The most famous (and infamous) owner in the history of sports, George Steinbrenner had a soft space in his hardened heart for Buffalo — a city that has been like a second home for generations of Steinbrenners. Above: The SS George Steinbrenner in the Buffalo River. The freighter was named after the grandfather of the Yankees … Continue reading Buffalo in the ’60s: George Steinbrenner- ‘The Boss’ loved Buffalo
When Don Paul retired as Buffalo’s pre-eminent weather authority last month, the folks at Channel 4 wished him luck on the message board in front of the station’s Elmwood Avenue studios. The high-definition display replaces a scrolling light sign which had been in place for at least 40 years. Steve Cichon/Buffalo Stories photo The station … Continue reading What it looked like Wednesday: The changing look in front of Channel 4, 1960 -2016
This oft-quoted billboard was posted near Buffalo City Hall in September 1977, and is looked upon as Buffalo’s darkest moment, reading, “Will the last worker out of Western New York please turn out the light?” The bitter and deadly Blizzard of ’77 cemented Buffalo’s place in the punchlines of Johnny Carson and funny people everywhere. By … Continue reading Buffalo’s most infamous billboard: Will the last worker out of WNY turn out the light?
Joey Bean Heinz was already a veteran Western New York stage actress when she was tapped by Super Duper to appear in TV commercials with the supermarket’s weekly specials starting in 1975. Buffalo News archives Western New York quickly embraced the woman who spent at least a half hour a week on local TV—albeit in … Continue reading Buffalo in the ’70s: Love that Joey, Love that Super Duper
In the year of the big blizzard, the iconic Buffalo News tavern and music critic Dale Anderson counted 17 bars on Seneca Street between Elk Street and the city line. Buffalo Stories archives/Steve Cichon collection He visited or at least talked about 10 different gin mills along Seneca Street and Abbott Road, including four within a block … Continue reading What It Looked Like Wednesday: Three nights of drinking in South Buffalo, 1977
By Steve Cichon | steve@buffalostories.com | @stevebuffalo What a beautiful day outside. Seeing small kids playing with someone who looked like their grandfather in Delaware Park just now takes me back 35 years to a similar scene in Cazenovia Park, on a similar beautiful just-before-Christmas day. The only difference— unlike these carefree kids, all was … Continue reading Remembering Gramps on a Warm Christmas past
This former NFT bus, a 1967 GMC Model TDH-5304, was the wave of the future when it and 33 others started rolling around Western New York. This undated photo, likely from the late ’30s or early ’40s, shows those “Old Look” buses lined up for service along the Porter-Best route. By the time the Blizzard … Continue reading Buffalo in the ’70s: New NFT buses arrive at the Aud
As hockey season gets underway in Buffalo, inevitably someone will wax poetic about the great old days of watching the Sabres at Memorial Auditorium. While the memories might be sweet, the modern hockey fan might not last even one period without complaint. This 1973 photo shows the extreme pitch of seats in the Orange section … Continue reading Buffalo in the ’70s: Up in the Oranges, hanging on for dear life
Pioneer announcer and journalist Lou Douglas has died. He was 85. The Korean War vet came to WBEN-AM/FM/TV in 1957 and his unflappable, smart, level-headed approach to news anchoring and interviewing was part of the fabric of the station for 30 years. Douglas was considered by most as the dean of broadcast journalists. In his early years … Continue reading WBEN’s calm, steady voice of intelligence and reason: Lou Douglas 1930-2015
Over a two-page spread six days into the 1980s, The News looked back at the most important stories of Western New York over the previous 10 years in photos. Fourteen photos represented events that defined Buffalo during the decade. The images are grainy, but the memories of the happenings are still with us. They include … Continue reading Buffalo in 1980: The biggest WNY events of the ’70s, in pictures
