Rochester from the beginning
As the wheat producing industry moved further west during the nineteenth century, Rochester NY soon was referred to as the Flower City in reference to the numerous nurseries that grew up around the city. The region saw its own Industrial Revolution after the Civil War. Giants such as the Eastman Kodak Company and Bausch and Lomb were founded during this time. The Gannett newspaper conglomerate and Western Union also had their start in Rochester NY. In response to the regional decline in manufacturing during the latter part of the twentieth century, imaging and optical science is now prominent among local universities and companies, giving Rochester its latest nickname as The Worlds Image Centre.