Watson's ledgers
1922
In 1922, Emily Sibley Watson donated $100 to help purchase a painting by George Herdle after his untimely death.
MoreJeanne Iseult Watson
Jeanne Iseult Watson Born
1921
"A lovely baby girl was born to Hildegarde and Sibley at their home 140 East 19th Street N.Y. on Wednesday morning, December 14th 1921."
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley Watson on Films
1921
In an "American Letter" published in the August 1921 issue of the Dial, Sibley Watson, writing under his pseudonym W.C. Blum, shared early thoughts...
MoreMichael Lasell Watson
A Portrait of Michael Watson
1921
In April of 1921, Emily Sibley Watson commissioned this portrait of her young grandson from the prominent New York City painter Irving Ramsey Wiles...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Dr. Watson
1921
Sibley Watson received his M.D. from New York University & Bellevue Medical School in 1921.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley's Translation of Rimbaud Published
1920
Sibley Watson's translation of Rimbaud's "A Season in Hell" was published in the July 1920 issue of The Dial.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Art of The Dial's First Six Months
1920
In the first 6 issues of The Dial, readers were introduced to the work of Charles Burchfield, E.E. Cummings, Kahlil Gibran, Gaston Lachaise, John...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley Watson Becomes Publisher of The Dial
1920
A Rochester newspaper reported that Sibley had become the publisher of The Dial.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Pioneering Prendergast
1919
The Gallery held an exhibition of monotypes by Maurice Prendergast in the summer of 1919.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Sibley Watson invests in The Dial
1919
By May 1919, Sibley Watson was considering a new venture: publishing The Dial with Scofield Thayer.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson & David Hochstein
1918
Emily Sibley Watson's philanthropy was not restricted to art.
MoreMichael Lasell Watson
Michael Lasell Watson Born
1918
"A darling baby boy was born to Hildegarde and Sibley in the little house, 127 East 19th St., N.Y. at four o'clock on the afternoon of January 2nd...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Hospital work during World War I
1917
Sibley Watson volunteered for ambulance work in France in World War I.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Miss Lasell marries
1916
James Sibley Watson, Jr. and Hildegarde Lasell were married October 14, 1916 in Whitinsville, MA.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Permanent Loan from a Friend
1916
In the early years the Gallery had no endowment for the purchase of art, so generous patrons often purchased or loaned art work to the Gallery.
MoreE.E. Cummings
Emily Sibley Watson writes to E.E. Cummings
1916
On September 16, 1916, Emily Sibley Watson wrote to Cummings thanking him for his poem.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
Hildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Lasell meets Sibley Watson
1916
In February 1916 Hildegarde Lasell and her mother were invited to a Rochester wedding.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson, Anti-Suffragist
1915
Emily Sibley Watson was among a number of prominent women whose names appeared in an advertisement in the Oct. 30, 1915 Democrat and Chronicle...
MoreTrips & Vacations
Visiting the Panama-Pacific Exposition
1915
In 1915, Emily Sibley Watson and her extended family traveled to San Francisco to see the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
MoreE.E. Cummings
Sibley & E.E. Cummings visit Rochester
1915
Sibley Watson & his Harvard classmate Estlin Cummings visited Sibley's home on Prince Street in the summer of 1915.
MoreTrips & Vacations
Cruising in the Baltics as War Breaks Out
1914
The Watson family was cruising in the Baltics as World War I broke out.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Paintings owned by Residents of Rochester
1914
In June 1914, the Gallery held the first of several loan exhibitions of paintings owned by residents of Rochester.
MoreHildegarde Lasell Watson
Hildegarde Lasell Studies with Lemuel Torrens
1914 - 1915
Hildegarde studied singing and conducting in Elmhurst, Illinois with Lemuel Torrens around 1914-1915.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Sibley & Watson families' first gifts of art
1913
1913 saw the donation of a number of artworks by members of the Sibley & Watson families, the beginning of a long history of such gifts.
MoreFamily
Memory
1913
Emily Sibley Watson commissioned sculptor William Ordway Partridge to "create a life-size sculpture in fine Carrara marble, as well as a portrait...
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
James Sibley Watson, Jr.
Trips & Vacations
Cruising in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
1913
As the construction of the Memorial Art Gallery was nearing completion, the Watson family went for a cruise.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson attends the Armory Show
1913
In March 1913, Emily Sibley Watson purchased a painting by Edward Adam Kramer from the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, organizers of...
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Sr.
A Gift from James Sibley Watson
1913
In 1913, James Sibley Watson purchased this landscape by Homer Dodge Martin for his wife Emily.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Rush Rhees announces gift of Memorial Art Gallery
1912
On April 22, 1912, University of Rochester President Rush Rhees announced Emily Sibley Watson's gift of the Memorial Art Gallery to the University.
MoreTrips & Vacations
A trip to Yorkshire
1911
In summer 1911 the Watsons rented a mansion in Yorkshire for several weeks.
MoreTrips & Vacations
Another trip to the Bahamas
1910
In Winter 1910, the Watsons again removed Sibley from school due to ill health.
MoreFamily
Isaac Averell dies
1909
Emily Sibley Watson's first husband died in San Francisco on October 25, 1909.
MoreTrips & Vacations
A trip to California
1909
The Watsons took Sibley out of school the winter of his second year at Groton and travelled to California with a side trip to the Grand Canyon.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Summer Day
1908
In 1908, Emily Sibley Watson purchased this landscape by William Merritt Chase from Montross Gallery in New York.
MoreFamily
Ruth Sibley Weds
1907
Emily Sibley Watson's niece Ruth Sibley married NY architect John Allyne Gade on November 18, 1907 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Rochester.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Student at Groton
1907
Sibley Watson enrolled at Groton School in Fall 1907, entering the First Form.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson Purchases Monet's Waterloo Bridge, Veiled Sun
1907
Emily Sibley Watson purchased this painting of Waterloo Bridge from Durand-Ruel in 1907.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson Purchases Harvey Ellis Watercolor
1907
In 1907, 3 years after his death, Emily Sibley Watson purchased a Harvey Ellis watercolor from Rochester's Brodhead Gallery.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Buying from Rochester Art Club Exhibitions
1906
Emily Sibley Watson frequently purchased works from the annual exhibitions of the Rochester Art Club.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Tryon Paintings Purchased by Emily Sibley Watson
1906
In 1906, Emily Sibley Watson purchased two paintings by Dwight W. Tryon from the Montross Gallery in New York.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A birthday present
1905
James Sibley Watson gave his wife this Monet painting as a present for her 50th birthday.
MoreJ.G. Averell
James G. Averell dies
1904
James G. Averell, Emily Sibley Watson's son by her first marriage, died of typhoid in November 1904.
MoreFamily
Sibley Music Library Established
1904
In 1904, Hiram W. Sibley donated a collection of musical scores to the University of Rochester, to be housed in the library in Sibley Hall.
MoreJ.G. Averell
J.G. Averell Collecting in Italy
1903
In late 1903 and early 1904, J. G. Averell was travelling in Italy.
MoreFamily
Marie Perkins marries again
1903
On July 16, 1903 Emily Sibley Watson's niece Marie Atkinson Perkins married Ernest Willard, editor of the Democrat & Chronicle.
MoreFamily
Elizabeth Sibley dies
1903
Emily Sibley Watson's mother, Elizabeth Sibley, died on July 11th, 1903, one month shy of her 88th birthday.
MoreTrips & Vacations
Cruising in Scandinavia
1902
In 1902 the Watsons cruised the Baltic sea with Mr. & Mrs. Henry Danforth.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Supporting Rochester Artists
1901
In 1901, Emily Sibley Watson purchased these two paintings from Rochester artist Charles Livingston Bull.
MoreTrips & Vacations
The Genesee
1900 - 1901
Between 1899 and 1900 the Watsons sold their yacht Lasca and built a new improved yacht, which was christened the Genesee.
MoreJ.G. Averell
Emily Sibley Watson
Family Portraits
1899
Two family portraits were made in 1899 by Rochester artist George M. Haushalter.
MoreTrips & Vacations
J.G. Averell
J.G. Averell goes to Harvard
1895 - 1899
After schooling at St. Paul's, an Episcopal boarding school at Concord, NH, J.G. Averell went to Harvard for his undergraduate degree.
MoreTrips & Vacations
Watsons Travel to Jamaica
1895
In 1895 the Watson family traveled to Jamaica, accompanied by Emily J. Jones, Sibley's nurse.
MoreJames Sibley Watson, Jr.
James Sibley Watson, Jr. Born
1894
Emily & James Sibley Watson's son was born August 10, 1894, at 11 Prince Street in Rochester.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Watsons Purchase Yacht Algonquin
1894
James Sibley Watson purchased a steam-powered yacht in May 1894.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Gift from Elizabeth Sibley
1893
In 1893, Elizabeth Sibley gave this painting to her daughter, Emily Sibley Watson.
MoreTrips & Vacations
Family
A False Report
1892
In August 1892, Rochesterians were stunned by a false report that Hiram W. Sibley and his family had drowned in a yachting accident on Georgian Bay.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley's Second Marriage
1891
After the dissolution of her first marriage, Emily Sibley married James Sibley Watson, son of her father's partner Don Alonzo Watson.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Divorces Isaac Averill
1891
The Democrat & Chronicle noted on January 5, 1891 that Emily S. Averill had instituted an action of divorce against Isaac Averill.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A trip to Santa Barbara
1890
In September-October 1890, Emily Sibley Averell & James G. Averell traveled to Santa Barbara, California.
MoreFamily
Marie Louise Atkinson marries Henry Hubble Perkins
1889
In November 1889, Emily Sibley Watson's niece married Gilman Henry Hubble Perkins, son of Mr. & Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Trip to Yosemite
1889
In 1889, Emily Sibley Averell, James G. Averell, James Sibley Watson and other members of Emily's family traveled to Colorado and Wyoming.
MoreFamily
Disposing of Many Millions
1888
On July 25, 1888, the New York Times reported on the disposition of Hiram Sibley's will.
More
Hiram Watson Sibley
Hiram W. Sibley Builds House
1888
In 1888, Hiram Watson Sibley built a house on Sibley property at the corner of East and Alexander, next door to his father's house at 400 East....
MoreFamily
Founding of Homeopathic Hospital
1887
The Homeopathic Hospital (later Genesee Hospital) was founded in 1887 with support from the Sibley & Watson families.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Louise Averell Dies
1886
Emily Sibley Averell's daughter Elizabeth Louise died of diphtheria in 1886 at the age of nine.
MoreHiram Sibley
Statue of Hiram Sibley Unveiled at Cornell
1885
Cornell trustees commissioned a portrait of Hiram Sibley from Daniel Huntington, president of the American Academy of Arts.
MoreFamily
Fletcher Harper Sibley Born
1885
Fletcher Harper Sibley was born in 1885 to Hiram Watson Sibley and his wife Margaret.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
House at 11 Prince Street
1884
In 1884, William Henry Miller of Ithaca was reported as having "finished and furnished" a house at 11 Prince Street.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Averell is Sent to Europe
1883 - 1884
Emily Averell traveled in Europe with her children, leaving on July 26th, 1883.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Isaac Averell Cut Out of Hiram Sibley's Will
1883
On July 13, 1883, Isaac Averell was cut out of Hiram Sibley's will.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Against Tariffs
1882
At a meeting of the Tariff Commission in Rochester, Hiram Sibley sided with little farmers against import duties on flower seeds.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Averill given Prince Street Property
1882
On July 24th, 1882, Emily Averill was deeded property at 11 Prince Street by her parents.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Supports Safe Liver Pills
1881 - 1882
On December 31, 1881, the Democrat & Chronicle published an account of a cure for Bright's Disease experienced by a local doctor.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Averell Loans works to Rochester Art Exchange show
1881
In October 1881 the Rochester Art Exchange held a loan exhibition in the Powers Building.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Builds Rochester & Chicago Seed Warehouses
1881
The Rochester Union and Advertiser described a "mammoth building, nine stories in height," in downtown Rochester.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Donates Spectroscope to Warner Observatory
1881
Hiram Sibley donated a spectroscope to Dr. Lewis Swift, director of the Warner Observatory,
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley & Watson support Industrial School
1881
The Sibley-Watson wing of the Industrial School of Rochester opened at an entertainment February 23, 1881.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Marital Troubles
1880
On May 1st, 1880, Hiram Sibley required Isaac Averill to repay his wife Emily for 100 shares of stock which he sold and then spent the proceeds.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Explores Spiritualism
1879
A Rochester newspaper reported on December 8, 1879 that Hiram Sibley and a number of other prominent Rochesterians participated in a seance.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
James Sibley Watson, Sr.
Tragedy in Florida
1879
19-year old James Sibley Watson was boating with his 30-year old cousin in Florida when tragedy struck.
MoreFamily
Hiram Sibley Acquires Sullivant Farm
1878
In October 1878, Hiram Sibley acquired the bulk of M.L. Sullivant's Burr Oaks Farm in Illinois, as his largest creditor.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley & Co. Established
1878
In September 1878 Hiram Sibley purchased Briggs & Briggs, a Rochester seed company.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
New Births
1877
Emily Sibley Averell's two children, Elizabeth Louise Averell and James G. Averell, were born 11 months apart in 1877.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Averell's first art purchase
1877
The first work listed in Emily Sibley Watson's art acquisitions log book was a painting of the Roman countryside by Corrado, aquired in 1877.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley's First Marriage
1876
Emily Sibley and Isaac Seymour Averell were married on April 27, 1876 at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester.
MoreFamily
Elizabeth Sibley Donates Memorial Window to Honeoye Falls Church
1876
A memorial window donated by Mrs. Sibley was unveiled at St. John's Episcopal Church in Honeoye Falls on March 14, 1876.
MoreHiram Sibley
Food Poisoning
1875
On September 2, 1875, a party given in Hiram Sibley's honor in North Adams, Massachusetts turned fatal when several guests were afflicted by food...
MoreHiram Sibley
A New Bank in Rochester
1875
Hiram Sibley was among the principals in the opening of the Commercial Bank in Rochester.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
The Lady Washington Tea Party
1875
Rochester held a costume tea party for the benefit of City Hospital.
MoreFamily
Hobart Atkinson Remarries
1875
When Hobart F. Atkinson remarried in 1875, Hiram Sibley gave him Woodside.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Turns Farmer
1874
In 1874 and 1875 Hiram Sibley returned his attention to agricultural ventures.
MoreFamily
Hiram Watson Sibley Marries
1873
On February 7, 1873 Hiram Watson Sibley, Emily Sibley's brother married Margaret Durbin Harper.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Builds Library for UR
1871
Hiram Sibley pledged up to $75,000 to build a library for the University of Rochester campus.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Donates Sibley Hall to Cornell University
1870
In the summer of 1870, Hiram Sibley agreed to fund the construction of a building for the department of Mechanic Arts.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Invited to Cornell University's 1st Commencement
1869
It is not known whether Sibley attended the Commencement, although as a trustee, he was invited.
MoreFamily
A Birthday Gift
1869
Hiram Sibley purchased an ornately bound 6-volume set of books on Roman architecture for his son, Hiram Watson Sibley.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Resigns from Western Union, Travels to Europe
1868
At the end of October 1868, Hiram Sibley resigned his Vice-Presidency in Western Union, and he and Elizabeth went to Europe for his health.
MoreFamily
Hiram Sibley Residence on East Avenue
1868
By around 1868, the family moved into Hiram Sibley's residence near the intersection of East Avenue and Alexander Street.
MoreFamily
Zilpha Louise Sibley Atkinson Dies
1868
Emily Sibley Watson's sister Louise Atkinson passed away from consumption on June 16, 1868.
MoreFamily
Mr. & Mrs. Sibley Build Church in North Adams, Massachusetts
1867
A Troy, NY, newspaper reported that Hiram Sibley planned to build a church in his home town.
MoreHiram Sibley
The Atlantic Underseas Cable Succeeds
1866
While cable was being laid in British Columbia and Russia for the Russian-American Telegraph, on July 28, 1866 the Atlantic underseas cable was...
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Richest Man in Rochester
1866
An article in the Rochester Daily Union & Advertiser listed Hiram Sibley as having paid the largest amount in income taxes in the city.
MoreHiram Sibley
Mergers
1866
In February 1866, under the Presidency of Jeptha Wade, Western Union bought out one of its main rivals, the United States Telegraph Company.
MoreHiram Sibley
Delays in the Collins Overland Line
1865
While Hiram Sibley and Mr. Collins were in St. Petersburg, delays plagued the completion of the Collins Overland Line in British Columbia, Alaska and...
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Falls Ill
1865
On March 14th, 1865 a physician wrote Hiram Sibley a prescription for a treatment of the sulphor baths at Aix-les-Bains.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley in Russia
1864
A newspaper report linked Hiram Sibley's business with increased European confidence in the strength of the industrial American North.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Young Rochesterian Among the Alps
1864
At the age of 19, Hiram Watson Sibley, Emily Sibley Watson's older brother, was also travelling in Europe.
MoreFamily
Travels in Europe
1864
On September 14th, 1864 Rochester newspapers reported that Hiram Sibley, and his wife and daughter planned to travel to Europe.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Brings Giant Sloth to Rochester
1864
In July 1864,Henry A. Ward announced the gift of a megatherium cuvieri fossil to the University of Rochester, paid for by Hiram Sibley.
MoreDon Alonzo Watson
Elizabeth Chapman Watson Born
1864
Don Alonzo Watson's last child, Elizabeth Chapman Watson, was born on April 16, 1864.
MoreHiram Sibley
Western Union begins Russian-American Telegraph Venture
1864
On March 16, 1864, Western Union resolved to build a telegraph from the west coast of Alaska across the Bering Strait to Russia.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
A Visit from a Friend
1863
On February 24, 1863, Elizabeth Sibley in Rochester wrote to her husband in New York that "Annie Palmer is staying a day or two with Emily."
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Looks to Russia
1861
In 1861, Perry McDonough Collins tried to drum up support in Congress for a telegraph line from the United States to Russia, via the Bering Strait.
MoreHiram Sibley
Civil War Years
1861 - 1865
During the Civil War years, telegraphy continued to expand, and Western Union with it.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Lobbies for Pacific Telegraph Line
1860
Hiram Sibley went to Washington D.C. to lobby for the right to construct the Pacific Telegraph line which would unite the continent.
MoreDon Alonzo Watson
Hiram Sibley
More Competition
1860
By 1860, the two largest companies of the North American Telegraph Association were the American Telegraph Company and Western Union.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Injured
1859
Newspapers reported an accident on the Michigan Southern Railroad near South Bend, Indiana in which 20-30 people were killed.
MoreDon Alonzo Watson
US History
Wiring the Atlantic
1857 - 1865
The first of several attempts to lay an undersea Atlantic telegraph cable failed in August 1857.
MoreHiram Sibley
Telegraphic Competition
1857 - 1859
A period of intense competition between rival telegraph lines began with the formation of the North American Telegraph Association.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Named President of Western Union
1856
Hiram Sibley was elected President of Western Union in July 1856.
MoreHiram Sibley
Western Union Formed
1856
Western Union was formed in March & April 1856 from the consolidation of the Erie & Michigan Telegraph Company and the New York and Mississippi Valley...
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Between Rochester and North Adams, Massachusetts
1855 - 1858
Emily Sibley's earliest years were spent between Rochester and North Adams, Massachusetts.
MoreDon Alonzo Watson
Don Alonzo Watson Marries
1855
At the age of 48, Don Alonzo Watson married Caroline Matilda Manning.
MoreEmily Sibley Watson
Emily Sibley Born
1855
Emily Sibley was born to Hiram Sibley and Elizabeth Maria Tinker Sibley on May 10, 1855.
MoreFamily
Zilpha Louise Sibley Marries Hobart Ford Atkinson
1854
Emily Sibley's sister Louise married Hobart F. Atkinson on October 12, 1854.
MoreHiram Sibley
A Period of Consolidation
1854
Beginning in 1854, Hiram Sibley and the New York & Mississippi Valley Telegraph Company began an ambitious period of consolidation.
MoreHiram Sibley
A Forerunner of Western Union
1851
In April 1851 a group of Rochester investors created the New York & Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley Associated with Eagle Bank
1851
In 1851, Hiram Sibley was one of the directors of the Eagle Bank.
MoreFamily
Visiting Art in Rochester
1850
In her diary, Elizabeth Tinker Sibley describes seeing artworks that were on exhibit in Rochester as they traveled the country.
MoreHiram Sibley
New York State Printing Telegraph Co. Began
1849
In 1849 and 1850 Rochester Judge Samuel Lee Selden, a House patent holder, organized the New York State Printing Telegraph Corporation.
MoreHiram Sibley
Electric Telegraph Battery Association
1849
On February 22, 1849 the Rochester-based Electric Telegraph Battery Association elected Hiram Sibley President.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley President of Rochester Free Soil Party
1848
Hiram Sibley continued his political activities. In 1848 he was chosen President of the Rochester Free Soil Party.
More
US History
"What Hath God Wrought?"
1844
On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first message over telegraph wires.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Invests in Nursery Business
1844
Hiram Sibley may have begun investing in the Flower City's nurseries as early as 1844.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley Elected Monroe County Sheriff
1843
In a hotly contested election, Hiram Sibley was elected Monroe County Sheriff.
MoreHiram Sibley
Sibley & Watson
1835
A business card dated January 1835 lists Hiram Sibley & Don Alonzo Watson as Machinists in West-Mendon, NY.
MoreFamily
Zilpha Louise Sibley Born
1833
Zilpha Louise Sibley, first child of Hiram Sibley and Elizabeth Maria Tinker Sibley, was born December 7, 1833.
MoreFamily
Hiram Sibley Marries Elizabeth Maria Tinker
1833
The marriage took place on January 24, 1833 in North Adams, Massachusetts, birthplace of both the bride and the groom.
MoreDon Alonzo Watson
Don Alonzo Watson Moves to Honeoye Falls
1832
Don Alonzo Watson moved to Honeoye Falls in 1832 where he met and became partners with Hiram Sibley.
MoreHiram Sibley
Temperance in Sibleyville
1830 - 1831
In 1830 or 1831, while Charles G. Finney was evangelizing in Rochester, temperance came to Sibleyville.
MoreHiram Sibley
Hiram Sibley's Early Years in Western New York
1829 - 1835
Hiram Sibley moved to western NY around 1829 or 1830, first settling in Livingston County.
More1829
Copy this timeline
Login to copy this timeline
1829
1820
1854
1865
1877
1888
1903
1913
1920
1928
1946
2018
Family History of Emily Sibley Watson
This timeline documents the life of Emily Sibley Watson, founder of the Memorial Art Gallery. The time line is a work in progress as we continue our research in local and national archives.
Beginning with Emily Sibley Watson's father, Western Union founder Hiram Sibley, and continuing through her son, Dr. James Sibley Watson, Jr. and grand-son, Michael Lasell Watson, the timeline focuses on the family history of these four generations.