Rochester

Rochester. An American “Boom Town”. On March 21, 1817, Rochesterville officially became a village of 655 acres and 700 inhabitants. A few months later on July 4, construction began on the Erie Canal - the man-made channel that would soon transform this wilderness settlement into a prosperous city., Key to Rochester's rapid growth were the Genesee River and its industry-powering waterfalls plus a new commercial thoroughfare to lucrative markets in the East -- the Erie Canal. The community doubled its population to 1,502 in 1820, doubled it again in two years, and achieved a count of more than 12,000 people by 1834! This rapid "boom town” growth was still unique in America and gave rise to the nickname, "Young Lion of the West.", Today's Rochester, the third largest metropolitan area in the state, continues to be a major exporting city sending its products around the world. Some companies can even trace their roots to the city's pioneer days!, Photo Caption: The first Erie Canal aqueduct across the river, completed in 1823, was replaced with the larger one pictured here in 1842. This second structure carried boat traffic until 1918, when the canal route was changed to bypass the city. A road deck was built above the canal in the early 1920s and rebuilt in 1973 as seen today. A subway system used the old canal bed between 1925 and 1956. This durable structure still stands as the wide-arched base of the Broad Street Bridge!!