by Taylor Divico

Created on: July 26, 2009

Names surely hold a key to the past! The nickname, "Flour City" uncovers the historical significance of the grain that made Rochester the number one producer of flour in the world during the 1830's. Combined with the transport system of the Erie Canal, the production of flour boosted the economy and created and industrial center in Rochester, NY dubbing it the very first, "boom town" in the country.

THE OLD WEST:
The one-hundred acres of land in western New York that is now downtown Rochester passed through many hands before being settled as "Rochesterville" by Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, who gained possession of the desolate wilderness land in 1803. The scarcely populated region grew during the 1820's, when the Erie Canal Aqueduct was built over the Genesee River, as part of the NY Erie Canal System. Between the years of 1817 and 1830, Rochester's population grew from seven-hundred residents to over nine-thousand, earning it the title: "Young Lion of the West."

MILLING ON THE ERIE CANAL:
The Erie Canal provided shipping access to the Great Lake Region, Atlantic Ocean, and to the major ports of New York City and Albany, making Rochester a prime location for industrial growth. With eastward access to the Hudson River opening in 1823, Rochester capitalized on sustaining the city's economy immediately, exporting forty-thousand barrels of flour within the first ten days, and growing to produce over 400,000 barrels of flour annually by 1834. Hence, the appropriate nickname, "Flour City," came to describe the thriving frontier town of twenty flour mills all powered by the waterfalls of the Genesee River.

FLOUR: THE GATEWAY PRODUCT:
With flour production at a high, Rochester gained wealth, infamy, and more industry as the fastest growing city in America. Upon westward expansion of the Great Plains, flour production in Rochester declined, however the city had already made a name for itself and thus continued to thrive. Bausch & Lomb, Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Gleason Works, General Motors, and Taylor Instruments were amongst the companies to sustain employment and increase industrial production within the city from the mid-eighteen hundreds into the twenty-first century.

Although Rochester gained the nickname, "Flower City" for its abundance of gardens and as a tribute to the annual Lilac Festival, the former nickname, "Flour City" authenticates Rochester's true origin as an industrial city. Flour production was responsible for sculpting the economy of a once forested and unpopulated region allowing for rapid growth along the Erie Canal. It is safe to say....a little flour can go a long way!

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