By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
The full 2009 book, The Complete History of Parkside, by Steve Cichon, is presented here formatted as a series web pages. The original print volume was 174 pages.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF PARKSIDE
Chapter by Chapter
When Parkside was the Rugged Frontier
The First Parksiders: the rough-and-tumble Plains Rangers
Parkside after the War of 1812
Parkside develops around churches
Darwin Martin brings avant-garde architecture to Parkside
The Growth of Parkside, 1890-1920
The early businesses and churches of Parkside
Getting Around Parkside and Beyond
“The Main Street” near Parkside
Former Main Street institutions of the Parkside era now part of the Canisius campus
Canisius College & The Sisters of St. Joseph
Main Street: School 54, Cars, Pharmacies & Restaurants
Prohibition, Depression, & Wars in Parkside
Urban Renewal, Social Upheaval, Integration, and the Parkside Community Association
Shifting Ideology in Parkside and Buffalo’s oldest community association
Parkside’s City living constants, places of worship, and places to learn
Delaware Park and the Buffalo Zoo: Parkside’s Biggest Pride & Biggest Battle
National Treasure: The Darwin Martin House Renewed
Written and published by Steve Cichon in 2009, The Complete History of Parkside was uploaded in its entirety to BuffaloStories.com in 2021.
“I wrote this book to collect and share the history of the neighborhood I call home,” said Cichon.
Parts of the book have been posted to buffalostories.com before– but never as a complete book.
“Putting this whole book online, formatted as a series of webpages, makes the history of Parkside instantly accessible to anyone with an internet connection. It’s exciting– putting this knowledge at people’s fingertips, and giving more folks a chance to explore and build upon what I wrote almost a dozen years ago.”
Cichon’s greatest hope with all his writing and research on Buffalo and the city’s pop culture history is that it serves to inspire more scholarship, memory collection, and celebration of the things that make Buffalo great.
Original 2009 Thank Yous
To all of those dozens of people; scholars, journalists, and historians, who’ve collected and written individual portions of this history over the years, and left it waiting for me to find and collect here; among them, Michael Riester, George Stock, Barton Atkins, Ellen Parisi, Marjorie Quinlan, Frank Severance, Mark Goldman, Chuck LaChiusa, Pat Kavanagh, Art Lalonde, Jim Powell, Steve Powell, Donald Norton, and many others.
Also to the many, many individuals who shared their stories and historical ephemera and photos with me for inclusion in this book; Including: Jack Anthony, Michael Riester, Bernie Wagner, George Stock, Ann Marie Flett, George Zornick, Greg Lodinsky, Jan Barber, Ruth Lampe, Len Mattie, Paul Crowley, Pamela Rohring, Jennifer Fields, Tom Burns, Sr. Gail Glenn, Al Tinney, Carl Schmitter, Al Wallack, Fred Kerr, Al Kerr, Sam Hoyt, Kevin Keenan, Aaron Heverin, Msgr. Francis Braun, Rev. David Selzer, John Bisci, Tom Malamas, Dan Ryan, Al Villa, Bob Venneman, Chief Dennis Richards, Chief Charles Fieramusca, Marsha Henderson, Joe Crangle, and many, many others.
And there were also many Parkside friends and neighbors who lent vital moral support over the 19 months this project dragged on (i.e., listened to me drone on about it.) Among them: David Lampe, Tom Ziobro, Mike O’Sullivan, Jack O’Sullivan, Rich Wolf, Pat Lalonde, Chris Lavey, Tom Dolan, Marlene Smith-Amaker, Bob Barends, James Rusk, Randy Bushover, Nancy Abramo, John Warner, Amy Dembski, Kelly Barbus, Kathy Peterson, Diane Kasting, Paula Dolega, Vanessa Currie and too many others. Thanks for your patience.
Special Thanks to Brian Meyer for his invaluable expert advice; Marty Biniasz for being a partner in history and sharing history; Michael Riester for being the Godfather of this project and infecting me with his contagious life-long love of Parkside; and my family: Greg, Lynne, Stephen, and Melissa & Jim, Mom and Dad, Mom and Dad H., Jim and Pat, Amanda and Catherine, Haley, the best grandparents anyone could ever ask for, and most of all, my wife Monica—who gave up her husband for too much time during the course of putting this book together. Thanks Sweetie Pie, I love ya……
This page is an excerpt from
The Complete History of Parkside
by Steve Cichon
The full text of the book is now online.
The original 174-page book is available along with Steve’s other books online at The Buffalo Stories Bookstore and from fine booksellers around Western New York.
©2009, 2021 Buffalo Stories LLC, staffannouncer.com, and Steve Cichon
