Every historical artifact has a story to tell, revealing information about the time and place from which it hails. Learn how library staff piece these stories together in the latest post from Local history ROCs!
The Wonkas of Rochester, pt. 2: the Curious Couple behind a Local Candy Company
When last we caught up with the Wonkas of Rochester, Frank H. Dennis had just sold his modest factory at 7 Griffith Street to the founder of the Fanny Farmer Candy Company. In 1919, Dennis would relocate his operation to a bigger, better replacement facility. The new Dennis candy factory at 25 Otsego Street, locatedContinue reading "The Wonkas of Rochester, pt. 2: the Curious Couple behind a Local Candy Company"
The Wonkas of Rochester: the Curious Couple behind a Local Candy Company
Rochester’s most intriguing historical couple is…Frank and Merry Dennis. This story has everything. Shipwrecks, candy, bone setting, castles, psychics, vexillology-induced violence…Here is the first installment of the Dennis family saga... Merry (nee Ackerman) and Frank H. Dennis. From: Ancestry.com; posted by yorkies2006 The Dennises began humbly enough. Frank H. Dennis was born into a farmingContinue reading "The Wonkas of Rochester: the Curious Couple behind a Local Candy Company"
Shoulders to Stand On, pt. 2: A Constellation of Collections
The Shoulders to Stand On archive contains a wealth of collections detailing the diverse figures and organizations who have helped shape the LGBTQ+ community of Rochester and Monroe County. These are some of the important collections I processed in my time at the Rochester Public Library... I worked with the papers of Tim Sally, aContinue reading "Shoulders to Stand On, pt. 2: A Constellation of Collections"
Chasin’ the Past Pt. 8 – Lost Jazz Clubs of Rochester
As another Rochester International Jazz Festival nears its end, it is time for another post on the lost jazz clubs of the Flower City. While Rochester has boasted a number of long-running jazz venues in its history like The Pythodd (1953–1973) and Shep’s Paradise (1968-2002), some clubs had a much shorter life span, including one that stood just a couple blocksContinue reading "Chasin’ the Past Pt. 8 – Lost Jazz Clubs of Rochester"
Shoulders to Stand On, pt. 1: Compiling and Preserving a Vital Collection
Rochester has a rich and robust history of LGBTQ+ activism and culture. It is fitting then that the Local History and Genealogy Division of the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County holds one of the largest archives of LGBTQ+ history in New York State: the Shoulders to Stand On community archives. Shoulders to StandContinue reading "Shoulders to Stand On, pt. 1: Compiling and Preserving a Vital Collection"