Located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, Monroe County serves as the home to Rochester and is part of the Finger Lakes region. The county's history is rooted in the massive Albany County established in the province of New York in 1683. At that time, Albany County was enormous, including the northern part of the state, all of present-day Vermont, and theoretically extending westward to the Pacific Ocean.
Significant changes occurred in the 18th century as the territory was carved into smaller pieces. In 1772, what remained of Albany County was split into three parts. One of these pieces was Tryon County, named for colonial governor William Tryon. This western portion eventually became Montgomery County in 1784 to honor the general Richard Montgomery. Subsequent divisions in 1789 and 1802 created Ontario and Genesee counties, which were much larger than their modern boundaries.
Finally, Monroe County was formed from parts of Genesee and Ontario counties in 1821. Today, it remains a vital part of the upstate Rochester metropolitan area. The region has become a hub for high technology and imaging, with the city of Rochester known as the world capital of imaging due to the prevalence of optical science among its industries and academic institutions.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
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