Five Things You Didn’t Know About Rochester NY

Despite being one of the biggest cities in the state, Rochester NY is often overlooked. Many people who aren’t familiar with the area, may have never even heard of Rochester. After all, competing with New York City certainly isn’t easy, and some people tend to forget that there is an entire state outside of the famous five boroughs. Well, the City that Never Sleeps certainly isn’t the only place in New York that’s worth talking about. Rochester has a pretty interesting history of its own, and although much of the city’s past will never make it to the history books, it’s certainly worth mentioning. Whether you’re a lifelong resident of Rochester, or just interested in learning about a new place, these facts will definitely give you something to think about. Here are five things you didn’t know about Rochester NY.

The voting machine

With the current presidential election getting more and more intense, people exercising their right to vote is more important than ever. Well, next time you step into a voting booth, you may want to take a moment to silently thank the city of Rochester. The voting machine, which was patented in 1889, was invented by Jacob Myers who was a native of Rochester.

image via votingmachines.procon.org

High deaf population

As one of the largest cities in New York, it goes without saying that Rochester is a pretty diverse place. Well, among Rochester’s population, there is a very high percentage of deaf residents. In fact, Rochester has the highest population of deaf people per capita than any other place in the country. This may be because the city is home to National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

image ia www.ntid.rit.edu

No snow balls

Like many other places in the northeast, Rochester usually gets hit with snow pretty hard during the winter months. Well, anyone who has ever lived in a place with snow knows that there’s no better way to spend a wintery day than by heading outside and playing in the snow. Well, the good people of Rochester better not get too carried away during their snowball fights. Apparently, it is illegal to throw a snowball at someone’s head in Rochester.

image via www.nydailynews.com

The Pledge of Allegiance

Each morning, the Pledge of Allegiance is recited in thousands of schools all over the country. Over the years, the pledge has become a staple in American culture, and although there’s been some debate in recent years regarding the wording, there’s no denying that the pledge holds a very special place in American history. Well, without Rochester, the Pledge of Allegiance might not even exist. Francis Bellamy, who wrote the pledge, attended college in Rochester, and lived in the city for most of his life.

image via americannews.com

S’mores 

S’mores are easily the most popular campfire snack there is. No night hanging out by the fire is complete without enjoying a few s’mores. Although the city of Rochester can’t take credit for inventing the s’more itself, Rochester is responsible for two of the main ingredients: marshmallows and graham crackers.

image via mentalfloss.com

lead image via www.legacyglobalsports.com