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Rochester, New York

"The Flour City"
Once home to Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch + Lomb, Rochester was an innovation powerhouse now reinventing itself after corporate decline.
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Founded 1803 | Population 205,477 | Peak 332,488 (1950) | County Monroe County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Rochester, New York

1
1888Eastman Kodak Founded: George Eastman founded the company that dominated global photography for over a century. At its peak, Kodak employed 60,000 people in Rochester alone.
2
1823Erie Canal Arrives: The canal reached Rochester and massive flour mills along the Genesee River made it the nation's largest flour producer — earning the nickname 'Flour City.'.
3
1847Frederick Douglass Settles Here: Escaped slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass made Rochester his home and published The North Star, making the city a center of anti-slavery activism.
4
1872Susan B. Anthony Votes: Rochester resident Susan B. Anthony illegally voted in the presidential election and was arrested, in one of the most famous acts of civil disobedience for women's suffrage.
5
1906Haloid Company (Xerox) Founded: The company that became Xerox was founded in Rochester, eventually revolutionizing offices worldwide with xerographic copying.
6
1853Bausch + Lomb Founded: German immigrants founded their optical company, growing it into a global leader in eye care and optics.
7
1964Rochester Race Riots: Three days of racial unrest resulted in 4 deaths and 350+ injuries, reflecting tensions over housing segregation and employment discrimination.
8
1975Kodak Invents Digital Camera: Kodak engineer Steve Sasson built the first digital camera. Kodak failed to commercialize the technology, ultimately leading to its own demise.
9
2012Kodak Bankruptcy: Kodak filed for Chapter 11, unable to compete in the digital era. Rochester lost its largest private employer and tens of thousands of jobs.
10
2023University-Led Revival: The economy pivoted around the University of Rochester, RIT, and a growing optics and photonics cluster.
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Population Over Time

0 83,122 166,244 249,366 332,488 1830 1850 1880 1900 1920 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

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Complete Historical Timeline

1803 Government
Settlement at Genesee River falls
1823 Industry
Erie Canal arrives; flour milling booms
1834 Government
City incorporated
1847 Civil Rights
Douglass publishes The North Star
1853 Business
Bausch + Lomb founded
1872 Civil Rights
Susan B. Anthony arrested for voting
1888 Business
Eastman Kodak founded
1906 Business
Haloid (Xerox) founded
1918 Culture
Eastman School of Music established
1950 Government
Population peaks at 332,000
1964 Civil Rights
Race riots
1975 Science
Kodak invents digital camera
2000 Business
Corporate downsizing begins
2012 Business
Kodak files bankruptcy
2023 Business
Optics/university-led revival

Did You Know?

1
Kodak engineer Steve Sasson built the first digital camera in 1975 — but Kodak executives buried the invention, fearing it would cannibalize film sales. The company went bankrupt in 2012.
2
Both Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony are buried in Rochester's Mount Hope Cemetery, just yards apart.
3
Rochester is known as the 'World Capital of Imaging' — its optics and photonics industry generates over $3 billion annually.

Famous People from Rochester, New York

JL
John Lithgow
Actor, Poet · Born Oct 19, 1945 · Age 80
RL
Ryan Lochte
Swimmer · Born Aug 3, 1984 · Age 41
RF
Robert Forster
Actor, Film Director · Born Jul 13, 1941 · Died Oct 11, 2019 (age 78)
C
Chyna
Actor, Pornographic Actor · Born Dec 27, 1969 · Died Apr 17, 2016 (age 46)
AW
Abby Wambach
Association Football Coach, Association Football Player · Born Jun 2, 1980 · Age 45
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