Located on the Genesee River, near Lake Ontario, Rochester is the third-largest city in New York and the seat of Monroe County. Originally a mill site, the township of "Rochesterville" was founded in 1817 by Colonel Nathaniel Rochester and his two partners. In 1823, with the completion of the Erie Canal, the city became a major trade center and shortened its name to "Rochester." Because of its strategic location on the Genesee, numerous flour mills were constructed in the city, earning it the nickname "Flour City." William A. Reynolds also started the seed business that would eventually blossom into the Ellwanger & Barry Nursery Co., so it was only natural that Rochester would also be referred to as "Flower City."

Rochester has long been a progressive city, with a history of social activism. The city had a large population of freed slaves, including Frederick Douglass, who printed his paper The North Star there. Susan B. Anthony was also from Rochester, and it was thanks to her efforts that the University of Rochester began admitting women in 1900. The Susan B. Anthony House still stands on Madison Street, featuring tours and exhibits from the women's suffrage movement.