Rochester, Texas
– The Town that Moved to Survive.
The existence of Rochester, Texas, is inseparable from the rise of the railroad. Before trains connected this remote region of Haskell County to the rest of Texas, the land was rugged, sparsely populated, and reliant on slow, arduous wagon travel for supplies. The promise of the railroad didn’t just bring convenience—it brought life. Without it, Rochester, like many other hopeful settlements, would have faded into history.
From Marcy to Rochester
The roots of Rochester trace back to 1887, when drought in Falls County prompted Zed M. Marcy to relocate westward with his family and stock. Settling about three miles from what is now Rochester, Marcy and his neighbors—families like the Carothers, Albins, and Greers—built a small but determined community. They named it Marcy, and it quickly grew, establishing a post office, schools, churches, and a few businesses.
Marcy was on the rise, but its fate changed when the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad announced its plans to build a line through the region in 1906. Unfortunately for Marcy, the tracks would miss the town by three miles. Recognizing the economic and logistical necessity of being near the railroad, the community made a decisive choice: they moved.
The Founding of Rochester
A.B. Carothers, a key figure in early Rochester, negotiated with the railroad to donate land for a town site.
When the railroad laid tracks through this land in April 1906, the settlement was formally established. Carothers initially wanted to name the town after himself, but as a Carothers, Texas, already existed, the honor went to railroad official Mr. Stillwell, who named it after his hometown—Rochester, New York.
With the railroad now in place, businesses and families relocated to Rochester from Marcy and surrounding areas. A sale of town lots saw eager buyers flock from Haskell and Abilene, purchasing land at $30 per lot. The town quickly filled with new stores, schools, churches, and a cotton gin. Among the earliest businesses was a grocery store built by J.E. Mansell and Leo Huddleston, a general mercantile store, and a livery stable owned by the McClung brothers. Banking services began in a small wooden shack before evolving into the more substantial First State Bank by 1910.
Hardships and Resilience
Rochester’s growth was not without obstacles. In July 1907, a powerful tornado tore through the town, leveling homes, businesses, and the schoolhouse. The community, undeterred, rebuilt, using the Methodist Church as a temporary school before constructing a new one near the railroad. This school, a two-story wooden structure, later became the Carr Hotel, a well-known stop for railroad crews.
One of Rochester’s most defining features was its thriving religious community. The town became home to multiple congregations, including the First Baptist Church, Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, Church of God, Four Square, Church of Christ, and a Black Baptist Church. Large revival meetings, such as the four-week 1914 event led by Brother Irvin, drew over 100 conversions and demonstrated the town’s spiritual enthusiasm.
The Railroad and the Economy
Rochester’s very identity was tied to the railroad. The arrival of the train was a community event, with residents making special trips to nearby towns just to ride it. An early excursion train to the newly built Brazos Bridge in 1906 left passengers covered in dust but exhilarated by the experience.
Cotton was the town’s economic cornerstone, and freight lines carried harvested cotton to markets. Cottonseed, so cheap at the time, was even used as fuel at local gins. The town’s business landscape included grocers, a drugstore, and a sanitarium run by Dr. Dunn, the town’s first automobile owner—whose vehicle startled both livestock and townsfolk alike when he first drove it through the streets.
The Role of Newspapers
Rochester’s local newspaper industry saw multiple changes. First established as The Rochester Record in 1910, it evolved through different owners and names, including The Rochester Express and The Rochester Reporter. James A. Greer and his wife published the paper for 30 years, often accepting bartered goods as payment from subscribers who lacked cash. Eventually, under new ownership, it was renamed The Rochester Roundup.
Rochester Today
While the glory days of the railroad have long passed, Rochester remains a symbol of adaptability and perseverance. The town’s history is well-preserved thanks to efforts like the book When Rails Were Laid: A History of Rochester, Texas, a detailed account available on the Internet Archive.
Today, Rochester stands as a testament to the power of railroads in shaping the destiny of small towns. While its population has declined, its legacy as a community that moved itself to survive lives on.
