Rochester, New York, USA
1906

Rochester, a city, capital of Monroe co., N.Y., is situated on both sides of the Genesee River, 7 miles above its mouth in Lake Ontario (where is Charlotte, its lake-port) and 70 miles ENE. of Buffalo, on the New York Central and Hudson River, the Erie, the Lehigh Valley, the Penn sylvania and other railroads. Lat. 43 8' N. ; Lon. 77° 51' W. The city is divided into almost equal parts by the Genesee, which here descends 260 feet within 3 miles and has perpendicular falls of 96, 26, and 84 feet respectively. The first of these is located in the heart of the city and affords immense water-power. Rochester covers an area of about 19 sq. m. and lies in heights generally not more than 250-300 feet above lake-level. The city is regularly laid out and shows beautiful prospects in its well-shaded streets and boulevards. It has large areas of parks and gardens, Genesee Valley and Seneca parks being particularly noted for their picturesque beauty. The river is spanned by numerous bridges. Main Street is the virtual geographic centre of the city and crosses the river over a handsome substantial bridge, on both sides of which are erected large business blocks. Another remarkable bridge structure is the aqueduct (848 feet long and 45 feet wide), by which the Erie Canal crosses the Genesee River. Among the more notable public buildings of the city'are the court-house, city-hall, state arsenal, chamber of commerce, state industrial school, state hospital for the insane, and the Western New York Institution for Deaf Mutes. The leading educational institutions are the University of Rochester (Baptist), opened in 1850, which has extensive geological and mineralogical cabinets, Rochester Theological Seminary, Mechanics' Institute, Wagner Memorial College, and the Reynolds and other libraries. Rochester has extensive and varied industries, the more conspicuous manufactures being those of clothing, boots and shoes, cigars, machine-shop products, furniture, agricultural implements, wagons and carriages, malted liquors, flour, and photographic appliances and optical goods. The breweries, flouring-mills, and establishments for the manufacture of optical goods and photographers' supplies are particularly noteworthy. Rochester is also a leading city in the nursery business of the United States and has an immense trade in garden-seeds, fruits, plants, and trees. The first settler came to the site of Rochester as early as 1788, but the settlement did not actually begin until 1810. In 1817 the village of Rochesterville was incorporated. Five years later the name was changed to Rochester. The place was incorporated as the city of Rochester in 1834, since which time it has steadily prospered and grown in population, wealth, and importance. Pop. in 1815, 331 ; in 1820, 1502 ; in 1830, 9207 ; in 1840, 20,191 ; in 1850, 36,403 ; in 1860, 48,204; in 1870, 62,388 ; in 1875, 81,813; in 1880, 89,366 ; in 1890, 133,896; in 1900, 162,608.

Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906

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