Kodak Park, Rochester: work-history and asbestos evidence
A family may remember only “Kodak” or “Kodak Park.” Public records can help turn that memory into a more useful timeline by identifying the Rochester facility and court records describing asbestos exposure histories involving Kodak employment.
What the public record tells us
EPA identifies Kodak Park at 1669 Lake Avenue
EPA’s Superfund site profile identifies the Kodak Park Division of Eastman Kodak Company at 1669 Lake Avenue in Rochester, Monroe County.
A New York appellate decision describes Kodak employment and mesothelioma
In Matter of Gimber v Eastman Kodak Co., the Appellate Division described a worker who was employed by Kodak from 1967 to 1985 and whose widow sought death benefits after his mesothelioma diagnosis and death.
The court record considered more than one employer
The Gimber record discussed reported asbestos exposure at both Kodak and an earlier employer, International Paper. That is a useful reminder that a complete reconstruction may need to follow a worker across multiple jobs rather than stop at the last workplace.
How this can help reconstruct a work history
Historical records are most useful when they are connected to the person who actually worked there: the years, department, trade, tasks, equipment, contractors and coworkers remembered by the family. A documented workplace history can guide the questions; the individual work history supplies the context.
Which Kodak building or department?
Kodak Park was a large industrial complex. Building, department, process and supervisor names can sharply narrow the search.
What work was being done?
Maintenance, construction, utility work, production, electrical work, piping, insulation and contractor activity may create different research paths.
Was there earlier work elsewhere?
Prior employers, military service and contractor work can matter when reconstructing a lifetime history.
Primary and authoritative sources
- U.S. EPA — Kodak Park Division Eastman Kodak Co. Government record
- New York Appellate Division — Matter of Gimber v Eastman Kodak Co. (2020) Court decision
Continue the investigation
Rochester and Finger Lakes research → work-history reconstruction → industrial workers →