Black History Month in Upstate NY: Historical sites, monuments and more

Black History Month extends through the month of February and in recognition, we take a look at some of the rich history embedded in Upstate New York. Many homes and towns in the state were a part of the Underground Railroad, guiding enslaved Black people to freedom in neighboring communities and Canada.

This list includes historical greats like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass to maybe lesser known, but none less notable folk like the inventor of the potato chip, a peg-legged tap dancer, a Pulitzer prize winning author, two Grammy-winning artists and one Oscar-winning movie inspiration.

The people and places below are just a start on a journey through Black history in Upstate New York. Is there an Upstate New York Black history story you think we should tell? Let us know at features@nyup.com.

Western NY

Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center

The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is located near the former International Suspension Bridge, a point of crossing for many freedom seekers. Its exhibits aim to tell the stories of the Underground Railroad in Niagara Falls. According to their website, their mission is to reveal authentic stories of Underground Railroad freedom seekers and abolitionists in Niagara Falls that inspire visitors to recognize modern injustices that stem from slavery and take action toward an equitable society.

The museum is open for in-person visits, but they also offer virtual tours each week.

Where to go: 825 Depot Avenue West, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 or virtual tours can be found at www.niagarafallsundergroundrailroad.org

Shirley Chisolm, the first Black woman elected to Congress

“Fighting Shirley” Chisolm was the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, where she worked on the Education and Labor Committee and helped form the Black Caucus. Chisolm was also the first Black woman to run for President of the United States.

She married Buffalo native, Arthur Hardwick, Jr. who ran a successful liquor store before becoming a New York State Assemblyman. They made their home in Williamsville, NY and are both buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, N.Y. Chisolm’s grave site is engraved with her campaign slogan “Unbought & Unbossed.”

Where to go: Forest Lawn Cemetary, 1411 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209

Rick James, Grammy award winning funk singer

Legendary funk singer Rick James was a born-and-bred Buffalonian. Born James Ambrose Johnson Jr. in 1948, Rick James found musical success as a solo artist in the 70s and 80s with hits that include “Mary Jane,” “Give It to Me Baby” and “Super Freak.” James won a Grammy for “Super Freak” when MC Hammer sampled it for the ever popular “U Can’t Touch This.”

James returned to Buffalo throughout his life and sings about it in his song “Below the Funk” with lyrics “I was born in a city we call Buffalo / Zero degrees below is too damn cold and funky.” He passed away in 2004 and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery. His headstone, inscribed with his portrait, reads: “I’ve had it all, I’ve done it all, I’ve seen it all. It’s all about love – God is love.”

Most recently a series about the singer and his brother, LeRoi Johnson, is set to film in Buffalo and tell the story of their upbringing.

Where to go: Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1411 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209

Michigan Street Baptist Church

The Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, N.Y., was often the last stop for enslaved people traveling as fugitives on the Underground Railroad before crossing over to Canada. The church still possesses some remnants of Underground Railroad hiding places. A prominent parishioner was Mary Talbert, according to the church’s records, who met with W.E.B. Du Bois and other African American leaders who founded of the Niagara Movement which became part of the Civil Rights Movement and a pre-cursor to the NAACP formed in 1909.

Michigan Street Baptist Church is part of Buffalo’s African American Heritage Corridor which provides tours virtually and in person with pre-booking.

Where to go: 511 Michigan Street, Buffalo, NY 14203 or virtual tours available at michiganstreetbuffalo.org

Historic Colored Musicians Club

Located in Buffalo, N.Y., the Colored Musicians Club was housed in several locations before finding its permanent home at 145 Broadway in 1934. According to their website, the Colored Musicians Club was formed to foster the principles of unity and cooperation among the colored musicians of Erie County, N.Y. This social club became a place where local musicians and nationally acclaimed artists would intersect. The Colored Musicians Club is now the only remaining African American club in the country, continuing to research and preserve the history of jazz in Buffalo.

The club can still be rented for performances and rehearsal spaces and they continue to host concerts and jazz festivals. There is also a jazz museum there which is available to the public each weekend.

Where to go: 145 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14203 or virtual tours available at michiganstreetbuffalo.org

Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and supporter of women’s rights

Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818 on a Maryland plantation and escaped at age 20, eventually settling in Rochester, N.Y., where he lived for more than two decades and was buried. He founded an abolitionist newspaper there, became a national leader of the abolitionist movement and supporter of women’s rights in Upstate New York, and gave his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” in Rochester on July 5, 1852.

Rochester has honored Douglass with markers, a statue, the naming of schools, and recently voted to rename their airport after him. He is interred in Rochester’s historic Mount Hope Cemetery. Douglass along with his wife Anna Murray, are among 350,000 people buried at this site which includes fellow abolitionist, suffragist Susan B. Anthony.

Where to go: Mount Hope Cemetery, 1133 Mount Hope Ave., Rochester, NY 14620

Central New York

Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and “conductor, on the Underground Railroad

There are several sites in Upstate New York honoring the woman known as “the Moses of her people,” but at the center of it is the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. When Harriet Ross Tubman escaped slavery, she moved to Auburn, NY and was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, helping to bring more than 300 enslaved people to freedom.

The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park includes a visitor center, Harriet Tubman’s home, the Tubman Home for the Aged, and the Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church that Tubman raised funds to build.

Tubman, who died in 1913 at the age of 91, is now buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. The current Biden administration is resuming efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only the external grounds of the Harriet Tubman Park can be visited currently. Guided outdoor tours are currently by appointment only.

Where to go: Harriet Tubman House at 180 South St, Auburn, NY 13021 or Fort Hill Cemetery at 19 Fort St., Auburn, NY 13021

What to watch: 2019 Academy Award nominated movie “Harriet”

What to listen to: Stuff You Missed in History Class Podcast - Harriet Tubman & the Underground Railroad (Part 1), Harriet Tubman, Union Spy (Part 2)

Alex Haley, author of “Roots: The Saga of an American Family”

Prolific writer Alex Haley was born in Ithaca, NY, during a time when his father was a graduate student at Cornell University and his mother was enrolled at the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, which later became Ithaca College. Haley’s family moved to Tennessee shortly after, but he returned as a “writer in residence” at Hamilton College and lived in Rome, NY in the late 60s and early 70s.

Haley spent a lot of time writing at The Savoy restaurant down the street from his Central New York home. It was here that he began to write what became the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” a novel which was turned into an award winning TV miniseries “Roots,” starring LeVar Burton.

Today, a historical marker sits outside Haley’s birthplace in Ithaca and there is a municipal pool named after him. Also, The Savoy displays a portrait of Haley along with a letter of appreciation he sent to the restaurant’s staff.

As of February 2022, The Savoy has closed due to many challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Where to go: His birthplace - 212 Cascadilla St., Ithaca NY, The Savoy - 255 E Dominick St, Rome, NY 13440

National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum

The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Central New York in the same building which the inaugural meeting of the New York State Antislavery Society was held in 1835. According to its website, their mission is to honor antislavery abolitionists, their work to end slavery, and the legacy of that struggle. Their programming strives to complete the second and ongoing abolition to end racism.

While they are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the museum is hosting a series of daily videos during Black History Month for free. The videos will be released on the Hall of Fame and Museum’s YouTube channel and will be shared on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Where to go: 5255 Pleasant Valley Rd., Peterboro, NY 13134

Jerry Rescue Monument

In the heart of downtown Syracuse stands a statue depicting the rescue of a fugitive slave by the citizens of Syracuse. On Oct. 1, 1851, William “Jerry” Henry was arrested in Syracuse and identified as a fugitive slave. The arrest occurred on the same day an abolitionist meeting was taking place in the city and citizens mobbed a police station and rescued Jerry from being sent back down South. It was one of the first examples of resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act.

Where to go: Clinton Square, 161 W Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13202

Ernie Davis, first Black man to receive the Heisman Trophy

Ernie Davis, American football player, was the first Black man to receive the Heisman Trophy. A commemorative statue stands in front of Ernie Davis Middle School, which Davis attended as Elmira Free Academy for high school. Another statue stands outside Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University for whom he played in college. Davis died from leukemia at age 23 and is buried in Elmira, NY.

His life story was made into a motion picture released in 2008. “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story” was partially shot in Syracuse and had its world premiere at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre.

Where to go: Woodlawn Cemetery, 1200 Walnut St, Elmira, NY 14905

Adirondacks

John Brown, abolitionist

Abolitionist John Brown owned a farm in North Elba, NY in the 1800s. He moved to Kansas in 1855, but kept ownership of the farm. In 1859, he was captured in Virginia during a raid with others on the U.S. Arsenal in Harper’s Ferry. The plan was to use the firearms seized to help liberate slaves. Brown was imprisoned and found guilty of treason, murder and slave insurrection. He was hanged for his crimes.

After his execution, Brown’s body was brought back to the Adirondacks and he was buried in front of his home on the farm. Some of his followers are also buried there. The farm was named a state historical site in 1896 and is open year-round for tours and recreation. John Brown Lives! is a group dedicated to the preservation of the site as well as provides programming aimed to help people understand the intersection between history and human rights.

Ethan Hawke recently portrayed John Brown in a series on Showtime called “The Good Lord Bird” based on the National Book Award-winning novel of the same name by author James McBride.

Where to go: John Brown Farm State Historic Site, 115 John Brown Rd, Lake Placid, NY 12946

Capital Region

George Crum, inventor of the potato chip

George Speck, also known as George Crum, was a Black chef at the Moons Lake House in Saratoga Springs during the mid-1800s. Legend says in 1853 a wealthy customer ordered a house specialty of fried potatoes, but kept sending them back, complaining they were too thick and soggy, which was how they were intended to be.

Frustrated with the customer, Crum is said to have sliced the potatoes as thin as he could, over salt them and deep fry them to make them inedible. Instead, the customer loved them and ordered more. “Saratoga Chips” became so popular that in 1860, Crum opened “Crumbs House,” near Saratoga Lake, and served Original Saratoga Chips at the tables. “The Original Saratoga Chips Company” still exists and produces potato chips in Saratoga Springs today. A historical marker also stands.

Where to go: Crum’s Place Historical Marker, 793 Malta Ave., Ballston Spa, NY 12020

What to listen to: Black History Podcast - “George Crum - “Leaving Crum(b)s Through History”

Solomon Northup, author of “Twelve Years a Slave”

Solomon Northup was a free black man born in Minerva, NY in Essex County. After moving to Saratoga Springs with his wife, Northup was drugged and sold into slavery in 1840 and was enslaved for more than a decade. During that time, he recorded his experiences of the violent experiences he endured in the book, “Twelve Years a Slave.” A movie based on his autobiography with the same title won the Oscar for best picture in 2014.

The Old Fort House Museum has a permanent exhibit on Northup and celebrates his legacy periodically with a Solomon Northup Day. The exhibit includes many artifacts relating to his life and experiences including an original copy of “Twelve Years a Slave.”

Where to go: Old Fort House Museum, 29 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828

What to watch: “12 Years a Slave” film

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Grammy award winning artist and social activist

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, lifelong musician and activist, was born outside of Albany, Georgia. Reagon is best known as the founder and one of the singers of the Grammy-nominated Black a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock. Before that happened however, she could be found in Saratoga Springs, waiting tables at Hattie’s Restaurant, which has been serving up Southern and Louisiana cuisine since 1938.

According to saratogaliving.com, one of Hattie’s regular customers introduced Reagon to the owners of Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, where she was then given the opportunity to perform regularly. In 1962, Reagon became one of the founding members of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singers out of Albany State College. Performing music that meshed gospel singing with protest songs, SNCC Freedom Singers performed in Albany, Schenectady and back in Saratoga at Caffè Lena.

Where to go: Hattie’s Restaurant, 45 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; Caffe Lena, 47 Phila St, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

What to watch: Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon - “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”

Crailo State Historic Site

Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer, NY was once part of the large estate owned by Dutch settler Hendrick Van Rensselaer. It now serves as a museum of Colonial New Netherland history. In the house’s cellar, you can see where the house’s enslaved people slept and where many of them worked. The site also celebrates Pinkster, once a Dutch religious holiday. Enslaved and free African Americans in the 17th and 18th centuries transformed Pinkster into a spring festival and a celebration of African traditions. Pinkster is celebrated throughout the Hudson Valley.

Where to go: 9 1/2 Riverside Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144

Catskills

Peg Leg Bates, entertainer and owner of Peg Leg Bates Country Club and Resort

Tap dancing Clayton “Peg Leg Bates” is said to have performed on the “Ed Sullivan Show” more times than any other dancer. According to the New York Times, Clayton Bates started dancing at age five and at 12 he lost a leg in a cotton conveyor. His uncle fashioned him a peg leg when he was 15 and he made his way to work the Black vaudeville circuit.

He toured the world with his performances and also opened up a his own nightclub in the Catskills, “Peg Leg Bates Country Club.” The resort at 121 Rocky Mountain Rd. in Kerhonkson started with just four rooms and billed itself as the “one of the finest Black resorts in the country.” The resort grew to 110 rooms, a mix of bungalows, trailers and motel units. There was a roller disco, a scenic bike path, and a Broadway floor show.

The resort was renamed the Mountain Valley Resort when it was sold in the 80s, but the owner died while checking the place for damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It was sold in 2015 and abandonedhudsonvalley.com documented the remnants of the once-lively, but now forgotten resort.

Peg Leg Bates is buried in Palentown Cemetery in Ulster County. His headstone bears his image in front of the Peg Leg Bates Country Club.

Where to go: Palentown Cemetery at the corner of Palentown Rd. and Solveig Lane, Kerhonkson, NY 12446

What to watch: Archive footage of Peg Leg Bates dancing

Hudson Valley

Sojourner Truth, evangelist, abolitionist, and suffragist

Sojourner Truth, was born into slavery in Ulster County with the name Isabella “Bomefree” Baumfree. She escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. She was an abolitionist and suffragist as well as an itinerant preacher, speaking of the harsh inequities people of color and women suffered and calling for change. She is best-known for her speech on racial inequalities, “Ain’t I a Woman?” and is honored in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.

There is also a memorial to her, depicting her as a child, living in slavery, in the Town of Esopus. Most recently, a statue of Truth was unveiled at The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park in Ulster County to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

Where to go: The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, 87 Haviland Rd, Highland, NY 12528

Pine Street African Burial Ground

An area outside the settlement of Kingston, NY was identified as a burial ground for enslaved Black people after multiple human remains were found during excavations and radar surveys in the backyards of private homes. Black people who were enslaved in the time before the Civil War were denied church burial and were buried in unmarked graves. Located at 157 Pine Street and surrounding the surrounding area may have been used as a burial ground since the 1660s.

The Kingston Land Trust helped the Haramabee Coalition purchase the property at 157 Pine Street in 2019. Harambee, an organization which provides cultural and educational events to the local community, is working to convert the residential backyard into a memorial site, open to the public.

Where to go: 157 Pine Street, Kingston, NY 12401

READ MORE

Peterboro’s Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum offers free daily videos during Black History Month

Abolitionist John Brown’s ties to the Adirondacks, why it matters today

National Potato Chip Day: Did you know potato chips were invented in Upstate NY?