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...]
Historic Cemetery Stroll in the Heart of Downtown Rochester
May 27, 2021 by Leave a Comment
The Rochester Hills Museum presents a Mount Avon Cemetery Tour Tuesday, June 22, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. $10 per person ($8 for museum members), advance registration only. UPDATE: Second date added for July 20, registration required. Platted in 1826, this land embraces the souls of settlers. Find gravestones for the community’s earliest leaders, soldiers, poets, and philanthropists. The tour will examine the artwork of headstones and divulge the forgotten lives and stories of the past. Meet … [Read more...]
Harry S. Tripp, One of Rochester’s Fallen Heroes, is Remembered
May 24, 2021 by 7 Comments
In Mount Avon Cemetery, an easily overlooked marker is tucked in front of the graves of Gold Star parents Harry and Fael Tripp. The small tablet memorializes the sacrifice of the Tripps’ son and Rochester native, Harry S. Tripp, whose remains lie in an American battlefield cemetery near Liege, Belgium. A small sign nestled in front of the gravestone of Harry and Fael Tripp at Mount Avon Cemetery memorializes the service and sacrifice of their son, Harry, in World War II. Harry and Fael … [Read more...]
Rochester Municipal Park Has Been the Place to Play for 85 Years
August 28, 2020 by 22 Comments
The Avon Park dam formed a popular swimming hole. The dam and bridge were dismantled in the 1980s. (From the Archives of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm) Eighty-five years ago this summer, Rochester residents dedicated a new recreation spot on Paint Creek. Built on the site of a bankrupt dairy farm and a long-abandoned millrace, Avon Park—now Rochester Municipal Park—quickly became a favorite place for area residents to swim, picnic, and play. The property on which Rochester … [Read more...]
The Story of Homer Wing
May 24, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Last November, the nation observed the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, or November 11, 1918 - the date when hostilities ceased on the battlefields of World War I. The armistice was welcome news for American families whose sons, fathers, brothers and husbands in uniform were serving in harm’s way. At railroad stations in towns across the country, people gathered to embrace the returning vets. In Rochester, Michigan, it was a different story, at least for one family. Private First … [Read more...]
Christmas 1942 in Rochester, Remembering the Fight and Loss of the War
December 19, 2017 by 1 Comment
Virginia MacLeod and Christmas 1942 in Rochester Seventy-five years ago, Rochester’s Christmas season was a memorable one – for a tragic reason. The end of the first year of the Second World War brought with it rationing restrictions, worries about absent loved ones, and the shock of a wartime-related death that happened not overseas, but right here at home. There were no big, bright holiday lights on Rochester’s Main Street in December 1942. The news from the fighting fronts was … [Read more...]
Rochester Summer Roadway Maintenance
May 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Water is the most destructive element to our pavements and a good preventive maintenance program always includes crack sealing. We need to prevent water intrusion into our pavements and slow the deterioration as much as possible to extend our pavement’s life. The City of Rochester has hired an expert contractor to seal the joints and cracks in some of our streets this summer. This process entails routering the crack, blowing out dirt and debris with compressed air, and then injecting a hot … [Read more...]
