1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 3 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1955 on, and the census since 1860.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rochester Township is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Rochester Township’s overall grade.
Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Rochester Township’s 12.1 sits above most of its state (79% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1854.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±17.7 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Several indigenous peoples such as Dakota, Ojibway, and Ho-Chunk inhabited the Rochester area. The community was founded by George Head and his wife Henrietta, who built a log cabin named Head's Tavern in 1854. It was named for Head's hometown of Rochester, New York. The city developed as a stagecoach stop along the Zumbro River on a route between Dubuque, Iowa, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. When the Winona and St. Peter Railroad initiated service in October 1864, it brought new residents and business opportunities and spurred growth.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rochester Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1955High Forest sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Rochester Township.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewRochestertor, 1883
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Rochester Township’s page.
In 1854, according to Wikidata. the census of 1860 counted 1,424 people here.
How does Rochester Township rank for history?
Rochester Township is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Rochester Township?
One place: the George Stoppel Farmstead (listed 1975).
How old are the homes in Rochester Township?
21% of Rochester Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±17.7 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1986.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1909
1909
1909
