Western New York Heritage Magazine

When librarian William H. Loos, curator of the Rare Book Room of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, took over the section in 1972, he started going through old desks, peering into forgotten drawers and filing cabinets, and scanning reams of old records and correspondence.

Thereby hangs a tale.

He discovered that Edgar Allan Poe's gold pocket watch had once been on display in the Treasure Room of the Buffalo Public Library...

But no watch could be found.

To read more of Richard J. Burke and William H. Loos's story, see page 34 of the Summer 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!

The Goodrich-Landow Log Cabin: A Document of Pioneer History

The image of a log cabin has long served as an emblem of early settlement history and as a symbol of the American spirit. On the brightly gilt elevator doors in the lobby of Buffalo's Ellicott Square Building, one can find - along with other images such as the buffalo, the American Indian and a land surveyor - the representation of an elemental log cabin.

The Town of Clarence, the oldest in Erie County (1808), has succeeded in restoring, for educational purposes, the best surviving pioneer Yankee log cabin in the county. The exemplary community effort restored an important architectural history document that will continue to grow in importance.

To read the rest of John H. Conlin's story, see page 42 in the Summer 2004 issue. Subscribe now!

Brothers in Arms

In the Italian-American community, sending multiple sons into battle was a fact of life. But Vincenza DeBiase, a spirited mother of 11, went above and beyond the call of duty, watching as five of her seven sons were called to service....

With each draft notice that arrived, the pall over the DeBiase home darkened. Throughout World War II, Vincenza proudly flew a flag in her window displaying five stars, one for each son in uniform: John, Pat, Lou, Ben and Joe. Over a period of five years, she saw her sons wounded in every way that a person can be - from physical agony to indelible emotional scars. Nearly six decades later, some members of their own family are about to share in their experiences for the first time.

To read more of William E. Paterson's story, see page 49 of the Summer 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!

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