Archive - WNY Heritage

Created as a pioneering facility for epileptic patients, we look at the rise and fall of this Livingston County community, portions of which survive today under very different circumstances.

A Tavern Within the Trees

Asa Ransom was one of Western New York's most intriguing—yet mysterious—early pioneers. We take a look back at his life and accomplishments.

A Tale of Three Towns: A Trio of Southtowns Observe a Collective Bicentennial

Three town historians help us to mark a milestone occasion for a group of Buffalo's bucolic Southtowns.

Another Look: Photo Yields Ties to Early Buffalo

A reader-submitted photo sheds light on an historic corner and its roots in the early history of Buffalo.

William Austin Hart: Made in America, Part I

A jack of many trades, the story of William A. Hart provides an interesting look into 19th century America and the beginnings of what would become the middle class.

Captain Myndert Marselis Dox & the Buffalo Brewery

Myndert Dox led an eventful life in Western New York. New evidence suggests he may also have a claim to being the first person to open a brewery in the village of Buffalo.

Western New York's First Farmers

Recent archaeological excavations by the Allegheny Valley Project in Cattaraugus County have shed some light on pre-contact Natives, but have also raised more questions about their lifestyle.

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..

Western New York Heritage

The Archive