Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,270 at the 2020 census.

History

Rochester was laid out in 1835. The founder Alexander Chamberlain named it for his former hometown of Rochester, New York. The Rochester post office was established in 1836.

The Potawatomi Trail of Death came through the town in 1838.

Rochester was incorporated as a city in 1853. The formerly listed Germany Bridge was located nearby. The Wideman-Gerig Round Barn is in use at the Round Barn Golf Club in Rochester.

In 1967, the most complete known specimen of the extinct bear Arctodus was found in a cornfield near Rochester.

In early April 1974, Indiana would be one of the states to be impacted by the super tornado outbreak. On April 3, 1974, an F4 tornado formed a few miles outside of Rochester. The tornado hit multiple houses in Rochester, also damaging Riddle Elementary School. The tornado killed 7 residents in the Rochester area before dissipating.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Rochester has a total area of , of which (or 80.85%) is land and (or 19.15%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Rochester had a population of 6,270. The median age was 42.9 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.

99.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,745 households in Rochester, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.1% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 6,218 people, 2,702 households, and 1,650 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,211 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.4% of the population.

Of the 2,702 households 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.8% of households were one person and 16.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84.

The median age was 41.6 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 6,414 people, 2,757 households, and 1,734 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,188 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.24% White, 0.59% Native American, 0.45% African American, 0.84% Asian, 0.86% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.86%. The Rochester Community School Corporation is housed in Rochester, operating two elementary level schools (Columbia, PK-grade 1 and Riddle, grades 2–4), Rochester Middle School (grades 5–7) and Rochester Community High School (grades 8–12).

Historic structures

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, Indiana
  • Rochester Downtown Historic District
  • Fulton County Courthouse (Indiana)
  • Lyman M. Brackett House
  • John W. Smith House

Notable people

  • Nicole Gale Anderson, actress
  • Jorge Argüello, 2011–13 Ambassador of Argentina to the United States
  • Margret Holmes Bates (1844–1927), author
  • Otis R. Bowen, fourth United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; born nearby
  • John Angus Chamberlain, sculptor
  • Thurman C. Crook, one-term U.S. congressman
  • Gene DeWeese, science fiction writer; born in Rochester
  • Ron Herrell, former member of the Indiana House of Representatives
  • Elmo Lincoln, film actor and subject of the biography My Father, Elmo Lincoln: The Original Tarzan
  • Ray Mowe, shortstop for the 1913 Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Clyde Short, Chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party, 1934-1936

References

  • City website
  • Rochester and Lake Manitou Chamber of Commerce
  • City-Data.com