The Buffalo History Museum Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Buffalo History Museum
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is the premier source for Western New York history. Each episode, we tell a story of the people and events that have shaped our region. New episodes are released every other Tuesday. Help us grow by subscribing, rating, and reviewing us.
In 1917, six women's suffragists from Buffalo were arrested and sent to Virginia's Occoquan Workhouse for picketing in front of the White House. This is the story of the Buffalo Six.
For over a half-century, Highmark Stadium has been the backdrop to many of our best (and worst) memories. Today we share a history of the beloved gathering place and discuss what's it's meant to Western New York.
In this episode, we revisit late December 1813, when British forces crossed the Niagara River and set the village of Buffalo ablaze. Through the eyes of frontier doctor and militia leader Cyrenius Chapin, terrified families fleeing into the snow, and survivors like Margaret St. John, we explore the chaos, courage, and cruelty of one of the most defining moments in the city’s history.
On December 8, 1980, as U2 played to a sparse crowd outside Buffalo, the world was upended by the murder of John Lennon, transforming an ordinary night into a defining moment in music and cultural history.
Thank you to Jeff Miers, WKBW, Willie Nile, and Billy Sheehan for providing audio and other assistance on this very special episode. The audio of Bruce Moser is taken from an interview done by WKBW in 2017. Sadly, Moser passed away in 2020.
Ely S. Parker was a Tonawanda Seneca leader, engineer, Civil War officer, and later U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs—and his story begins in the shadow of the Erie Canal. While the canal is often celebrated as a triumph of American innovation, we explore its deeper impact as a force of dispossession that carved through Haudenosaunee homelands and helped shape Parker’s lifelong fight for Indigenous land, rights, and sovereignty. We conclude in the present day, with Parker’s posthumous admission to the New York State Bar in 2025, a historic act of recognition 176 years after he was first denied that right.
Edward Caleb Randall was a highly-respected lawyer from Buffalo. In 1892, his life would change forever. That's when he met Mrs. Emily S. French, a psychic medium from nearby Rochester, New York.
The Erie Canal was an engineering marvel that shaped our city, state, and nation. Digging the man-made waterway not only required innovation, but also the efforts of thousands of laborers, man of them Irish immigrants. This is a story of the excavation of the canal's most challenging sections and how the Irish played a vital role.
After fleeing from Tulsa in 1921, Andrew Smitherman made his way to Boston before later settling in Buffalo. While in Boston, he penned a poem describing his experiences during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Reading the poem is Jillian Hanesworth, Buffalo's Poet Laureate Emeritus. This episode is being published in conjunction with the previous episode titled, And a Shot Rang Out: Andrew Smitherman and the Buffalo Star.
In late May of 1921, racial tensions erupted in Tulsa, Oklahoma's Greenwood District in what would become known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Among the leaders of Tulsa's Black community was Andrew J. Smitherman, publisher of the Tulsa Star newspaper. After being charged with inciting the riot, Smitherman fled north and settled in Buffalo. There, he started a new newspaper, the Buffalo Star. This is the story of his involvement in the Tulsa Massacre and his impact on the Buffalo community.
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to serve in Congress, representing New York’s 12th District. Four years later, she became the first woman and first Black candidate to seek a major party’s presidential nomination. Following her career in politics, Shirley moved to Buffalo with her husband, State Legislator Arthur Hardwick. She's buried in the city's historic Forest Lawn Cemetery where a new statue in her honor is soon to be unveiled.
In September 1850, Swedish opera star Jenny Lind began an 18-month tour of American cities promoted by P.T. Barnum. The tour brought her to Buffalo four times in 1851, but one of the performances was special. It was a fundraiser, bringing relief to victims of a fire in the city’s Canal District. This is the story of Lind’s American tour, her visits to Buffalo, and the 1851 Canal District fire.
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**The Echo Song, as heard in the podcast is performed by Swedish soprano Elisabeth Söderström. As stated in the episode, there are no known surviving recordings of Jenny Lind.
In the 1860s, Buffalo Bishop John Timon commissioned a 43-bell carillon for the city's St. Joseph's Cathedral. The bells, however, would run into a series of problems which prevented them from being heard for more than a half century--and then for nearly another century after that. This is the story of the bells, their unlucky journey, and their eventual installation at Buffalo's Forest Lawn Cemetery.
October 26, 1825 marked the ceremonial opening of the Erie Canal, a waterway that would shape the future of the nation. To celebrate, Governor DeWitt Clinton led a cross-state procession, stopping in each town along the man-made waterway.
On July 1, 1902, the Pan-American Exposition's Goddess of Light statue was torn to the ground. The statue, which adorned the fair's tallest structure, had become a symbol of the Exposition. Now, it had been sold off. However, it would never make it to its new owner.
112 years ago today, RMS Titanic disappeared into the icy depths of the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg. The disaster would take the lives of more than 1,500 passengers and crew, two of whom were Buffalo's own. This is their story.
On August 23, 1923, a team of Federal Prohibition Agents raided Buffalo's elite Saturn Club in search of illegal alcohol. The raid, which uncovered large amounts of booze, was led by one of the Saturn Club's own members, "Wild" Bill Donovan.
Between 1910 and 1956, the Canadiana ferried passengers between Buffalo and Canada's Crystal Beach Amusement Park. This is the story of the ship, her demise, and her near resurrection.
Twenty years after Hooker Chemical buried its last metal drum in the depths of William Love's abandoned canal, local residents begin experiencing health problems. The ensuing years become a fight for their lives.
Fifty years after William Love abandoned his Model City settlement in Niagara Falls, a local chemical manufacturer made use of his half-excavated canal. Part III coming next week.
In 1894, William T. Love broke ground on his grand vision—a utopian community which he called "Model City." His dream however, would never come to pass. In time, what remained of his project would become the epicenter of one our nation's worst environmental disasters. Stay tuned for part two.
On March 31, 1954, a wooden annex of Cheektowaga's Cleve Hill School caught fire in seconds, taking the lives of fifteen children.
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We're joined today by Barbara Seals Nevergold, PhD to discuss the life of Ida Dora Fairbush, the first African American teacher in the Buffalo Public School District.
To learn more about Ida, clink below:
https://www.buffaloschools.org/cms/lib/NY01913551/Centricity/Domain/9000/Ida-Fairbush-Biography.pdf
At just 26" tall, Chiquita was one of the Pan-American Exposition's tiniest attractions. In November of 1901, she and a worker at the fair married in secret, much to the dismay of her manager, Frank Bostock, aka The Animal King.
For over three decades, legendary escape artist and magician Harry Houdini made Buffalo's theaters a regular destination. Today, we recap the King of Handcuff's many visits to Western New York.
In March 1930, police arrested two Indigenous women, Nancy Bowen and Lila Jimerson, for the murder of a white woman in Buffalo, New York. Their arrests, trials, and coverage in the media would highlight issues of Indigenous sovereignty and clashing belief systems. Dr. Joe Stahlman, Director of the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum joins us to discuss the case.
William Wells Brown escaped slavery and risked his life to help others find freedom. In his spare time, he taught himself to read and write, lectured on the evils of slavery, and was the first African American to publish a novel and, later, a play.
Msgr. David LiPuma of Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica joins us to discuss Father Nelson Baker, his many achievements, and his enduring legacy.
We're back after a long break and sharing a beloved local story. In late 1860, an eleven-year-old girl from the Western New York wrote Abraham Lincoln advising him to improve his appearance by growing a beard. That beard would become one of the future president's most recognizable features, all thanks to a letter from Westfield's Grace Bedell. Thank you for listening and stay strong, Buffalo!
In 1925, one of the nation's most wanted criminals pulled a deadly bank robbery in Buffalo, NY. The following year, he was caught and put on trial, but would Richard Reese Whittemore aka "The Candy Kid" ever pay for his crimes?
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On November 16, 1896, at 12:01am, Buffalo received its first transmission of electricity from Niagara Falls via alternating current. This technology, developed by Serbian-American electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, would forever change society—and it all started right here.
Ed Burdick was a young and successful businessman. His marriage, however, was far from perfect. On a cold February morning in 1903, Ed was found murdered in his home, his skull fractured. The investigation that followed would reveal a steamy affair, an impending divorce, and plenty of motives. But, in the end, would anyone be brought to justice?
"Buffalo Gals" is a traditional folk song performed by such artists as Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen. The song, however, is more than an upbeat tune. Behind its bars is a story of racism and ignorance perhaps born right here in Western New York.
On October 24, 1901, sixty-three year old Annie Edson Taylor went over Niagara Falls in a barrel of her own design. Would things go swimmingly?
Be sure to visit the Buffalo History Museum's brand new exhibit, Continuum: A History of Erie County, open now!
For a brief time, one game actually, Buffalo's suburb of Tonawanda was home to an NFL franchise--the league's shortest lived team.
In an attempt to rid their homeland of British control, an army of Irish-Americans launch an attack from Buffalo into Canada during the spring of 1866.
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For more information about the Buffalo History Museum, visit www.buffalohistory.org. Also, be sure to check out our upcoming feature exhibit, "Continuum: A History of Erie County" opening October 22.
Between 1970 and 1978, the Buffalo Braves brought NBA excitement to Western New York. Led by former league MVP Bob McAdoo, the team earned three playoff appearances in eight years, but ownership issues plagued the franchise. The team left Buffalo following the 1977-78 season, moving west and becoming the San Diego Clippers.
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In 1908, teams from four countries competed in the most trying automobile endurance race to date. In the end, it was Western New York's own George Schuster crossing the finish line first in a Buffalo-made E.R. Thomas car.
In 1908, teams from four countries competed in the most trying automobile endurance race to date. In the end, it was Western New York's own George Schuster crossing the finish line first in a Buffalo-made E.R. Thomas.
On June 2, 1886, Buffalo's Frances Folsom married President Grover Cleveland (also of Buffalo) in the Blue Room of the White House, making her the youngest First Lady in U.S. history.
In 1901, Buffalo nearly landed a Major League Baseball time with Ban Johnson's upstart American League. A double-cross by Johnson, however, gave the franchise to Boston instead.
To purchase the Greg Tranter's book mentioned in this episode, click
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In the final episode of our three part series on the assassination of McKinley, we take a look at the gunman himself, Leon Czolgosz.
For more information about the Buffalo History Museum, visit our website at www.buffalohistory.org
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Following the death of President William McKinley on September 14, 1901, Buffalo plays host to the solemn and unexpected inauguration of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.
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Thousands visited Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition in September of 1901, and a killer was among them. The assassination of President William McKinley is, perhaps, Buffalo’s darkest hour. This is the story of his visit to the exposition, the tragedy of September 6th, and its aftermath.
In the final days of 1813, British forces set fire to the village of Buffalo. A number of residents attempted heroically to defend the attack, but in the end, the battle was lost. Join the Buffalo History Museum's Program Coordinator Matt Holland as he tells the story of Job's last stand.
How do you build a bridge across a massive gorge? Start with a kite, obvs. This is the story of the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge and its unusual beginnings.
To find out more about Western New York history, visit our website at www.buffalohistory.org
Jumbo II was a twelve-foot-tall Asian elephant that entertained millions at Buffalo's 1901 Pan-American Exposition. After allegedly attacking two people, Jumbo's owner decided to execute the animal by electrocution. The elephant had other plans.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. www.neh.gov
To learn more about the Buffalo History Museum, visit www.buffalohistory.org
Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald spent much of his youth in Buffalo, New York. The city proved to be his first introduction to high society. Though not wealthy himself, his charm and charisma earned him entry into prominent social circles, influencing the course of his later literary work.
Glenn Curtiss was a motorcycle racer, engine designer, and aviation pioneer...and he did it all right in our own backyard.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is made possible with support by the National Endowment for the Humanities. www.neh.gov.
Visit the Museum's Website at www.Buffalohistory.org.
Ely Parker was a Seneca leader, brigadier general, attorney, engineer, and friend of General Ulysses S. Grant. Oh, he also penned the document that effectively ended the Civil War.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. www.neh.gov.
Visit our website at www.buffalohistory.org
In the fall of 1918, Erie County, like much of the world, was overcome by an H1N1 virus, commonly known as the Spanish Flu. Over 18 months between 1918 and 1919, the virus infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, killing up to 50 million on its way to becoming one of the deadliest pandemics the world has ever known.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities. www.neh.gov.
In 1884, Belva Lockwood became the first woman to run for president, 36 years before women were granted the right to vote.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. http://www.neh.gov
Visit The Buffalo History Museum's website at http://www.buffalohistory.org
In 1825, Erie County held its first and only public execution when Israel, Isaac, and Nelson Thayer were hanged for the murder of John Love.
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. http://www.neh.gov
Visit our website at http://www.buffalohistory.org
The Buffalo History Museum Podcast debuts September 21! Each episode, we'll share a story from our amazing Western New York history. The podcast is made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Be sure to subscribe and review us.