Rochester

City and deepwater port in New York State, USA, on the Genesee River, linked to the north with Lake Ontario; population (2000) 219,800. Situated in a major fruit-growing area, it is a processing and distribution point, and notably a manufacturing centre for photographic equipment, and optical and other precision instruments. It was the birthplace of the Xerox copier, and the world headquarters of the Eastman Kodak Company are here. Other industries include horticulture, engineering, printing, and the production of clothing, plastics, and metal goods.

Rochester was settled in 1812. Incorporated as a city in 1834, its growth was spurred by the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, and its location by the falls on the Genesee River, which powered the city's flour-mills. During the mid-19th century, Rochester was a focus for abolitionism and women's rights; Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglass lived here.

Facilities for higher education include the University of Rochester (1850), located in the suburbs; the Eastman School of Music and Theatre; the Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1817); and the Rochester Institute of Technology (1829). The International Museum of Photography is at the George Eastman House, and commemorates his pioneer work in photography; the inventor developed the world's first dry-plate factory in Rochester in 1880.

Rochester was one of the first American cities to tackle the problem of city-centre parking facilities and shopping outlets successfully. It has also developed an extensive system of urban freeways, part of which utilizes the original course of the Erie Canal, which had already been diverted to pass round the southern edge of the city.

The city is the site of the annual Lilac Festival, which can be traced back to 1898. 500,000 people come to it each year.

Rochester

City and administrative headquarters of Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA, 112 km/70 mi southeast of St Paul; population (2000) 85,500. A notable medical research and treatment centre, it is the home of the University of Minnesota medical school, the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; numerous other hospitals also are located in the city. The Mayo Clinic was part of a medical foundation of 1889. Rochester has diverse manufacturing, including the production of computers, tractor cabs, phonographs, and medical supplies and instruments. Vegetables grown in the area are canned here and dairy products are processed. The Rochester Community College (1915) is in the city.

The community was settled in 1854 and named after Rochester, New York.