Archives West Finding Aid

Rochester was established in Madison County, Montana, near Virginia City, in the 1860s. At its peak, Rochester was the most active and prosperous town in Madison County, with a population of 5,000 people. Mining in the area declined due to mine flooding, leading to a population decline until 1926, when mining picked up for a short time. The population steadily declined after 1932 and Rochester became a ghost town in 1952, when the last residents moved away. The Rochester post office opened in 1868, with William Warm as postmaster. The post office closed in 1876, but was re-opened again around 1889. Between 1891 and 1892, Rochester was called Watseca, after the Watseca vein in Rochester Gulch. The name Rochester was restored during John Chapman's tenure as postmaster. Between 1904 and 1908, Emily Lewis and Daisy Lewis Grose, served as postmasters, and between 1904 and 1908, John H. Cooper served as postmaster.