User:Rochesterhistory

Rochester, New York has the distinction of being America’s First Boomtown as it experienced a very rapid population growth after the completion of the Erie Canal. This was due to the fact the the canal created an ideal climate for business by lowering the cost of transportation of goods by a factor of 10. Thanks to Col. Nathaniel Rochester and his political connections the Erie canal was routed through the heart of downtown Rochester. This gave Rochester a very convenient and economical transportation system. As a result many businesses decided to locate in Rochester and they required many employees to work in those businesses. Rochester's population skyrocketed in the years following the completion of the canal in 1825. Here are the actual population numbers:

Rochester's Population Explosion 1818 - 1049 Erie canal construction in progress 1822 - 2502 1825 - 5273 Erie Canal completed 1828 - 9207 1830 - 10,830*


 * Over 10 fold increase from 1818-1830;

Rochester’s growth in the first five years (1812-1817) was not unusual for a frontier town but its tenfold increase in the next ten years was unprecedented.

References:Rochester city historian Dr. Blake McKelvey in his book Rochester on the Genesee. Local Rochester historian Warren Kling in his book America's First Boomtown- Rochester, NY, p.43