A Brief History of East Rochester, New York

A Brief History of East Rochester

East Rochester was originally called Despatch because of its proximity to the railroad. The word came from the name of the first major company to locate here, the Merchants Despatch Transportation Company, most often referred to as the Carshops.

Walter Parce, a native of Fairport, was instrumental in the founding of the Village. From 1893 to 1896, he purchased options on all the lands that were later to become "DESPATCH" and held them until he enticed the above company to locate its large plant here. He also founded the Vanderbilt Improvement Company to administer the sale and development of lots that were carved out of these farmlands.

About the East Rochester Local History Room

Collecting and preserving the history of East Rochester

In the late 1950s, Lucille Saunders, the East Rochester Village Historian, had visions of collecting and preserving local history information and artifacts. The Village was only 60 years old with many early settlers still living in town. The year 1947 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Village. Material had been researched and collected for the event and later it became the start of the Local History Department.

A Message about Donating to Our Collection

The East Rochester Local History Department has over 5,000 pieces of memorabilia relating to the Town/Village. Some consider our archives "East Rochester's Attic." That description is far from accurate. While it is true that for over 40 years, we have been quietly collecting all things "East Rochester," our collections are not reminiscent of a dusty basement.

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Brief History