Some Things You May Not Know About Rochester NY

You may not know that Rochester NY was the first American boomtown.Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, from whom Rochester NY gets its name, Major Charles Carroll, and Colonel William Fitzhugh, Jr. purchased this tract in 1803 because the Genesee River had the potential to generate a great deal of water power. This water power would eventually prove to be vital to the flour producing industry. This One Hundred Acre Tract was surveyed beginning in 1811, streets and roads were laid out, and in 1817 the original founders joined their holdings with that of other area landholders to form the Village of Rochesterville. Rochesterville, its name shortened to Rochester by 1823, soon became the seat of Monroe County, New York and was rechartered as a city in 1834.

The Erie Canal Aqueduct, at the site of the modern day Broad Street Bridge in downtown Rochester NY, was built in 1823 to direct the waters of the newly constructed Erie Canal over the Genesee River. Rochester was now connected to all points east and west by the Erie Canal. Having grown to the largest flour producing city in the United States by 1838, Rochester NY became known as the Flour City. Also doubling in population by 1838, Rochester earned distinction as the first American boomtown. The Flour City eventually became known as the Flower City as the westward moving flour producing industry was replaced by numerous nurseries that had grown up around the city.The region saw its own Industrial Revolution after the Civil War. Giants such as the Eastman Kodak Company and Bausch and Lomb were founded during this time.The Gannett newspaper conglomerate and Western Union also had their start in Rochester NY. The prominence of imaging and optical science among local universities and companies in response to a regional decline in manufacturing has given Rochester its modern nickname as The Worlds Image Centre.

Rochester NY is poised to take on any economic challenge, given its rich history of entrepreneurship and adaption to change. Why not consider it as a place to hang your hat. Rochester NY will not disappoint.

Alive in Rochester NY

Rochester NY is kicking. We're excited for the good weather and the positive things coming up in the city. There are a number of exciting festivals to get excited about in Rochester NY in the spring and summer. The sun has finally come out and the winter is behind us. It's time to get out and enjoy the best part of the year in Rochester NY - Summer.