Hear UR: Recent Episodes
The Department of History and the Audio and Music Engineering Program at The University of Rochester
Hear UR is a podcast written and produced by students at The University of Rochester. Each season tells historicals stories about Western New York.
The executive producers for Hear UR are Thomas Fleischman and Stephen Roessner.
Walk with us around Rochester and talk about what does the future of biking look like for the city.
What are some issues when it comes to biking now and what can we do to combat these problems.
What can we look forwards in the Rochester 2034 Plan?
Join us as we examine the complicated history and surprising overlap between the 1970s, the environmentalist movement, and biking culture in Rochester!
Two words to describe our episode: CAR BAD. Sure, it’s funny to say, but the way that cars have affected our society — how we live, where we live, and how we get around — is way more significant than you may think.
“A living city cannot stand still.†This is a direct quote from Rochester’s 1911 City Plan, a plan that provides a modern vision for the city’s urban future. The plan shows the potential for a city to integrate multiple modes of transportation in harmony with the beauty of nature. What happened, and how did we end up where we are today? Listen to our episode to learn more!
Bike paths. Why are they, where they are, and who decided to put them there? And why are there just so many in Rochester? Did you know they used to be called Sidepaths? What’s the difference, and why the name change? Join Logan as we blast into the past where we meet Mary Raymond daughter of Charles Raymond the father of the sidepath movement to discover the interesting history of the sidepath movement.
We are kicking off Season 5 with a conversation about women’s liberation and relationship with cycling. Many famous Rochester women such as Susan B. Anthony, Francis E. Willard and May Bragdon became earnest advocates for the bicycle. Not only did women gain newfound mobility, but they adapted their lifestyle around this new technology.
On a clear day in April, onlookers standing in Mt. Hope Cemetery were met with an astounding sight: Canada. This was the Rochester Mirage of 1871. Normally 400 feet below the horizon, the shore on the other side of Lake Ontario loomed closer than ever, with the lake itself seeming to have engulfed the northernmost half of our city. Or so the story goes. But what actually happened? And what can the Mirage tell us about the Rochester of that time, and about history as a whole?
Underneath the busy streets of Rochester sits the abandoned subway, a local hub for creativity and self expression; a space where concrete walls come to life in visceral color and motion. But where did it all begin? Join Hear UR in exploring the rich history of Rochester’s street art.
Ghost story or infamous legend, what’s the difference? If you’re from the greater Rochester area, there’s a good chance you have heard one of the many tales regarding the lady in white apparition that haunts Durand Eastman Park. Why do these stories persist through time? What do morphologies of urban legends suggest about the societies that engrain them? Find out how this seemingly innocent local fable intertwines with darker hidden histories and more within The Lady in White, an episode produced, researched, and engineered by Jacob Hall, Wesley Mawn, and Divya Duraisamy.
A local Rochester park with an unconventional history. What happened on these grounds between 1943 and 1945? Join us as we attempt to uncover the mysterious relationship between Rochesterians and these unlikely residents in Cobb's Hill Park during World War II.
Bottles and Bootleggers follows the exciting journey of smuggler Ben Kerr as he traverses the icy waters of lake Ontario during prohibition. He lands in Rochester, New York fueling Rochester’s alcohol craving. We investigate the ways alcohol is smuggled, how it's hidden and the ways it affects people. So, how far were Rochesterians willing to go to keep alcohol flowing, and how much violence and crime were they willing to tolerate?
Why did we start drinking milk? The dairy industry created a prominent supply and demand for milk in our society, but it wasn’t always this way. Before modern milk health regulations, milk was not a common drink, and it was often rampant with disease and caused frequent health issues and infant deaths. The city of Rochester wasn’t immune to the diseases dirty milk caused. Health officials here in Monroe County played an important role in the efforts to industrialize milk. However, their intentions might not have been for the greater good of public health.
On a clear day in April, onlookers standing in Mt. Hope Cemetery were met with an astounding sight: Canada. This was the Rochester Mirage of 1871. Normally 400 feet below the horizon, the shore on the other side of Lake Ontario loomed closer than ever, with the lake itself seeming to have engulfed the northernmost half of our city. Or so the story goes. But what actually happened? And what can the Mirage tell us about the Rochester of that time, and about history as a whole?
Underneath the busy streets of Rochester sits the abandoned subway, a local hub for creativity and self expression; a space where concrete walls come to life in visceral color and motion. But where did it all begin? Join Hear UR in exploring the rich history of Rochester’s street art.
Ghost story or infamous legend, what’s the difference? If you’re from the greater Rochester area, there’s a good chance you have heard one of the many tales regarding the lady in white apparition that haunts Durand Eastman Park. Why do these stories persist through time? What do morphologies of urban legends suggest about the societies that engrain them? Find out how this seemingly innocent local fable intertwines with darker hidden histories and more within The Lady in White, an episode produced, researched, and engineered by Jacob Hall, Wesley Mawn, and Divya Duraisamy.
A local Rochester park with an unconventional history. What happened on these grounds between 1943 and 1945? Join us as we attempt to uncover the mysterious relationship between Rochesterians and these unlikely residents in Cobb's Hill Park during World War II.
Bottles and Bootleggers follows the exciting journey of smuggler Ben Kerr as he traverses the icy waters of lake Ontario during prohibition. He lands in Rochester, New York fueling Rochester’s alcohol craving. We investigate the ways alcohol is smuggled, how it's hidden and the ways it affects people. So, how far were Rochesterians willing to go to keep alcohol flowing, and how much violence and crime were they willing to tolerate?
Why did we start drinking milk? The dairy industry created a prominent supply and demand for milk in our society, but it wasn’t always this way. Before modern milk health regulations, milk was not a common drink, and it was often rampant with disease and caused frequent health issues and infant deaths. The city of Rochester wasn’t immune to the diseases dirty milk caused. Health officials here in Monroe County played an important role in the efforts to industrialize milk. However, their intentions might not have been for the greater good of public health.
The Fast Ferry has left Lake Ontario, but could there have been an alternate ending? In this episode we take a look into the ferry’s postmortem, its Lake Michigan counterpart, and the state of ferries today.
The Fast Ferry is open for business and taking passengers across Lake Ontario, but cracks are beginning to show. In this episode we go over the short but action packed life of Rochester’s Fast Ferry.
The Fast Ferry, headed by private company CATS, was marred with physical problems, poor funding, and disinterest. In this episode, we explore the Fast Ferry's arduous journey to launch day, a journey to achieve Rochester's dreams.
In Episode 301, Hear UR goes through the foundations of the short lived Rochester Fast Ferry. With the help from former Mayor of Rochester William A. Johnson, we get to understand what was really happening in Rochester during its Fast Ferry boom.
In Season Three of Hear UR, our story deals with a well-known and much debated topic in Western New York -- The Rochester Fast Ferry. Full episodes will drop on December 5. Tune in, and share the podcast with your peers!