Rochester's immigrant saga is filled with compelling tales of hardship and achievement. Dutchtown—originally Deutschtown—is perhaps the most beloved immigrant neighborhood because of the tens of thousands of regional families who trace their forebears back to it. Rochester's Dutchtown tells how the neighborhood evolved out of Frankfort, a German settlement established in 1810 at the High Falls. Scenes depict countless hardworking citizens, including Italian immigrants who first arrived in the 1880s, and fascinating relics of an industrial center that thrived for nearly two centuries.
Brothers Michael Leavy and Glenn Leavy, themselves descendants of Dutchtown, renew the colorful lore of this remarkable and tough neighborhood. Along with more than two hundred stunning images, they enrich Rochester's Dutchtown with memories of seniors who, in some cases, recall the horse-and-buggy days from over eighty years ago.