The Buffalo History Museum Podcast

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. 

Harry Houdini: Buffalo Bound

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. 

The Trial of Nancy Bowen featuring Dr. Joe Stahlman

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. 

The Amazing Story of William Wells Brown

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.

Father Baker: Life and Legacy

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. 

Abraham Lincoln & Westfield’s Grace Bedell

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!

Buffalo v. ”The Candy Kid”

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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For the Greater Good: Buffalo’s Wilkeson Family

How three generations of one local family each found a way to shape the nation.