8th Week, Aug 5-7

The George Eastman House, now a museum. George Eastman 1854-1932. He had two older sisters and when he was 8 his father died. His mother struggled to pay the bills, so at age 14 (1868)quit school and started working as a messenger for and insurance co. to help his mother. At age 20 was a bank teller. Being exposed to investing he got into real state. This lead him to getting into photography. Taking pictures to promote his real state. It was an arduous task. Glass had to be coated with a liquid emulation, then expose the glass to the image while it was still wet. He started experimenting in his mothers kitchen with chemical's trying to invent a dry glass plate. In 1880 the his dry plate was patented and he went into business. He hadn't invented photography. Still arduous. continued to experiment and in 1884
patented a photo emulsion coated paper that lead to his first camera. The Kodak in 1888, age of 34. He sold 100 of them at $25.00. It took 100 pictures. Just point and shoot. You had to send the camera back to them from processing, $10.00. In 1900 he came out with the Brownie that sold for $1.00. And the rest is history. He retired at 70. He love hunting in Africa, and music. He developed spinal stenosis and it was hard for he to walk. In 1932 (age78) left a note "My work is done, why wait" and shot himself in his bed. He never married and had no children. He loved his mother and build this house for them. Finished in 1905, he was 51, his mother only lived there 2 years before her death. His favorite room was this conservatory room. When originally built the room was square. He didn't like this, so had the concrete and granite house cut completely into (side to side) and the rear moved back. It cost more than the cost of the original construction. House has 35,000 sq.ft. with fifty rooms, and many out buildings, gardens,barn,livestock,etc. scroll down to see the house!

Entrance to Rochester.

To the right in this picture is the Port of Rochester. The ferry built in 2003 in Australia and arrived spring of 2004 never went into service. They went bankrupt. This was going on at the same time frame as the Lake Express on Lake Michigan. The Development on the right of this picture cost the city $75 million.

Stayed a Shumway Marina. $46 a night. On Genesee River that flows through Rochester 7 miles south of here. We took the bus on our trips to town.

Straight across the Genesee from the boat was the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse. The first day we rode the bikes around and stopped to read the placard at the Light. Two men came out of the Keeper's house and ask if we were local. No! Bob and Jack took us inside on a private tour of the Museum. Built 1822 for $3301. Charlotte was the name of the original town here but had been annexed to Rochester many years ago.

This is the home of George Eastman. Now a museum. Wish we had picture of the interior but need a wide angle lens. This a beautiful home built for Eastman and his mother. Eastman never married. PS. added pictures at the top.

"The High Falls" in Rochester. Why? There are three falls on the Genesee River near Rochester, this being the highest. 1815 The Brown Brothers dug a race into the lime stone shore of the Genesee to chanel water from the river to power grain grinding mills. Rochester known as the Flower City. This race came to known as Brown' Race, that powered Rochester to become an industrial city. The race was on the right side of the falls in this picture. The city has done a great job with this site. Remnants of the old buildings, walks and placards.

Brown's Race Powering the Growth of Rochester. Built is 1500 days for $3872.

This is a deep shaft that was cut down through the limestone in witch the water from the race would pore into, to drive a water wheel. This was in the basement of the factory. see next picture.

The right side of the falls. The factories were located along this bank. You can see where they cut spill ways into the embankment.

They still generate power here.

Site of a factory that forged hand tools,chisels, axe heads,etc.. It had a forging hammer, called a trip hammer. Circa 1816

The water pored down on this waterwheel. The city was raising this site years age and a backhoe broke through a floor and exposed this wheel, I think that's when the city decided to develop this area for tourists. The next two pictures are of this site and the trip hammer.

Part of the "Race". The original race was much larger.

Pedestrian walkway, just below the falls. Was a railroad bridge. The tall building beyond the stack is Kodak's Corp. headquarters. We walked into the main lobby there and asked if they had a visitors center. The guard was not friendly! No.