Hayward’s United States Gazetteer (1853) page 550

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550    COUNTIES, CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, &c.,

miles distant from all other inhabitants. This
man was an Englishman, a person of extraordina-
ry enterprise, who had been the builder of Soho
Square in London, but who, after proving pecu-
niarily unsuccessful in that undertaking, had
sought to repair his fortunes in this country.
Having purchased the land, he located himself
upon these falls, in what was then a wilderness,
without civilized inhabitant for 50 miles to the
eastward. In the year 1809, the author of this
work, having penetrated to this spot, while as
yet the nearest inhabitants on the E. or S.
were about 30 miles distant, enjoyed the hospi-
tality of this worthy gentleman, who, at that time,
having been visited with affliction in the loss of his
wife, which had left him with one only daughter
as the companion of his loneliness, had become
weary of his situation, and would have parted
with his possessions, covering all which the city of
Rochester now covers, with his improvements,
his cabin, and his mill, for $400. The author has
been told that the Eagle Hotel now stands upon
the spot which this house once occupied.

Rochester is handsomely laid out on both sides
of the river, though not with entire regularity.
The E. and W. parts of the city are connected
by three bridges. Buffalo Street, which passes
over the central bridge, is a straight and b'road
street, running through the centre of the city.
The Eiie Canal passes, in a serpentine course,
through the city, and is carried over the river by
a splendid aqueduct, 804 feet long, resting upon
11 arches, erected at a cost of $80,000. The city
is generally well built, chiefly with brick, and
many of the blocks of stones, as well as private
dwellings, are elegant structures. Some of the
churches and other public edifices are handsome
buildings. The principal hotels are the Eagle,
American, New Mansion House, Congress Hall,
Clinton, Rochester, Island House, &c. Some of
the flouring mills and other manufactories are
very large structures. Of these the Globe Build-
ings are the largest and most remarkable.

Rochester, N. Y., Ulster co. Watered by Ron-
dout Creek and some of its branches. The Sha-
nangunk Mountain partly covers this town; soil
clay and loam. 16 miles S. W. from Kingston,
and 74 S. S. W. from Albany.

Rochester, Pa., Beaver co. On the E. bank of
Beaver River, at its confluence with the Ohio.

Rochester, Vt., Windsor co. The principal
stream is White River: it receives,a considerable
tributary from the W. On each of these streams
are good situations for mills. Rochester is moun-
tainous and broken, but contains much good land.
The timber is mostly hard wood. There is a
pleasant village situated near the centre of the
town, on the eastern bank of White River. A
part of Goshen was annexed to Rochester in

1847. The settlement was commenced about
the close of the revolutionary war. 30 miles
S. S. W. from Montpelier, and 37 N. W. from
Windsor.

Rock County, Wn., c. h. at Janesville. Bound-
ed N. by Dane and Jefferson counties, E. by
Walworth co., S. by Illinois, and W. by Green
co. Drained by Rock River and branches. Sur-
face level, a large part being prairie ; soil fertile.

Rockaway, N. Y., Queens co. Near the Atlan-
tic shore, on Rockaway Bay. 168 miles S. from
Albany. Near by is the famous Rockaway
Beach. See
Fashionable Resorts.

Rock Bridge, Mo., c. h. Ozark co.

Rock Bridge County, Va., c. h. at Lexington.
Bounded N. by Augusta co., E. by Amherst, S.
by Bedford and Botetourt, and W. by Alleghany
and Bath counties. Drained by North, a head
branch of James River. Surface mountainous;
soil very fertile in the valleys. The county de-
rives its name from the celebrated natural bridge
over Cedar Creek.

Rock Castle County, Ky., c.h. at Mount Vernon.
Bounded N. and N. E. by Garrard and Madison
counties, S. E. by Rockcastle Creek, separating
it from Laurel co., S, W. by Pulaski, and N. W.
by Lincoln co. Drained by branches of Dick's
and Rockcastle Rivers. Surface elevated, sepa-
rating the streams flowing into the Cumberland
from those flowing into the Kentucky River.

Rockford, Aa., c. h. Coosa co.

Rockford, Is., c. h. Winnebago co. On a high
prairie on the W. bank of Rock River. Steam-
boats ascend to this place, where they are stopped
by the rapids, which afford immense water power
N. from Springfield 203 miles.

Rockford, N. C., c. h. Surry co.

Rock Hill, Pa., Bucks co. Drained by Perki-
omen and branches of Tohic.kon Creek. Surface
hilly; soil gravelly. Ill miles E. from Harris-
burg.

Rockingham County, N. H. Portsmouth and
Exeter are the shire towns. Bounded N. by
Strafford co., E. by the Atlantic, from the mouth
of Piscataqua River to the line of Massachusetts,
S. by the state of Massachusetts, and W. by
the counties of Merrimae and Hillsboro'. Its
greatest length is 34 miles, its greatest breadth is
about 30 miles. There are no remarkable eleva-
tions in this county. The surface is uneven ; soil
fertile and very productive. The highest point is
Saddleback Mountain, from which are fine views.
The rivers are the Lamprey, Exeter, Beaver,
and Spiggot. Great Bay is the largest collection
of water. Massabesick Pond is picturesque from
its numerous islands and the surrounding eleva-
tions. The other principal ponds are Islandy,
Country, and Pleasant.

Rockingham County, N. C., c. h. at Wentworth.
Bounded N. by Virginia, E. by Caswell co., S. by
Guilford, and W. by Stokes co. Drained by the
head branches of Haw and Dan Rivers. Surface
quite elevated.

Rockingham, Vt., Windham co. Connecticut
River washes the eastern border of this township.
It is also watered by Williams and Saxton's
Rivers. These streams afford a great number of
valuable sites for mills. The surface of Rocking-
ham is- somewhat broken, but the soil is in gen-
eral warm and productive. Bellows Falls are in
Connecticut River, near the S. E. corner of this
town. In 1785, Colonel Enoch Hale erected a
bridge over the Connecticut, at these falls. Around
these falls is an interesting locality of minerals.
The rocks are principally gneiss. There are in
Rockingham several pleasant villages, Bellows
Falls, Rockingham, Saxton's River, and Cam-
bridge Port villages. These are very neat, and
contain many handsome houses. The settlement
was commenced in 1783, by Moses Wright, Joel
Bigelow, and Simeon Knight, who emigrated from
Massachusetts. 85 miles S. from Montpelier, and
18 N. E. from Newfane. This place communi-
cates with Boston by the Cheshire and other
roads, with Burlington by the Rutland Railroad,
and also by railroad with the towns above and
below it on the Connecticut River.












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