Rochesterville
In 1811 Rochester began the process of establishing a town on the Upper Falls tract. He laid out streets and established plots of land for municipal, church, and business use. Later that year, he began to offer the plots for sale and named the would-be settlement "Rochesterville" after himself.
The War of 1812 helped Rochesterville grow as settlers living along the coast of Lake Ontario sought to move farther inland. In 1812, Rochester moved his family from Dansville to Rochesterville to enable sale of the remaining Dansville property and to provide settlers in Rochesterville assurances that the settlement was here to stay. Numerous skirmishes and war activities were taking place throughout western New York and Rochesterville served as a waypoint for troops heading west as well as a depot for military supplies.
The exposure was good for the settlement, as many people who had travelled through it bought lots or tracts in or near the village.
Rochester was a presidential elector in 1816, voting for James Monroe and Daniel D. Tompkins.
In 1817 Rochester served on a committee to petition the state to build what would become the Erie Canal on a proposed northern route that included a route across the Genesee River at Rochesterville. The eventual decision by the state's government to accept this northern route became a predominant factor in the growth of the future city. In late 1817, Rochester helped petition the state for the incorporation of Rochesterville. Although the first petition failed due to opposition from neighboring jurisdictions, a second petition passed. Rochester's village was incorporated that year.
In 1821 Rochester played a pivotal role in the creation of Monroe County, which Rochester named after President James Monroe. When the county was officially formed, Rochester became its first county clerk and was elected as the county's first representative to the New York State Assembly.
Read more about this topic: Nathaniel Rochester