MacKay Homestead-The Scotsman of Caledonia

This video is part of the Genesee Country Village & Museum audio tour series. Click through all the videos in the playlist to learn about life in New York during the 19th century.
Transcript:
Here at the museum, you may notice a number of buildings with names such as “MacKay,” “MacArthur,” and “Campbell.” These houses illustrate the Scottish settlement in the Genesee region, especially in Mumford and neighboring Caledonia. When Scottish land agent, Charles Williamson, sought potential settlers for his lands in the Genesee Valley, he knew where to look: Scotland, where families were eager to escape the repressive conditions imposed on them by the English.
In the 1790’s, 12 Scottish families journeyed through the wilderness to settle around the Big Springs, which Williamson renamed “Caledonia” in their honor. He provided the newcomers with easy credit to purchase land, and gave them food, seed, and animals to get established. Williamson even built a gristmill to process their wheat into flour.
John MacKay, whose elegant house now sits on the village square, purchased Williamson’s gristmill in 1803. He contracted to process the Scottish settlers’ grain and kept a portion of the proceeds for himself. MacKay also built a sawmill nearby. With the traditional strong family kinship and a diligent work ethic, these Scottish families prospered in the young Genesee Country, establishing stable communities with churches and schools.