About Deborah J. Larsen

Deborah J. Larsen recently retired after 34 years as local history librarian at Mount Clemens Public Library. She currently serves as the research chairperson for the Rochester-Avon Historical Society, and writes on a wide range of local history topics.

Overlooked Fence Post Marks Once-Grand Rochester Estate

A lonely stone pillar near the sidewalk on North Main Street is easily overlooked by passersby, yet it stands as a witness to the existence of a once-grand estate tied to an influential Rochester family. The Charles S. Chapman residence depicted in a hand-colored postcard. Situated on the property line between St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and the 714 North Main building (where the Denny's Restuarant used to be), the pillar is an artifact of the decorative stone fence that marked the … [Read more...]

Dial OLive for Rochester History: When the Telephone Came to Town

The Pew Research Center estimates that 97 percent of U.S. adults now own a cell phone, and the number of cell phones in this country will soon surpass 300 million. But in late nineteenth century Rochester, it was easy to count the precise number of telephones in use. There was exactly one. The Michigan Bell telephone exchange office on Walnut Street, ca. 1940 (Courtesy of Ray Russell Postcard Collection, Rochester Hills Public Library) Alexander Graham Bell patented his telephone … [Read more...]

Body Snatchers Came to Rochester in the 19th Century

In 19th century America, it was not uncommon for cemeteries to fall victim to the work of men called “resurrectionists”—freelancers who use nefarious means to procure cadavers for the use of medical schools. Because Rochester was situated within a night’s wagon ride of the university medical school at Ann Arbor, its residents were affected by this macabre practice. The Pavilion Hotel and livery stood on the southwest corner of Third & Main. Resurrectionists were arrested here in 1879. … [Read more...]

Remembering Rochester’s Neighborhood Markets and Grocery Stores

Tucked into some of Rochester’s older residential neighborhoods are a few ordinary-looking homes and buildings that are unlikely to attract special notice from passersby. But in days gone by, these places were hubs of local activity known as neighborhood grocery stores. Sarah Van Hoosen Jones serves customers at her farm store, At the Sign of the Black and White Cow (Courtesy of the Archives of the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm). In the middle decades of the twentieth century, … [Read more...]

Avon Players Celebrates 75 Years

The year was 1947. On the world stage, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his experimental jet airplane and Jackie Robinson became the first African American to take the field in a Major League baseball game. On the local stage in Rochester, Michigan, a community theatre group known as the Avon Players was born. An early Avon Players production (Courtesy of Avon Players) The Rev. Robert J. Burgess of Rochester’s First Congregational Church was a leading advocate for the formation of a … [Read more...]

The Rise and Fall of Entertainment Venues on Rochester’s Main Street

In its more than two centuries of existence, Rochester’s Main Street has hosted its fair share of public entertainment venues. As the village grew from a pioneer outpost to a thriving town, Main Street’s business owners stepped up to provide social outlets for the community. Rochester Opera House block as it looked about 1910. Curtain Up A minstrel show and brass band concert was advertised at Newberry Hall in 1876. The first public gathering place capable of seating a crowd—aside … [Read more...]

Power to the People: How Electricity Came to Rochester

Unless a power failure happens, modern Rochester residents tend to take their electric service for granted. However, at the end of the nineteenth century, electric lights were a novelty enjoyed by few and coveted by many—until an interurban line came to town with the power to change everything. Clerks at work in the Rochester Edison building, September 1923. Rochester in the 1890s was a bustling place during the day, but the setting of the sun had a natural dampening effect on the level of … [Read more...]

Remembering Ray H. Lawson

In Memory of Ray H. Lawson By Deborah Larsen Most children watching the Rochester Christmas Parade keep their eyes peeled for the last unit in line—that’s Santa Claus, after all. As a child, I was equally fascinated with the first unit in the parade. Right there at front and center, just after the slow-rolling police cruiser, in every year for what seemed like decades, was Ray Lawson. Proudly wearing his crisp American Legion uniform, his white-gloved hands firmly holding the staff of the … [Read more...]

Harry S. Tripp, One of Rochester’s Fallen Heroes, is Remembered

In Mount Avon Cemetery, an easily overlooked marker is tucked in front of the graves of Gold Star parents Harry and Fael Tripp. The small tablet memorializes the sacrifice of the Tripps’ son and Rochester native, Harry S. Tripp, whose remains lie in an American battlefield cemetery near Liege, Belgium. A small sign nestled in front of the gravestone of Harry and Fael Tripp at Mount Avon Cemetery memorializes the service and sacrifice of their son, Harry, in World War II. Harry and Fael … [Read more...]

Old Maps Reveal Interesting Truths You Might Not Know About Rochester

How well do you know your Rochester trivia? Old maps can be a treasure trove of information about a community’s history, and vintage maps of Rochester are no exception. A close examination of these nineteenth-century documents reveals three interesting tidbits about our area’s past. The intersection of Main Street and University Drive could logically be considered the “birthplace” of the village of Rochester. This intersection is a key location in Rochester’s history for two reasons. … [Read more...]