About Rochester
Rochester itself was founded by George Head in 1854 who was originally from Rochester, NY. His land claim is now part of the city's business district. e named the village on the South Fork of the Zumbro River after his New York hometown, and built a log cabin his family operated as Head's Tavern. By 1856, the population had grown to 50; and by 1858, it was 1,500. The territorial legislature created Olmsted County on February 20, 1855, with Rochester named county seat in 1857. Rochester developed as a stagecoach stop between St Paul, MN and Dubuque, IA. When the railroad arrived in the 1860s, it brought new residents and business opportunities. In 1863, Dr. William W. Mayo arrived as the examining surgeon for draftees in the Civil War.
On August 21, 1883, the large tornado demolished much of Rochester, leaving 37 dead and about 200 injured. There was no medical facility at the time, so Mayo and his two sons worked together to care for the wounded. Donations of $60,000 were collected and the Sisters of St. Francis, assisted by Mayo, opened a new facility named St. Marys Hospital in 1889.
Rochester lies along the South Fork of the Zumbro River and is in Olmsted County. 4 Artifical lakes exist in the area, including Silver Lake, a dammed portion of the South Fork Zumbro River just below the convergence with Silver Creek near the city center. The lake was used as a cooling pond for the nearby electrical power plant for many years, although the amount of water used for this purpose has been significantly reduced. Heated water in the lake generally prevents it from freezing over even during Minnesota winters, attracting migrant Canada geese, which have become symbols of the city.
Rochester is also known for the expansive walking and biking trails that are throughout and around the city.
A major flood in 1978 led the city to embark on an expensive flood-control project that involved altering many nearby rivers and streams.
As of the 2005–2007 the US Census Bureau conducted a census and there was 101,969 people living in Rochester. Olmsted county is known for a melting pot of many different nationalities which makes it a very intersting place to live.
Rochester is located only 80 miles from the famous Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and the Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport. Rochester also boasts of its own International Airport.