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154-462: In February 2005 Rochester Ferry Company LLC, a subsidiary of the City of Rochester, New York purchased the high speed catamaran ferry Spirit of Ontario I in a bankruptcy auction after previous owner Canadian American Transportation Systems (CATS) shut down the inaugural service in summer 2004 after it operated for 11 weeks. In April 2005, Rochester Ferry Company LLC selected NFL as the operator of

308-500: A Strong mayor-council form of government since the approval of its current charter in a referendum in 1984. Administrative officers are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. All city legislation is proposed and passed by the council, and subject to a veto by the mayor, unless a majority of two-thirds approved it. The current mayor is Malik Evans , serving since January 1, 2022. History of Rochester, New York#Rochesterville and The Flour City Settlement of

462-405: A 2012 bankruptcy. By 2022, the city's population had declined to 209,352 (although the metropolitan area was considerably larger) with 45.1% recorded as White and 38.4% as Black or African American. Although the total population declined, new arrivals continued to move to the city and change its demographic profile. Thousands of Puerto Ricans moved to the city after World War II, and the city became

616-620: A century. On November 8, 1803, three men from Hagerstown, Maryland , purchased a 100-acre (40- ha ) tract from the Pulteney Estate along the Genesee River: Major Charles Carroll, Colonel William Fitzhugh Jr, and Colonel Nathaniel Rochester , the namesake of the city. They chose the site because its three cataracts on the Genesee offered great potential for water power. Beginning in 1811, and with

770-653: A day, six days a week, at $ 0.80 per day. After Italy capitulated to the Allies October 12, 1943, and joined the war against Germany the Italian POW's became unguarded internees. The Italians were replaced at Cobbs Hill with German POWS June 26, 1944. The city was hit in February 1945 with seven successive snowstorms that paralyzed the city, forcing the city to ask that POWs be brought from the Hamlin Camp to

924-469: A female householder with no partner present, and 29.0% had a male householder with no partner present. Of all households, 41.3% were made up of individuals, 25.3% had children under 18 living with them, and 9.2% had someone living alone 65 or older. 33.1% of housing units were owner-occupied, and 66.9% were rented. The age distribution was 18.8% under 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age

1078-657: A gift of Henry Durand and George Eastman. In 1913, the Memorial Art Gallery on the University of Rochester's Prince Street Campus was founded. It was the gift of Emily Sibley Watson as a memorial to her son, architect James Averell. In 1918, the Erie Canal through Rochester was closed and abandoned after the Barge Canal opened, transiting Rochester through Genesee Valley Park . The Court Street Dam

1232-617: A grist mill and sawmill there by summer 1789 (the "100 Acre Tract"). In exchange for the 100-acre (0.40 km ) Tract, Allen built the agreed-upon mills at the west end of the Upper Falls of the Genesee. But the location was so deep in the wilderness that there were only 14 men in the area to assist in the mill's construction. The area was a dense forest and swamp, and infested with rattlesnakes and mosquitoes that spread 'Swamp Fever' or what we now call malaria . In March 1792, with no settlers and no demand for mills, Indian Allen sold

1386-764: A group of Rochester businessmen founded the Mechanics Institute to establish "free evening schools in the city for instruction in drawing and such other branches of studies as are most important for industrial pursuits of great advantage to our people." Henry Lomb of Bausch & Lomb was the Mechanics Institute's first president. During this period many of Rochester's great public parks were laid out, with Ellwanger & Barry and others donating land in 1871 for Maplewood Park and in 1889 for Highland Park . In 1895, George Eastman and James P. B. Duffy donated an additional 120 acres (0.5 km ) for Highland Park. On Independence Day, 1894, community leaders, responding to

1540-584: A large concentration of Polish Americans along with nearby Buffalo, New York. Rochester's Bhutanese and Nepalese communities are among the largest (top 3) in the United States, concentrated primarily in Jones Square and Edgerton with growth fueled by recently arrived migrants and refugees. In addition, Rochester was ranked number 9 in the nation for the largest Italian population in the United States in 2018. Rochester has been reported to have

1694-483: A leading opponent of slavery, delivered a speech to an overflowing Republican crowd in Corinthian Hall. He argued that the political and economic systems of North and South were incompatible, famously saying that the "irrepressible conflict" between the two systems would eventually result in the nation becoming "either entirely a slave-holding nation, or entirely a free-labor nation." In the years leading up to

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1848-571: A major destination for refugees in the 21st century. Rochester is located in Upstate New York , on the southern shore of Lake Ontario . The Genesee River bisects the city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 37.1 square miles (96 km ), of which 35.8 square miles (93 km ) are land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km ) are covered by water (3.42%). Rochester borders

2002-587: A partnership program between the city government and Rochester Coalition for Neighborhood Living, defines 35 neighborhoods in Rochester. Among these are the 14621 Community, 19th Ward, Beechwood, Browncroft, Charlotte , Cobbs Hill, Corn Hill, downtown Rochester , Dutchtown, Edgerton , EMMA (East Main, Mustard & Atlantic Avenue), High Falls, Highland Park, Homestead Heights, JOSANA (Jay-Orchard Street Area), Lincoln Park, Lyell-Otis, Maplewood, Marketview Heights, Mayor's Heights, Monroe Village, NOTA (Neighborhood of

2156-655: A population of 15, the three founders surveyed the land and laid out streets and tracts. In 1817, the Brown brothers and other landowners joined their lands with the Hundred Acre Tract to form the village of Rochesterville. This name was unpopular, and in 1822 it was shortened to Rochester. By 1821, Rochesterville became the seat of Monroe County. In 1823, the Erie Canal aqueduct over the Genesee River

2310-516: A rare hybrid structure called " kame moraine ". The ice sheets also created Lake Ontario, the Genesee River with its waterfalls and gorges , Irondequoit Bay , Sodus Bay , Braddock Bay , Mendon Ponds , numerous local streams and ponds, the Ridge , and the nearby Finger Lakes . Water to the city is sourced from Hemlock Lake , Canadice Lake , and Lake Ontario. Celebrate City Living,

2464-524: A series of cottages called the Hillside Home (now Hillside Children's Center, part of Hillside Family of Agencies ). The Charitable Society also founded Rochester City Hospital on Buffalo Street (now West Main Street), where the old Buffalo Street Cemetery was located. Construction on the hospital began in 1845 but it was not occupied until 1863. By 1838 Rochester was the largest flour-producing city in

2618-488: A soap and candle factory. Grog shops were closed; the Sabbath was honored; the sanctuaries were thronged with happy worshippers; a new impulse was given to every philanthropic enterprise; the fountains of benevolence were opened, and men lived to good. By 1834, some 20 flour mills were producing 500,000 barrels (44,000 t) annually, the population reached 13,500 and the city area expanded to 4,000 acres (16 km ). Rochester

2772-828: A vibrant music industry. It is the site of several museums such as The Strong National Museum of Play and the George Eastman Museum , which houses the oldest photography collection in the world. The Seneca tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy lived around Rochester prior to the American Revolution , and used the area as a hunting ground. Allied with the British, the Seneca were forced to cede or sell most of their land in New York after

2926-546: A year, including hearses , all designed by Volney Lacey . The turn of the century found Rochester a thriving and comfortable city. Although the nursery business was waning, some of that land had been converted into desirable residential districts along East Avenue, Park Avenue, and off Mount Hope Avenue near Highland Park. In 1901, a devastating fire killed 31 at the Rochester Orphan Asylum, and it moved across town from Hubbell Park to Pinnacle. Because of

3080-534: Is a lakefront community in Rochester bordering Lake Ontario. It is home to Ontario Beach Park, commonly known as Charlotte Beach, which is a popular summer destination for Rochesterians. A new terminal was built in 2004 for the Rochester-to-Toronto ferry service and was later sold after the ferry ceased operations in 2005. The Port of Rochester terminal still exists, but multiple attempts by the city to make additions have failed since 2016. Corn Hill

3234-430: Is centered on the eponymous street southeast of downtown. It originally functioned as a service street with businesses that catered to wealthy residents who lived on nearby East Avenue. Between 1894 and 1975, it was also home to Park Avenue Hospital. Today, the neighborhood is one of the most desirable in the city, highly valued for its walkability and density of bars, clubs, and restaurants. The city's annual pride parade

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3388-551: Is hosted in the neighborhood. The Park Avenue Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The South Wedge is a wedge-shaped neighborhood centered on South Avenue between the Genesee River and Interstate 490. It began as the home of several families involved in trades on the Erie Canal. In the 1840s, the Ellwanger and Barry nursery was built on South Avenue, introducing greenery to

3542-528: Is located in the city's old Third Ward, and best known today for the annual Corn Hill arts festival. Many of the city's wealthiest residents lived in the neighborhood during the 19th century, but they relocated to the East End and suburbs after the turn of the century. The neighborhood experienced decline, and much of the Third Ward was demolished for the construction of I-490 in the 1960s. Revival began in

3696-533: Is on imaging and optical science among the industry and universities. The Institute of Optics of the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology have popular imaging programs, and a research hub for photonics has operated in the city since 2015 following federal and state investment. Rochester is also home to the Fortune 500 beverage company Constellation Brands and

3850-439: Is set apart from most of the continental US by comparatively cool, comfortable summers (ranking among the top five coolest summers among large metros alongside San Francisco , Seattle , Portland, Oregon , and neighboring Buffalo ). Autumn features brilliant foliage colors, cooling temperatures and occasionally an excess of rain depending on the year, though precipitation is generally plentiful and dispersed fairly evenly throughout

4004-482: Is the " white hot ", a variant of the hot dog or smoked bratwurst made by the local Zweigle's company and other companies. Another local specialty is the Garbage Plate , a trademark of Nick Tahou Hots that traditionally includes macaroni salad, home fries, and two hot dogs or cheeseburgers topped with mustard, onions, and their famous meat hot sauce. Many area restaurants feature copies or variations with

4158-713: The Fortune 1000 company Paychex (Fortune #681) and the supermarket chain Wegmans . The median single-family house price was $ 247,000 in the third quarter of 2023 in greater Rochester, an increase of 10.3% from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors . The city of Rochester is home to numerous cultural institutions. These include the Garth Fagan Dance, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra ,

4312-605: The American Revolution , western New York was opened up for development as soon as New York and Massachusetts compromised and settled their competing claims for the area in December 1786 by the Treaty of Hartford . The compromise was that, while New York would have political sovereignty over the land, Massachusetts would have pre-emptive rights to obtain title from the Native Americans and own (and profit from selling)

4466-589: The Civil War , numerous locations in the Rochester area were used as safe houses to shelter fugitive slaves before they were placed on board boats (often on the Genesee River ) for transport to Canada. The route was part of the famous Underground Railroad . Other "stations" were located in the areas surrounding Rochester, including Brighton , Pittsford , Mendon , and Webster . A station in North Chili , just west of Rochester, run by abolitionist Methodists

4620-543: The Cunningham Car Company , a pioneer automobile maker. German immigrants John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb launched Bausch & Lomb in 1861 and inventor and entrepreneur George Eastman founded Eastman Kodak in 1892. Xerox was founded in Rochester in 1906 as the Haloid Company. In the early 20th century, Rochester became a center of the garment industry, particularly men's fashions. It

4774-613: The First Unitarian Church of Rochester , which was designed by Louis Kahn and described by Paul Goldberger as one of "the most significant works of religious architecture of the century". Significant Art Deco buildings include the Cinema Theater and Times Square Building , noted for its 42' tall "Wings of Progress" sculpture. The Midtown Plaza , the nation's first downtown shopping mall, first opened in 1962, and remains partially standing today. Museums in

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4928-472: The Genesee River which had not previously been sold, were acquired by Robert Morris in 1791, who re-sold them to The Pulteney Association , a syndicate of British investors. Before defaulting on the rest of the land purchase agreement, Phelps and Gorham gave a 100-acre (0.4 km ) lot within the Mill Yard Tract at the Upper Falls of the Genesee to Ebenezer "Indian" Allen, on condition he build

5082-621: The Industrial Areas Foundation to help the community organize. With the Reverend Franklin Florence , they established FIGHT (Freedom, Integration, God, Honor, Today), which successfully brought pressure to bear on Eastman Kodak to help open up employment and city governance. With industrial restructuring in the later 20th century, Rochester's manufacturing workforce shrank. Kodak, long the city's largest employer, conducted massive layoffs prior to

5236-565: The Maplewood Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Marketview Heights neighborhood is northeast of downtown Rochester, running east from Union Street just north of Atlantic Ave. It is best known as the location of the Public Market, which first opened in 1905 and offers a variety of groceries and other goods from farms and shops from surrounding areas, primarily on

5390-660: The RIT men's and women's ice hockey teams, and the University of Rochester men's squash team, which has ranked top 5 in Division I. Notable cemeteries include the Victorian-era Mount Hope Cemetery , Holy Sepulchre and Riverside Cemetery . Mount Hope became a popular picnicking destination during the late nineteenth century, and the city began to develop public parks. Rochester's park system

5544-744: The Rochester City Ballet , Rochester Contemporary Art Center , the Rochester Broadway Theater League , Hochstein School of Music & Dance , the Auditorium Theater, and numerous arts organizations. Geva Theatre Center is the city's largest professional theater. The East End Theater is on East Main Street in the theater district. The Eastman School of Music , one of the top musical institutes in

5698-567: The Rochester crime family bombed nine buildings, including three Jewish synagogues and two black churches, as part of the Rochester bombings designed to focus the attention of local authorities away from organized crime. Only one person was injured. As part of continuing urban renewal, in 1969 Xerox Corporation opened a thirty-story office tower ( Xerox Tower ) at Broad Street East and Clinton Avenue South, although Xerox also moved its corporate headquarters to Stamford, Connecticut at about

5852-618: The Sacramento Kings ) were a professional basketball team in Rochester from 1945 to 1957 with roots as an amateur team dating back to 1923. They won the NBA title in 1951 , defeating the New York Knicks in 7 games. Rochester and its surrounding area also has a rich golf history and has hosted numerous professional tournaments on its local golf courses, most recently the 2023 PGA Championship . NCAA Division I teams include

6006-481: The Second Great Awakening , led by Charles Grandison Finney . A leading pastor in New York, who was converted in the Rochester meetings, gave this account of Finney's meetings there: The whole community was stirred. Religion was the topic of conversation in the house, in the shop, in the office, and on the street. The only theater in the city was converted into a livery stable; the only circus into

6160-415: The University of Rochester to become the city's top employer in 2005, a title it holds today. Bausch & Lomb moved to Bridgewater, New Jersey, in 2014. The Gannett newspaper company and Western Union were founded in Rochester by Frank Gannett and Hiram Sibley , respectively, but have since moved to other cities. Today, the city's top employers are its educational and medical institutions. After

6314-700: The White House at the invitation of President William McKinley . The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which guaranteed the right of women to vote in 1920, was popularly known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment because of her decades of work toward its passage, which she did not live to see. Anthony's home is now a National Historic Landmark known as the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House . Despite

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6468-472: The women's suffrage movement . A critical suffragettes' convention was held in 1848 in nearby Seneca Falls, and Rochester was the home of Susan B. Anthony along with other notable Suffragettes such as Abigail Bush and Amy Post . The city itself played host to the Rochester Women's Rights Convention of 1848 . The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , in 1920, which guaranteed

6622-513: The "Brooks Landing" development along the Genesee River. Gentrification has occurred in the 19th Ward and adjacent Plymouth-Exchange area from the conversion of housing stock to student housing for the University of Rochester. Located in the 19th Ward are the Arvine Heights Historic District , Chili–West Historic District , Inglewood and Thurston Historic District , and Sibley–Elmdorf Historic District , listed on

6776-600: The 100-acre (0.40 km ) Tract to Benjamin Barton Sr. of New Jersey for $ 1,250. Barton almost immediately resold the property to Samuel Ogden, an agent for Robert Morris. Ogden, in turn, sold the property in 1794 to Charles Williamson, agent for The Pulteney Association . On November 8, 1803, The Pulteney Association sold the 100-acre (0.40 km ) Tract for $ 1,750, on a five-year land contract, to Col. Nathaniel Rochester (1752–1831), Maj. Charles Carroll, and Col. William Fitzhugh , all of Hagerstown, Maryland . Rochester

6930-485: The 100-acre (0.40 km ) Tract was annexed, bringing Rochesterville to 1,012 acres (4.1 km ) and the population to about 2,500. That year, "-ville" was dropped from the city's name. This was also the year that the first 800-foot (244 m) Erie Canal Aqueduct was finished over the Genesee, just south of the Main Street Bridge. It was built over 16 months by 30 convicts from Auburn State Prison. In 1822,

7084-524: The 100-acre (0.40 km ) Tract, to form the Village of Rochesterville , with a population of 700. In 1821, Monroe County was formed out of parts of Ontario and Genesee counties, and Rochesterville was named the county seat. A two-story brick courthouse in the Greek Revival style was built at a cost of $ 7,600. In 1823, property of Elisha Johnson on the east side of the Genesee across from

7238-641: The 1890s, as Rochester expanded, the area rapidly urbanized. By 1930, it was a booming residential area for doctors, lawyers, and other skilled workers. Homes in the originally upper-class neighborhood typically have gumwood trim, leaded glass, fireplaces, hardwood floors, and open porches. In the 1960s, property values fell as the population of Rochester did, the area experienced white flight accelerated by school busing, blockbusting , and race riots downtown, and crime increased, with violence, drug use , and neglected property further diminishing property values. In recent years, neighborhood revitalization has come from

7392-533: The 1950s. Casually employed by the city's major industries, most African Americans in the city held low-pay and low-skill jobs, and lived in substandard housing. Discontent exploded in the three-day 1964 Rochester race riot , which resulted in five deaths, 350 injuries, nearly a thousand arrests, and 204 stores looted or damaged. In the wake of the riot, the Rochester Area Churches, together with black civil rights leaders, invited Saul Alinsky of

7546-491: The Arts), North Winton Village, Northland-Lyceum, Park Avenue, Plymouth-Exchange, South Wedge, Susan B. Anthony, Swillburg, Upper Falls, Upper Monroe, and Upper Mount Hope. The 19th Ward is a southwest neighborhood bordered by Genesee Street, West Avenue, and the Erie Canal, and is across the river from the University of Rochester. The neighborhood is one of the largest in Rochester. Now known by its slogan "Urban by Choice", in

7700-497: The Colleges for Men and Women of the University of Rochester were merged. In 1958, three new schools were created in engineering, business administration, and education. Smugtown USA by G. Curtis Gerling (Plaza Publishers 1957, reprinted 1993) is a scathing critique of the city's 1940s and 1950s culture. By the 1960s, as with the rest of the United States, the population was shifting from city to suburb, with substantial growth in

7854-478: The Erie Canal (now Broad Street). It was built at a cost of over $ 335,000 on the site of the First Presbyterian Church, which had burned to the ground in 1869. The church sold the lot to the city for $ 25,000. This city hall housed city government until 1978. In 1882, the tolls on the Erie Canal ended, with New York State enjoying a profit of $ 51,000,000 over the 57 years. In September 1885,

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8008-550: The Genesee River was given to the University of Rochester for its River Campus, and the country club moved to its present site in Pittsford. In 1925, the university opened its Medical School and Strong Memorial Hospital on Crittenden Road, and by 1927, general construction had begun on the River Campus. It was also in 1925 that the university awarded its first Ph.D., and by 1930, several departments were training candidates for

8162-590: The Genesee River, as well as annexing parts of the towns of Brighton, Gates, Greece and Irondequoit. Also founded during this period were Bausch & Lomb by John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb, Eastman Kodak by George Eastman , Western Union Telegraph by Hiram Sibley and Don Alonzo Watson , Gleason Works by William Gleason, and R.T. French Company by Robert French. Other important industries that developed during this period were clothing manufacturing , shoe manufacturing, brewing and machine tools . In 1875, Rochester's first city hall opened at Fitzhugh and

8316-555: The Genesee Riverway Trail, which runs for the river's entire length through the city. Current city facilities include 12 full-time recreation centers, 48 playgrounds, two artificial ice rinks, 74 softball/baseball fields, 42 tennis courts, four soccer fields, and 45 outdoor basketball courts. Rochester is governed by a mayor serving as chief executive of city government and a city council consisting of four district members and five at-large members. Rochester has had

8470-539: The Greek Revival style was constructed. It was built from brick manufactured at Cobb's Hill by Gideon Cobb, and cost $ 76,000. Rochester was the home for many years of abolitionist Frederick Douglass , a formerly enslaved African American, who in 1847 commenced publishing an abolitionist newspaper, The North Star , in Rochester. Other prominent abolitionists in Rochester included Amy and Isaac Post and Abigail Bush . Douglass stated "I know of no place in

8624-566: The Mechanics Institute merged with the Rochester Athenaeum to form the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI). Comprehensive instruction in mechanical subjects was RAMI's hallmark. The institute's builders responded to both industrial and societal trends in Rochester, and each year the Institute graduated increasing numbers of expertly trained professionals who found work in industry both in Rochester and elsewhere. By

8778-577: The National Register of Historic Places. The Browncroft neighborhood is built on the former nursery grounds of the Brown Brothers nursery, between the town of Brighton and Winton Road. Many Tudor and Colonial houses are contained within, and the business district situated on Winton Road has a mix of restaurants and shops. The Browncroft Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Charlotte

8932-725: The Pennsylvania border along the eastern edge of the Holland Purchase , known as the Morris Reserve . At the north end of the Reserve, Morris sold an 87,000 acre (350 km ) triangular shaped tract (" The Triangle Tract ") to Herman Leroy, William Bayard and John McEvers, and he also sold a 100,000 tract due west of the Triangle Tract to the state of Connecticut . Additional Phelps and Gorham lands east of

9086-425: The Rochester Athenaeum was founded as a reading society. The Athenaeum charged members a five-dollar annual fee to hear lectures by some of America's best-known orators including Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. , Horace Greeley and Ralph Waldo Emerson . The Athenaeum was one of the forerunners of the Rochester Institute of Technology . In 1830 and 1831, Rochester experienced one of the largest Protestant revivals of

9240-413: The Rochester Female Charitable Society was founded. Members paid twenty-five cents per year to belong to the Society and also contributed provisions, clothing, and bedding which they collected from the community. Visitors distributed the goods and money to the poor of each district. By 1872, seventy-three districts had been established, each with a woman visitor. That organization was instrumental in founding

9394-406: The Rochester Ferry Company LLC: Rochester, New York Rochester ( / ˈ r ɒ tʃ ɛ s t ər , - ɪ s -/ ROTCH -ess-tər, -⁠iss- ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Monroe County . It is the fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 census . The city forms

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9548-424: The Rochester Orphan Asylum (now Hillside Children's Center), the Rochester City Hospital (now Rochester General Hospital), the first school, the workhouse, the Home for the Friendless (now The Friendly Home), the Industrial School, and The Visiting Nurse Service. Soon after the Erie Canal east to the Hudson River was opened in 1825, the economy and population grew quickly. By 1830, the population reached 9,200, and

9702-473: The Rochester Plan: Fernwood Park , Norton Village , and Ramona Park . By 1950, the population of the city had grown slightly to 332,488, but Rochester was now only the 32nd largest city in the United States. During the 1950s, Xerox Corporation (originally Haloid Corporation) expanded as it exploited Chester Carlson's xerography patents. Xerox went on to become the world leader in xerographic imaging, designing and manufacturing many of its famous products in

9856-429: The Rochester area include the Genesee Country Village and Museum , George Eastman Museum , Memorial Art Gallery , Rochester Museum and Science Center , Strasenburgh Planetarium , Susan B. Anthony House , New York Museum of Transportation , Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum , and The Strong National Museum of Play . In 2023, plans were announced for a museum dedicated to the life of Frederick Douglass in

10010-403: The Rochester area. Eastman Kodak continued to dominate the film and camera industry and was Rochester's leading industrial employer, but other Rochester companies also employed many technical and manufacturing personnel. These included Gleason Works , Stromberg-Carlson, Taylor Instrument, Ritter Dental Equipment, Rochester Products Division of General Motors , and Pfaudler-Permutit . In 1955,

10164-415: The St. Louis World's Fair, where it was paired with another innovation — the hot dog — and became a hit. In the early 1900s, both George Eastman and Andrew Carnegie gave substantial sums to the University of Rochester. Eastman also donated the funds to establish the Eastman Dental Dispensary . In 1908, Francis Baker donated 120 acres (0.5 km ) for Genesee Valley Park, and Durand-Eastman Park opens,

10318-436: The Union where I could have located at the time with less resistance, or received a larger measure of sympathy and cooperation." However, on his arrival, he found "barriers erected against colored people in most places of instruction and amusement in the city, and until I went there they were imposed without any apparent sense of injustice and wrong." His daughter could not take classes with white girls. "The city felt no love for

10472-411: The United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. Douglass lived in Rochester until his home was destroyed in a fire in 1872, and a historical marker was erected at the site on South Avenue. Many other prominent abolitionists operated in the area and operated on the Underground Railroad , such as Thomas James and Austin Steward . Around the same time, the nearby Finger Lakes region was the birthplace of

10626-546: The University of Rochester, major employers in these fields include Rochester Regional Health , the Rochester Institute of Technology , and Carestream Health . In recent years, a high technology industry has grown in Rochester, fostered in part by collaborations between private startup enterprises and the local higher learning institutions. Other organizations such as High Tech Rochester provide local startups with mentorship, office space, and other resources. Like its legacy manufacturers, Rochester's modern technological focus

10780-438: The activism of Anthony and others, women's suffrage remained a contentious issue in Rochester, and the city voted against an amendment to the state constitution which gave women the franchise in 1917. The period 1860 to 1900 saw Rochester grow from a city of 48,000 to a city of 162,800, with a 1900 rank of 24th largest in population, down from 18th in 1860. During this period the city expanded dramatically in area on both sides of

10934-420: The area around Lyell Avenue has been a target for the formation of a designated Little Italy neighborhood, although few Italian Americans live there today. The neighborhood is known for struggling with a high crime rate. Residents have pursued a number of strategies to improve the neighborhood in recent years, including the construction of housing for the homeless. The neighborhood features Edgerton Park, which

11088-482: The as part of the Second Great Awakening , including a particularly notable revival led by Charles Grandison Finney which inspired local social reform movements. During the mid-19th century, as the center of the wheat-processing industry moved west with population and agriculture, the city became home to an expanding nursery business, giving rise to the city's second nickname, the Flower City. Nurseries ringed

11242-645: The birthplace and/or home of many notable companies including Eastman Kodak , Xerox , Bausch & Lomb , Wegmans , Gannett , Paychex , and Western Union , and the region became a global center for science, technology, and research and development. This has been aided by the presence of several internationally renowned universities, notably the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology , and their research programs; these schools, along with many other smaller colleges, have played an increasingly large role in its economy. The city experienced significant population decline due to deindustrialization in

11396-515: The city added, on average, 2.6 new congregations per year, many founded by immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. During peak immigration from 1900 to 1920, dozens of churches were established, including four Roman Catholic churches with Italian clergy, three Roman Catholic churches with Slavic clergy, a Greek Orthodox Church, a Polish Baptist church, 15 Jewish synagogues , and four small Italian Protestant mission churches (Baptist, Evangelical , Methodist , and Presbyterian ). By 1930,

11550-668: The city became the original boomtown first known as "The Young Lion of the West." It quickly, however, became known as the Flour City, based on the numerous flour mills which were located along waterfalls on the Genesee in what is now the Brown's Race area of downtown Rochester. The first ten days the canal was open east to the Hudson, 40,000 barrels (3,600 tons) of Rochester flour were shipped to Albany and New York City . Local millers soon were grinding 25,000 bushels of wheat daily. In 1829,

11704-424: The city government would not be approving the ferry board's request for additional funding for the city's subsidiary Rochester Ferry Company LLC so that the service could resume in the summer. This effectively killed any hope that Spirit of Ontario I would return to its Lake Ontario operation. The city of Rochester owed BFGL $ 2.5 million in a revenue guarantee. BFGL was contracted by the City of Rochester to manage

11858-433: The city of Rochester in western New York State began in the late 18th century, and the city flourished with the opening of the Erie Canal . It became a major manufacturing center, and attracted many Italians, Germans, Irish and other immigrants, as well as a dominant group of Yankees of New England origin. The Yankees made Rochester the center of multiple reform movements, such as abolitionism and women's rights . It

12012-426: The city, the most famous of which was started in 1840 by immigrants George Ellwanger from Germany and Patrick Barry from Ireland. Shoemaking also became a major local industry as the city began to industrialize. In 1847, Frederick Douglass founded The North Star , an abolitionist newspaper, in Rochester. A former slave and an antislavery speaker and writer, he gained a circulation of over 4,000 readers in

12166-469: The city. Rochester hosts a number of cultural festivals every year. The Lilac Festival at Highland Park is attended by hundreds of thousands annually. Established after an 1898 gathering, it features the largest collection of lilac varieties in North America, a parade, and dozens of musical acts and food vendors. The Rochester International Jazz Festival was established in 2002 and is one of

12320-451: The city. Cobbs Hill Park housed 100 Germans, while 175 more were at Edgerton Park. Snow removal by prisoners was done at unannounced locations, with city police guarding the POWs. Following the war, the "Rochester Plan" called for the development of quality, low rent housing for veterans returning from World War II and their families. Three garden apartment complexes were built as part of

12474-594: The continued tremendous growth in Rochester and Monroe County, laid the cornerstone for the third County Courthouse (now the County Office Building). Two years and $ 881,000 later, the four-story granite and marble courthouse in the Italian Renaissance style was complete. In 1897, the first master's degrees were awarded by the University of Rochester and in 1900, due largely to the efforts of Susan B. Anthony , women were admitted. In 1891,

12628-627: The core of the larger Rochester metropolitan area in Western New York , with a population of just over 1 million residents. Throughout its history, Rochester has acquired several nicknames based on local industries; it has been known as " the Flour City " and " the Flower City " for its dual role in flour production and floriculture, and as the "Imaging Capital of the World" for its association with film, optics, and photography. The city

12782-492: The course of the past 70 years Rochester has become a major center for immigration, particularly for arrivals from Eastern and Southeastern Europe , sub-Saharan Africa , and the Caribbean . Rochester had the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans of any major city in the United States in 2013, one of the four largest Turkish American communities, one of the largest Jamaican American communities in any major U.S. city and

12936-507: The doctorate. In 1928, Red Wing Stadium opened. That year, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle , the morning newspaper, was purchased by Frank Gannett . By the 1920s and 1930s, Rochester's population was roughly half Protestant and half Catholic , although a significant Jewish population was also present. In 1938, the city had 214 religious congregations, two-thirds of which had been founded after 1880. At that time,

13090-580: The dollar. The right sold applied to all land west of a line running from the mouth of Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario , due south through Seneca Lake , to the 82nd milestone on the Pennsylvania border near Big Flats (the "Pre-emption Line"), and all the way to the Niagara River and Lake Erie (the " Phelps and Gorham Purchase "). In order to obtain title to such land, Phelps and Gorham would have to extinguish all Native American titles. When

13244-626: The downtown Rochester Institute of Technology campus, the decision was made to build a new campus in the suburbs. The move to a more spacious location was critical to RIT's 1966 selection as the site for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf , and the 1,300 acre (5.3 km ) campus in suburban Henrietta opened in 1968. Decisions on urban renewal in Rochester had both positive and negative effects. As part of urban renewal several theaters were demolished for new buildings as

13398-491: The early 1920s. The Park Commission also constructed new facilities in all parks, filling them with playgrounds, pavilions, and sports facilities. Modern additions to the park system include Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, Turning Point Park, and Tryon Park, which are located on former industrial and urban sites, in contrast to the early parks. Most of the city's parks lie on the Genesee River and can be accessed by

13552-439: The early 19th century, the area was known as Castle Town, after Castle Inn, a tavern run by Colonel Isaac Castle. By the early 1820s, however, the area was overshadowed by developments in the north that would become downtown Rochester. Due to a tumultuous bend in the Genesee, the area was home to skilled boatsmen who assisted boats traveling north to Rochester and the area was consequently known during this time as "The Rapids". In

13706-470: The early 20th century. The Lehigh Valley Railroad's station and the former Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway terminal are the only surviving stations built by these railroads. In addition, Rochester was home of the Cunningham automobile , a pioneering vehicle produced by carriage maker James Cunningham, Son and Company . Like many early companies, production was small, only about 400 units

13860-430: The ferry service and coupled with rising costs from record fuel prices, BFGL announced on December 8 that the vessel would stop service for the season effective December 12. BFGL committed to trying to find a winter charter for the vessel in the Caribbean to help off-set the high summer operating costs following the 2006 operating season. On January 10, 2006, newly elected mayor of Rochester Robert Duffy announced that

14014-477: The ferry service using Spirit of Ontario I between Rochester and Toronto, Ontario . NFL had established Great Lakes Ferries Limited on March 31 but the name was subsequently changed only days later to Bay Ferries Management Limited on April 13. The company was registered in the State of New York (Monroe County) on June 29 of that year. The company began using the name Bay Ferries Great Lakes , borrowing from

14168-596: The first Lilac Week occurred, celebrating Rochester's floral legacy in Highland Park. In 1922, Rochester's first radio station began broadcasting, and the Eastman Theatre opened, an adjunct to the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. In 1925, George Eastman arranged a land swap with Oak Hill Country Club . The Oak Hill property, just west of Mt. Hope Cemetery on the east side of

14322-420: The first time since the 1950 Census . As of the 2020 Census, 38.0% of Rochester residents were non-Hispanic Black, 33.0% were non-Hispanic White, 19.8% were Hispanic/Latino, 3.9% were Asian, 0.2% were Native American or Pacific Islander, and 5.1% were mixed or other. In 2020, there were 91,500 households, of which 18.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% were unmarried co-habitating couples, 42.3% had

14476-441: The former Lehigh Valley Railroad station on the Genesee River. The Ragú brand of pasta sauce used to be produced in Rochester. Some of the original facility still exists and produces products for other labels (including Newman's Own) as Private Label Foods. Rochester was also the original home of French's Mustard, whose address was 1 Mustard Street. Rochester has several professional sports teams: The Rochester Royals (now

14630-526: The highly skilled labor force Rochester enjoyed, the city became a significant industrial contributor to the World War II effort, while the farms and fields surrounding Rochester provided food for the troops as well as the home front. To recognize specialized professional nature of its programs, in 1944, the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute changed its name to The Rochester Institute of Technology . In 1904, R. T. French sent prepared mustard to

14784-550: The land didn't sell as well as they had hoped, Phelps and Gorham were unable to come up with the funds to extinguish the Native American titles. They defaulted on their second payment in 1790. They lost the right to buy the pre-emptive rights to remaining lands of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase west of the Genesee River. This land, about 3,750,000 acres (15,000 km ), reverted to Massachusetts. The state immediately re-sold

14938-479: The land. On April 1, 1788, after extensive machinations by various speculators, Massachusetts' pre-emptive right over all western New York Lands — comprising some 6,000,000 acres (24,000 km ) — was sold to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham , both of Massachusetts. The sales price was $ 1,000,000, payable in three equal annual installments of certain Massachusetts securities then worth about 20 cents on

15092-856: The largest jazz festivals in the United States. It takes place in late June at dozens of clubs, concert halls and free outdoor stages throughout Downtown Rochester , regularly drawing over 200,000 visitors. Other notable annual festivals in Rochester include the Rochester International Film Festival in June, the Corn Hill Arts Festival in July, and the Rochester Fringe Festival in September. One food product Rochester calls its own

15246-551: The largest per capita deaf population in the United States by the New York Times because it is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf . A 2012 report by the NTID concluded 3.7% of the Rochester metropolitan area is deaf or hard-of-hearing, compared to a national rate of 3.5%. Rochester has the largest deaf and hard-of-hearing population per capita when analyzing the working-age population, but may not have

15400-407: The largest per capita deaf population among all cities, due to deafness being much more prevalent in the elderly. Like many Rust Belt cities, Rochester was traditionally a manufacturing center, home to companies such as Bausch & Lomb , Kodak , and Xerox . In the 21st century, deindustrialization has occurred. Xerox and Kodak each laid off thousands of workers in the 1990s and 2000s, causing

15554-479: The largest in the world, with Ellwanger & Barry Nursery Co. the largest. Rochester's nickname was changed from the Flour City to the Flower City. In 1850, the University of Rochester was founded in the U. S. Hotel on Buffalo St, and affiliated with the Baptist Church. Two four-year courses were offered. In 1851, due to Rochester and Monroe County's tremendous growth, a new three-story county courthouse in

15708-627: The late 1960s, as several of the Victorian homes in the neighborhood were restored by the Genesee Landmarks Foundation. In 1969 the Corn Hill arts festival was held and became an annual feature. The Third Ward Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Edgerton neighborhood is in the city's northwest quadrant, along Lake Avenue. Historically an Italian-American neighborhood,

15862-567: The late 20th century, although less severely than its Rust Belt peers. The Rochester metropolitan area is the third-largest regional economy in New York, after New York City and Buffalo-Niagara Falls . Rochester is also known for its culture; in particular, the Eastman School of Music , one of the most prestigious conservatories in the world, and the Rochester International Jazz Festival anchor

16016-418: The middle of the 1890s no less than five freight and passenger railroads were servicing the city and each had a separate station. This provided Rochester with ample transportation but services continued to expand with the arrival of inter-urban electric railroads such as the Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo Railroad and the Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Rapid Railroad which began to service Rochester during

16170-442: The millsite to lie undeveloped until 1811, when they finally completed paying for their purchase and received the deed. The population of the area was 15. They then had the tract surveyed and laid out with streets and lots. The first lot was sold to a Henry Skinner, at what is now the northwest corner of State and Main. In 1817, other land owners, mainly the Brown Brothers (of Brown's Race and Brown's Square), joined their lands north to

16324-420: The most respected seed companies in the United States. His extensive flower garden on East Avenue was a showplace and weekend destination for local residents. The location of the garden is now bounded by Vick Park A and Vick Park B. The population in 1830 was only 9,207, but it still ranked as the 25th largest city in the United States. In 1840, the population and rank were 20,191 and 19th, respectively. In 1842,

16478-741: The name of NFL's other high speed ferry subsidiary Bay Ferries Limited , to refer to its contracted operation on Lake Ontario on behalf of the Rochester Ferry Company LLC. Bay Ferries Great Lakes announced that the service using Spirit of Ontario I would no longer use the CATS marketing name "The Breeze"; instead the service would be known as "The Cat", similar to the high speed ferry service operated by its sister company Bay Ferries Ltd. between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine since 1998. Ferry operation resumed June 30, 2005. The fall 2005 season saw very light traffic using

16632-464: The nation, and its auditorium are also within the East End neighborhood. The Eastman Theatre is host to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and other musical/drama events.The Rochester Association of Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that provides educational theater classes to the community. Several churches are among Rochester's architectural features, including Asbury First United Methodist Church , St. Joseph's Church and Rectory , and

16786-702: The negro, and although there were few of the race in Rochester, they were carefully segregated." Rochester's public schools were desegregated in 1856, following a boycott campaign by local African-American families. Douglass delivered his fiery speech " The Meaning of July Fourth to the Negro " at a meeting organized by the Rochester Ladies Antislavery Association at Corinthian Hall , Rochester, on July 5, 1852. In 1857, Susan B. Anthony and William Lloyd Garrison spoke at an abolition meeting. In October, 1858, William H. Seward ,

16940-410: The neighborhood and drawing tourists. Frederick Douglass lived in a house in the neighborhood. The area fell on hard times after World War II, when residents moved to the suburbs and several homes and businesses were abandoned. The South Wedge Planning Committee was established in 1973 to revitalize the neighborhood. Today, the neighborhood is a hub of small businesses. The South Wedge Historic District

17094-513: The original aqueduct over the Genesee River was replaced with a better one slightly south of the first one. This latter aqueduct now supports Broad Street. By 1850, the population reached 36,000, making it the 21st largest city in the United States. Westward expansion had moved the focus of farming to the Great Plains and Rochester's importance as the center for flour milling had declined. Several seed companies in Rochester had grown to become

17248-441: The population had decreased to 324,975, the first drop since Rochester was founded. It was still the 23rd largest city in the United States. With the advent of World War II , some 29,000 Rochester-area men were drafted into military service. During the war, Cobbs Hill Park was used as a Prisoner of War camp. The first POWs arrived September 28, 1943. Sixty Italian prisoners worked on area farms and food processing plants 10 hours

17402-532: The population had swelled to 328,132, making Rochester the 22nd largest city in the United States. The University of Rochester opened its River Campus for men, and the Prince Street Campus became the Women's Campus. The Rochester Municipal Airport opened on Scottsville Road. It was in the 1930s that Eastman Kodak introduced Kodachrome ® film. By now the subway was constructed in the old canal bed, and

17556-521: The pre-emptive rights to Robert Morris in 1791 for $ 333,333.33 (about $ 34 million today). In 1792 and 1793, Morris sold most of the lands west of the Genesee to the Holland Land Company , but he did not extinguish Native American title to the land until the Treaty of Big Tree in September, 1797. Morris reserved for himself a 500,000 acre (2,000 km ) strip approximately 12 miles (19 km) wide and extending from Lake Ontario to

17710-487: The right of women to vote, was known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment because of her work toward its passage, which she did not live to see. Anthony's home is a National Historic Landmark known as the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House . Rochester saw an expansion of new industries in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Irish immigrant James Cunningham founded the carriagemaker James Cunningham, Son and Company . James Cunningham and Sons later founded

17864-465: The riots the city soon saw its first African-American Public safety director, several African-American police officers were hired. City leaders convinced local radio stations to seek African American announcers. WHAM hired Vic Mason and later Lou Paris, but the real change in black relations came when FM WCMF brought in Herb Hamlett who aired a morning R&B show six days a week. Hamlett became

18018-589: The sale. As of 2007 Bay Ferries Management Limited is still an active company on the corporate registries for Canada (federal incorporation) and the state of New York (state incorporation), however the use of Bay Ferries Great Lakes appears to have been discontinued pending the sale of the Spirit of Ontario I . BFGL operated this vessel under contract for the Rochester Ferry Company LLC: BFGL operated these facilities under contract for

18172-460: The same time. Lincoln Rochester Trust Company (now Chase Bank ) opened a 28-story office tower, the Chase Tower at Clinton Avenue South and East Main Street. Later in the '70s, new offices and hotels were constructed along State Street, just north of Main Street. Most of Front Street and part of Corinthian Street were obliterated in the process. At Main Street and the Genesee River, a new hotel

18326-404: The southern edge of the ice mass. This created a line of hills, including (from west to east) Mt. Hope, the hills of Highland Park, Pinnacle Hill, and Cobb's Hill. Because the sediment of these hills was deposited into a proglacial lake, they are stratified and classified as a " kame delta ". A brief retreat and readvance of the ice sheet onto the delta deposited unstratified material there, creating

18480-468: The southern shores of Lake Ontario), ranking among the snowiest large cities on earth and occasionally setting records for annual snowfall among large US metros. The 30-year annual average snowfall is just above 100 in (2.5 m). Spring sees plentiful rain with the rising temperatures, and occasional late snowstorms depending on the year. Summers are warm and sunny; there are occasional short periods of high heat and humidity but in general, Rochester

18634-625: The street railways were diverted to the subway or morphed into buses. From 1927 until 1956, Rochester was the smallest city in America with a subway. Rochester celebrated its centennial as a city in 1934. In 1936, the Rundel Memorial Building opened as the headquarters of the Rochester Public Library above the bed of the old Erie Canal, adjacent to South Avenue, between Broad Street and Court Street. By 1940,

18788-444: The surrounding towns to arrive at its present borders. The population reached 62,386 in 1870, 162,608 in 1900, and 295,750 in 1920. By 1950, the population had reached a high of 332,488. The surge in new arrivals, along with increased industrialization , resulted in the city becoming a hotbed of labor activism. From the 1920s and continuing into the post-war era Rochester grew into a power center for newly formed industrial unions. It

18942-471: The towns immediately adjacent to the city, including Greece , Gates , Chili , Henrietta , Brighton and Irondequoit . The 1960 census showed a population drop to 318,611 and a drop in rank to 38th. The Rochester 1964 race riot took place in July of that year and marked the beginning of riots throughout the United States during the civil rights period. The disturbance broke out in Rochester's predominantly African American districts on 24 July 1964. Peace

19096-487: The towns of Irondequoit to the north and northeast, Brighton to the southeast and south, Chili to the southwest, Gates to the west, and Greece to the northwest. Rochester's landscape was formed by the ice sheets during the Pleistocene epoch. The retreating ice sheets reached a standstill at what is now the southern border of the city, melting at the same rate as they were advancing, depositing sediment along

19250-411: The trend for many decades following World War II. Of the 19 places in the United States named "Rochester", at least 8 were named directly after the city, having been founded or settled by former residents. These include: Rochester, Indiana ; Rochester, Texas ; Rochester, Iowa ; Rochester, Kentucky ; Rochester, Michigan ; Rochester, Minnesota ; Rochester, Nevada ; and Rochester, Ohio . Following

19404-539: The vessel in mothball status at the Rochester ferry terminal until a buyer could be found. In December 2006 the vessel was moved from Lake Ontario to Halifax and later Shelburne, Nova Scotia , to ensure the vessel's movement to a buyer wasn't restricted by the seasonal closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway . On April 2, 2007 the City of Rochester announced that it had sold the ferry to a German company for $ 30 million (USD). Presumably BFGL will be dissolved following completion of

19558-570: The voice of Rochester's black community, and was the most powerful voice in the city. It was also in the 1960s that the city began a process of urban renewal , with the construction of Midtown Plaza , the first indoor shopping mall in a traditional downtown area in the United States. In the middle of that decade, when the New York State Department of Public Works decided it would build the Inner Loop expressway through

19712-726: The war, the city began engaging in urban renewal projects to revitalize downtown, including the construction of Midtown Plaza and freeways like the Inner Loop , and the demolition of the Front Street neighborhood. By the 1970s, the city experienced highway revolts against new projects, and in the 2010s, the city began filling in the Inner Loop to restore older neighborhoods. In 1950, the Census Bureau reported Rochester's population as 97.6% White and 2.3% Black. Rochester's black population tripled to more than 25,000 during

19866-661: The war. The area now occupied by Rochester was ceded in the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of 1788. As a reward for their loyalty to the British crown, the Iroquois were given a large land grant on the Grand River in Canada. Rochester was founded shortly after by a wave of English-Puritan-descended immigrants from New England , who were looking for new agricultural land. They were the dominant cultural group in Rochester for over

20020-420: The weekends. In the late twentieth century, the neighborhood experienced a severe decline, and roughly half of residents lived below the poverty line in 2000. Public investment was made in the neighborhood after 2008 to implement a number of community proposals. A second round of proposals are being explored currently for the planned removal of the Inner Loop in the southern end of the neighborhood. Park Avenue

20174-571: The word "plate" commonly used as a general term. Chicken Francese was first popularized by Rochester's Italian American community. The Genesee Brewing Company is headquartered in Rochester, where it holds an annual December tradition of assembling a tower of beer kegs in the shape of a Christmas tree. Other local franchises include Abbott's Frozen Custard , Bill Gray's , DiBella's , and Tom Wahl's . Dinosaur Bar-B-Que , which originated in Syracuse, also operates its second franchise downtown in

20328-495: The world. In 1830, William A. Reynolds started his first seed business at the corner of Sophia and Buffalo Streets (now South Plymouth Avenue and West Main Street). This was the start of what would become the Ellwanger & Barry Nursery Co., which eventually was relocated to Mt. Hope Avenue, across from Mount Hope Cemetery . James Vick and Joseph Harris also start their own nursery businesses. Vick used innovative mass marketing and regular customer correspondence to build one of

20482-399: The year. As of the 2020 United States census , the population of Rochester was 211,328. Like most Rust Belt cities, the city has experienced a sustained population decline over the last 60 years. In 2020, for the first time in 200 years, Rochester dropped to the fourth most populous city in the state behind Yonkers . However, in 2020, an increase in the city's population was reported for

20636-516: Was 32.9. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. According to 2020 American Community Survey estimates, The median income for a city household was $ 37,395, and for a family was $ 43,873. Males had a median income of $ 30,379, versus $ 28,260 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,916. About 25.5% of families and 30.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 48.2% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over. Although losing population since 1950, over

20790-573: Was also built in 1918 to raise the level of the river to that of the Barge Canal so no aqueduct or locks are necessary, but in so doing the Upper Falls and the Castelton Rapids were obliterated. By 1920, Rochester's population had reached 290,720, and it ranked 23rd largest in the United States. That year, the city purchased the abandoned Erie Canal lands inside city limits for use as a heavy rail mass transit and freight system. In 1921,

20944-559: Was an important site in the formation of the Free Methodist Church , which was formed in 1860. The denomination's first college, Roberts Wesleyan College , was built on the site. One contemporary described the Frederick Douglass homes as "a labyrinth of secret panels and closets, where he secreted the poor human wretches from the man hunters and the blood-hounds, who were usually not far behind." Rochester

21098-571: Was completed, connecting the city to the Hudson River to the east. New commerce from the canal turned the village into America's first boomtown . By 1830, Rochester's population had grown to 9,200, and in 1834, it was rechartered as a city. Rochester was first known as "the Young Lion of the West", and then as the "Flour City". By 1838, it was the largest flour-producing city in the United States. A series of religious revivals occurred in

21252-606: Was dominated by ethnocultural politics. Two rival groups fought for power, the Presbyterian Yankees from New England, and the Episcopalian New Yorkers from New York and Pennsylvania. When Irish Catholics started to arrive in large numbers in the 1840s and supported the Democrats, the two Protestant groups stopped feuding and presented a common front. Col. Rochester and his two partners allowed

21406-551: Was famous as the center of the American photography industry and the headquarters of Eastman Kodak . In the 1970s it became fashionable to use the term " Rust Belt " for the industrial cities along the Great Lakes following the move away from steel, chemical and other hard goods manufacturing. Rochester, with the presence of Ritter-Pfaudler , Bausch and Lomb , Eastman Kodak, Xerox , Gannett and other major industries, defied

21560-477: Was held in a federal circuit court presided over by a Supreme Court justice. When the judge directed the jury to deliver a guilty verdict and ordered Anthony to pay a fine of $ 100, Anthony responded, "I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty", and she never did. As a young woman, she was widely ridiculed for her views on women's rights, but she was increasingly respected as the nation began to take her ideas seriously. She celebrated her eightieth birthday at

21714-566: Was initially designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1890s. Olmsted intended to preserve natural landscapes for the city residents to enjoy. The system included four major parks: Genesee Valley Park , Highland Park , Maplewood Park, and Seneca Park, the last of which is today home to the Seneca Park Zoo . The park system was expanded in the early twentieth century with Cobb's Hill Park and Durand Eastman Park in 1908, Edgerton Park in 1911, and Ontario Beach Park in

21868-537: Was involved with women's rights from an early date. The Rochester Women's Rights Convention , which met on August 2, 1848, was the second such convention in the nation. (The first was the Seneca Falls Convention , which met two weeks earlier in Seneca Falls , a town not far away.) The Rochester convention elected a woman as its presiding officer, a highly controversial step at the time that

22022-605: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, and the Gregory Tract Historic District was listed in 2022. Rochester lies in the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen : Dfa ) and has four distinct seasons. Winters are cold (temperatures drop to 0 °F (−18 °C) on 4.2 nights annually). Like much of the eastern Great Lakes, Rochester is very cloudy and overcast in winter. Rochester normally receives heavy snow in winter (primarily lake effect snow resulting from its location on

22176-462: Was once home to most of the city's professional sports teams. Maplewood is located in the northwest quadrant, centered around Lake Avenue and Maplewood Park. Eastman Business Park is located on its north edge. The neighborhood once contained both mansions for the wealthy and worker housing for nearby factories like Kodak's. Many of the neighborhood's old mansions have been converted to multi-family housing. Due to its diverse architectural heritage,

22330-465: Was one example of a top Clarissa Street "joint" that hosted jam session including everyone from Little Stevie Wonder to Jimmy Smith and the Mangione brothers ( Chuck and Gap ). The Mangiones grew up in Rochester, and Chuck went on to become one of the biggest "cross-over" trumpeters in jazz history, with his records regularly being played on jazz, smooth jazz, and easy listening stations. In 1970,

22484-448: Was one of the United States' first boomtowns , initially due to the fertile Genesee River valley which gave rise to numerous flour mills, and then as a manufacturing center, which spurred further rapid population growth. Rochester has also played a key part in US history as a hub for social and political movements, especially abolitionism , and the women's rights movement . Rochester is

22638-520: Was one of the very few American cities where the labor movement was powerful enough to mount a successful general strike when in 1946 an estimated 50,000 workers across multiple sectors walked off in support of hundreds of city employees who had been fired for attempting to unionize. During World War II , Rochester factories produced a variety of goods for the war effort, including fuel tanker ships, optical equipment, and radio proximity fuses, amounting to US$ 1,200,000,000 of military orders. Following

22792-400: Was opened, as was one at South Avenue and Main Street in a process that involved the almost complete reconstruction of the main street bridge by removing buildings that lined both sides of it. In 1978, city hall moved to the old Federal Building at State and Church. In the mid 1980s, work began on a high-rise hotel in downtown next to the new Rochester Riverside Convention Center . The project

22946-464: Was opposed even by some of the meeting's leading participants. This convention was the first public meeting composed of both men and women in the U.S. to take that step. Susan B. Anthony , a national leader of the women's suffrage movement, was from Rochester. In a case that generated a national controversy, she was arrested for illegally voting in Rochester in 1872 along with fourteen other local women. Her trial, United States v. Susan B. Anthony ,

23100-576: Was restored after 3 days, but only after the National Guard was called out. Although the riot was blamed on "outside agitators", all the rioters arrested were from the Rochester area. This led to a reappraisal of old-time policies and practices which had not changed in face of a tripling of the African American population in 10 years, who were still mostly assigned to low-pay and low-skill jobs and lived in sub-standard housing. Because of

23254-631: Was stalled in 1987, and the Hyatt Regency Rochester didn't open until 1992 after being rescued by several local business people in a public-private partnership. In the 1990s, a new baseball stadium, Frontier Field , was built for the Rochester Red Wings near the Kodak office building. Bausch and Lomb constructed a new world headquarters just south of Main Street straddling Stone Street. A new Central Library, expanding

23408-547: Was the base of Bond Clothing Stores , Fashion Park Clothes , Hickey Freeman , and Stein-Bloch and Co. The Erie Canal was rerouted south of Rochester by 1918 to allow widening as part of the Barge Canal 's construction. The short-lived Rochester subway was constructed in the abandoned canal bed and operated from 1927 to 1956. The dawn of the 20th century in Rochester saw rapid growth, driven by waves of immigrants arriving from Germany, Italy, Poland, and elsewhere. The city also grew in area, annexing suburban neighborhoods from

23562-436: Was the famous New York Central Bragdon Station in 1966. In the 60s and 70s, Rochester became known as the leading jazz town in upstate New York. Famous jazz musicians would come to Clarissa Street and play all night long moving from club to club. The Pythodd Room had been around for some time but reached its zenith in the late 1960s and 1970s under the ownership of Delores Thomas and her son Stanley Thomas Jr. The Pythodd

23716-557: Was then re-chartered as a city, and Jonathan Child, son-in-law of Col. Rochester, was elected its first mayor. In 1837, the Rochester Orphan Asylum was founded by the Rochester Female Charitable Society. The Asylum was located on South Sophia Street (now South Plymouth Avenue) and later moved to Hubbell Park. After a tragic fire on January 8, 1901, the Asylum was moved to Pinnacle Hill, reconstructed as

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