Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (New York, NY), 5 July 1856, p. 53

Our beautiful picture of the Port of Genesee, is from an ambrotype by Whitney of Rochester, and gives a striking and picturesque representation of the Port and contiguous scenery, as they appeared about the middle of April, 1856. The river which, near this point debouches into Lake Ontario from the valley of the Genesee, has been renderedeasy of access by the construction of piers, extending half a mile, more or less, into the lake, affording room and safe anchorage for all vessels seeking this point on commercial errands or as an asylum from the storms, not unfrequently prevailing in the Lake Country. There is here a pleasant and thriving village, called "Charlotte," which is yearly increasing in importance, owing to its lake position and connection with Rochester by means of a Railroad, eight miles in length, and also to the fact that, from this point the steamers, forming an international line, arrive and depart daily during navigation, for Toronto and other Canadian ports, as do those also which compose the American Daily Line between Ogdensburgh and Lewiston. In addition to these commercial agencies, there are large numbers of propellers and sailing craft, constantly arriving and departing, causing no inconsiderable commercial bustle.

The village of Charlotte, or rather the point it occupies, was among the earliest selections for settlement in the Genesee country, and, for a time was regarded as the site of a commercial city; but the construction of the Erie Canal, crossing the Genesee at what is called the Upper Falls -- an unrivalled water power -- changed the whole aspect of the case, and Rochester became the city and Charlotte the entrepot to it, and such will continue to be their relative positions. The Lake and scenery about the Port of Genesee, cause it to be much visited in the Summer season. It is in fact the Rockaway of Rochester.