Rochester – A Kodak Moment

“Why Rochester?” The border guard asked us clearly incredulous with our choice of destination.

That’s a damn good question if you ask me, one that sounded a little ridiculous if I thought about it too hard. I wanted to see a city that was once a leader in science and industry, that much is true, but it was deeper than that. I have a weakness… I’m a sucker for lost causes, underdogs and places passed on by time, looking for their day in the sun again and Rochester is exactly that. This is an underdog that is well worth exploring.

Table of Contents

• A Brief History:
• A Nighttime Arrival (Nightlife Pt.1):
• A University Town:
• The Mount Hope Cemetery:
• Germans, High Falls, Kodak and Good Beers:
• The Wonderful Mr. Eastman:
• More Nightlife:
• Conclusion:

A Brief History:

Much like the rest of upstate New York, Rochester has seen better times. People forget that this once was a thriving city, where international success stories like Kodak, Western Union and Xerox were started. If you have seen Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”, the city is the preferred site for Sam’s plastics factory before George convinces him to build it in the fictional Bedford Falls instead (this Bedford Falls is actually the nearby Saranac Falls if you wish to visit it). Rochester was at that time the bustling metropolis of upstate New York, a place where opportunities and fortunes were created.

An industrial powerhouse, Rochester started as a boom town on the Genesee River valley, its three cataracts perfectly suited to be converted to mill power. Built by a certain Nathaniel Rochester on Iroquois territory after their defeat in the revolutionary war, the city was well positioned to take advantage of its geography. In 1823 the Erie canal was built over the Genesee River and with its abundant mills the city took on the moniker “Flour City”, the largest flour producing city in the USA.

After the civil war the city saw an influx of immigrants, including many Germans. One in particular stands out George Eastman, the founder of the Eastman Kodak company. He is responsive for the invention of photographic film but more on that later. In 1927 the Rochester subway was inaugurated, it was the smallest city to have an underground rail system of this kind but it was not to last. Like many American cities industry restructured and the city fell into a slow decline, its population dropping by a third. The subway, symbol of the city’s pride, fell into disrepair, stations were demolished and parts of the tunnel have been filled in waiting to be resurrected.

Something that is often ignored is the depth of social history present here. Long before Martin Luther gave his famous addresses that earned him recognition worldwide, was a man just as dedicated to the cause of freedom, Frederick Douglass. An escaped slave, staunch abolitionist and statesman he would settle in Rochester. In 1847 he founded The North Star, a famous abolitionist publication in the city. Another big name that lived and produced their life’s work here is Susan B Anthony a suffragette icon.

A Nighttime Arrival (Nightlife Pt.1):

We arrived in town latter than I had anticipated. I had driven down with a friend and the plan was to stay a weekend and possibly stop by to see people he had met travelling. We dropped our things out at our hotel downtown and wandered off to find a quick bite to eat.

The streets of downtown were deserted and it was rather eerie, more so after being followed around by a mentally ill man, who at one point ran after us. He left us alone after we rejoined a livelier street. After demolishing a pizza we decided that we would find a bar. Most of the nightlife in the city happens in the east end, on East Ave of course. There we found the place for me, Murphy’s Law, an Irish pub with a great name (Yes! All it takes to lure me into a bar is a great name).

A University Town:

After getting up in the morning we drove over to our first stop, the University of Rochester. The campus is by the river far outside the downtown. Lining the drive were ugly new buildings with checkered white blue and yellow squares as well as ugly town homes in a similar design.

The University, established in 1850, is known for its medical and music programs. George Eastman was a major patron of the institution. Today, the music program bears his name. Furthermore, though a grant from the Eastman-Kodak foundation the university established The Institute of Optics, the program currently graduates half the degrees in this field nationwide. Industry may have left upstate New York but many cities like Buffalo and Rochester hope that the education capital left over could fuel a revival.

We found parking near the Main Hall, besides the baby lab and walked though the University. I had hoped to get up to the top of the cupola but found the entrance up to it under lock. Undeterred I tried to find a second way in with no luck. Since school was out of session for (American) thanksgiving the campus was empty, making it feel like we were intruding on a forbidden place full of empty cubicles and deserted public places. While exploring the building we stumbled across the Rush Rhees Library, one of the prettiest university libraries in the continental US.

While walking around we were stopped by a student asking if we wanted to see a research film. We accepted, but did not stay for the whole thing as we had plenty more of the city to see

The Mount Hope Cemetery:

Founded in 1938 as the first municipal cemetery in the United States, Mount Hope Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cemetery contains a mix of neoclassic and High Victorian Gothic architecture in its tombs, crypts and gates. Buried here are famous Rochesterians such as Nathaniel Rochester, Susan B. Anthony, John Snell and most importantly Frederick Douglass. His tomb was simple and modest, almost too simple a grave for an American hero. His name may not be as known as that of more modern civil rights activists but his legacy is perhaps more important.

A good summary of his life’s work can be found here. It should be noted that his legacy is enduring and that he deserve a more prominent position in the realm of public discussion.

My friend was perplexed as to why I was so interested in this cemetery, but after spending time walking around with me I think he got how comical walking around a cemetery can be. Take a gravestone marked Philander Davis for example, it reads “his wives” – Think of all the philandering jokes you can make with that.

After getting a copy of the map from the front office we noticed a marker for “John Snell Heroic Railway Engineer”. Nothing more was included in the description, it is funny now but in the days before internet must have been torturous. I had heard the name before, probably from a crossword, so we googled him of course. As the engineer on a train from Albany to Rochester he managed to keep the train on the tracks after an accident, giving the passengers time to escape, he died shortly after when the train leapt off the tracks. His grave reads:

“He generously sacrificed his own life for the preservation of those under his charge” and that it was “erected by his fellow engineers…not only as a monument of their respect for his magnanimity as a man but also as a tribute of their esteem for him as a companion and friend”

As an engineer, it is a very touching description of public service, duty and diligence. Due to the winter snow it was difficult to navigate the gravestones and it took us a solid 40 minutes to find it. But well worth it!

Germans, High Falls, Kodak and Good Beers:

Next stop was the Genesee river gorge, heartland of industrial Rochester. Here you can find the high falls, low falls and if you continue along the Genesee river pathway you can see beautiful natural vistas. On the east side of the river you have a brewery and on the west you have the Kodak building, the Rochester Red wings baseball stadium along with a slew of beautiful old industrial building. Linking them is an old metal bridge with a great view of High Falls. This area was home to much of Rochester’s early development where flour mills were king. Today the gorge has returned to a more natural setting, one where the buildings by the bottom of the gorge have long been demolished replaced by vegetation lining the escarpment.

Famished, we quickly crossed the bridge to the brewery. Opening its operation in Rochester in 1878, the brewery carried on the long tradition of German brewing that started here at the turn of the century. At that time 50 breweries operated out of Rochester. Serving traditional German dishes, the food here was excellent and so was the beer. The building is part of the original brewing campus and overlooks High Falls.

The brewery was lively, with many patrons. After being seated, we ordered two sausage platters served with sauerkraut and Honey Ginger Beets. We ordered a flight of their pilot beers and I was surprised with just how good it was. The salted caramel chocolate porter and scotch ale in particular appealed to me. I was very impressed with the brewery and would recommend it to anyone passing though.

The Wonderful Mr. Eastman:

After our late lunch/early dinner we made our way to the Eastman Estate, former home of George Eastman and is now a photography museum, the oldest in the world. Located in the suburban east end of town, on East Avenue, the area is quite the contrast with the rest of the city. It is well kept and is obviously wealthier than the downtown. Opened to the public in 1947, the museum serves as a leader in film conservation with a large public archive and the 500 seat Dryden Theater. Playing while we were there was Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the 1987 classic staring John Candy and Steve Martin.

Mr. Eastman had donated his estate to the University of Rochester when he died. Eventually the building was transformed into the institution we see here today. The inside of the mansion partition has been restored and still retains the charm and warmth of the Eastman years.

More Nightlife:

The nightlife in Rochester is strong for a city of its size, after our stint at the museum we returned to our hotel to relax before going out. By the pint sized, Half Pint pub, we found a bottle of Old Plantation Rum. Back at the hotel we drank ourselves silly and we were met there by a friend. We then all went out to a classy wine bar located in an old industrial building called Good Luck before heading to another bar named Lux Lounge. This bar located in South Wedge, an up an coming nightlife and dining area. This is a kick ass dive bar and house a more alternative scene. The inside is a bit run down, as a dive should be, while the outside has a fire pit – useful as this was a cold Rochester night. I would recommend both of these bars for much different reasons!

Conclusion:

Would I go back to Rochester? My friend says no but I’m not so sure that I will stay away. The city may have seen better times but I think High falls and the Genesee valley would be beautiful in the fall. Maybe I can go back to the brewery and hit a AAA Baseball game. I think that would be nice. Hopefully by the time I come back, jobs have come returned, the downtown will have been revitalized and that I get a little sunshine. I wouldn’t count on it but who knows, one thing I know is that this place deserves better.