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Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The city was estimated to have population of 97,191 as of April 1, 2005, making it Minnesota's third-largest city. It is perhaps best known as the home of the Mayo Clinic. The city has long been a fixture on Money magazine's "Best Places to Live" index, and is ranked number 67 on the 2006 list.*
History Rochester was founded by George Head in 1854•. Originally from Rochester, New York, Head had settled in Waukesha, Wisconsin before moving west to Minnesota. He named his new settlement after his New York hometown. In 1857 Rochester was named the Olmsted County seat. Rochester was a stagecoach stop for travelers who journeyed between Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Dubuque, Iowa. When the railroad came to town in the 1860s, it brought new residents and business opportunities. On August 21, 1883, a tornado demolished much of Rochester, leaving thirty-seven dead and several thousand wounded. There was no medical facility at the time, so Dr. William W. Mayo and his two sons worked together to care for the wounded. $60,000 in donations were collected and the Sisters of St. Francis, assisted by Dr. Mayo, opened a new facility named St. Marys Hospital in 1889.• The Mayo practice grew immensely and today is one of the largest and most well-respected medical facilities in the world. Geography Rochester lies along the South Fork of the Zumbro River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 103.0 km² (39.8 mi²) - 102.6 km² (39.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.35%) is water. Rochester is in Olmsted County, one of only four counties in Minnesota without a natural lake. Artificial 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 migrating giant Canada geese, which have become symbols of 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. Minnesota is in the Central Standard Time (CST -6:00 GMT) zone and central daylight time. Demographics
Commerce and Industry The primary industries in Rochester are medical services, computer design and programming, light manufacturing (mostly computers and electronics), and substantial hotel and restaurant trades serving visitors from around the world. The largest enclosed shopping space in Rochester is Apache Mall. The U.S. Federal Medical Center, Rochester, a health care facility for federal prisoners, is on the campus of the former state hospital at the edge of the city. Transportation Rochester offers a skyway system, subterranean walkways (called the “subway” system), bus, taxi, car rental, and airport shuttles. Subway/Skyway - Rochester has climate controlled skyway and underground walkways known as subways. Downtown businesses, hotels, shops and dining are all accessible without having to step outdoors in the winter. A variety of shops and businesses are also located along the underground subways and skyways. The skyway and subway wheelchair accessibility is useful for patients of the Mayo Clinic. Bus Line - Rochester’s city-owned bus line connects many attractions, hotels, meeting facilities and major industries. Taxi Service - There are two taxi companies in Rochester, Yellow Cab and RTS Airport Express Rochester. Airport - Rochester International Airport is located eight miles south of downtown Rochester and is accessible via Highway 63 or Interstate 90. Taxis and airport shuttles provide service between the airport and the city’s business centers. The airport features two runways and service terminals operated by American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. A large FedEx terminal, small DHL station and general aviation terminal are also on-site. The airport services flights from all over the world connected through American Eagle (American Airlines) and Northwest Airlines. As in most American cities, the primary mode of transportation in Rochester and the surrounding area is the automobile. The city is served by three U.S. highways (U.S. 14, U.S. 52, and U.S. 63), and the southern edge of Rochester is skirted by Interstate 90 and Minnesota State Highway 30. Freight railroad service to and through the city is provided by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad. Government Politics Rochester is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Gil Gutknecht, a conservative Republican, scoring 7% progressive on a range of issues. • Education
Sites of Interest A number of buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the former Chateau Theatre, which now houses a Barnes & Noble Bookstore and Starbucks Cafe. The city has three homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright: the A. H. Bulbulian Residence, the James McBean Residence, and the Thomas Keys Residence. Rochester may also be home to the largest "ear of corn" in the world. Actually a water tower, it is next to the Seneca Foods plant in the city. Many of the tallest buildings in Rochester are owned by Mayo. The Gonda Building is the tallest building owned by the clinic, and it is attached to the cross-shaped Mayo Building. Mayo's Plummer Building is considered to be among the most architecturally significant in the city. The tallest building in Rochester is the newly constructed Broadway Plaza, a residential dwelling catering to the many extended- stay visitors who frequent Mayo. IBM Rochester is a 3.6 million square feet (330,000 m²) structure on a business campus in the northwest part of the city. It was initially designed by noted architect Eero Saarinen. The brick motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota on the wooded hill of Assisi Heights, can be seen from many parts of the city. Sports The ''Med-City Aquatics Swim Club'' is named after the medicine and health centered town itself. The organization was founded in 2000 to offer the Rochester community a new option in learn-to-swim programs, competitive youth swimming, and masters club swimming. Swimmers from Med-City have competed at Division 1 Universities and at state and national competitions. The ''Rochester A’s'' are a part of the American Legion Division I Baseball. In 2003, the A's became only the fourth team from Minnesota to win the National American League World Series in its 77-year history. The ''Rochester Active Sports Club'' is a multi-sport club for enthusiasts of sports such as cycling (MTB and road) and nordic skiing in South East Minnesota. The ''Rochester Giants'' are a semi-professional football team formed in 2003. All games are played on Saturday nights. The ''Rochester Honkers Baseball Club'' is a summer collegiate baseball league. Top college players from the Midwest and across the country participate. Home games are played at Mayo Field. The ''Rochester Ice Hawks'' hockey team made Rochester their home in 2002-2003, moving from nearby Mankato, Minn. The Ice Hawks recruit players locally and nationally. They are a Junior B United States Hockey League team. The ''Rochester Patriots'' is an amateur American Legion baseball team. The Rochester Red Hawks baseball team is another American Legion club. The ''Rochester Rowing Club'' was founded in 1990 to promote the sport of rowing in the Rochester community. Crews from Rochester have won national championships and have traveled across the US, Canada and even to England. Members have been recruited to Iowa, U of M, Wisconsin and Princeton. The ''Rochester Royals'' are an amateur baseball team that has called Mayo Field home since 1924. They won the state tournament in 2006. The ''Rochester Swim Club'' is a private swim club founded over 40 years ago, and is the largest swim team outside of the Twin Cities. Knows as the Orcas, the club has won the Division AAA State Meet for several years. The ''Rochester Track Club'' is an all-ages, all-seasons running club. Parks and Recreation
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Radio FM radio AM radio TV stations Notable Natives and Visitors Actresses Lea Thompson and Sheree J. Wilson were born in Rochester. Frank B. Kellogg, who became U.S. Secretary of State, had a law office in the city in the 19th century. Many famous people from around the world, including former Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan and King Hussein of Jordan, have visited the city to take advantage of the Mayo Clinic's services. Shjon Podein was the first native of Rochester to be part of a major professional sport championship team, when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in the 2001 season. Eric_Strobel was a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic Hockey Team. Supreme Court of the United States Associate Justice Harry Blackmun served as resident counsel for the Mayo Clinic from 1950 to 1959. Climate Below is a list of average high and low temperatures throughout the year in Rochester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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