Stories surrounding the establishment of Rochester as a medical mecca are well documented and often showcased, but countless other tales haven’t received as much attention. William Costley, son of the first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln, lived his last few months at Rochester State Hospital. Beloved citizen Reinhold Bach sailed aboard the doomed ocean liner the Empress of Ireland. The life of Minnie Bowron, hired as the city’s first policewoman in 1917, offers an intriguing story, and teenager Lottie Schermerhorn awed crowds during the Roaring Twenties with daredevil aerial stunts. Join historian Amy Jo Hahn on an engaging narrative journey, a revelation of fascinating characters who made their mark on Rochester.
Amy Jo Hahn has a master’s degree in mass communication and a historic preservation certificate. Her first book for The History Press was Lost Rochester, Minnesota.