Archive - WNY Heritage

Old Photo Album: New York State Troopers Arrive in Western New York

When the New York State Troopers were formed in 1917, Troop A was headquartered in Western New York. Albert Kurek takes a look back at the Troopers’ early days in the region.

A Firm Commitment: Hodgson Russ' Two Centuries of Leadership in Buffalo

From the Erie Canal to the restoration of the Guaranty Building, Hodgson Russ has been an integral part of Buffalo since the firm was first founded. This year it celebrates 200 years of business in Buffalo.

Endnotes: Batavia's "Ellicott Hall"

Ownership of Batavia's Ellicott Hall was questionable for over 60 years of its life.

Old Photo Album: Batavia’s Route to Becoming a City: 11 Years in the Making

As Batavia celebrates its centennial in 2015, city historian Larry Barnes shares a collection of images of the community from the beginning of the 20th century.

Fighting the Demon Drink in Fredonia: The Women’s Temperance Crusade

Not everyone in Western New York in the late 1800s was a fan of the drink. Fredonia’s Women’s Temperance Union took a stand against alcohol in December 1873, successfully closing many drinking establishments and laying the roots for the national W.C.T.U..

A Matter of Light and Death: Buffalo & the Electric Chair

Before Buffalo earned the title, “City of Light” the city had a more sinister brush with electricity.

Enemies, Foreign and Domestic: A Century of Anarchy on the Niagara Frontier

From the McKinley assassination to the Lackawanna Six, Western New York has seen its share of seditious activity, both real and imagined.

Buffalo Takes on the Ku Klux Klan

In the early 1920s, the city and its mayor, Francis X. Schwab, took a dramatic stand against a resurgent Ku Klux Klan that boasted thousands of local members.

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