The Buffalo History Museum Podcast

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.

30-Second Nightmare: The Cleve Hill School Fire

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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Ida Dora Fairbush: Buffalo’s First African American Teacher

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

 

Chiquita: The Doll Lady’s Forbidden Marriage

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.