Rochester History Author Spotlight: Exploring Blake McKelvey’s Rochester Legacy
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of former City Historian Blake McKelvey’s landmark work, Rochester: The Water-Power City, 1812-1854, the first book in what would be a four-volume exploration of Rochester’s journey from settlement to technological powerhouse. Through his research and writing, McKelvey helped to define the field of urban history in the United States, as well as the role of a city historian.
To commemorate this anniversary, the Fall 2025 issue of Rochester History explores McKelvey’s legacy and his contributions to local history, urban history, public history, and environmental history. In conjunction with the issue’s release, please join us for a panel discussion featuring Christine L. Ridarsky (Rochester and Monroe County Historian), Christine Keiner (RIT history professor), and Michael Brown (RIT history professor), moderated by Bruce Leslie (SUNY Brockport professor emeritus).
Registration is recommended but not required. To request an ASL interpreter, please call 428-8304 at least ten days prior to the event.
This is an in-person program that will also be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@RochesterPublicLibraryNY/streams.
Presented by the Office of Rochester and Monroe County History in partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology Department of History and RIT Press.
Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
Open to the Public
Interpreter Requested?
No