Editing Rochester, Vermont (section)

==History==

Rochester was granted in 1780, chartered in 1781 to Dudley Chase, Asa Whitcomb and 63 others, then organized in 1788. It was first settled in the winter of 1781–1782 by David Currier and his family.<ref name="books.google.com">[https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA885 Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, ''A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859]</ref> Rochester's boundaries expanded through annexation of part of [[Pittsfield, Vermont|Pittsfield]] town in 1806, annexation of an additional area from Pittsfield town plus a part of [[Braintree, Vermont|Braintree]] town in 1824, a part of [[Hancock, Vermont|Hancock]] town in 1834, and finally an annexation of part of [[Goshen, Vermont|Goshen]] town in 1847.<ref>[https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/224860/se-132.pdf Vermont Secretary of State, State Papers of Vermont, Volume 1: Index to the Papers of the Surveyors-General (page 124)]</ref>

The surface of the town is mountainous and broken, but the intervales along the [[White River (Vermont)|White River]] provided good [[alluvial plain|farmland]]. There were sites supplying [[water power]] for [[watermill|mills]]. By 1859, when the population was 1,493, industries included one [[gristmill]], several [[sawmill]]s, one tub factory, and a variety of mechanic shops.<ref name="books.google.com"/> The [[White River Railroad (Vermont)|White River Railroad]] from [[Bethel, Vermont|Bethel]] opened to Rochester in 1900, but was abandoned in 1933 during the [[Great Depression]].

Rochester was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by [[Hurricane Irene]] in 2011.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/us/31floods.html Floodwaters From Storm Isolate 13 Vermont Towns], ''The New York Times''</ref>

In 2018, Rochester High School and Middle School closed due to Act 46. The school had been in Rochester since 1886 and the current building had been used since 1974.
<gallery>
Image:Main Street, Rochester, VT.jpg|Main Street in 1912
Image:Pierce Residence, Rochester, VT.jpg|Pierce residence {{circa|1915}}
Image:View of Rochester, VT.jpg|Street scene {{circa|1915}}
Image:PostcardBirdsEyeViewRochesterVTCirca1900to1910.jpg|The village, early 1900s
</gallery>