Rochester's Most Timeless Love Story

In honor of Valentine's Day this week, we're re-telling the romantic tale of two of Rochester's most famous settlers.

In 1920s, Rochester Ski Jump Brought World Renowned Athletes to 'Newberry Hill'

Have you heard the story of the Rochester Ski Jump?

Around Town

The Meeting House, Uncovered: Downtown Restaurant a Work in Progress

There's more downtown Rochester history to be uncovered; this time, it's inside the former Mind Body & Spirits.

It's surprising what you can find when you do a little digging.  While all sorts of historical finds — from trolley tracks to human bones — have been made up and down Main Street during this summer's makeover, history has also been uncovered at the corner of Main and Third. When Jason Mood and Chris Johnson, owners of The Meeting House, looked to improve the facade of their new restaurant they found a lot of rotten wood. Not exactly what they were hoping for.  But underneath the decayed facing, they liked what they found.  The building at the corner of Third and Main was originally a dry goods store built in 1888 by B.A. Horvitz. Most recently, it was the organic-and-local-foods hub called Mind Body & Spirits. Now, it's transforming into …

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A Patch of History

What Will Happen to Prehistoric Human Bones Found Under Rochester?

While the remains discovered under Main Street remain in the state's care, history sheds light on where they came from, and the director of a Native American service group explains what should happen next.

Rochester’s Main Street redevelopment has something in common with similar projects under way across the country: workers and on-site archaeologists discovering prehistoric human remains. In early August, construction workers operating a backhoe in downtown Rochester at the intersection of Third and Main streets hit bone buried just a few feet deep in the ground — hidden for decades under asphalt and concrete. It’s a story playing out across the country as redevelopment projects and road construction fill the season with orange cones and traffic back-ups. In June, road workers reconstructing the main thoroughfare through downtown Oak Harbor, Washington, struck a burial site with Native American remains. In July, the Texas Department of …

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Kate Wolos

12:06 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Here here!   more ›

Century-Old Streetcar Tracks Uncovered Below Rochester's Main Street

The tracks were part of the Detroit United Railway, and what is now downtown Rochester was a trolley car hub 'back in the heyday.'

Historians in Rochester knew it was likely. And this week, their predictions were confirmed. Workers on the Main Street Makeover in downtown Rochester uncovered on Thursday what still remains of the Detroit United Railway tracks in Rochester. The tracks were found north of University Drive near the Rochester Medical Center and Paint Creek bridge.  Rochester City Manager Jaymes Vettraino promised at the start of the Main Street Makeover in the spring that history would be uncovered. In fact, local historians were pretty sure the tracks still existed.  According to Deborah Larsen, a member of the Rochester Avon Historical Society and author of Home Town Rochester, the tracks uncovered this week were laid in 1899. The DUR rail line stretched …

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Kristin Bull

8:39 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012

That is such a special story, Beth ... apple-picking via trolley train!   more ›

Video of the Week: Preview Hints at Historical Society's 'Stories in the Stones'

In September, the society will host a living history walk through a local cemetery. Here's a glimpse at what you'll see.

You never know where you'll discover history. Maybe you'll find it while wandering through a local cemetery, in fact. Next month, the Rochester Avon Historical Society will present "Stories in the Stones," a living history walk through Mount Avon Cemetery. Details will be released shortly by the Society; follow their Facebook page for updates. For now, enjoy this video preview.

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Rochester's Biggest-Ever Group Hug? It's Planned Friday at Meadow Brook

The National Historic Landmark will open its grounds for a free picnic before inviting the community to 'Hug the Hall.'

There's no better way to celebrate good news than an old-fashioned group hug. That's the plan Friday afternoon at Meadow Brook Hall on the campus of Oakland University, when the National Historic Landmark opens its grounds to celebrate its recent designation. The "Hug the Hall" event will feature a picnic lunch, free tours, music and a scavenger hunt. The event will end with a celebratory balloon release and a group hug that will surround the actual building itself. Meadow Brook Hall was designated in the spring by the U.S. Department of Interior as one of 13 new National Historic Landmarks. There are fewer than 2,500 such properties in the country and 36 such landmarks in Michigan, including the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, the Fox …

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Awards Show Off Historic Preservation in Rochester Hills

Pat McKay accepts award for improvements to Stoney Creek Schoolhouse; Debbie Remer receives award for work on 20-year dig.

A historian and a historic building were honored recently as symbols of preserving history in the community. The Earl Borden Awards for historic preservation, named after the first mayor of Rochester Hills, were presented by the Historic Districts Commission during a recent Rochester Hills City Council meeting. Pat McKay, director of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, accepted a Historic Preservation Award for improvements, completed under his leadership, to the Stoney Creek Schoolhouse, an 1848 one-room schoolhouse owned by the museum.  Debbie Remer, a museum volunteer and supporter, accepted the Preservation Leadership Award for her work on a massive archaeological dig on the grounds of Van Hoosen Farm. The project, which …

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You Don't Have To Leave Rochester to Explore Newest U.S. 'Landmark'

Meadow Brook Hall receives a National Historic Landmark designation.

The Rochester area is immersed in history. This week, that history lesson went national. Meadow Brook Hall on the campus of Oakland University was designated this week by the U.S. Department of Interior as one of 13 new National Historic Landmarks. There are fewer than 2,500 such properties in the country and 36 such landmarks in Michigan, including the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, the Fox Theater in Detroit and Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills. This is the first National Historic Landmark in Rochester. Chances are, you have a photo or two posing inside or in front of the town's landmark. We want to show off your photos of Meadow Brook Hall, so upload them here for all of Patch to see. A National Historic Landmark is defined by the …

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Rochester Symphony, a 'Cultural Jewel,' Entertains for 50 Years

One of three Rochester institutions commemorating five decades this year.

In the midst of the growth and changes Rochester was experiencing in 1961, three Rochester institutions were formed: the Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library, the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and McGregor Elementary School. Each of these organizations was established by residents who saw opportunities to improve the quality of life through education, culture and the arts. This is the third installment in a series about these institutions and their 50 years of promoting literacy, the arts and education. On Monday we wrote about the Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library. On Wednesday we wrote about McGregor Elementary School. This year the Rochester Symphony Orchestra celebrates 50 years of not only making beautiful music, …

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