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Rochester, Minnesota _________________
Driving Directions
From Quincy, take Broadway west across the river on US 24 for 6 miles to US 61. Follow US 61 north for 30 miles. Go north on US 136 for 8 miles to State Route 394. Continue on SR 394 for 11 miles then take US 218 north for 77 miles. US 218 becomes I-380, continue on I-380 for 75 miles. Follow US 63 north for 113 miles to Rochester. Approximately 320 miles.
Calendar of Events
Check out Rochester's Covention and Visitors Bureau for a calendar of events.
History
Rochester was founded in the late 1840's by George Head. He came out west from Rochester, New York, looking for his chance to prosper in the new territory. By 1857, Rochester, named after Rochester, New York, was named the Olmsted County seat. A year later the population was a mere 106 residents. Rochester grew in numbers as the lines of transportation came to town. It became a stagecoach stop on the Dubuque Trail for travelers who journeyed between St. Paul and Dubuque. The railroad also came to town in the 1870's and with it came a number of people as well as a wealth of business.
Tragedy struck on August 21, 1883, when a devastating tornado demolished much of Rochester leaving 24 dead and several hundred wounded. Rochester did not have a medical facility that could treat all the injured. A local doctor, William W. Mayo and his two sons worked together with the sisters of St. Francis Church to care for the wounded. Seeing the need for a hospital, the sisters collected more than $60,000 in donations from area residents and in 1889 St. Marys Hospital was opened. Dr. Mayo was asked to head the new facility. Dr. Mayo, along with his sons, Dr. Charles Mayo and Dr. William J. Mayo, made great strides in improving surgical techniques and raising the success rate for procedures. The admissions increased at St. Marys as specialists in every medical field came to Rochester to learn from and work with the Mayos. Their practice grew as patients from all over the Midwest flocked to Rochester for the best in healthcare.
Today Rochester’s Mayo Medical Clinic is one of the largest and most well-respected medical facilities in the world and the center of Rochester’s economy. The clinic employs nearly 11,000 people. It has been called “The Physician Capital of the World” with one out of every 70 residents being a doctor. Rochester is also known as one of the best places to live. It consistently ranks among the nation’s most liveable cities.
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