In 19th century America, it was not uncommon for cemeteries to fall victim to the work of men called “resurrectionists”—freelancers who use nefarious means to procure cadavers for the use of medical schools. Because Rochester was situated within a night’s wagon ride of the university medical school at Ann Arbor, its residents were affected by this macabre practice. The Pavilion Hotel and livery stood on the southwest corner of Third & Main. Resurrectionists were arrested here in 1879. … [Read more...]
Milo Prentice Newberry House Listed on National Register
Rochester House is Listed on National Register of Historic Places Michigan’s newest listing in the prestigious National Register of Historic Places is the Milo Prentice Newberry House in Rochester. The 1863 Italianate-Victorian farmhouse on Bloomer Road was listed in the National Register on October 9, after a yearlong process of application and review by state and federal officials. Milo Prentice Newberry was part of one of the Rochester area’s pioneer families. He was born in New York … [Read more...]
Heller’s Has Been Keeping Time for Over Half a Century
The Heller family has been keeping time for Rochester residents for well over half a century in the same Main Street location. In 1961, Ernest and Violet Heller bought an existing jewelry business at 409 S. Main in Rochester, and today their son, George, is the proprietor of Heller’s Jewelry. Ernest Heller was born in Vienna in 1921. When he was 16 years old, his father sent him to the United States to assist his uncle with a business in Detroit. When things didn’t work out as planned with … [Read more...]