The Buffalo History Museum Podcast

Jenny Lind and the Canal District Fire

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. 

The Silent Bells of Buffalo

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. 

Wedding of the Waters: The Opening of the Erie Canal

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. 

Suicide of a Goddess

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. 

Two Souls Lost: The Titanic and Buffalo

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.

The Saturn Club Liquor Raid

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. 

Rise and Fall of the Canadiana

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. 

Love Canal, Part III: Escape

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. 

Love Canal, Part II: Hooker Chemical

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. 

Love Canal, Part I: Model City

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.