The High Falls

The High Falls is a waterfall along the Genesee River in Rochester, New York (see Rochester, New York). Standing at 96 feet in height, the falls is a popular attraction in the city. The city of Rochester owes much of its history as the first boomtown in America to the presence of High Falls, as well as another waterfall downstream known as the Lower Falls. The falls were utilized to power mills which produced flour, which was then conveniently shipped via the Erie Canal. This gave rise to one of Rochester's nicknames "The Flour City." Over time, the nickname has changed to "The Flower City" as the flour trade faded away. In recent decades the High Falls Heritage Area and Browns Race Historic District was part of an attempt to create an entertainment sector. Most of the businesses associated with that trend have closed since though. A bridge spans the gorge, allowing visitors to view the spectacle of the falls and enjoy the scenery of the gorge. Orchestras have performed free concerts in the gorge and there have also been laser light shows held there as well. The High Falls is a nice setting for warm weather sightseeing. It has also been the setting for some macabre tales from Rochester's past. Perhaps the most infamous of the stories involving the High Falls is the demise of daredevil Sam Patch. Sam was a originally a native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Since a young boy, he had been known for entertaining others with dangerous feats. He started off with jumping off of a mill dam at the textile mill where he worked. By the age of 20 he was performing grander stunts, such as jumping off the Passaic Falls in Paterson, New Jersey. After a number of jumps from higher and higher locations, Sam was alternately dubbed the "New Jersey Jumper" and the "Yankee Jumper" by the press.