Buffalo Archives - Page 4 of 7

The Miracle of Limestone Hill

By Chris Carosa on March 24, 2013

To anyone born and raised in Lackawanna, the stern threat, “You better behave or I’ll send you to Father Baker’s” remains forever burned into one’s ears. It turns out, chances are that same phrase remains forever burned in the ears of a child raised by someone born in Lackawanna. Like mine.

I can definitely see my grandmother shouting this phrase at my uncles when they were kids. The effect was no doubt the same on them as it was on me when my mother tried using it. Actually, it probably wasn’t the same. By the time I was old enough to realize the truth behind “Father Baker’s,” it looked just like the school it was. The orphanage of my uncles’ youth had been torn down before I was born.

To me, though, Father Baker’s wasn’t the school, it was the church and the amazing story Continue Reading “The Miracle of Limestone Hill”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Buffalo, Buffalo Airport, Church Street, Ellicott Square Building, Erie County, Father Baker, Father Baker's Folly, Guaranty Building, Joseph Ellicott, Lackawanna, Limestone Hill, Louis Sullivan, Main Street, natural gas, Our Lady of Victory, Pearl Street, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Pius XI, Prudential Building, Shea's Buffalo, South Division Street, St. Anthony's, Swan Street, Wainwright, Washington Street

Seeds of a New Movement

By Chris Carosa on November 8, 2012

The Erie Canal made Buffalo. Joseph Dart made Buffalo memorable.

Through Joseph Ellicott and the establishment of Greater Western New York west of the Genesee River, we’ve seen the importance of the canal from before it was even drawn up. We’ve witnessed how its opening paved the way for the creation of America’s first tourist destination – Niagara Falls. We’ll discover in a few chapters how it allowed our region to become ground zero for Continue Reading “Seeds of a New Movement”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, American Elevator, Anthony Trollope, Bruno Taut, Buffalo, Buffalo Harbor, Buffalo River, Caroline Gilman, Charles-Edouard Jenneret-Gris, Cheerios, Chief Red Jacket, City Ship Canal, Concrete Central, DL&W train shed, Electric Elevator, Erich Mendelsohn, Erie Canal, Erie County, Fuhrmann Boulevard, Ganson Street, General Mills Elevator, GLF Elevator, grain elevator, Great Northern Elevator, Joseph Dart, Joseph Ellicott, Kellogg "A", Lake & Rail Elevator, Le Corbusier, Mahlon King, Monroe County, Mushroom House, Nathanial Hawthorne, Niagara County, Niagara Falls, Perot Elevator, Reyner Banham, Rochester, Rudyard Kipling, Samuel M. Welch, Skyway, St. Mary's Cement Elevator, Standard Elevator, Timothy Tielman, Walter Curt Behrendt, Walter Gropius, Washburn-Crosby Elevator, Wollenberg Elevator

A Bridge Too Quiet

By Chris Carosa on November 1, 2012

I never understood the lure of trains. Don’t get me wrong. I love trains. I just can’t figure out why. I mean, I was born at the dawn of the Space Age, watched Star Trek when it was still on the air and followed NASA’s lunar program with diligent pride. Heck, I even majored in physics and astronomy, served on the Strasenburgh Planetarium’s 40^th Anniversary Task Force and created an official astronomy outreach project (AstronomyTop100.com) that received the official endorsement of the United Nations during the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.

Many were the times when I thought I was finally done with trains. But, like the mob to Continue Reading “A Bridge Too Quiet”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 20th Century Limited, 50 Hidden Gems, Alden, Allegany County, Batavia, Belfast, Bethlehem Steel, Blasdell, Blasdell Junction, Buffalo, Caneadea, Charlie Hogan, Conrail, Crittenden, Cuba, Dansville, Dansville Hill, Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad, DL&W, Dunkirk, East Hill, Empire State Express, Engine 999, Erie County, Erie Railroad, Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, Filmore, GB Tower, Genesee County, Genesee River, Genesee River Railroad, Genesee Viaduct, Growing Up, Harry Benjamin, Lackawanna, Lackawanna Railroad, Lake Avenue, Letchworth State Park, Livingston County, New York Central, Niagara Falls, Nickel Plate, Phoebe Snow, Portage, Railroad, River Line, Rochester, South Buffalo, trains, Victory Avenue

Postcard Perfect, In Any Season

By Chris Carosa on October 30, 2012

On July 4^th, 1928, nearly three years after the opening of the Erie Canal, Charles Carroll, 91 years old and the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, turned over the first shovel of dirt, marking the beginning of construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, America’s first railroad.¹ With this single action, the Erie Canal’s death notice had been signed. Even before the B&O was created, the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was incorporated in New York on April 17^th, 1826, less than six months after Governor Dewitt Clinton dedicated the grand opening of his “ditch.”² Ironically, the purpose of the Mohawk and Hudson was to compete with the Erie Canal. When New York’s railroad finally managed to finance itself, (delayed financing allowed the B&O to be constructed first), it could be built. Completed a year later in August, 1831,³ it took less than an hour to travel the 17-mile rail line compared to the all-day meandering 40-mile segment of the Erie Canal it replaced.⁴ The name of the steam locomotive to make this first run: none other than Continue Reading “Postcard Perfect, In Any Season”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Arcade, Arcade and Attica Railroad, Attica, Attica and Allegany Valley Railroad, Attica and Arcade Railroad, Attica and Freedom Railroad, B&O, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Birdsill Holly, Blasdell, Boonton, Buffalo, Buffalo Attica and Arcade Railroad, Cattaraugus County, Charles Carroll, Chautauqua County, Cuba, Curriers, Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad, DeWitt Clinton, DL&W, Dunkirk, Erie Canal, Erie County, Erie Railroad, Hydraulic Tunnel, Kenneth Springirth, Lackawanna, Lockport, Millard Fillmore, Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, New York Central, Ridge Road Bridge, Sandusky, Seneca Yard, Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad, Tonawanda Valley Railroad, Wyoming County

The Wild West Rides Again

By Chris Carosa on October 9, 2012

In the heart of downtown Jamestown on a June night in 2002, despite the dim light of the late hours, the construction workers hired to take down the deteriorating brick façade of the ancient hotel on Pine Street thought they were seeing faces, until they came to the word “Buffalo.”¹ They stopped all work. They didn’t know what they had just uncovered, but their collective instinct told them it was something historic. It turns out they were right.

Beneath the decaying bricks of Continue Reading “The Wild West Rides Again”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Allen Opera House, Buffalo, Buffalo Bill, Chautauqua County, Elbridge Gerry, Fantasy Island, Gerry, Gerry Rodeo, Gerry Volunteer Fire Department, Jamestown, Paul Cooley, Reg Lenna Civic Center, William Cody

The Secret of New York’s Smallest Town

By Chris Carosa on October 2, 2012

Tucked away in the southern portion of Cattaraugus County on the edge of the New York-Pennsylvania border sits the town of Red House. Guess what the town is named after? A red house, right? Nope. It’s named after the creek flowing through it – Red House Creek. The creek is named after a red house.

But did you know the story behind the crimson abode upon which the creek found its name? Originally owned by one of the area’s first settlers, it is a sorry story of family division, betrayed love and mysterious death. In the 1860’s Johnny Frecks went off to fight in the civil war, Continue Reading “The Secret of New York’s Smallest Town”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Allegany Indian Reservation, Allegany River, Allegany State Park, Buffalo, Cattaraugus County, Franklinville, Frecks, Ghost Story, Llewellyn France, Madelynn Fredrickson, population rank, Red House, Red House Creek, Rochester, Sharon Fellows, Western New York

The Magician Reveals His Real Trick

By Chris Carosa on September 26, 2012

One by one the hockey heroes skate up towards the camera from the far blue line, stop with a spray of ice just missing the lens, then announce their name and team. Finally, the last professional pumps his legs forward with the smooth motion of the others and stops in the same controlled fashion. But when he announces his name, I’m shocked to discover he’s no hockey player.

“Bill Shatner. Loblaws,” states the confident former Captain Kirk.

For those not familiar, Loblaws is a Canadian grocery chain. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s they had stores in Buffalo (primarily) and Rochester (maybe just one, but I lived next to it). It was an era before Wegmans went on supermarket steroids and totally dominated the market. Loblaws was Canada’s pride but eventually sold out to Bells Markets.

In 1975 Loblaws was a player – at least in my neighborhood – and no more so because Continue Reading “The Magician Reveals His Real Trick”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Abbott Parkway, Bells Markets, Blasdell, Buffalo, Buffalo Sabres, Canandaigua, Captain Kirk, Chautauqua County, Crystal Beach, Darien Lake, Disney World, Disneyland, Erie County, erie county fair, Fantasy Island, French Connection, Grand Island, Irondequoit, Jamestown, Lee Fogolin, Loblaws, Maple Springs, Martin Dipietro, Midway, NHL Action Stamps, Ontario County, Rene Robert, Rochester, Roseland, Seabreeze, Stanley Cup, Wegmans, William Shatner

Back at the Old Pizza Stand

By Chris Carosa on September 20, 2012

In the opening scene of 1962’s The Music Man, Harold Hill, con man extraordinaire, unexpectedly bumps into his old friend and accomplice Marcellus Washburn. Marcellus has since married a “nice comfortable girl” and settled down in the idyllic Midwestern town of River City (“Gone legitimate, huh? I knew you’d come to no good,” laments Hill). When he asks Harold if he’s still pitching steam automobiles, Hill shakes his head “No” and says, “I’m back at the old stand” whereupon he pantomimes conducting a band.

I can’t say Hamburg had the stubbornness of River City, Iowa, (after all, Hamburg is the “Town that Friendship built”), but I can attest to an idyllic feeling growing up off South Park when it had only two lanes. And like the magical concluding scene of The Music Man, my brother and I (and maybe even my mother and father, too), couldn’t wait to Continue Reading “Back at the Old Pizza Stand”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Big Tree Fireman's Carnival, Boston Church, Buffalo, Buffalo Courier, Double Ferris Wheel, Erie County, Erie County Agricultural County, erie county fair, hamburg, Hamburg Fair, Hamburg Raceway, Hamburgh, Hell Drivers, I-Got-It!, Ilio DiPaolo, Ingham Avenue, James E. Strates Shows, Joey Chitwood, Lackawanna, Lake-Erie Italian Club, Lancaster, Mr. Krabs, New York State Fair, Niagara County, Niagara County Agricultural Society, Orange County, Orchard Park, Pan-American Exposition, Ridge Road, Robert McPherson, Sky Way, Springville, West Seneca

Greater Western New York’s Split Personality Explained

By Chris Carosa on September 13, 2012

To the uninitiated, Batavia might seem like a mere crossroads on the map, but the hustle and bustle of Route 5 (a.k.a. Main Street) tells a much different story. Any visitor will immediately see a testament to a thriving community. Without the telltale skyscrapers of a modern city, the heart of Genesee County clearly doesn’t come across as a quaint nineteenth century town. No, there’s a hint of modernity in its traffic, its business and even in the complexity of its inner city layout.

Yet within this bastion of modest progress lies a jewel with a much deeper backstory than meets the eye of the casual passerby. But before we get there, perhaps it makes Continue Reading “Greater Western New York’s Split Personality Explained”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Allens Hill, Asa Ransom, Batavia, Buffalo, Clarence, Club of Six, Genesee, Genesee River, Genesee Tract, Geneseo, Genevam Canandaigua, Greater Western New York, Holland Land Company, Holland Land Office Museum, Jeff Donahue, Joseph Ellicott, Mill Yard Tract, Morris Reserve, Mount Morris, Nathaniel Gorham, Oliver Phelps, Ontario, Pantheon, Paul Busti, Pre-Emption Line, Richmond Hill, Robert Morris, Rome, Seneca Indian, Sir William Pulteney

Such is Fame: The Real Enduring Legacy of Niagara Falls

By Chris Carosa on September 6, 2012

In crafting a list of hidden gems of Greater Western New York, it’s apparent one must define what one means by the word “hidden.” Of course, if one of these not-so-hidden gems turns out to have inspired something truly outstanding, well, that would be worth writing about. Before I get to that, though, let me share with you my methodology for compiling this list, but allow me to do this by showing you, not telling you (assuming that’s even possible in the format of the written word).

For example, we have plenty of gems that have received broad national attention. Indeed, several people, events and activities from, in and around the Greater Western New York region have found themselves honored with places in our history books.

What school-aged child doesn’t know the name of Continue Reading “Such is Fame: The Real Enduring Legacy of Niagara Falls”

Posted in Western New York State of Mind Tagged 50 Hidden Gems, Abraham Lincoln, Alex de Tocqueville, American Falls, American Falls Turned Off, Apollo 11, Bethlehem Steel, Buffalo, California Gold Rush, Charlotte, DeWitt Clinton, Erie Canal, Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden, Frederick Douglass, Frederick Law Olmstead, Genesee River, Grand Canyon, High Falls Gorge, Joseph L. Sax, Josiah Dwight Whitney, Lackawanna, Lackawanna Steel Company, Mariposa Grove, Niagara Falls, Pan-American Exposition, Rochester, Rochester Shale, Sam Patch, Seneca Falls, Susan B. Anthony, U.S. Army Core of Engineers, Ulysses S. Grant, underground railroad, War of 1812, West Seneca, Womens' Rights Conference, Yankee Leaper, Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park Act, Yosemite, Yosemite Grant