Archive - WNY Heritage

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..

Pioneer Winemakers of Chautauqua County

Despite Chautauqua’s long-time association with Temperance and reform, the region boasts a colorful history of winemaking that has been making a comeback in recent decades. John Slater provides us with the last of our three-part look at the Chautauqua Grape Belt.

Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine

In a follow-up to his Fall 2010 feature, John Thomas Slater reveals how a Chautauqua County-based company developed Welch’s Grape Juice and brought it to the masses.

Before There Was Grape Juice

Before grape juice dominated the grape market, growers in Western New York and Northeast Pennsylvania produced thousands of acres worth of table grapes for a nationwide market. Related industries such as shipping and manufacturing of supplies were also fruitful for the people of the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt.

Burlesque in Buffalo

For more than 50 years, Dewey Michael's Palace Burlesk was a rollicking entertainment venue. A look at the last of Buffalo's big promoters and his legacy.

Last Look: German American Brewery Caves

Exploring the underground caves and the history of the German American Brewery before the building's recent demise.

Old Photo Album: Early Taverns and Stagecoach Stops

An historic pub tour of the early taverns and stagecoach stops that accommodated our ancestors along the dusty trails.

Western New York Heritage

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