April 28

April 28, 1834: The City of Rochester is granted it's formal charter, following earlier incorporations of the village of Rochester in 1822 and Rochesterville in 1817. The population in 1834 was 12,252.

 

Sources and Further Reading:

1. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 51
2. Democrat and Chronicle (April 29, 2009)

April 27

April 27, 1933: The Genesee Brewing Comany, recently re-established from the former Genesee Brewery and parts of neighboring Bartholomay brewery, begins beer shipments following the end of Prohibition.  Genesee's Liebotschaner Beer is announced as the best "Post-Repeal Brew".  A victory party is held at the Power's Hotel with over 4000 in attendance.

Sources and Further Reading:

1.  High Falls Brewing: History and Timeline (Archived at: http://web.archive.org/web/20080802220655/http://www.highfalls.com/historyandtimeline.html)
2. Wikipedia: Genesee Brewing Company
3. Rochester History; vol LIV, no. 2, Spring 1992
4. Photo: This vintage sign currently hangs over the bar in Charity's Restaurant, Killington, VT - https://www.charityskillington.com/

April 21

April 21, 1951: The Rochester Royals (who would later move and become the Sacramento Kings) win game 7 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals, beating the New York Knickerbockers.

 

 

Sources and Further Reading

1. Wikipedia: 1951 NBA Finals
2. Wikipeidia: Sacramento Kings

April 19

April 19, 1865: The city joins in the national observance of President Lincoln's funeral with a procession of mourners almost two miles long.

Sources and Further Reading

1. LibraryWeb.org: MANY ROADS TO FREEDOM: ROCHESTER IN APRIL, 1865

April 16

April 16, 1958: The Haloid Company changes its name to Haloid Xerox. Originally formed as a photographic paper company in Rochester in 1906, the Haloid company would acquire license to Chester Carlson's patented electrophotography process in 1947 and launch the first XeroX copier in 1949.

Information Sources and Further Reading

1. Xerox Web Site: Online Fact Book
2. The Xerox Story, "Haloid the Little Company that Went for Broke (part II)", pg 10

April 12

April 12, 1822: The village of Rochester is re-incorporated, dropping the redundant and unpopular "-ville" from the earlier 1817 incorporated name. The village remained limited to the west side of the river, with the population on the east side being part of the town of Brighton. The east side was annexed the following year.

 

Sources and Further Reading:

1. History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 51

April 10

April 10, 1889: The Hahnemann Homeopathic Hospital (today Highland Hospital) opens to the public in a renovated mansion located in the hills overlooking the city.  The Hospital, was founded by a group of local doctors following a recent school of medicine based in the use of natural remedies to stimulate a body's own immune system while shunning invasive traditional methods such as blood letting and mercury dosing and avoiding non-natural opiates such as morphine. The original hospital mansion on Rockingham Street and had only 12 beds, but was expanded in 1910 to a three story building (shown below).

Photo: New Hahnemann Hospital on Rochingham ave. (1910) donated by George Eastman
Sources and Further Reading:

1. "How They Started: Highland Hospital"; Marcotte, Bob; Democrat and Chronicle.com; November 1, 2010
2. "The Legacy of 179 Lake Avenue: A Small Private Hospital's Service to the Community";Dickson, Robert J.; Rochester History; vol 7; issue 1; Fall 2008, pp4-5
3. Retrofitting Rochester: Hahnemann Hospital, Jeff Ludwig, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Feb 20, 2015
4.  New Hahnemann Hospital, Alfred R. Stone Collection (source of image)

April 10, 1962: Rochester's Midtown Plaza officially opens. The plaza was intended to trigger a revitalization of downtown providing an enclosed European-style town square with a 75 degree year round tropical atmosphere. The Plaza officially closed in July 2008.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia: Midtown Plaza (Rochester)
2. Rochester History, vol 69 (2007)

(updated Nov 3, 2010 to include 1889 event)