Rochester Neighborhoods

Authors Parma Historian Shirley Cox Husted and Rochester City Historian Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck offer more than 200 fascinating photographs-some published here for the first time.

Even in its early days, Rochester had multiple neighborhoods, small settlements with names such as Swillburg, Goat Hill and the Butter Bowl. Today, Rochester is a community of 128 neighborhoods, each happily pursuing a local identity while united together with justifiable pride in their role as New York State's third largest city outside of the New York City metropolis. Located in the Genesee River Valley just below Lake Ontario, Rochester is on an old Indian trail that once brought Seneca families here to hunt and fish. The milling industry began here in 1789 and, as it flourished, Rochester became known as the ""Flour City."" By the mid-1800s, the seed industry and the widespread production of flowers, trees, and shrubs had recreated Rochester as the ""Flower City."" Later, thanks to the Eastman Kodak Company and the Xerox Corporation, Rochester became the ""Picture City"" and the ""World's Image Centre."" Rochester was a haven on the Underground Railroad between 1830 and 1860. Always an ethnic city, it became a hotbed for inventors, reformers, educators, and spiritual leaders. Its leaders were independent, sometimes outrageous, outspoken, colorful, and courageous. Many were women-foremost among them was Susan Brownell Anthony.