Archive - WNY Heritage

Looking for Love: A Utopian Legacy Turned Toxic

The 1893 Model City prospectus described a “green city” powered by clean energy and centered around nature and beauty.

Endnotes: A Great Lake's Golden Hill

An evocative look at Niagara County's Golden Hill State Park

"A Cabbin of Bark": Joncaire's Magazine Royal

Three centuries ago, French traders established this small, but important site in what is now Lewiston.

The Niagara Gorge Belt Line

While the Maid of the Mist is certainly the longest-running sightseeing tour in Niagara Falls, the Great Gorge Route was the most popular for a time. John Slater dives into the international railroad line that attracted millions.

Another Look: Timeless Teaching Tug

The 113-year-old vessel worked the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes for nearly a century. Today, it operates as a teaching tug, but the years of wear and tear require extensive repairs.

Amos W. Sangster’s Niagara

Known as the “Painter of the Niagara Frontier,” Amos Sangster is best known for his historic series of etchings, published from 1886 to 1889, which chronicled the complete Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

The Grand Enterprise: LaSalle on the Niagara

The story of La Salle's exploration of the Great Lakes is well known, but many mysteries surround his ship, the Griffon. The first part of this two-part story presents new interpretations of this storied ship's design.

Another Look: "Building 88": The Barracks at Fort Niagara State Park

This 1939 Army barracks bore witness to much of Fort Niagara’s colorful 20th century history. Now proposed plans may once again breathe life into this local treasure of military architecture.

Western New York Heritage

The Archive