Dublin Core
Title
Lower Falls of the Genesee, Rochester NY
Description
Five miles downstream from here, the Genesee River empties into Lake Ontario at Charlotte, and the base of the falls has been a major spawning ground for salmon and lake trout until non-native fish like the alewife reduced their numbers. The fisherman Seth Green ran a large commercial operation nearby in the lower gorge; ironically, his success also contributed to declining stocks and led to his experiments in pisciculture and eventually a fish hatchery located in Caledonia, NY.
At the time of this photograph, an extensive engineering project recently had constructed Rochester Gas & Electric's Hydro Station #15--a portion of which is shown at left--and transformed the falls themselves. An 80-foot long concrete facing raised the falls to a height of 96 feet and created an intake dam 17 feet in depth. The building at right is a remaining part of the settlement called McCrackenville, chartered in 1821 and best known as an industrial site: flour and paper milling, carpet-making, furniture manufacture, a tannery. In 1850 the city of Rochester annexed the land as part of its plans for residential development along Lake Avenue; eventually it was remade as Lower Falls Park, from which visitors have a spectacular view of the gorge.
At the time of this photograph, an extensive engineering project recently had constructed Rochester Gas & Electric's Hydro Station #15--a portion of which is shown at left--and transformed the falls themselves. An 80-foot long concrete facing raised the falls to a height of 96 feet and created an intake dam 17 feet in depth. The building at right is a remaining part of the settlement called McCrackenville, chartered in 1821 and best known as an industrial site: flour and paper milling, carpet-making, furniture manufacture, a tannery. In 1850 the city of Rochester annexed the land as part of its plans for residential development along Lake Avenue; eventually it was remade as Lower Falls Park, from which visitors have a spectacular view of the gorge.
Publisher
Scrantom Wetmore & Co., Publishers
Date
1905-1910
Contributor
Cooper, Ken
Source
Courtesy of Ken Cooper
Format
jpeg, 663 KB
jpeg, 331 KB
jpeg, 331 KB
Type
Postcard
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Postcard
Physical Dimensions
3.5 x 5