Margaret L. Wendt, whose namesake charitable foundation has ignited a new era of philanthropic outreach in Western New York, would be surprised indeed a the fame she now has attained. Her father would be astounded.
Forbidden to attend college and discouraged from following the footsteps of a "progressive" cousin in the early year of the last century, Miss Wendt lived a quiet life that tempered the privilege of her class and station with a personal commitment to charity - a commitment that evolved, eventually, into a multi-million-dollar fund that was among the first in this area to seek out projects with great potential impacts on the well-being of the entire community, rather than simply respond to pleas for assistance.
To read more of Mike Vogel's story, see page 9 of the Spring 2002 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!
When
Frank Westcott was drilling for natural gas in Alden in 1903 and the well
produced a gusher of black water instead of gas, he was a disappointed business
man. He would have to provide casings to keep the water out of the gas wells.
This discovery of mineral rich water, however, proved to be a bonanza for
the Village of Alden. Within a year Alden became the home of the Famous Black
Water Baths.
Healing springs had been known in New York State since before the time of the white men. Completion of the Genesee Valley Canal in 1860 reduced the size of the Oil Springs Reservation, creating a reservoir known today as Cuba Lake. The spring, a holy spot in Seneca history, was a natural flow of petroleum which the Seneca used to make linament to treat ulcers and rheumatic pains.
To read more of Ruth L. Davis' story, see page 14 of the Spring 2002 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!
The
Famous Central Wharf of the Buffalo Waterfront
Few people today are aware of the significance of Buffalo's Central Wharf, although it's history is one of national importance. It was a picturesque and vibrant commerical center and one of the greatest intermodal tranportation centers of 19th century America. It developed as a direct result of connection of the Erie Canal terminus and the easter terminus of Great Lakes shipping. Its history spanned a little over half a century, roughly from the opening of the Erie Canal to the railroad's eclipse of the canal, paralleling the great movement of emigrants populating the mid-continent.
According to historian Frank Severance, the Old Central Wharf was a major landmark and even the toughtest businessman became sentimental at its passing in 1883.
To read more of John Conlin's story, see page 20 of the Spring 2002 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!
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