When the East MobileBooth stopped in Buffalo, New York this past summer, Jennifer Gayles, 31, came to listen to her mother Diane Gayles, 58, tell childhood stories. Having grown up on a farm, Diane had quite a few to tell.

On one occasion, Mrs. Gayles was playing in the bed of an old pickup truck when her brother shouted for her to run. Suspecting a trick, she was unmoved by her brother’s increasingly insistent pleas. However, when he took off at top speed himself, she figured the situation required further investigation.

When Diane looked up, she saw a bull charging straight at her. “As he came up in the bed of the truck, I went over the cab,” she recalled. Running hard and fast for home, she escaped the bull and a near collision with an apple tree before slamming the backdoor behind her.

The bull, whose horns came right through the backdoor, was not as lucky.

Diane’s mother, not a woman to be intimidated, came out of the house and gave the bull a piece of her mind and her broomstick. She would have liked to have ended the bull’s charging days right on the spot, but as a mother she knew the value of both discipline and mercy, so she promptly called the neighbor farmer and gave him the opportunity to retrieve his errant bull.

Throughout the rest of the conversation it was evident that Diane has inherited her mother’s lively spirit, and is passing it on to Jennifer.

Buffalonians welcomed the MobileEast team to their city with open arms. WBFO 88.7 and the Buffalo Public Library could not have been more gracious hosts, and the MobileEast team attended many concerts, plays, outdoor barbecues, dinners, parties and tours! Every day and in every way, Buffalo embraced StoryCorps and we will miss our new friends in “The City of Good Neighbors” more than they know.

Bye Bye, Buffalo!

Buffalo and all of Western New York is a region that is rich in it’s musical heritage and appreciation. One prominent member of the Buffalo music scene and community at large is Jimmy Lyons. An early stage performer and promoter from the mid 1950s through the late 1960s, Jimmy Lyons became Buffalo’s very first African-American disc jockey. Lyons conducted his own rhythm and blues show, “The Lyons Den,” on WXRA, later WINE. JoAnne Lyons-Wooten, James Lyons Jr, and Gail Lyons-Hawkins came to the StoryCorps booth to pay tribute their father and share their recollections of his many contributions to Buffalo.

Recording artists like Sammy Davis Jr., The Marvelettes, Grover Washington, and Little Stevie Wonder sought out Jimmy Lyons whenever they made their way to The Nickel City. “For me, going to the radio station was heaven,” says James. “The biggest thrill was he’d let me sit next to him when he was on the air doing his [show] Lyons Den. He would let me push the button for the commercials. He’d say, ‘OK champ, standby. OK, now.’” According to Gail there were plenty of perks to being the children of a DJ. “[He had] all the latest music and we didn’t have to buy any because he had the demos! It was years before we had to go to a record store!”

Jimmy Lyons was a born entertainer but he recognized the power of music and radio to both entertain and inform. In 1960 Jimmy became the Public Service Director of WUFO and he used this opportunity to create a new voice for the the African-American community. “He had Malcolm X on his radio show and the majority of the people said, ‘No, no, don’t do that,’ ” says James. “But Dad, that is one thing you don’t tell him, one, and then two, he felt an obligation that he was there to inform.” JoAnne agrees, “Either the first or second day at WUFO he had Wyatt Tee Walker, one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s right hand lieutenants. He took the responsibility, that he had, of using that platform in as effective a manner as possible.”

After achieving so much in broadcasting, going into city government and becoming president of Blacks In Government, Jimmy Lyons passed away on December 28, 1981. For a man whose life was filled with music it seemed appropriate to say goodbye with a song. “When Daddy was in the hospital and he was dying, all I could do was sing Old Black Magic, and that’s what I did,” says Gail. “That’s the last thing, y’know, communication that Daddy and I had. That was my ‘thank you’.”

Jack Donnelly came to the booth in Buffalo to share stories about growing up in the First Ward, the neighborhood at the base of Buffalo’s grain silos. Like many of his neighbors, Jack came from a traditional Irish immigrant family and grew up learning to fight in the neighborhood. After taking up boxing at the age of 9, he boxed his way through his teenage years, his service in the Air Force, and later as a professional, where he fought Bobby Scanlon and Paola Rosi. Jack’s mother was his biggest fan. He told us that she often was the only woman ringside. In those days, men went to matches in suit and tie, women went downtown Buffalo in white gloves, and Jack spent his winnings on looking sharp with new hats and shoes.

Jack’s family and many other Irish immigrants moved to the First Ward for the jobs created by the construction of the Erie Canal. In 1825 the Canal was opened, making the long trip from the grain rich Midwest to the East Coast shorter. Before the Canal, grain traveled down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. It was then taken by ship to the East and Europe. Sometimes the grain traveled by wagon through the Appalachian Mountains.

When the Canal was opened, grain could bypass the mountain range, reaching its destinations with much greater speed and at a much lower price. In Buffalo grain was transferred from the larger lake boats to the smaller canal boats. During the 1830s, the quantity of grain handled in Buffalo had increased ten fold. The work was dangerous and exhausting; the grain was loaded onto the back of workers most and carried from ship to ship.

In 1842 a retail merchant by the name of Joseph Dart invented the first grain elevator. The invention enabled a steam-driven belt with attached buckets, to lower into the ship’s hold, scoop the grain up, and lift it to up to the bins where it was stored. Although the work was difficult, some of the city’s last scoopers came from four generations in same line of work.

In February 2003, grain scoopers of Local 109 unloaded their last shipment. Highway End Films documented the very last day of grain scooping.

After Steve and his grandmother Evelyn came to record a conversation at the booth in Buffalo, we started talking pie. Evelyn become known for her pie when her grandson Steve, a writer for the Buffalo News, published a special on her delicious desserts. After the interview, we started talking about our favorite kinds of pie and Evelyn invited us over to try her recipe.

On that Sunday evening, after a day of interviews, we made our way out to her house, where she and Steve welcomed us with warm blueberry and strawberry rhubarb pies. Both were so delicious we had to have seconds. After filling ourselves up, we stayed for hours of great conversation. This is Buffalo, people who warmly welcome us, share their stories, and sometimes even share the perfect pie.

Talking pie has provided several invitations here in Buffalo: prize-winning pie, peanut butter pie, and a Super 8/pie-eating extravaganza. “It is the American dessert,” Steve said.? As Facilitators, or explorers of stories across America, it seems quite fitting that we are sharing pie with new friends.

For years the engines of industry in Buffalo were known by names like Bethlehem Steel, Trico and Bell Aircraft. The third and last name in this trio of giants, the Bell Aircraft Corporation, employed thousands of Buffalonians throughout the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The company was founded by Lawrence Bell, who was a general manager of the Glenn L. Martin Company, then a manager of the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation. When Consolidated moved to San Diego in 1935, Bell stayed in Buffalo to start his own company.

Virginia Stephan and her daughter Katie Mattison

StoryCorps participant, Virginia Stephan was 18-years-old when she started working at Bell Aircraft. Having started business school in 1936, Virginia quickly realized that she wanted a different path. “I didn’t like shorthand, so I didn’t want to be a secretary,” says Virginia. “So I went to Bell Aircraft and got a job making 65 cents an hour.” A real life Rosie the Riveter, Virginia helped build Bell Aircraft’s single engine P-39 Airacobra fighter. Called a “Cannon on Wings,” the P-39 placed the engine in the center of the aircraft, with the propeller driven by a long shaft through which a 37 mm, anti-tank cannon was mounted. The Airacobra fired armor piercing and explosive shells directly out of the propeller’s spinner. Virginia worked at Bell Aircraft’s Main Street location helping to build these so-called sky tanks before enlisting in the Navy and joining the WAVES during World War II.

Reproductions by permission of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

Bell would go on to produce a line of experimental aircraft throughout the 1950’s, helping the Air Force explore the boundaries of aircraft design, and paving the way for the space race. Bell Aircraft is also responsible for the creation of the first American jet dubbed the XP-59. Another StoryCorps participant, Arthur Nesbit worked for Bell Air for 22 years in a variety of jobs including an office management position in the Maintenance Department. He recalled the secrecy around the creation of the XP-59. “That plane was completed and they were sending it out to the west where they had a special airport for it. They put a propeller on the nose in case of any spies!”

The impact that Bell Aircraft made in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace engineering cannot be overstated, but the company’s impact on the personal lives of the men and women of Buffalo who worked for the Bell Aircraft was just as great. The company published a newsletter in which one could find features on the Soviet Union’s successful use of the Airacobra in their fight against Germans right next to the names and bios of the Ms. Bell Air contest being held back in 1942! The company asked a lot of its employees but also offered financial aid to any employees who were in school and maintaining a certain grade point average. It was through this program that Arthur Nesbit was able to go to college in his forties and graduate Summa Cum Laude from the University at Buffalo with degree in Political Science.

At the cusp of WWII Britain began Operation Pied Piper, evacuating children from large cities to the surrounding countryside for safety. My interest in the evacuation grew from the myriad of children’s stories featuring the event (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Lord of the Flies). This event obviously makes a wonderful premise for children’s books because it places children in new and exciting environments, away from mom and dad and ready for adventure.

Joan McKernan came into the MobileBooth in Buffalo to share her real-life evacuation story. She remembered growing up in London and indulging in salted peanuts and ice cream. Ms. McKernan was readying to enter high school in 1939 when the evacuation began, and she was sent out into the country to live with strangers. She stayed with a couple who had a swing, a greenhouse, and a car, who took her to the movies once a week, a pleasure she rarely had at home. While the adults were worrying about the terrors of war, Joan was distracted with being young and having fun.

Joan also remembered the initial terror of the air raids in London. The air raid siren sent her family running with gas masks into a neighbor’s bomb cellar shelter every night where they played games and drank tea. The repetition of the raids quelled Joan’s fear, and she would stand at her doorstep and watch the planes drop bombs amidst the Barrage Balloons, lighting up the sky. Joan had her first job during the war, as well as her first date. She recalled the abundance of soldiers and sailors. “London was full of men. We were never without dates. It was lovely.”

Despite her youthful ignorance to the terrors of war, Ms. McKernan remembers its end as one of her happiest memories. She was sent home early from work and asked her father,”What do you do when a war ends?” Joan joined crowds of people in London as they jumped and drank and sang in celebration.

You can read more evacuation stories here.

And find more information on children’s literature inspired by WWII.

Photo courtesy of the Imperial War Museum London.

- Mark Twain

Photo by Laura Snyder

Being in Buffalo this summer I have learned the wisdom of Mr. Twain’s advice over and over again! The weather in the winter, however, appears to be a bit less fickle, but what it lacks in diversity it more than makes up for in intensity! Buffalo holds the record for the snowiest city in the country, maintaining the all-time high for snowfall in a single season with 199 inches (about 16.5 feet!), all of which accumulated during the winter of 1976-77. As a Southern boy, I’ve been more than content to experience the blizzard of ‘77, and more recent storms, vicariously through the recollections of our StoryCorps participants. For Buffalonians, though, it appears that the blizzards are much more than just dangerous and inconvenient meteorological occurrences. For the Buffalonians I’ve met, the blizzards are a chance to reassess that which they truly value.

Photo by Laura Snyder

Three generations of one family came into the booth to talk about their blizzard experiences. Alma “Mickey” Tannehill , Sue Tannehill and 9-year-old Hope Kenmore talked about the blizzards of 1977 and 2006. Mickey and Sue talked about the harrowing journey back home from the school at which Mickey was teaching, and being virtually snow blind as they drove slowly, driver door open in order to see the yellow line on the road. Once they finally got home safely after their hours-long snowy exodus they hunkered down for a nice long winter break. Mickey recalled the moment when she realized what a great gift of time the blizzard had given her family, time to be with each other.

Photo by Laura Snyder

Another great blizzard story came from Laura Snyder and Marlana Barry who talked about the blizzard of November 2o, 2000. In less than one day, over 2 feet of heavy lake effect snow fell, stranding hundreds of people across the county. What started as a partnership to navigate the snow-choked streets of Buffalo ended up blossoming into a deeply spiritual friendship that has sustained Laura and Marlana for over eight years. While weathering the storm at a fast food restaurant they recognized the importance of helping others and learned that the gift of friendship can appear at the most unlikely of times.

Photo by Laura Snyder

Buffalo is concerned about its future. Like many cities, Buffalo has seen its industry decline and the people move farther and farther away from the city center into the suburbs. While the city’s ghosts are still very visible in neighborhoods (where red spray paint marks houses for demolition) and in business districts, there are also visible signs of growth. During our stay we are fortunate to not only see Buffalo, but also hear its stories from the people who know it best.

Most people we speak to truly love their city and are eager to see it reemerge with a growing economy and engaged community. And many people are actively working towards progress here. Ani Difranco, a musician and Buffalo native, has toured the world and still calls Buffalo home. When Ani and her manager, Scot Fisher, realized a church in downtown Buffalo built in the late 1800’s was slated for demolition due to years of neglect, they bought the building from the city. Millions of dollars and years of renovations later, the church has been transformed into a beautiful music hall that still retains its original grand beauty. Rechristened Babeville, it now houses the Righteous Babe offices, a gorgeous performance hall, an art gallery, a cinema, and a soon-to-be bar.

We were lucky enough to receive a grand tour of Babeville, including a long climb up the bell tower.

Babeville offers a beautiful venue for the Buffalo arts community to enjoy and for performers to visit. And like many of Buffalo’s historical landmarks, the church is “no longer simply a static reminder of Buffalo’s bygone glory, it’s a promise of things to come. “

Pen and ink drawing by Jeremy Pratt

Across the street from the giant church dubbed Babeville there is a little place called the Starlight Studio. The studio opened in August 2005 and since day one has been a home to adult artists with disabilities. Created by the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of West New York, Starlight provides an open-art studio environment with individualized guidance, goal setting, technical assistance, demonstrations, and critiques for the cultivation of artistic expression. I had been hearing about Starlight since arriving in Buffalo and on a recent day off I wondered into the studio for, of all things, a leather work demo being given by artist and Starlight participant Ricky Hogan.

Artist Ricky Hogan gives a demo to fellow artists Mary Hunt, Sonya Lewis, Lisa Kobis, Donald Brown and volunteer Patricia Cosgrove.

The first thing I noticed was the vibrancy and energy of the studio. There were artists working on drawings, sculptures and other mediums. There was a group of artists gathered around the table where Ricky was meticulously demonstrating the process of moistening the leather and imprinting various lines and shapes into the surface. One lesson he reiterated again and again was the need to take one’s time learning how to use the tools properly. That seemed to me to be a great metaphor for the work done at Starlight Studio where artists are the given time and encouragement to learn and grow.

Collage by Marie Malinowski

Within the day program model, artists at Starlight work alongside professional artists. They have the opportunity to create or work with a variety of materials and techniques. Painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, fiber arts and multi-media work is available to all. The studio, located at 340 Delaware Avenue, is open Monday through Friday from 9-4 pm, and also houses an exhibition space and gift shop filled with work created by participating artists, fulfilling the mission that the artists not only acquire and develop new skills but also that they make financial gains as a result of their art making.

Wood assemblage by Josh Gordon

In addition to the exhibits of Starlight participants’ work, two other local agencies, Aspire of WNY and People, Inc. have exhibited art work in the gallery. In the summer of 2006, Starlight created outdoor woven sculptures with visiting artist, Jozef Bajus, which remained on display on a downtown thoroughfare throughout the summer. Starlight has also had several off-site exhibits in its short history: Art Dialogue Gallery, Betty’s Restaurant, CafÈ 59 and Globe Market. In a moment serendipity, the Mobile East team just happened to be in Buffalo during Starlight’s current exhibit which is inspired by something near and dear to StoryCorps; the spoken word.

Ceramic sculpture by Rosita Scott